AN: All right this is the last of what I already had written. I'll try to finish it soon. It's really hard to write endings to Naruto stories with how insane the plot and battles get.
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AN: There is honestly very little Himitsu can do with the following events so they will seem to go very rapidly. No Itachi for Sasuke to confront, and he and Shisui are very far and not part of all of this. It will probably annoy them later.
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The fourth shinobi war happens and Naruto is in the midst of it. Himitsu approaches her brother as the planning is happening and tugs him aside. He's so serious, gotten so strong.
"I need to meet with people Nee-chan!" He says but then Himitsu sighs and smiles.
"You need to know the pieces you have to use, before you plan..Naruto.."
"Just tell the boy with the other Kage's. It'll be easier." Kakashi says and Himitsu turns, lifting a brow. But still, this he says. Demands. The tone of a commanding officer, and for all the issues they've had from the start Kakashi is indeed someone that Himitsu trusts now. She just hopes he doesn't go the way of the other he reminded her of.
Instead with the watching eyes of many there, in a moment before they have to move out and plan Himitsu pulls out her mask and kneels before the leaders of their hope. "Huntress reporting...I am ready."
there are startled sounds and gasps and yet Himitsu looks up and her eyes are gleaming and Naruto is confused. "What...you're..ANBU?"
"Huntress. The Huntress of Konoha is an Uzumaki.." states Mei as she walks forward with a laugh, delighted. "Wonderful! Well then I've heard tales of you Hunter Nin..and they all agreed one thing, you are best left entirely to your own devices."
It is advice none argue with and Naruto's eyes are wide, but proud. "Nee-chan?"
Himitsu stands and as always, despite the mask, leans down to lightly headbutt him in affection. "Do not look for me on the battlefield Outouto..you will not see me if I am not meant to be seen."
"You come back alive! I..I have to tell you things that happened and I met mother and.." He hisses and his hands are firm on her arms. He feels her skin as she laughs.
"Believe it.." She whispers and he backs up sputtering a laugh as she vanishes..not in leaves or smoke but it seems like the shadows themselves pull her under the ground. It's..
"Eerie."
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Himitsu steps aside mentally. Huntress and Rhy have blended nowadays but Rhy is still a little more ruthless, a little more wild..and though she does not wish to draw on it, to risk it, Rhy has a trump card.
Unlike the two awaiting forces, she does not care to think too hard on all that is at stake. That is not her way. What matters is those she has let into her heart are on one side and she's seen those who think they can remake the world in a better image before.
She's died stopping that once.
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They aren't ready for the attack when there's disruption in the Zetsu army. "Huntress is at work.." Kakashi muses and Naruto looks at them, surprised. "You're telling me stuff later!"
"Not really a surprise. She is your sister."
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They taste foul judging from the scent that comes in her mask but Huntress dares not block it. Not when she uses that sense so much. She's using every trick this time because the plants can sink into the ground and follow so she is flickering, chakra claws and weaponry everywhere but the force is immense so it is only swift attacks and retreats.
She knows she can't keep it up long and so she uses a seal..one she carefully scratched into her fore arm. She couldn't tolerate the idea of a real tattoo but a scar? That she can do. It sends her back to where the placement seal is. She hides and rests at the back of the Shinobi alliance's forces, just beyond it and closes her eyes.
Throughout the next few days that is what she does. Moves in, slaughters and throws explosions and weapons, jutsu to every last bit working from the back in massive destruction as is never her way. The reasoning is simple, she is so deep in her instincts she would just as likely lash out at allies. The moment she's almost too low on chakra she activates her scar seal and recovers. She loses track of time.
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She barely notices when the opponents change, when monsters and things emerge. Huntress only knows the fight.
At some point she passes out for too long, a good distance away because she needs rest. She wakes up to a meteor crater where the battle once was.
Because she's sunken so deeply into her instincts, Huntress doesn't really react. It's a coping method, she's little more than a monster herself right now and all she does is kill.
At some point she hears Naruto, but she's resting. Hurt, but healing under a medic nin she finally needed to approach. She sealed her mask at some point, needing nothing to block her vision with the mayhem.
"I like your markings.." A too young med nin whispers to her and Himitsu is briefly aware..she manages a crooked smile before passing out. Though she does wonder why the girl is touching her face.
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The next monster..it's insane. It gets worse and slowly Huntress is failing. She's pushing to hard and too soon but she keeps picking off any she can that start to get near them. When there's a loud gasp she turns to look up to see what everyone else does..and is caught in the greatest illusion.
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Eyr and Chyrr are there, alive. Somehow they found her here and are telling her stories of after her death. They are entirely bemused at the place, Konoha is strange to them when run down villages are more what they knew. Buildings of wood and stone but not electricity.
"We gathered in time. Slowly healed. Most of us made the journey across the waters in search of the islands that we all first came from." Chyrr explains and yes, she always did love to learn. A bookworm in a world without books.
"So it existed?" Himitsu asks, her spots are resplendent upon her skin and her hair is a softer reddened gold but otherwise she is still small and human where her sisters are much taller and differently shaped. Yet they are at ease out at a restaurant outdoors..trying the barbecue and enjoying it as they spear them with their claws. No one really stares, or they come over to speak politely but really in a world of summons and strange features they do blend well enough.
For all it seems most cannot tell her sisters are indeed female.
"It did! Strangest place.." Eyr says and it's strange to see white in her hair and tinging the spots..for they are all spotted but it is purely against the skin as it would be in their other skin. It is the skin that is colored and the fur grows out with it so no matter which form they have their markings. Well..most.
Shiny old scar like marks decorate Eyr's brow and arms. Chyrr's as well. Himitsu though has only her spots. But it soothes her heart to see those hideous once blackened symbols have faded so..like a bad memory healing over.
"How so?" She prompts and Chyrr laughs in the wide jaw throat back way that shows how elated she is, and comfortable.
"That's right..you're the little sister now aren't you!" they cannot call her Himitsu and the words they speak are rough and clumsy but they manage even if maybe only every third word is understood by those around them.
"Sure sure.." Himitsu smiles but she does not mind at all. "tell me about it?"
"It's not floating in the sky." Eyr says with a beguiling smile and shrug of her shoulders. "Just like any island except large..very large. But there are caves and immense trees and the fish there!"
"Some of them still resided there. Two whole groups." Chyrr agrees and Himitsu feels her heart stutter in awe. "They still had three skins but unlike us they were still..sharing. If they took the land form they were the passenger, a bird was the same. One we met actually had a fish form, so strange. But they were sharing the control and only had it in their own skin so it was more a symbioses then truly their own other skin."
"I like our way better." Himitsu agrees because at least though they slip into their instincts it is always their bodies and their control.
"So no cubs yet?" Asks Eyr and her eyes are wide but her smile is sly and it makes her sisters laugh.
"Was hard enough keeping an eye on Naruto occasionally!"
"He's a good brother." Her sisters agree and it is a feeling almost unlike any other to know they see him as family, have pulled him into their lives so easily and Naruto of course basks in the attention.
"So, tell us..?" Himitsu is about to but the seats around her are suddenly filled with Itachi on one side and Shisui on the other, both unharmed and smirking at her rolling eyes.
"Manage to ditch Sasuke?"
"He's arguing with your brother and Kakashi again." Shisui nods and it makes her smile. "Taro says he'll catch up later."
"Did he ever ask out Hana?" Chyrr asks, because of course her sisters know the boys. The only ones who really know who they are and Shisui grins that funny smile. "Oh yeah, after he realized he didn't have a shot with Himitsu because of her instincts being a little too much for him.."
"We ended things kindly." Himitsu interrupts and Itachi coughs.
"You left permanent bite marks on his shoulder!"
"He wasn't complaining at the time."
"Probably wasn't." Her sisters agree and the Uchiha drop it. They just do not have the ability to think as the cats do.
"Anyways, he didn't want to risk losing a shot at her. They are set to go on a date tonight. Want to help us crash it?" It's directed at Himitsu but Eyr, the eternal kitten is happy to volunteer.
"How are things with Yamato?" Itachi speaks softly as Chyrr and Eyr bicker with Shisui, the group like cousins at this point and all the horrid senses of humor working well. Himitsu tilts her head and smiles at him. It's a gentle smile that lights up her eyes.
"Still slow." But she doesn't mind, not really because this? This is a new sort of intimacy to her where the end goal is not companionship and pleasure but to slowly build something lasting. It's achingly slow, and admittedly frustrating, but in a way it's helping her merge her instincts and she appreciates it. Especially because it is all so new to him.
"Have you told him?"
"Yes." And the memory is strange and sweet and terrifying because opening up like that to Shisui and Itachi whom she sees as family is one thing. But Tenzo is still so new to her but his scent draws her in, promises comfort and danger all in one. It is everything she loves in Konoha cloaked in the deepest of forests that radiates from his skin and his calm and patient...but still at times humorous nature is a good foil for hers.
Itachi just raises an eyebrow. But the memories are too dear to share even with him, her first friend here, even with her sisters whom she carries the full names of and they hers, something no one here has. So she just tells him one thing that will satisfy the protective streak of her friend concerning her with his former teammate. "He said I was at least not so young as he feared."
Itachi smiles.
"Auntie~" come voices and the balls of fluff and too short limbs barrel over, yowling and snarling and clawing because they aren't good at managing their talons yet but Chyrr submits to the helions. They know she is auntie as well, she scents of it in some way still thanks to her other skin but her skin is softer and thinner and cannot handle the talons so they only ever lean over to be patted on their unruly hairs.
"I still can't believe you mated that canine, Eyr." Himitsu says and her eyes dance but Eyr just grins. It had been there from the start though, Eyr had befriended outside of their kind first..when collared and coralled and soon they'd all learned Kral was not so bad. He still reeks of canine but the silver haired male makes her sister smile and it seems to amuse them that the cubs are either cat or canine skinned but not both.
Naruto is off with his team but he'll be by, Yamato and Kakashi and Taro..and so many she can't name. Himitsu chuckles because if her vocal cords were a smaller cat? She'd be purring right then.
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She is not sure what snaps her out of it but for a moment devastation makes her falter.
It was a beautiful dream.