Stamped in Blood
It had only been an hour since Mialo had gone back to sleep, and I was perched on a low branch of a tree, close enough to remain in the light of the fire. I had spent many nights doing this with three different people. Three people who bore a resemblance to myself. It always tore at my conscience to be on a mission with the three of them. On one hand, I didn't want my siblings to be endangered by accompanying me on our Mother's or Orochimaru's cruel and heartless schemes. On the other hand, I felt as though they were safer when I could keep them in my sight.
At first I believed it was Ayeba's and my duty to protect our younger siblings. To shield them from having to participate in something that might get them killed. But as time went on, it became harder to keep Mazoki out of it. I eventually realized he and I made a much better team than Ayeba and myself anyway. As much as it made sense for the two oldest to lead the way, Ayeba and I disagreed on just about everything. Besides that, she had no desire to be a ninja. Her heart was elsewhere, longing for a stable life with an attractive man, and out of the line of fire. I finally had to admit to myself that pushing my elder sister to take more responsibility, just wasn't going to happen, and that the job to keep us all alive fell completely on my shoulders.
So as much as I hated the idea of letting Mazoki fight, I let Ayeba take more of a back seat role, and accepted my brother's advice and knowledge, all the time silently remaining a barrier between him and those we were against. He was truly a ninja at heart and could protect himself, but I wasn't going to take any chances. Before we had left the village, he'd spent long hours researching jutsu and techniques which led to him advancing quickly amongst Lord Orochimaru's henchmen. I asked him not to show others quite how capable he was, for fear it would catch the snake eyed man's attention. He reassured me he had already thought of this, and told me not to worry.
But worry I did, because that's who I am. I was meant to be an anxious mess all the time, or at least that's what I always seemed to feel like. Speaking of which, the thing I was worrying about right now was the fact that there were blank spots in my memory. When the Anbu had questioned me, it was the first time I'd actually noticed how much information I was missing . I knew I should probably just let it go, but it was not your average foggy on the details blank spots. It was like an empty feeling… or something like that. It was hard to explain, but horribly infuriating. I knew it was something Orochimaru had done to me, but when had he done it? Had he conveniently taken that memory too? What else had he made me forget? I clenched my fist tight in anger.
"Think, think." I said to myself and closed my eyes in concentration.
I focused on the details of the missions Orochimaru had sent me on, and willed myself to remember.
"How long was he messing around in my head?" I groaned as I continued focusing.
Since I had the time, I continued my efforts while keeping my watch. I kept an ear open for the sounds around me as well, periodically scanning the perimeter in search of anything amiss.
Almost an hour later I had gotten nowhere and was feeling defeated and annoyed. Were the memories lost forever? What kind of intel was I harboring in my own head? How frustrating it was to know you could potentially hold the key to the destruction of one of the largest criminal sociopaths alive, but simply couldn't remember what it was.
"Ahh." I groaned and rubbing my temples, let out an impatient sigh. I glanced at the dim light beginning to appear on the horizon.
"I'll give it a few more minutes and then I'll wake the others."
'Here goes nothing.' I thought to myself and closed my eyes once more.
I had only been deep in thought for a brief moment before I felt something tickle my arm. Not wanting to interrupt my train of thought, I brushed my hand across it while keeping my eyes closed and returned to focusing. A couple seconds later I felt the tickle again, this time enough to make me open my eyes.
When I finally looked down to see what it was, my eyes shot open wide and I screamed frantically causing myself to lose balance. The giant black spider that had been sitting on me began to scamper up my arm, sending horrible chills from my toes to my scalp, and making me scream once more. Frantically flailing my arm and smacking it to get the spider off, I shrieked as I fell backward out of the tree I was in, hitting another branch, and then landing in a painful heap on the ground.
"What is it? What's going on Seraphina?" Zenko Sensei askied appearing with a kunai in grip.
I rolled into a sitting position and felt my face go beat red as I realized both Mialo and Tiberius had also woken and were standing ready for a fight. They looked half asleep still but wild eyed as they surveyed the area for a possible threat.
"Oh- uh… It's nothing." I said feeling stupid and scratching the back of my head in embarrassment.
"What do you mean it's nothing? You screamed and fell out of the tree didn't you?" Demanded Tiberius, still clenching his fists in anticipation of a fight.
"I- uh… Yeah I did. But there's no one but us here, were not being attacked…" I said avoiding eye contact.
"Well then why did you scream?" Asked Mialo confused and groggy.
"Well- there was… a really big spider on my arm." I mumbled and the three of them finally dropped their weapons.
"A spider? You screamed like that because of a spider?" Tiberius asked in disbelief.
"It was a giant black spider okay? And it was crawling up my arm!" I defended myself as I got to my feet and plucked a few twigs and a leaf out of my hair.
They all stared at me for a moment before breaking out into laughter.
"You act so big and tough, but you're afraid of spiders?" Tiberius said shaking his head.
"Shut up!" I glared at them.
"The thing was huge! You wake up with one of those on your arm and try not to scream!"
I crossed my arms and turned my head defiantly.
"We'll have to introduce her to that Shino guy when we get back to the village, hunh Tiberius?" Mialo chuckled.
"Who's Shino?" I asked skeptical.
"Sounds fun." Tiberius smirked shaking his head and began heading back to the fire that had nearly burned out.
"That was indeed an exciting wakeup call Seraphina." Zenko sensei said rubbing sleep from his eyes, and then turned to join Tiberius.
"I guess that's one of the fastest ways to wake three people at once." Mialo added and also turned to get ready for the day."
"It was a big spider…" I mumbled to myself and reluctantly followed the others.
After brushing the rest of the twigs and dirt out of my hair, I braided it and put my headband on. Before putting everything in my pack, I debated rewrapping my arm, but decided it was fine since it hadn't bleed through. After about twenty minutes, everyone had eaten their share of rice balls, finished gathering their stuff, and put the fire out thoroughly.
"Alright, let's get going. Those poor families are probably worried sick about those who were taken. Hopefully they've managed to clear that tunnel." Zenko Sensei said and began to lead the way.
"How's that shoulder Seraphina?" He asked looking over at me.
"Oh uh, a bit stiff but otherwise fine. It's no longer out of place, so I'll live." I rolled it around for examining and finding a bit of discomfort ducked my head to hide a grimace.
It was weird having someone check on me. That was usually my role.
"You've got Mialo to thank for that." Tiberius said with a smirk.
"I could thank him for it being out of place too." I muttered.
"I owed you one for knocking me into the water. Also, if you'd dodged me, you wouldn't have had that problem." Mialo said smoothly.
"Well, it was two against one. I was getting a little tired."
"Yeah, but we only had that punishment because you were late." Tiberius retorted.
He had me there. Before I could reply Mialo spoke up.
"Oh, speaking of which… I've been meaning to give this to you Seraphina." Before we had gotten far at all, he stopped to rifle around in his pack.
"Something to give me?" I asked baffled and narrowed my eyes skeptically.
"Yes…" He said and finally retrieved the thing he was looking for.
Reaching out, he handed me the leather pouch containing my missing weapon. My eyes jumped open in surprise.
"My senbon needles!" I exclaimed as relief washed through me, and then washed right out again as suspicion rose in my gut. Had he taken these from my bag when he was snooping earlier? Had he only now decided I wasn't a threat, so he was giving them back?
"I scoured those stairs looking for them, this is why I was late. Where did you find them?"
"I found them yesterday after you- uh, told me to leave. I came across them as I was coming down the steps, I was going to give them to you sooner but… well we weren't exactly on friendly terms." He shrugged before returning his pack to his shoulders.
I thought for a moment and realized he had been pretty blunt about digging through my belongings before, so if he had taken them intentionally, he'd most likely just say so. Deciding to believe his explanation, I allowed myself to let go of my skepticism. I was too relieved to be irritated that he'd waited until just now to return them.
"Thank you." I said and after opening it to check the contents, then let out a happy sigh.
"These are special like you're nunchaku Tiberius."
As we began to walk again, I ran my thumb lightly over the delicate pattern of heather flowers that decorated it, admiring the beautiful handiwork. After thoroughly appreciating the fact that they had been returned, I tucked them securely away in my weapons pouch.
"My brother was the one who suggested I use them, he got me the leather pouch to put them in." I allowed his image to come to mind. Even now it brought with it a deep aching sadness.
v
The others were quiet as we approached the side of the mountain that once had a tunnel. As we got closer we began to see signs that something didn't appear quite right.
"Hmm… This already seems to be getting off to a bad start." Zenko Sensei said with dipped brows as we continued.
Although the entrance to the pre-existing tunnel was now cleared, there was a group of people gathered outside who appeared to be arguing and gesturing frantically.
"We can't stop now! That's what they want us to do!" Shouted a scrawny man with hair pulled back into a low pony tail.
"Exactly! We should listen to their demands before someone else goes missing!" A very short, round man, with squinted eyes replied.
"But what about Bonzo and Kutoa?" Said another angrily.
"Are we just going to forget about them?"
"Of course not. That's all the more reason to stop the project for now. We were told they would be returned if we ceased clearing the tunnel. I don't know about you, but I don't plan to be their next victim." The short man said crossing his arms and turning his head away.
"Who's to say they'll return them alive? Or at all for that matter?! They're bandits, is it so hard to believe they'd lie? Our only choice is to continue with the tunnel!" The scrawny man said raising a fist.
"Fine, do what you wish. But count me out. I have no intentions of getting myself killed over some path through the mountain." The short man announced before stalking away.
"Fine! We can still manage without you." The man with the ponytail turned to the other three that still stood with him.
"What do you say earth users, shall we continue through to the other side?" He looked out at them raising his fist once more.
I don't believe he got the response he was going for as the remaining shinobi looked to one another uncertainly.
"Maybe Riekon is right about waiting…" One of them muttered.
"What about the two that were taken? How will we get them back if we just sit here doing nothing?" The scrawny man flared frustrated. The lone woman of the group stepped forward then placing her hands on her hips in a firm gesture, but there was gentleness in her eyes.
"Look Min, we're just as concerned about their safe return as you are."
"Then why aren't we-" He began, but she put a hand up while giving a shake of her head to cut him off and continued.
"But… we don't even know what they'll do to them if we continue. Those bandits are known for dumping a corpse at your doorstep when you go against their demands, Perhaps we should wait and see what happens."
The other two had weary looks on their faces but nodded their approval.
"Yeah."
"I agree."
The man named Min grunted and squeezed his fists tight, then clenched his eyes shut and turned his head from the rest of the group.
"Tch!"
The woman reached out to rest her hand on the man's shoulder as the other two began to walk away.
"What's going on here?" Asked Zenko Sensei as we stopped in front of the tunnel entrance.
The two remaining shinobi looked at our group with dread in their eyes.
"Sorry folks, the path through the tunnel is still blocked. It's uncertain when repairs might start again, so you might as well go back to where you came from for now." Said the woman with a grim expression.
"Unfortunately, that's not an option." Zenko Sensei said rubbing the scruff on his chin.
Min's ponytail whipped over his shoulder as his head snapped in our direction.
"Well make it an option! What concern of ours is it if you can't make it to the other side?!"
"Min-" The woman scolded, but he pushed her hand off his shoulder and stalked away.
She looked after him with sadness, but masked any emotion she was feeling when she turned back to us.
"I apologize for his outburst, but the fact remains. No one will be going through the tunnel any time soon." She didn't bother looking to anyone but our Sensei as she crossed her arms over her chest.
He didn't appear discouraged as he nodded his head sagely then placed a hand on his hip.
"If I might ask, how come the construction in the tunneled has halted? Were you saying some of your comrades have gone missing?"
"I'm not sure how much I should tell you… But yes. Last night while we were taking shifts to clear the path, we heard some screams from inside. When we went to investigate, Bonzo and Kutoa had vanished. We haven't seen them since…" She said looking vaguely toward the tunnel.
"And you mentioned you thought bandits were behind it?..." Zenko inquired.
"Look, it's not really your business." She said tucking the short hair that was falling into her face behind her ear.
"Actually it is. We have orders from the Lady Hokage of the Hidden Leaf to put a stop to a group of bandits that's been terrorizing the people in these parts. It's possible your comrades fell victim to that very group."
The woman's eyes widened at that.
"An order from the Leaf Village?" She asked skeptical and Zenko Sensei nodded.
"We can help you retrieve your friends, but we need to know all of the details from their disappearance."
The woman was quiet a moment as she thought, then nodded her head.
"I suppose we don't have many options… Very well. My name is Vina and yes, we're fairly certain it was bandits behind their disappearance. If you follow me I can show you where it took place. There's not much to go off, but if you think it will help…" She trailed.
"Sometimes the smallest clues are the biggest hint, please lead the way." He said dropping his hand from his hip and beckoning for us to follow.
The woman named Vina led us into the entrance of the tunnel and looked back at the three of us standing behind Zenko Sensei.
"I didn't catch your names." She said as her gaze lingered on me.
I looked away uncomfortably.
"My apologies, I'm Zenko Kemozo and these three are Mialo, Tiberius, and Seraphina." He gestured as we walked.
She arched a brow in our direction.
"Aren't they a little young to be on a hunt for a band of blood thirsty bandits?"
"Do you expect all shinobi to be as old as the two of you?" Tiberius questioned sounding bored and arching a brow back at her.
She made an annoyed noise in the back of her throat.
"Hey now." Zenko Sensei chuckled as the woman stiffened, clearly taking offense.
"Don't worry about them, they're plenty capable."
He gave the woman a smile as we continued to walk.
"If you say so… But if these are the same bandits who have been terrorizing everyone around here… you'd better watch yourselves. These people are heartless, they'll kill anyone they need to get what they want. Even the youngest of children haven't been exempt from their torture."
Her voice went soft at the end and she shook her head.
"That knowledge just makes catching them that much more important." Zenko's voice was even to match hers.
Entering the dim cavern we followed along the rest of the way silently. We walked for only a couple minutes before Vina called us to a halt.
"This is it. This is where they should have been when we came to look for them. As you can see, there's blood on the wall there," She gestured a few feet to her left, "But not much more."
Zenko Sensei began to rub his chin again.
"How did they leave you with the demands to stop clearing the tunnel? Did one of the bandits tell you in person?"
"Oh! I almost forgot. This was stuck into the wall with a kunai."
She reached in her pocket then handed Zenko sensei a piece of paper. He took the scrap and then unfolded it to read the contents.
"Cease clearing this tunnel for the return of your comrades. At the bottom it looks like the stamp of a snake. It appears it was stamped in blood." He relayed while examining it.
Picking his head up he looked to Vina as he folded it back up.
"Do you mind if I keep this? It would be a great tool to have in case we come across anymore like it."
"I'm not sure it's mine to give… But go ahead." She said glancing at the entrance. She folded her arms.
"The others may not like it, but I feel like this is the best way to get Bonzo and Kutoa back. They should at least understand that."
"Thank you, we'll do our best to make sure they return safely."
He bowed his head and turned to us.
"Have a look around and see if we can find anything more." He ordered and we all nodded.
"I'll let the four of you do what you need to. I'll be outside when you're done." Vina said nodding to Zenko Sensei and then walked past us toward the entrance.
Splitting into different directions, we all began to search the ground and walls for anything that might have been missed. If it wasn't for the glowing green sticks protruding from the walls in a few places, it would have been too dark to see. That being said, it was still pretty difficult to look for possible footprints or scraps of something without sufficient light.
After weaving a couple hand signs, I held my hand as if I was cupping water and formed a soft bluish glowing ball of light. Although it was completely useless in a battle, it worked great to help give me a little light in situations like this.
"Well aren't you resourceful." Tiberius commented glancing over at me and I smirked.
"I like to think I am." I replied and returned my attention to the task at hand.
We searched for the next five minutes, but other than loose rocks at the back of the unfinished tunnel, we all came up empty handed.
"I don't believe these bandits are reckless enough to leave clues behind Sensei." Said Mialo walking back over and crossing his arms.
"I don't think there's anything that might help us."
"I'll agree with that." Zenko Sensei said mimicking Mialo's posture.
"We better get going then, standing around here will only make the trail colder." He turned to leave the tunnel.
On our way? How were we supposed to do that if the tunnel was still blocked? He wasn't planning to climb over, was he?
As we exited the cave we found that the man named Min had returned and was standing with Vina looking vexed, but not nearly as angry as before.
"Did you find anything?" Min asked turning to us.
"I filled him in." Vina explained.
"Ah, we're sorry to hear about your companions." Zenko Sensei nodded his head to him apologetically.
"But no, we didn't find anything more in the tunnel. We'll continue to look for them as we make our way toward the Land of Rice Fields." He reassured
"We appreciate that, but how do you plan to get there? The tunnel remains unfinished." Vina said looking doubtful.
"We have other means of doing so."
That said, Zenko turned away from us biting his thumb and then forming hand signs.
"Summoning Jutsu!" He yelled and then planted his open hand onto the ground in front of him.
A large puff of smoke released from where he hit the ground and I covered my face with my arm as it dispersed. When the cloud cleared, my eyes widened in surprise at the two giant birds sitting in front of us.
"Wait, you can summon hawks? Why didn't you do this yesterday?" I exclaimed gesturing at the winged beasts.
"Well then we wouldn't have had that team bonding last night." Zenko Sensei winked crossing with a smirk.
"Besides, I try not to call on them if I don't have to. Hawks have busy lives too you know?"
How should I know? It's not like I'd ever had the chance to talk to one of the giant birds. I shook my head with exasperation. This guy was too much.
" Zenko, who's the little girl? Are you babysitting?" Asked one of the hawks tilting it's head to the side curiously.
My shoulders dropped and I scowled in annoyance at the giant bird as Zenko broke out in laughter. I shot Mialo and Tiberius a glare as they chuckled and then turned to hide their own laughs.
"She doesn't look that young Tiyubisu!" Zenko Sensei laughed looking up to the bird.
"Allow me to formally introduce you to the new fourth member of team 19. This is Seraphina Rakishima. Seraphina, this is Tiyubisu and Rybikuie. They're both hawks from The Valley of Umo."
"Nice to meet you…" I muttered still annoyed.
"She will be with us from now on, so you'll get multiple chances to get to know her." He smiled and put his hands on his hips.
"Ah, we were wondering when you would fill the space of that dark haired girl, you've been without a fourth member for a while now. The other left to teach your youth correct? Hopefully this one isn't as loud." Said Rybikuie.
"Only if there's a spider." Tiberius offered.
My face went red as I let out a growl.
"I told you, that spider was huge!" I defended myself.
Why was everyone ganging up on me?! I could hear Mialo chuckling beside me again, and let my head fall in shame.
"I give up." I muttered.
Turning back to the other two shinobi, Zenko Sensei nodded his head with a smile.
"We'll make it to the other side with the help of my hawk friends here. In the meantime, I suggest not working on the tunnel until this situation is resolved. We want to give your friends the best chance for survival, so it probably isn't a good idea to agitate their captors." He gave them a serious stare.
Min and Vina although looking grim, nodded in agreement.
"Very good, we'll get a message to you when it's safe to resume construction. Until then, do your best to remain patient."
"We will, but please hurry." Vina said and then rested her hand on Min's shoulder like earlier.
"Let's go and inform the others." She told him and he nodded.
As they turned to walk away, Min looked over his shoulder.
"Watch your backs, the two earth users that went missing were capable shinobi. If they didn't stand a chance against those bandits, it's hard to believe you might." He said before turning forward once more and walking out of ear shot.
"Good to know they have faith in us." Muttered Tiberius not bothering to keep his voice down.
"Tiyubisu, Rybikuie. Would you mind taking us to where this tunnel lets out?" Zenko asked looking to the hawks.
"No problem Zenko, but why not have us take you all the way to your destination?" Tiyubisu asked cocking his head from side to side.
"Normally I'd ask that since I brought you all the way here, but it appears the bandits we seek have already caught on to the fact someone has sent for help. Although it's quicker by air, it's more discrete by foot." He was crossing his arms and leaning on one hip.
"Mialo and I will go with Rybikuie. That means you two are with Tiyubisu." He said and then jumped onto the hawk's back.
"You may want to hold onto Tiberius for your first time flying Seraphina. I suggest not looking down too much if you're afraid of heights."
He grabbed Mialo's hand to help him up and then winked at me.
"Not of heights, of falling…" I muttered, but not loud enough for him to hear.
"Let's go." Tiberius said launching himself up onto Tiyubisu.
Looking up at the giant bird, I took a shallow breath and steadied my nerves before jumping up and grabbing the hand Tiberius offered.
How were you suppose to sit on a bird? Or on any animal for that matter? I'd never ridden one before, but usually they had saddles I believe… This was sure to be an experience I'd remember.
I settled for mimicking Tiberius and then hesitated not comfortable with putting my arms around him. After a second he looked over his shoulder with an eyebrow turned upward.
"Aren't you gonna hold on? It'd be a pain if you fell off and we had to go find you." He informed bluntly.
I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Oh, would it?" I said and then lightly placed my hands on his sides.
"Ready?" asked Tiyubisu still twitching his head from side to side.
It reminded me of someone who might have just eaten a ton of sugar and was too jittery to sit still. We must have been partnered with the more hyper bird, because Rybikuie seemed to be very calm. Hopefully that wasn't foreshadowing something with the ride we were about to go on…
"All good." Tiberius replied.
"Alright, off we go!" The hawk announced and then let out a cry that nearly startled me off his back.
Before I could regain my composure, Tiyubisu opened his enormous wings and took off from the ground in one giant flap.
"Ah!"
I let out a cry and despite myself, wrapped my arms completely around Tiberius in a panic.
I closed my eyes tight, pressing my face against my comrades back in an attempt to hang on. After a few moments we were no longer gaining altitude, but flying straight at a steady pace. I could feel my body tremble and my heartbeat felt as though it were rattling my ribcage. When I was brave enough, I slowly opened my eyes, but didn't loosen my grip.
The ground was far far below us, the trees and grass blending together as we soared high enough to clear the tips and plateau`s of the mountain. The sky was so open and empty it felt like it stretched forever and you could clearly see everything for miles. Even with the amazing view, I would have enjoyed the expeirence way more if it didn't feel like it was so easy to fall off.
"Man, you're a scaredy-cat aren't you? All that effort to appear fearless, and yet we keep finding things that scare you." Tiberius said and I could hear the smirk in his voice.
"I never claimed to be fearless." I muttered still pressed up against his back.
As much as I wanted to let go of him for making fun of me, the fear of falling to my death prevented that.
"But just because I'm afraid doesn't mean I'm any less a ninja. I might be freaking out on the inside, but the job still gets done." I retorted feeling miserable that he was my life line at the moment.
"I guess, but what happens when being scared prevents you from reacting in time? Being a chicken will result in your head getting chopped off."
"Yeah, well so will barging into battle like a bull set on fire." I retorted and forced myself to pull away from him slightly, enough that I could sit up without mashing my face into his back, but kept my arms around him securely.
"What's that supposed to mean?" He demanded glaring over his shoulder at me.
"That you charge into battle like a bull on fire."
I combated his glare with a look of annoyance through the fear.
"I see you two are having fun." Zenko Sensei called and appeared beside us. I looked over with a blush coloring my already red cheeks to see Rybikuie coming to glide next to Tiyubisu.
Zenko was chuckling as usual and Mialo sat behind him looking very at ease on their giant bird.
"Next time she's riding with one of you, she nearly crushed my ribs when we took off." Tiberius grumbled.
"Drama queen." I muttered.
"Chicken."
I turned my head from my teammates to look down at all the rocks and dirt as we flew by and wondered just how long it would take someone to climb over this mountain. The tunnel really must have been a blessing, which had me thinking how many lives were being inconvenienced by its collapsed state. Our ride through the clouds only lasted a short time before we were angling downward in a spiral decent. I didn't have control of my limbs as I began using my vice grip on Tiberius once more. Weaving between trees we got lower and lower until we safely landed with a soft bounce on the ground and even after the fact, it took a moment before I felt confident enough to let my breath out. Tiberius was not entertained.
"We're on the ground, you can stop squeezing the air out of my lungs any time now."
"Sorry." I mumbled reluctantly and after releasing my grip, wasted no time jumping to the ground.
I let out another relieved breath.
"Sweet earth."
Letting my shoulders droop, I watched as my comrades jumped down from our hawk friends. The birds had brought us to a small clearing a little ways from the side of the mountain. Apart from the clearing, the only thing you could see around us was trees and the narrow dirt road that cut between them stretching into the distance. As I looked around, I got a sense of déjà vu when I spotted a particularly gnarled and twisted oak tree jut off the road and little ways into the forest. I narrowed my eyes at it wondering what was bringing me the feeling.
I could hear Zenko Sensei thanking the hawks, but couldn't bring myself to pay attention as I continued to stare at the tree. There was a feeling drawing me to it, but had I ever even been to this exact spot before? I listened only slightly to the conversation next to me and began to approach the oak.
Suddenly there was a wave that went through my mind; images I couldn't catch were gone before I could focus on them and I flinched slightly at the sensation as it was followed by a sudden pain like a spike in the back of my head.
Although I didn't wish to feel the pain again, I couldn't let go of the feeling that this tree was somehow significant. Slowly I continued approaching it, weary of the throbbing that was beginning at the base of my skull as I attempted to pinpoint the reason for its familiarity. I could hear someone say my name, but didn't dare break my concentration. I'd spent all morning trying to find my memories in vain and wasn't willing to give up after stumbling across a possible break through. I felt as though I'd grasped a thread of information and began to pull on it attempting to decipher its meaning. The throbbing had turned to sharp pangs as I came to stand beneath the tree, but I did my best to fight through it while looking up at the large thick branches. I was beginning to breathe uneven as I squinted one eye attempting to ignore the pain.
"Why are you so familiar?"
This tree had to be important somehow, I could feel it. I felt sweat start to dampen my forehead protector as I decided to get closer the object of my fascination. If I could just lay my hand against it...
"I will remember." I whispered as I focused.
When I was close enough, I reached out to rest my fingertips against the rough bark. For just a second it was like a vast moment of clarity, and then I immediately realized I'd made a bad decision. The moment my hand touched the tree, a white flash appeared behind my eyes blinding me as pain seared into my brain. It felt as though my skull was trying to split open in an attempt to make more room for everything it couldn't contain.
"Ah!" I cried as I grabbed my head and dropped to my knees.
Even with my eyes clenched tight I felt the presence of someone approaching, but could do nothing as a high pitched screech rang in my ears. It was enough to make me fight against throwing up. I withdrew my thoughts from trying to remember any details about the tree, and frantically tried to back pedal in hopes it would stop the feeling of my head exploding.
Strangled noises escaped my lips as I crushed my hands against my skull, silently pleading for the pain to lessen. I could feel tears escape from the corners of my eyes as it began to feel like the world was spinning around me and yet somehow the pain grew.
Through the curtain of agony there was the pressure of someone's hand on my shoulder. I couldn't even manage to open my eyes.
"Seraphina, what's wrong?" I managed to comprehend over the screeching.
I didn't know what was wrong, but I could guess.
"T-Tree…" I croaked hoping someone, anyone would understand.
I could hear muffled voices, but couldn't get past the pain to make out actual words. Suddenly my skin broke out in a cold sweat and all the hair on my body stood up. I was going to pass out. Good, then maybe the pain would stop.
Before that could happen though, I felt myself lifted from the ground. I tried to hold my last meal down, as the movement threatened to make me puke. I kept my hands against my head as I willed the stabbing pain away.
…
It seemed like forever before the crippling headache began to show signs of easing, but it was probably more like five minutes. After about five more it had shrank to a bearable throbbing. Terrified the pain would come back; I gingerly opened my eyes to see where I was.
The first thing I noticed were leaves going past, and when I finally released my trembling hands from my head, I could see my Sensei's face. I looked around just slightly trying to get my bearings and saw that I was cradled in his arms as we jumped from branch to branch through the forest. Was it the distance from the tree that was curing me?
After a moment Zenko Sensei looked down at me with a concerned expression.
"Your eyes are open. Are you feeling better then?" He asked not bothering to stop.
As he said this Tiberius and Mialo came closer to confirm I really had opened my eyes. If I didn't still feel like crap, my cheeks would have gotten red from the fact that our Sensei was carrying me.
"I- I believe so." I said wearily.
"I think I'll be okay if you set me down." I continued self-consciously.
Nodding his head, Zenko Sensei jumped down from the trees, landing lightly on the ground as Mialo and Tiberius followed. He set me back on my feet and grabbed my bicep lightly when I appeared momentarily unbalanced.
"Easy there." He said and released me when I was steady.
"I'll be alright."
I was finally feeling my face begin to go red.
"What the heck was that all about?" Tiberius questioned looking bewildered.
"One second you were looking at a tree, and then you were on the ground screaming!"
His loud narrating made me cringe as the sound banged around in my head. The worst of the pain had gone, but it'd left behind a headache. Wait, I wasn't screaming was I? Just then a horrible thought came to me. Was I the screeching I'd heard in my head? I pushed the thought away.
"I Don't… completely know. I think it has something to do with the memories Orochimaru tampered with. That tree was familiar for some reason."
"You were trying to figure out why." Mialo stated more than questioned while watching me with a steady gaze.
I nodded.
"Yes… I was focusing on it and trying to pinpoint exactly what was giving me a feeling of déjà vu. I thought it was possibly a liaison point I'd used for one of his tasks, but when I touched the tree… it was like someone hit me in the head with a sledgehammer. Or… More like my brain was trying to explode out of my skull. I didn't end up remembering anything." I said with realization, and feeling disappointed in myself let my gaze fall to the ground.
All that pain for nothing. Damn.
Zenko Sensei put his hand to his chin as he looked at me with a calculating thought
"One thing for sure is I've never seen anything like this. We'll discuss it with Lady Fifth when we get back, perhaps her medical knowledge can give us some insight into what just happened."
Not wanting to meet his speculating gaze I looked away but I could still see him crossing his arms and looking at me with concern from the corner of my eye. I kept my head down and nodded in acknowledgement. I didn't like to be the source of someone's studies, but I would do what they asked of me without resistance.
"Are you well enough to continue Seraphina?" He asked and I picked my head up then.
"Yes, I'm okay." I replied and then noticed I was missing something as the wind blew and stirred my hair.
Clutching my head with alarm, I began to look around.
"My headband." I said and tried to remember when I'd even taken it off.
It was part of my uniform; I would have to go back for it.
"Here."
Tiberius reached into the pouch attached behind his back.
"You were grabbing at your head and we couldn't figure out what was wrong. I thought it might help if we took your headband off… it didn't seem to make a difference though." He said shrugging and handed it back to me.
I was surprised Tiberius of all my new comrades, had taken initiative to try and help me… I looked at him wordlessly and then reached out to take my headband.
"Thank you." I muttered quietly.
He shrugged his shoulders again and dipped his brows as he looked away.
"Don't make this awkward Phinie. You're annoying, but it's not like I want to watch you writhe in agony." He said thoroughly ruining the thoughtfulness of the gesture.
My nostrils flared in annoyance.
"Why do you keep calling me that?" I complained and ducked my head down to tie my headband back in place.
"That's your name isn't it?"
"No, it's Seraphina." I said plainly and rubbed my aching temple when I was done.
"Yeah, but that's a mouthful." He said waving a hand at me.
"And Tiberius isn't? It has just as many syllables." I said continuing to knead the side of my head with a grimace.
"Usually when someone has to say his name, they need the full weight of Tiberius because he's doing something to get on your nerves." Interjected Mialo with a smile.
"Who's side are you on?" Tiberius retorted and punched his comrade in the shoulder.
"Whatever side suits my mood." He replied and ignoring the punch turned to jump into the trees.
"Mialo's got the right idea, let's get going again. If you need to stop for a break, be sure to let me know Seraphina."
Zenko Sensei turned and jumped into the trees as well.
I glanced over at Tiberius and he smirked.
"You heard the man Phinie, get a move on!"
He launched after the others and I suppressed the urge to growl an inappropriate nickname for him. If not for the headache that still hindered me I may have done just that. I let out a tired breath and then sprung up into the trees to catch up with my squad. When I got in earshot of Zenko Sensei, I called out to him, cringing just a little at the pain caused by my own voice.
"Sensei." I called tentatively.
It felt almost intimate to refer to someone in such a way. It was only a tad less formal then saying Zenko Sensei, but it still made me uneasy.
"Hm?" He asked, ticking his head in my direction to indicate I had his attention.
"Where exactly are we going? Are we meeting someone for more details or immediately investigating for more clues?" I asked finding my voice.
I wanted to be helpful on this mission to show them how dedicated I was. To do that I would need to know exactly what was going on.
"Well first thing we'll be meeting discreetly with the people who hired us, but before we get there we need to change into civilian clothes. These bandits already have an idea someone is coming for them, so a group of four Leaf Ninja would definitely send red flags. After obtaining all the information we can from these people, we will find an inn nearby to stay at while we investigate. We'll further discuss our plan when we know more." He replied.
I nodded my head although he couldn't see.
"How close are we?"
He pointed ahead.
"We'll run for about another 30 minutes in this direction, then we stop to change. It will take very little time to get there from then. I guesstimate were currently a little more than 14 kilometers from our destination."
In the distance the sound of thunder was low and rumbling. As I looked in the direction Zenko Sensei had been pointing, I noticed the sky was a dark looming grey.
"Looks like we're running right into the rain." Mialo noted.
Tiberius groaned. "Maybe it will blow over before we get there."
Although I doubted this because I could feel the electricity charged air of a storm, I decided against squashing my comrade's hopes. I had a feeling the next few days were going to be soggy ones.
...
The next thirty minutes got progressively harder as my headache pounded, making me flinch occasionally. My body was begging for a break, but I was determined to make it to our destination first. How was I supposed to be a valuable member of this squad if I couldn't even tough out a slight headache? Okay, maybe it was a little more than a slight headache, but I'd defiantly overcome much worse, so I wasn't giving in to this. By the time we got to where we were meant to change, I was feeling anything but good.
I fought to keep the grimace from my face, but the stupid headache was making me feel nauseous. I forced myself to take slow deep breaths while making a conscious effort to relax my shoulders which kept tensing up without my noticing.
Mialo eyed me as I placed my hand on my forehead and lightly applied pressure to my temples. Closing my eyes I took another slow breath and felt myself sway slightly. I quickly pried an eye open to regain balance and let out a miserable little huff. Maybe I shouldn't have pushed it so hard.
A hand landed on my shoulder and I startled at the touch.
"You're not looking well, why didn't you ask for a break?" Zenko Sensei inquired looking more serious than his usual self.
I casually slipped out from under his hand, hoping not to offend, and pulled my pack from my shoulders.
"I'll be alright, I didn't want to be the reason we take any longer getting to these people. They've waited long enough and shouldn't be held up because of me."
I knelt to the ground with my bag and removed the outfit I was intending to wear in place of my gear. Zenko Sensei regarded me mildly while crossing his arms.
"That may be true, but it's also part of our mission to return home alive and well if possible."
I waved a hand dismissively.
"I'm fine, really."
Without looking at him I quickly escaped behind some trees to switch clothes. My head spun momentarily and I dug my hand into the bark of the tree to stop the urge of being sick. The pain from the bark digging into my skin did little to break through the haze of the headache, but managed to distract me enough to keep me standing.
"Get a grip Seraphina." I said pressing my head into the trunk and after a moment of internal chiding, managed to convince myself I didn't feel that bad.
I removed my headband and weapons belt setting them aside for a moment before unzipping my typical purple vest and switching it for a loose fitting navy tunic. I left my netted shirt on underneath the short sleeved tunic and then removed my weapons pouch from my leg to trade my pants for a dark grey pair off leggings. I decided to leave my braids in, but pulled everything back into a ponytail to appear more casual. If we were heading into the rain, wet dripping hair would only get in the way and stick to my face.
This was one of the few times being a bit busty was helpful. It made things easier when I needed to stored away ninja tools. I could thoroughly conceal a good deal on my body. I needed to be extra conscious because when wet, clothes stuck to your skin. I wasn't going to be carless and expose my hidden weapons with such an amateur move. After tucking the last of my senbon in place, I gathered my discarded gear and emerged from behind my tree.
My face immediately glowed a brilliant red as I walked out on the guys changing in the open. Momentarily forgetting the pounding in my head, I dropped some of my stuff with a squeak.
"What the heck!" I exclaimed feeling the heat flame in my cheeks as I made an effort not to look directly at them.
It was too late from the moment I'd glimpsed them though. Zenko Sensei had already been sliding on his other shirt, but Mialo and Tiberius were in their boxers; Tiberius in the middle of swapping pants, Mialo bent retrieving something from his bag.
"What?" Tiberius asked with pants half on.
"I- You-! Why are you changing out in the open?!" I stammered glancing sideways at them and then looking away again quickly.
Zenko let out a laugh and I could see him scratch his head from the corner of my eye.
"Sorry Seraphina, I guess we forgot we had a girl on the team again. We've gotten use to stripping wherever!"
"Please. Don't pretend you don't like what you see, I saw you steal another glimpse." Tiberius taunted continuing to slide his pants on the rest of the way.
"I-. Shut up." I said feeling my face continue to burn at their amusement.
"You're welcome to change with us if you're feeling left out." Mialo offered in that smooth voice of his, and although I wouldn't make eye contact, could see his grin in my head.
"You wish." I said snatching my fallen items off the ground and marching around Mialo to my own bag.
Zenko Sensei seemed entertained, but was the only one who appeared the slightest bit remorseful.
"I'll try to warn you next time." He chuckled.
I allowed myself to turn around when the guys were putting on a shirt.
"I don't see what the big deal is, Saimai didn't care if we changed around her and it's not like we were naked." Tiberius stated.
"Speaking of her…" I muttered.
"I can't help but get the feeling she's not fond of me…"
"I mean you did try to punch her in the face." Mialo offered and I huffed out a breath.
"She called me trash, scum, and a screw up all in one conversation. Did you expect me to just smile? You can only say so many things about someone before you risk a punch to the throat."
I couldn't help but notice Mialo's torso as he began to put a shirt on. I rubbed my temple once more as I stood before them, fighting the flush on my cheeks.
Mialo pulled his head through his maroon colored top then pushed the hair out of his eyes that was no longer being held back by his headband. His grin was the same as the one I'd seen in my head.
"So you've never seen a guy in boxers before?"
I fought the urge to flush deeper.
"Of course I have, my brother and I have changed around one another many times…" I muttered pretty sure that didn't count.
"So your brother got to see you change? Huh, what a waste." Tiberius sighed.
"Shut up, you idiot!" I said descending on him with a punch to his blond dome, and sent him crashing to the dirt.
"What was that for?!" He demanded rubbing his head with a scowl.
"It was a compliment!"
"It was disgusting and rude." I said crossing my arms as I glared down at him.
"Can't say I disagree with him…" Mialo added and I spun on him with a threatening fist that sparked with electricity.
"You wanna be next?" I demanded with flames in my eyes.
He waved his hands in front of him indicating surrender.
"No thanks, I'm good."
"That's what I thought." I growled and turned to walk towards the road.
After a few seconds of looking back and forth I realized I wasn't sure which way to go.
"Now… what direction do we need to be going?…" I said and then scratched the bridge of my nose absently.
I could hear Tiberius getting to his feet behind me with an exasperated sigh.
"You're joking, right?"
Ignoring his comment, I looked to Zenko Sensei who was shaking his head. He seemed to be steering clear of my wrath.
"Right this way." He gestured down the road to his left before turning to lead.
Adjusting my pack on my shoulders, I began to follow after him. As we walked, Zenko passed around lunch which was a granola bar and a bag of nuts. I didn't feel all that hungry with my head ache but made myself at least eat some of the nuts. I decided to make something clear to my teammates since we had some time before we got into town.
"I hope you don't think I'll let you get away with messing with me." I said glancing at the two of them.
"I'm a girl, but I won't play nice."
Tiberius had walked past me earlier so he turned beginning to walk backwards as he responded.
"Don't think we'll play nice, just because you're a girl. I owe you one for that punch." He said shooting me a look.
Mialo was at my side.
"You don't want to start a fight you can't finish." He said glancing over at me.
I flinched as my head gave an extra painful pulse and rubbed the back of my neck in hopes that it would help.
"You're the ones who started it. If anyone should be worried about a fight they can't finish, it's you two. I've got three siblings who were always at each other's throats; I think I can handle two teenage boys."
I spoke in a easy tone to prevent my head from aching anymore.
Mialo continued to smirk.
"That may be true, but you're just getting to know us."
He closed his eyes and crossed his arms.
Tiberius turned around and continued walking the correct direction.
"Yeah, I don't think you understand what it means to be up against two teenage boys. Our sense of shame is almost non-existent."
Zenko Sensei shook his head again.
"First you wanted to rip each other apart, and now you're plotting pranks? The three of you had better keep out of trouble; this is a mission after all. I don't think you're understanding this whole teamwork thing."
Mialo chuckled.
"What's the problem Sensei? Didn't you say we weren't any fun before?"
"You should be happy, at least we're getting along." Tiberius added.
"Who said I'm not happy? I'm perfectly pleased the three of you seem to be tolerating each other now. I suppose this isn't exactly what I had in mind though. Either way, I doubt Lady Third would be very thrilled if I had to explain why we got thrown out of an inn, because of some joke… Poking fun is perfectly fine, but don't forget why we're here. There's nothing funny about missing persons or relatives ending up dead. The last thing we want to do is offend someone by acting as if people suffering is a laughing matter."
I felt guilty then for losing focus and nodded my head dropping any prior playfulness.
"Hai. I apologize for acting immature." I said lowering my head with shame.
I scolded myself internally. I was a ninja, why did he have to remind me of that fact? I knew better then to behave like this, and to make it worse, this wasn't the first time on this mission I'd acted poorly. I was overcome with the desire to give myself ten laps around the Leaf village or 200 pushups as a reminder to stop screwing around. If I was back with my master appointed by Orochimaru… I certainly wouldn't be acting like this.
Mialo put his hand on my shoulder and I jumped a little.
"You look like a kicked puppy Seraphina, don't take a simple reminder so hard." He said with an easy smile.
"I shouldn't need a reminder. It's never been acceptable for me to need one before, and there's no excuse for it now." I said glimpsing up at him and then back at the ground.
"It's human to need a reminder every once in a while. You're no longer under such severe leadership Seraphina, I won't condemn you for such minor things." Said Zenko Sensei looking back to reassure me.
"Besides! If I didn't have to scold you guys once in a while, I wouldn't feel very adequate as your Sensei!" He chuckled.
I smiled half-heartedly at his attempt to cheer me up, but didn't allow them to brush my slip ups under the rug. Try as they might to tell me otherwise, I knew better then to make such stupid mistakes. I would take those laps when we got back to the village. It couldn't do me any harm.