A/N: Sorry about the hiatus. I had exams so… Anyway, exams are over and they're coming again! Mendokuse…
GrayTheBlueJay- Lionboy... Well, honestly speaking, I really want to thank you for that contribution. I was bored and had a library on hand. I just didn't know what to borrow when I saw your review! It's an amazing book, but I'm sad to say that I had never even heard of it before you mentioned it. I really appreciate that you commented. Just the fact that you commented makes me happy. Thank you!)
Lednacek- Noted. Thank you for the advice, and I already fixed that.)
jazmyn- Thank you! XD
Chapter 10: Kamikakushi
"Like this?"
"Yeah, just run through the seals and slam your palm on the floor."
"Okay. Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Naruto's hand met with the ground.
Nothing happened.
Again.
A cricket chirruped somewhere in the grass.
"I... I think he's probably still recovering. I did catch him the stomach after all," Anko stammered, seeing the tears in the blond's eyes. "Come on, don't cry. He'll come back. I'm sure of it." Naruto tilted his head, and Anko flicked his forehead playfully. "Don't look so sullen. You'll shock even ghosts to death. I'm going to go get a mission from the Hokage, so you can have the rest of the day off." So saying, Anko vanished in a swirl of leaves. Naruto stayed in the empty clearing for a while before making his way towards civilisation. It had been quite some time after Shiro disappeared, and they were still trying to get him back, but to no avail.
On the way, he passed by the Hyuuga estate. He hung his head and contemplated for a while before entering, never once drawing the attention of the Hyuuga lurking around. As he was approaching Hinata's room, he heard shouting. Poking his head around a door, he was greeted by the sight of brown haired man with milky white eyes reprimanding Hinata. "How many times are you going to get it wrong? Neji is many times better! He's a prodigy but he's in the branch family. You're a disgrace to the main family," he yelled. Hinata cowered away from the man. "You can go," the man dismissed her. Hinata slouched away, defeated. The blond peeking in on them swiped a sheet of paper and a pen, before bounding ahead of the Hyuuga heiress, scribbling something on the paper. Hinata quietly shut the door to her painfully empty room. She could feel a lump in her throat and tears pricking her eyes. She knew she was close to crying. Sighing, she flopped heavily onto her futon. A deafening crunch sounded out and she leaped from her perch, startled. A piece of paper fluttered from her bum and she tenderly picked it up off the ground.
Don't give up. You can do it.
Hinata stared for a while at the piece of paper, before delicately folding it and stowing it away in her drawer, smiling the entire time. She didn't know who had written it and placed it there, but it made her day, knowing there was someone looking out for her. Taking up the Jyuuken stance, she went through the style, flowing liquidly as if she were dancing. Naruto smiled as she started practising, before leaping from the tree he was in, over the wall and out of the compound.
"Anko, where's Naruto? I thought I requested for you to bring him along," the Sandaime quirked an eyebrow.
"Really? I can't recall. But why do ya want him on the mission with me anyway? I asked you a few times before and you said he was too young or something," Anko said.
"This mission requires a child, and I know you well enough to know that you'd make life hell for whoever is going with you that isn't blond and whose name doesn't mean fishcake," the Hokage answered.
"True," Anko scratched the back of her head sheepishly.
"Besides, this mission isn't as difficult as it sounds. There should be no shinobi involved," the Sandaime added.
"I'll go get him." She vanished in a flurry of leaves. The Hokage sighed. A mouthful of heavenly noodles slipped down his throat when he heard a voice,
"Hey Gaki, we're going on a mission."
"Anko-san? I thought I had the day off?" Naruto raised the bowl to his lips and downed the broth. Hokage's orders," Anko said, leaving out the fact that she had the option of going with another, possibly more skilled, child.
"Hai," Naruto sighed, paying before leaving.
They walked in the general direction of the administrative side of the academy.
They reached the Hokage tower and entered the office.
Through the window.
The Hokage looked up as a draft blew in to see Anko with Naruto slung over her shoulder.
She dropped him on the floor with a loud thump. "I got him," Anko announced triumphantly.
"I can see that," the Sandaime said as Naruto picked himself up off the floor. "Ignoring your entrance, your mission is to infiltrate a travelling circus."
"That doesn't sound too hard, but why would I need a child with me?" Anko asked.
"Here's the lowdown. The circus just emerged out of the woodwork one day, calling itself Kamikakushi. It travelled to a few towns and villages, performing there, but the next day, a few people, either civilian or ninja, disappeared. The strange thing is that no one seems to remember who the missing people were or that they even existed, even relatives and close friends. The client has refused to disclose his personal information to anyone but the Hokage, and has provided us with the location of Kamikakushi. As for why you need a child, you two are to act as refugees and seek to join the circus for sanctuary, and it would be more believable with a child," the Sandaime answered. "You will be departing to Hanezakana. It's a town that specialises in fishing. Kamikakushi is headed for there as we speak. Your mission is to infiltrate Kamikakushi and find out where the missing people went, and the cause of the partial memory loss of those who knew them."
"Hai," the two chorused.
"Ne, ne! Yuki! When do you think we're gonna reach Hanezakana?" a black haired girl in peculiar clothes stared listlessly out the caravan at passing vehicles.
"Soon, Yumi," an identical looking boy with slightly less feminine features sighed, staring out the window as well, enjoying the feeling of the cool, albeit dusty, air caress his cheeks.
"Ne, ne! Yuki! What are those?" Yumi jabbed her finger excitedly in the direction of a transportation van. Two sets of glowing amber eyes shone from the darkness of the rear. Anger and confusion seemed to roil in its honey coloured depths. Then, they vanished.
"I don't Yuki started, before the van next to them shuddered, as if someone or something was trying to break free from the confines of the van. Shouts laced with fear and confusion emitted from the vehicle. The van lurched dangerously, the tires spitting dust as if in protest as it leaned towards the caravan. The middle aged lady in the driver's seat gripped the steering wheel tightly, so much so that her knuckles had been drained of colour, leaving a pale white. Cold sweat beaded her forehead as she wrenched the steering wheel away from the van, which had swerved away. She muttered colourful curses under her breath. The brakes and wheels weren't responding. That was what happened when they failed to do maintainence work on the caravan. Why did it have to give out at a time like this? Screams and shouts filled with desperation rose from both vehicles as the circus performers held on to whatever stable fixture they could find. The van hit a lampost and skidded, curving into perfect circles and careening right into the caravan. "Rushi!" Yuki yelled to the driver, finally snapping out of his daze and running towards the front of the vehicle, slamming his hands urgently on the dashboard as Rushi stared on in shock, her hands still gripping the steering wheel like a lifeline. The caravan responded to the boy's touch and swerved out of the way as the out of control van ran up against another vehicle, the wheels screeching onto the cart and crushing it. The van tilted towards the caravan, Yuki steering it away, the van drawing a long scar down the side of the caravan as it fell to the ground on its side and skidded a few feet before coming to a halt, spraying dust across the road. The haggard looking horse pulling the destroyed cart whinnied in fear and tugged feverishly at the reins that were pinned under the wreckage. Yuki heaved a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat that had collected on his forehead. The circus performers started cheering for the boy who had saved their lives.
"That was awesome, Yuki!" Rushi patted him on the back and he stared at the floor sheepishly, not used to being inundated with praise. However, the relief was short-lived as a roar cut through the air. A loud scraping noise was heard and two monstrous beings burst from the wreckage, not completely unharmed. The circus performers filed out of the caravan. The sub-caravans were still a safe distance away, but they were not. One of the two monsters sniffed at the air and roared again, before slamming a clawed paw onto the ground with enough strength to send spider-web cracks through it. The monsters were like nothing they had ever seen. Majestic and yet deadly at the same time. The larger one batted a paw at the wreckage, as if trying to look for something. It had pitch black fur, which rippled each time it flexed its powerful muscles. A halo of gold fur went around its forehead like a crown and large, leathery black wings extended from its back. Amber eyes of the smaller one darted left and right, finally falling on the circus performers. It lowered its head to become level with them and released a malicious roar.
"Daisuke! Do something!" Yumi shouted at a brown haired male. He was the resident strongman but in the face of such a monstrous being, he was at a loss for what to do. It snapped at them almost playfully and nudged its companion, the latter turning to inspect them. The animals towered over them and Yumi pushed Daisuke towards the beast as some sort of human sacrifice. The larger beast turned away and continued batting at the wreckage, losing interest in them, but the other seemed intent on eating them, and bared its teeth, each one about as long as Yuki's forearm.
"Uh... um... Down, boy..." the brunet trailed off, losing his courage and whimpering when the beast opened it mouth, leaving him to face a yawning chasm lined with teeth. Growls rumbled on the back of the creature's throat and Daisuke seemed to shrink in size.
The massive jaws were about to close down on the troupe when a voice called out, "Kuro-chan Number 1!" The monster, as well as the performers, turned their heads to see two cloaked people situated near the wreckage of the cart. One was lying prone on the ground, his or her figure smaller than the one who had called out to the beast, and the other was standing protectively over his or her companion. Their clothes appeared to be ragged and they seemed to have no worldly posessions other than the cloth on their backs. The other monster who seemed to have no interest in the group previously, turned to the two and advanced on them, sniffing at the air curiously. The person seemed to back away as it approached and grabbed the collar of his or her companion, shaking the person vigorously. "You're not Kuro-chan Number 1," the cloaked person shouted at the monster still shaking his or her companion. "He's Kuro-chan Number 1. You're Kuro-chan Number 2!" The person then turned back to the figure on the ground and screamed, "Wake up or we're all gonna become kitty food!"
The one on the ground got up and shook his head as if to clear the cobwebs, before asking, "What's wrong?" It took a while for the performers to realize that the person was speaking to the beasts and not to his companion. The monsters growled in response. "I see, it must have been difficult for you two," he walked over to the beasts. Daisuke reached out and grabbed the person's arm in an attempt to save the poor delusional fool. However, his efforts were wasted as his eyes met with a cold, amber stare, not unlike that of the monsters', that chilled him down to his soul. He gasped and released his grip, allowing the person to advance.
Yuki nudged the strongman. "Why'd you let go? They're going to eat him," he whispered in a worried tone. Daisuke remained silent, as if by talking he'd break an oath and be punished for committing blasphemy. The group simply watched as the person strolled up to the beasts and lay a gentle hand on the smaller of the two. What surprised them most though was not that it didn't attack the person, but instead, the fact that it pressed its head further into the person's hand, a contented purr rumbling in the back of it's throat. The person stroked it, eliciting a few more satisfied purrs, before he moved to the side and disappeared from view. The group watched with bated breath until a hand appeared, carefully cleaning the wounds on its body before expertly securing a bandage over the gash running down its back from the base of its wing to its side. There were other wounds like it, as if someone had tortured it into submission. He turned to the other beast and gave it the same treatment.
"Sorry you had to see them going wild like that," the person said, stroking one of the monsters. "Not that they aren't, normally," he added quickly when they growled in displeasure. The monsters returned to purring and rubbing up against him. "They were genetically engineered to look this way and trained to attack anything that their master deems an enemy. Then they were caged, ill treated and put on auction. Apparently, they have chakra resistant hides and their skin is impervious to most blades. That was why they were created in the first place. Weapons for war," he said. An inaudible whisper brushed past his lips, his eyes glazed over, "Like me."
"Sorry about that," the taller figure took off her hood to reveal a head of purple hair. "The name's Kino, and he's my son, Hiruko. Could we seek sanctuary in your circus while the civil war in our homeland blows over?" Kino (Anko, but she shall be called Kino from now on, likewise for Naruto) asked.
"The two of you are welcome in our humble family. I see your son has a thing for animals. We needed an animal tamer. Seems like we've got one," Rushi, the ringmaster, stepped out of the group. She turned to Hiruko, "And your two friends are welcome too if they can promise not to eat anybody and earn their keep by performing along with you."
"Thank you!" Hiruko bowed. The beasts growled. "And they promise!"
Rushi raised an inquisitive eyebrow at this and Kino quickly added, "He's been able to talk to felines since young. No one knows why."
"That would undoubtedly make him a great asset. And don't worry. We're nearly all freaks here in our little circus, so I don't think you'll feel left out," Rushi said kindly. Then she turned to Kino, "Is there any special skill that you have which you can contribute to our circus?"
Kino thought for a while before saying, "I can cook a feast in five minutes if you give me the right ingredients."
Rushi cocked an eyebrow, "You'll have to display to me your culinary skills some time. But rest assured, if we can't find an act for you, you can be my assistant." Rushi smiled warmly. "Guys, please make the new members of our family feel welcome!" she announced.
The troupe whispered among themselves, but Yumi didn't hesitate to step forward, grab Hiruko by the arm and say, "Hey! My name's Yumi! Can I help you name them?" Hiruko stood, befuddled, before nodding. "Hello, Kin-chan and Gin-chan!" Yumi patted each of them on the head. They gave a small whine each in acknowledgement.
"Gold and silver?" Hiruko asked. He looked from the one on his right to the one on his left and tried to find an indication of the feature with which its colour they had been christened after.
"Yeah, because this one has a gold crown and this one has a silver crown," Yumi said, clasping Hiruko's hands in her own and bouncing around elatedly. Hiruko then noticed the slight colour difference in the crown like pattern stretching across their foreheads like halos. Yuki and Yumi spent most of the ride in the caravan conversing with Hiruko, while Kino made small talk with the adult performers. Hiruko found that nearly all the performers had unique abilities uncommon even in the ninja world. Yuki had complete control over any vehicle and Yumi could control fire to a degree even ninjas couldn't achieve, and it was without the use of handsigns. The two were twins who had been in the circus for a long as they could remember. The strongman, Daisuke, the one who attempted to stop him previously, could use his body heat to melt metal if he so wished it, and Rushi was a seer. She could gaze into the future, know who you were related to merely by touching your palms, know which card in a poker deck was the one you picked and the list went on. She was the magician of the troupe as well as the ringleader. Kage, as his friends called him, was the person who did the disappearing acts, seeing as his ability was to travel through the shadows as well as go from one shadow to another. The clown, Mino, had a quirky affinity for getting into the most awkward and silly situations, and he seemed to love it. Then there was their resident musician. He was blind, but he could play any instrument, and that, apparently, was his ability. Then came Maka, the alchemist girl who could turn metal into gold, if there was a small speck of gold inside, with just a touch of her fingers. Last but not least were Mari and Ren, the trapeze artists who were the only ones without a special ability, not counting Mino. Though, judging by their immense skill in the air, a special ability wasn't necessary.
That night, Hiruko lay on the floor of the caravan with the other perormers and gazed out at the sky, wondering how Hinata was doing back at home. He searched the twilight for a message about her, but all he received was the cold blinking of the stars that conveyed nothing. He soon fell asleep, the small uncertainty nagging at the back of his mind was drowned out. 'Why is it that all of them have been performing in Kamikakushi for as long as they could remember? It just surfaced at the beginning of this year.' Hiruko woke the next day to realise that Rushi had driven through the night and they were now at their destination. A sign saying, 'Welcome to Hanezakana' sailed past them and the secondary caravans, driven by Kage and Mino, pulled level beside theirs. Gin and Kin butted the window lightly, from inside the large storage van that Mino was driving, upon seeing Hiruko. Mino then pulled ahead and stopped at a large empty plain and opened the doors to the van. The performers in the main caravan exited once it had come to stop, Kin and Gin pouncing on Hiruko playfully. As Hiruko tumbled along the ground with the two animals, the others pulled out the tents. "Hiruko! Stop playing around and help us get the tent up!" Rushi called in a motherly fashion. The two animals got the message and got off of Hiruko, leaving the boy free to help set up the tent. By the time their struggling had paid off and the tent was standing upright, it was around noon. The troupe, Hiruko learned, took turns doing the chores an they rotated their duties. Rushi cooked lunch, a simple meal of curry and rice, before they went to set up their props and do light training. Hiruko was left panting by the time night fell, and they choked down a dinner of curry and rice again. Naruto watched as people streamed into the tent, Rushi ushering them in happily, her swallowtail coat accentuating her curves and the short skirt clinging at a low angle on her waist giving men a tease. The top hat on her head was slightly askew when she closed the drapes of the large tent, the large sheets of cloth flopping down with an air of finality. She marched to their section of the tent, which was not visible from the stands, and gave them a small pep talk. She walked out again, an air of confidence surrounding her and Hiruko heard her addressing the crowd.
Everything else passed in a blur as he watched from his vantage point, the acts cycling in fevered blurs of colour and wonderment. Yumi smiled at him as she went out, easily gaining everyone's favour with her cheery attitude and uncanny affinity for fire. He gasped with the crowd when she set herself on fire, before clapping and whooping as one with the audience when she not only wasn't burned alive, but also gathered the flames into the shape of the frame of a tennis raquet and contorted herself through it. When the act was over, Rushi made her way back into the ring and had the unpleasant job of quelling the crowd's thirst for an encore by the fire wielder. Hiruko thought she was going to end the show for the night when she finally got the audience to settle down. He became shell-shocked when he heard Rushi say from past the drapes, "Please put your hands together for our newest act. Our animal tamer will control a beast that no one has seen before, and manage to keep all his limbs by the end of the day. He may be our youngest performer, but he's in no way the worst." Yumi appeared from behind him and pushed him out into the open. A hush fell amongst the crowd, and he could guess why. Standing awkwardly clad in clothes that were too big for him borrowed from Yuki, he must have been giving off the impression he was originally meant to give off. A poor refugee. He looked nothing like a circus performer, clad in their quirky costumes splattered with about every single shade on the colour wheel. Just when he was about to be run over by the 'Panic Attack Express', the drapes billowed inwards fiercely and two hellish monsters materialised in the tent. They roared savagely at the audience and sent a few people scrambling away in fear. Children started crying as they gnashed their teeth, light whisking across their menacing points. "Kin-chan! Gin-chan!" Hiruko called, and the two animals turned towards the boy. They purred in delight and weaved their way through the apparatus left by Yumi previously, as if they were tame house cats rather than ferocious genetically engineered weapons.
Hiruko was at a loss for what to do after getting their attention, until Yumi burst from hiding, cracking a whip of flames in her hand. "You asked for an encore? You've got one!" Yumi shouted at the crowd. She rushed at Hiruko, her whip coming down on him. The attack never met. A large wing intercepted the whip, shielding the blond from the sparking material. The leathery appendage flapped outward, nearly catching Yumi in the stomach, but she flipped away with practised ease. A missile made solely of fire powered towards him and he threw himself to the floor, the heat streaking a line over his head. It curved in mid-air and headed back at him. Hiruko's fingers twitched as he fought against his instincts to stop himself from performing a suiton jutsu and blowing their cover sky high. A pair of wings batted it away and the projectile dissolved in a burst of orange. A loud rumbling was the only warning Hiruko was allowed before a motorcycle rushed at him, headlights blinding him. He grabbed onto Gin and whispered, "Could you go up, please?" The animal nodded and beat its powerful wings, shooting into the air and hovering a metre below the ceiling of the tent. A barrage of senbon shot upwards, out of their shadow, and a layer of flames wasted no time in flaring to life, coating the weapons. Hiruko grabbed a senbon, hissing in pain as the flames licked at his skin before finally dying out. He deflected the assault, and whipped his head around when he heard a growl and a crunch. The motorcycle from before had flown off a ramp and was probably headed towards him before Kin barelled into it mid-air and knocked it to the ground, ending its services as the impact coupled with the weight of the animal pinning it down took its toll. A blur of colour and a feeling of something impacting his side brought the blond from a slight daze. He was soon free falling through the air, Mari gazing apologetically as she swung, her legs gripped tightly by Ren. His fall was broken by something soft and warm. He got up and slid down Kin's back, thanking the animal. It growled in response.
Yumi trotted over to him and slapped him amicably on the back, "Thanks for not dying. If you did I'd be one friend less!" Hiruko looked around and noticed that the other performers who had attacked him had disappeared from sight. He sighed as Yumi forced him into a bow.
Suddenly, a man from the audience, decked out in ninja gear, stood up. A look of distaste was etched on his face that made it look even more twisted than before. "What the hell was that? Anyone could've fought like that with their summons. I don't see what's so special about those beasts anyway. They're probably just trained to act like this, and certainly not by you." The ninja pointed an accusing finger at Hiruko. Rushi emerged, "What's wrong?" Kino trailed behind her, a pair of knives in her hands, edges keen and waiting. "Those animals were probably pre-trained," the ninja sneered.
"This was an impromptu act by a recently joined member. It naturally wouldn't be as good as the others, but if you're still unhappy, would you be willing to provide an animal for him to train on the spot that most likely hasn't received our influence?" Rushi asked, a serene smile on her face. Hiruko opened his mouth to protest, but Rushi simply smiled and put a finger gently to her quirked lips. The ninja simply smirked, bit his thumb to draw blood, ran through a string of handseals, and slammed his palm on the floor. A large white tiger emerged and roared. It was just as big as the two unknown animals, and just as majestic. "This is my summon, Byakko. He's the boss summon of the white tigers," the Ninja boasted.
"White tigers? Sounds dorky," Yumi shrugged nonchalantly. The ninja ignored her and barked an order for the tiger to kill Hiruko.
"You'd better tame him, or he'll kill you," the ninja leered. The tiger sprang and soared through the air at Hiruko, before being knocked away by Kin. The two beasts sized each other up, moving in slow hypnotic circles, a dance of light and shadow.
"Byakko-san!" Hiruko shouted, fear causing his tone to waver slightly.
"What do you want, insignificant worm?" the tiger snapped, whirling around to face Hiruko, anger and annoyance sparking in his eyes. Kin took that opportunity to tense his leg muscles and prepared to pounce at Byakko like a missile.
"Kin, stop!" Hiruko ordered, seeing the powerful sinew coil like a spring. Kin grumbled in his indignance before relaxing slightly, though not completely in case his master needed a hundred pounds or so of flesh and muscle.
"Hurry up, brat! I don't have all day to sit around here and drink tea with you people," Byakko growled in distaste, lashing his tail to prove his point.
"Have you seen a small white tiger about this size?" Hiruko used his hands to gauge Shiro's size. It was a desperate attempt to find Shiro, but it was a potential lead to find his missing summon and friend. Kino winced slightly at this.
"Shiroko? He's currently grounded for staying away from home for two years!" the words exploded past Byakko's lips, fueled by anger. "And when he came home, he had a knife lodged in his stomach!" Kino winced again at this. "What's it to you anyways?" Byakko growled. By now, the crowd had gone quiet and appeared to be fascinated by the boy who was seemingly conversing with the summon, even though all they could hear were growls and grunts. The ninja seemed to be in quiet disbelief, as if he was seeing, but did not wanting to believe it.
"Shiro's alive. Thank God," Hiruko sighed. "When can he come back?" The tiger looked incredulous.
"He's grounded for life! He's not going anywhere. As the only heir to the clan, he can't go charging recklessly and then dying! How's in he supposed to lead when he's six feet under and pushing daisies?" Byakko snapped.
"He's your son," Hiruko said slowly. Byakko didn't deign to answer and merely snorted. "But he's also my friend."
Byakko growled at the last statement, "We work for whomever has the contract, and right now, it belongs to the douche over there. We don't need, and don't have, friends." The tiger's voice was harsh as before, but his tone seemed to have softened by a fraction. His face had gotten uncomfortably close to Hiruko's. The tiger sniffed, as if trying to place his scent; as if an answer was just on the tip of his tongue. His eyes widened and he used his teeth to rip the cloth away from the blond's neck, revealing the tattoo. "You're an anima," Byakko breathed. It was rhetorical and Hiruko didn't want to chance opening his mouth and adding his two cents. "Shiroko bit you," Byakko sighed. "I promised Minato that this wouldn't happen. Looks like I failed."Who's Minato?" Hiruko asked, a curious spark in his eyes.
Kino visibly stiffened and cut across them, "Okay, that's enough."
A fierce growl from Byakko made her back down, but she looked ready to butcher the tiger if he so much as scratched the blond. "Look, brat. I don't like my contractor, you don't like my contractor, and you want to see Shiroko again, so if you can just rough the guy up a little and get the contract scroll..." Byakko trailed off.
Hiruko's eyes sparkled, "Then Shiro can come home!"
"Gotta warn you though, Gaki. The guy's a ninja from Iwa, and with you looking like that, knowing him he's going to mistake you for Minato," Byakko growled before simply sitting down to watch with appraising eyes.
The man leered down at the blond, taking his fetures in for the first time. A growl ecaped the ninja's lips, "Kiiroi-senkou?"
'Hasn't' he considered that I might be too young? And I'm not as effeminate looking,' Hiruko pouted inwardly. Despite the mental pouting and mis-identification, mirth bubbled behind his impassive facade and he tried desperately to resist the urge to laugh, seeing the dumbstruck look on the Iwa nin's face.
He could've sworn he heard the tiger mutter, "Out of an entire nation with incredibly skilled fighters, I got the idiot who can't even tell the difference between a nine year old and a twenty-nine year old." At this, Hiruko could no longer hold in his chuckles, and it exploded from his lips in loud barks of laughter.
"Shut up! You slaughtered our nation's forces during the war and you have the gall to laugh?" the ninja shouted in fury.
The laughter ceased immediately and his face became devoid of all emotion. His eyes became a rich, but glazed gold. "Then take revenge," Hiruko taunted, a condescending smirk spreading slowly across his face. The ninja's face had became the exact shade of a beetroot in his anger, his body trembling. "Or are you going to remain a disgrace to your nation?" Hiruko watched him closely, his eyelids hanging deceptively low, giving him a sleepy look. The Iwa nin felt something snap in his mind and lunged at the blond, the only thought on his mind was to make the boy pay for insulting his competency. All he could hear was his blood roaring in his ears, intent on punching the blonde, when the boy sidestepped, a bored look on his face as the punch sailed harmlessly past his head. The ninja kept up with the assault, throwing wild punches and kicks like a drunken sailor in a brawl. The blond dodged each one with an ever present look of sheer boredom. He began to tire and his attacks became more sluggish. He gathered his chakra to fuel a fireball and released the attack on the blond. The boy dropped to the floor and swept the man's legs from under him, the fire attack passing harmlessly over his head. The Iwa nin landed with a thud on his back, and extracted a kunai from his weapons pouh a discreetly as he could. Hiruko positioned himself over the man, gazing impassively down at the man's figure. How had the guy made it into the shinobi forces in the first place? Steel glinted in the artificial lights above and he moved in time for a kunai to miss his heart by a long shot and graze his cheek. A look of annoyance passed over his face as tumultous shades of gold in his eyes caused the man to freeze out of fear involuntarily. A swift hit to the back of the man's neck and he pitched forward onto the floor. Hiruko stared awkwardly at the man's unconscious form, slightly disoriented as the crowd had gone eerily silent.
The silence was broken by the sound of an explosion and the ninja's body disappeared into a cloud of confetti. When the shimmering slivers flitted back to earth, the only one standing there was Rushi. She smiled warmly at the crowd, "We hope you enjoyed our final performane where one of our staff hid in the crowd to challenge our new member! It seems he did quite well, wouldn't you say?" Murmurs ran through the crowd. "He might be more of a fighter than an animal tamer, but he is an animal tamer nonetheless, able to tame these three beasts in a matter of minutes. That's a feat in and of itself!" Rushi gave a slight giggle. The crowd began to clap after an unsettling moment of hesitation, and acknowledged the odd animal tamer. "We hope you had an enjoyable time. Goodnight," Rushi said, and the rest of the cast materialised in the ring and bowed, Hiruko mimicking their actions a few seconds later.
"What the hell were you thinking, taunting the man into engaging you in battle like that? This can't happen again, got it?" Rushi said sternly. Hiruko nodded, a confused look plastered across his face. "Well, what are we gonna do with him?" Yuki asked, gesturing to the form they were whispering over. The man was prone on the ground, still in lala land. Byakko padded up to the man's body and snuffled through the ninja's pouch, before returning with a scroll balanced daintily between his teeth. He jerked his head and release his hold, allowing it to sail neatly into Hiruko's waiting hands.
"Go ahead and sign it. But don't summon me unless you have a giant fox on your tail that's wearing a frilly red dress and was nearly late to her own wedding," Byakko said.
"But that would never happen," Naruto said, turning the scroll over in his hands.
"Exactly," Byakko deadpanned.
"But why foxes?" Naruto tilted his head as if it would give him a clearer view of what was going on in the tiger's head.
"Because I don't like those nasty little buggers," Byakko growled, his fur standing on end, but his words had a light tone to it, as if he knew something that Hiruko didn't and was cracking an inside joke about it. He gave Kino a knowing look and she gazed at him warily. "FYI, that guy was a gennin. Don't ask me where he got the contract scroll from, probably took it off my previous contractor's dead body," the tiger turned and was about to leave when Hiruko called out.
"Why did you let him summon you? You said you didn't like him after all..." Hiruko trailed off.
"Maybe because I want the amusement of having an idiot in my life again," Byakko's lips twitching was the only indication of a smile.
"Then why don't you speak the human tongue. I know for a fact that all summons can," Naruto pressed on.
"Didn't feel like it," Byakko replied in fluent Japanese before he disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Hiruko blinked slowly and gave a non-commital shrug as if in resignation. The blond then sat down, slid open the scroll and stared blankly at the two names on the otherwise blank scroll. "How am I supposed to..." he gazed helplessly at Kino. The lady snapped out of her daze and directed the blond in signing the contract.
"It's late and we have another performance tomorrow, so why don't we all set aside this... stuff... to tomorrow and all have a good night's rest?" Rushi said. "You can try... calling up your animal tomorrow, but first, we should sleep." The performers didn't object to this and they all left for their respective tents, leaving Rushi with the unconscious man. She picked up the man's legs and dragged him off into the night, the quiet snuffling of clothes against the dirt accompanying her out of the campsite like a solemn hymn. -
Hinata gazed up at the stars and wondered how Naruto was doing. He hadn't gone to school, and when she had asked Iruka-sensei about it, he simply deflected her question by talking about chewing gum. It was frustrating and perplexing that even the teacher was hiding his location. She was worried that she couldn't find him anywhere, even with her byakugan. It was as if he'd left the village or had been purposefully avoiding her. She sighed wistfully, fiddling with a bottle of pure black liquid. Naruto had handed it to her one day and told her that it was an antidote only to be used in a dire situation. She shook it gently and the liquid slapped against the sides, wanting out of the plastic bottle. She listened to the quiet sussurus of the sakura trees and thought of her mother. Despite the initial degrading of her health after he gave her the antidote about a month ago, her mother had sprung back in peak condition, and she could not thank him enough. She couldn't imagine her life without her mother. It also gave her faith in his and Kabuto's abilities in healing people. Clutching the bottle to her chest, she thought, 'Where did you go, Naruto?' She slowly drifted into a light sleep, lulled by the wind and watched over by the stars.
A figure kneeled before Orochimaru, a cloak obscuring his features. "Orochimaru-sama," the figure started, "I can assure you that no one suspects me or tailed me here. And I have nothing to report. "
"And the boy you've taken an interest in?" Orochimaru asked, a sick smile on his face.
The figure tilted its head, eyes half-lidded and an amused smile on its lips, "Oh him? He's just a pretty little toy."
Orochimaru allowed himself a chuckle before dismissing the one before him, watching him melt into the shadows. His spy was ruthlessly efficient and merciless in killing if need be on top of being his best operative. It amazed him at times, that the person that just left could appear so kind and caring and yet kill people without even batting an eyelid. The thought sent a pleasant chill through him.
Kino woke up to a splitting headache and massaged her temples in an attempt to quell it. She felt like someone was playing rock music full blast in her head. The day went on as usual, an unshakeable nagging in the back of her mind telling her that she'd forgotten something. Her fingers worked deftly as she tossed ingredients about and exhaled a steady jet of flames. A pot of spaghetti seafood marinara lay before her when she was finally done. The smell wafted around her like a heavenly shroud when she brought it out to the performers. It honestly didn't cost as much as she thought it would when she bought in bulk. She doled out equal portions to the performers and said grace before eating. She had volunteered herself to be chef and would help out with any other odds and ends. The days flew by and they had moved from Hazekana to another place, never once wondering about what happened to the Iwa nin whose body had mysteriously disappeared the next day. Hiruko loved circus life and between training his butt off and performing, he nearly forgot about his real purpose in the circus. Today, they were performing for the last day just outside a town that sold textiles, and Kino had just emerged from the kitchen in under five minutes with their dinner. The smell of tomato paste, a sprinkling of pepper and vinegar hit him. He was prctically drooling by the time he had a plate of it in his hands and he choked it down eagerly before asking for another helping. Kino's cooking skills were, he decided, unrivaled except for Teuchi and Ayame, the two ramen chefs.
When the remains of dinner were finally cleared away, he left for the forest nearby after calling Kin and Gin to follow him, a bow and a quiver of arrows he'd borrowed from Daisuke in hand. He didn't remember where he'd learned to use the weapon, but there wasn't any other sharp pointy stuff around and the long ranged weapon just felt right in his hands. He notched an arrow and immediately felt at ease among the deep silence of the forest. Gnarled branches interlocked together in a tangled dance of mystery as sounds echoed around him in the vast carpet of vegetation. The two large animals that padded beside him gave him an odd sense of security and belonging, as if he were one of them. A shift in the winds, and he caught the scent of a wayward doe. Kin left to hunt it, while Gin padded off soundlessly to stalk a much larger stag. Frantic squeals off to the left told him that Kin had made the kill and a loud snorting from somewhere ahead of him signalled that Gin had gotten her prey too. He walked forward carefully, his feet landing as soundlessly as Kin and Gin's, and a flash of light brown fur caught his eye. He whipped around, arrow straining to be released, but relaxed when four slender legs, a small muzzle and large, soft brown eyes. It was a baby deer. He realised, with a detached fascination, that the body Gin was devouring, had most likely been the father. "I'm sorry, little one," he said, reaching out to touch it. It shyed away and skittered unsteadily on its legs. He left his hand outstretched and waited. The deer sniffed his hand and butted it lightly. Hiruko moved to pat it on the head but it moved away once more. He stayed still and the deer slowly came up to him, unsure, and rubbed its head against his hand. It sniffed his hand again and nuzzled it eagerly, curling around his hand. The blond decided that it was a good time to move and gently brushed the top of its head, feeling a slight shiver go through its small body. There was just something about the blond that calmed animals, in general, down. Even Hiruko himself didn't understand why or how. Kin and Gin then chose that moment to amble over, fur slightly bloody. The deer started and ran a few feet away, moving expertly through the trees until a tree gave it a glancing blow. "Kin, Gin, go back first. I'll meet you back at the tent," instructed Hiruko, keeping his eyes on the deer. The two animals left, both speculating what Hiruko would do with the baby deer. Once they were gone, the blond immediately raised his bow and fired an arrow in the deer's direction. It sliced through the air and landed with a vicious thump, striking his target in the skull. Liquid ruby flowed down the animal's head wound and dripped omniously onto the floor. The blond approached the carcass and removed the arrow, casually wiping the sharp tip on the grass, staining the green with a smear of red. He picked the snake up and hurled its dead body to the top of the tree where it disappeared through the thick drape of leaves. The blond turned to the deer and slowly patted it on the head before scooping it in his arms and carrying it back to the tents.
"Why is it that you keep picking up strays?" Kino sighed, wishing that the blond wasn't such an animal magnet.
"So can I keep it?" Hiruko asked, pulling out the puppy eyes, his large blue eyes making it difficult to resist the underhanded attack.
"Yes, you may if Kin and Gin don't eat it first," Kino mumbled.
"Yatta!" Hiruko squeezed the deer lightly. "Then you won't have to be alone," he whispered to the animal.
Yuki then popped his head past the drapes of the tent and called, "Hiruko, Yumi and I need your help with something." Kino nodded in the ebony haired boy's direction, as I saying, 'Go ahead'. Hiruko set the deer down and left, leaving Kino to engage the deer in an awkward staring match.
"So, what is it that you needed my help with?" Naruto asked, looking aroun at the equipment scattered across the tent. A pair of hands covered his eyes.
"Yuki and I decided to get you something!" Yumi's voice squealed. She removed her hands and he saw before him the frilliest dress on earth. The entire thing was literally made of frills and laces with a teeny tiny waist. A corset was set beside it and the laces looked like they would squeeze the bejeezus out of his waist. He wouldn't be surprised if his guts came out of his mouth if he were to even attempt putting it on. "It's for you to wear during your act! Do you like it?" Yumi giggled. Hiruko couldn't stop the look of dread spread across his face. Yuki laughed so hard that tears came to his eyes. Yumi then shoved the dress aside and turned him around. A set of clothes was laid out neatly on the dresser, and Yumi bundled him towards it, urging him to put it on. After much fussing, he finally managed to struggle into the clothes of foreign design. They were surprisingly light and easy to move around in, considering the design. Yumi manhandled the blond towards a full length mirror so that he could actually see what he was wearing. He had, apparently, donned an odd combination of a black sleeveless shirt with silver lining and a pair of black pants, the ends stuffed into matching white boots cutting off just below his knees and held together in a bow with brown laces, the tips encased in a silvery material that felt cool to the touch. He wore a long sleeved coat that stopped just below his knees. It was a deep red that immediately reminded him of fresh blood, with embroidered black and white diamond motifs alternating down in a perfect line on each sleeve which ended in white upturned cuffs just covering his hands, which were clad in pure white gloves. A flap, framed in white with additional red and black diamond motifs sewn inside the boundary, extended from the right side to be secured on the left by stark yellow buttons. The flap stopped just below his stomach, exposing the lower most part of his shirt. The coat was tight around his waist, giving him the odd feeling that it might have originally been meant for female animal tamers. The blond's eyes gyrated to the hem, which was drenched in a foreboding shadow of black, the dark flames licking upwards from the hem into another set of flames, this time an unimpeded white. It was as if the black flames were a shadow of its whiter, purer, counterpart. He finally looked like a circus performer rather than a hobo (no offence). A lilting female voice jolted him out of his thoughts, "So do you like it?" Hiruko turned to see Yumi smiling behind him, her hands resting playfully on his shoulders and her head peeking over them.
"It's amazing! I don't know what to say," Hiruko looked about ready to cry with gratitude.
"How about a thank you," Yuki prompted.
"Thank you," the blond parroted.
"We found it in this shop in the village just a ways from here. The guy said that the coat had a curse on it, but I think he was just trying to scare us. The only thing that's 'cursed' about that coat is the seal on the base of the collar that allows it to grow as you do," Yumi laughed, her voice light and calming.
"Curse or not, I love it. Thank you," Hiruko strained not to let his voice crack.
"Then you'd better repay us by performing better than you've ever done before!" Yuki slapped him on the back amicably.
After the show, Hiruko sat on the grass with Gin and Kin curled up beside him, trying to remember if he ever had a life before joining Kamikakushi. A soft breeze created a soft murmur in the blades of grass as his hair danced on the wind. He could still hear the chatter and footsteps of the audience they had just entertained. He felt a sense of peace as he sat on the soft grass, when steady crunches made their way towards him. He jolted upwards, the hem of his coat fanning out around him. A mother was leading her son along saying, "Hinata-kun you..." Hiruko's brain didn't register anything after that. He felt something tugging at his heart, something vying to be remembered. 'Hinata' was, apparently, something important to him. Memories of hanging out with the circus flitted past his memory, but none of them was named, 'Hinata'. A certain memory flitted past him, but drained away as if someone had pulled the stopper in a bathtub, leaving him with an uncomfortable empty feeling. 'Hinata, Hinata, Hinata,' the name circulated through his mind like a broken tape record and refused to stop no matter how hard he tried to block out the incessant chanting of his mind. He gave up on stargazing and headed for his tent, collapsing face first onto the floor. Something furry brushed up against his hand and he looked up to see the baby deer. "It's a litte late, but I think I'll call you Hinata," he said, unable to think of anything else with the single name inundating his exhausted brain. He pulled himself up reluctantly and fell into his hammock, refusing to do anything but sleep, a faceless entity called Hinata plaguing his dreams, not with terror, but with an out of place soothing calm. A tuneless lullaby for what he had forgotten and left behind.
A/N: Firstly, I'm not from a circus or performing group so if whomever is reading this is, please give me some pointers. I would really appreciate it. Next, guess who's spying for Orochimaru! Hmm... Honestly, it's so freaking obvious. Never mind. Can't stop listening to Payphone! Random. Okay... Please review to help me improve. I thank you in advance. And in case anyone is wondering where the circus idea came from, it's from the Vocaloid song, 'Dark woods Circus'. Vocaloid FTW!1! XD I know I said it before, but please REVIEW! Luv you guys! Now going to correct the rest of my chapters... Xp