I Will Forgive, But I Won't Forget
Chapter 10
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything else I borrow in this story.
Hajimi woke up early, having fallen asleep much earlier than usual. At first, the only thing that he noticed was that it was a little hard to breath. Opening his eyes, he finally noticed Natalia.
"When did you get here?" Hajimi asked, expecting the lack of answer that he received. "I must've really been out of it, huh? -not noticing her leave you here. I wonder why she did that." After a moment, he got bored of the novelty of having a giant snake on him. "Would you mind getting off? I've got things to do." Acting as bidden, she slowly moved herself onto the floor, watching him. "You're going to have to stay here a bit, ok?" he said, not quite sure how much she understood. "I have to go take a shower, and I'm not sure whether or not my mom'll recognize you." Natalia's head bobbed slightly, but Hajimi wasn't sure if it was a nod or a temporarily lapse of muscle control. He gathered clean clothes and opened the door slightly. When Natalia didn't move, Hajimi smiled in relief and closed the door behind him.
When he returned, Natalia was in the same place as before, except that her head rested on the ground. Her head went up as soon as Hajimi stepped into sight. Hajimi looked at her thoughtfully. "I suppose I shouldn't just lea-" He stopped midsentence as he saw Hitonomi's bag lying against his bed. He took it and slung it around his shoulder, tightening the strap about an inch before letting it hang. After he was done with that, he tied his hair back, trying not to flinch as Natalia went up his leg and into the bag. "Alright," he said, mostly to himself now. "Sooner or later, I suppose." He turned towards the door before seeing his clock out of the corner of his eye. It flashed 3:16 in bright red. "But maybe a bit later than sooner," he muttered, turning instead to his desk, where he grabbed his "Gone Training" sign and hung it outside the door so that his mom wouldn't wonder why he was gone. Of course, for the possibly indefinite vacation, he'd need something a bit different. He had a plan for that, though. But that was for after his mom was actually awake. For now, he took his standard exit through the window.
Halfway down the street, he was stopped by Lee and the other one again.
"Where do you think you're going so early in the morning?" she asked, trying her best not to be demanding.
"Training," answered Hajimi, "I'm an Academy student. I'm going to be a ninja eventually, so I need to train. I woke up early, so..." The ANBU looked at each other, both wondering what to do. After some mimed conversation, it seemed as though they finally reached a consensus.
"I'll go with you," Lee said. Hajimi nodded, repositioning Hitonomi's bag on his shoulder. It wasn't a decision he had asked for, but he supposed it was one that he was going to have to live with. If he backed out now, it would seem like he was doing something secretive. He walked past the two and started walking towards the training grounds. Behind him, he heard Lee fall into step and the other one jump back to her post.
"So how long have you been ANBU, Lee?" he asked, trying to make conversation with the uncomfortably military silence that followed him. However, the silence continued, and, if possible, increased. "Your partner doesn't seem to be very professional, huh? Worked with her long?"
"We were on the same gennin squad." Lee replied, now answering Hajimi's call for basic human communication. "She's mostly in the ANBU because of her skills with weapons. She can kill someone at nearly any range with any weapon. Tenten's been like that since she first graduated as a gennin." Hajimi nodded.
"So she's the one that tried to kill me yesterday?" Even before he finished the question, he could feel Lee's glare on the back of his head.
"It was a confusion of identities. We had heard that the target had long black hair."
"Just like the majority of the Hyuuga clan. Including your captain." Hajimi finished, leaving his companion to sulk. He was vaguely aware that he had just made a difficult enemy, but it didn't matter much. In nine days, it would all be the same.
In silence, they reached the training grounds, and quickly separated to different areas. Hajimi first went to a tree, where he laid the bag and quickly tried to explain to Natalia why she couldn't come out yet. Then he began his basic training, first practicing emitting chakra from different specific parts of his body as he was trained. Across the field, it looked like Lee was balancing on one pinky finger while doing pushups. Quickly. Hajimi could vaguely hear the words "43, 44..." from his section of the training area. Impressive, he thought, turning then to his own training. Gouken was so crude. He turned on the training post quickly, preparing himself. The wood and steel construct was set on 76%, five percent higher than he usually had it.
This was only training, though, so Hajimi focused more on strategy than pure brute force. Because of this, it took him around thirty minutes to completely disable the puppet. As it retracted, though, he saw Lee fighting another puppet, so Hajimi sat down to watch for the forty minutes until it finally retracted and Lee collapsed into a sweating heap on the ground. Curious, Hajimi went up to check what level ANBU fought at. Upon seeing thedial, his eyes went wide in shock. Eighty percent did this to ANBU when seventy-six was a decent training level for him? He went back to Hitonomi's bag and picked it up, thinking carefully about what Hitonomi had said about his abilities. No, he decided, he was holding back, too. He just did it better than me, so it took longer and took more out of him. But he still wasn't entirely sure.
He got back into his room at 4:56, so he went downstairs for breakfast, Hitonomi's bag still slung around his shoulder. Halfway through his cereal, his mom came in, her hair wet from her morning shower.
"Good morning Haji," she said, smiling, but her smile faded quickly. "Now, Haji, I have something very important to tell you..." "
It's about Hitonomi, isn't it? She can't come back, right?" She smiled thinly.
"Yes. She's done something to the Hokage, so now there's a warrant for her arrest. Did you know anything about that, Haji?" Hajimi shook his head.
"Only what the ANBU told me." His mother's smile fully returned.
"Ah. Of course." Hajimi smiled with her, regretting the lie he was about to tell.
"Mom, there's one other thing."
"Yes, Haji?" Hajimi's eyes fixed on the floor, too ashamed to look her in the eye.
"Dad talked to me yesterday. He wants me to go with him on his next mission, nine days from now. I'm.... I'm scared that I'm not ready. I'm still not a ninja yet. But I will be soon, so I can't back out. But I still wanted to make sure that you knew." She smiled at him, no sign of worry touching her eyes.
"Oh, I'm sure it'll be fine, Haji. Your father's a good ninja, and will keep you safe. In fact, I think I'll see you two off." Hajimi shook his head.
"I'd rather you didn't, mom. This is my first mission, after all. I don't want to be tempted to stay home." She frowned at this, disappointed, but took it anyways.
"Well if you're sure. For now, finish your cereal and get to school."
Hitonomi was laying in a tree taking a nap. She had been there, hiding herself through an invisibility jutsu for three days since she left Hajimi. She had left Natalia with him so her beloved pet could have a break from their normally very busy life. She opened her eyes from her cat-nap and sighed.
"I only have seven days until I leave. In five i have to kill Jaraiya and Tsunade." She mumbled to herself. She then rolled onto her side to watch the ground. "Mitsukai...Aren't you coming?" She whispered. Truth be told, she really wanted Mitsukai to come. However, those damn jounin had figured out who she was. So Mitsukai knew the truth now. Hitonomi had dangled the greatest bait she could muster right in front of her, but if she was the ninja she was supposed to be, she would turn down even her mother after learning who she was associating with. Hitonomi was hoping she had already gotten to Mitsukai to the point where she would disregard who her father was. Afterall, it's not something we can control. Hitonomi yawned. It was almost 6 in the morning. Then she sat up bolt-right when she heard foot steps approaching. She looked over and smirked. Mitsukai. Mitsukai hadn't been thinking straight lately. Ever since Hitonomi had said she could revive her mother, her thoughts kept going back to wondering what it would be like to leave the village. She needed to talk to Hitonomi. Even if it meant she would be risking treason. That was why now she was in the park. She desperately hoped she could find Hitonomi. "Have you decided to take me up on my offer?" Mitsukai spun around. There stood Hitonomi leaning against a trunk with an emotionless face. It took everything Mitsukai had to control herself and not either flee or attack, but to stand with confidence.
"No Hitonomi. I came to talk with you." She said. Thank god her voice didn't shake. Hitonomi tilted her head to the side and stared at Mitsukai with curiosity.
"Alright." She said sweetly. Mitsukai sighed before she could catch herself causing Hitonomi to smirk. "Scared?" She asked. Mitsukai glared at her. Hitonomi laughed. "That's so amusing. so anyway, what did you want to talk about?" She asked.
"My mother." Mitsukai growled. Hitonomi smirked.
"Yes. She's dead. Doesn't have to be, but she is. anything else?" Hitonomi asked in her typical smart-ass voice. It was more typical to hear in her home town than konoha so Mitsukai was slightly taken back and royally pissed by what she had just said about her mother. Mitsukai glared at her as she reached behind her for a kunai. In an instant, Hitonomi was behind her holding her wrist firmly so she couldn't move her arm. "Now now Mitsukai. We don't want to do that. If you do that then I suppose your mother really does have to be dead. Do you want that?" She said tauntingly. Mitsukai glared and then her darkside reared her ugly head again.
'just give in already! You know you want to see Mother again...don't you?'
'Go away. This is between me and Hitonomi.'
'Yes and look at how it's going so far. Father said that Orochimaru always promised power to people. Who's to say Hitonomi wont do the same. you want that. You want to be a great ninja.'
'Who's to say she wont kill me like Orochimaru did to those he promised anything to? Mother is not worth that kind of power anyway...'
'Are you so sure of that? Because you seem to be hesitating. Why don't you just ask her what she wants?!'
Mitsukai glanced back at Hitonomi.
"What do you want in exchange for my mother?" She mumbled. Hitonomi smiled.
"Leave Konoha and join my village. Swear your loyalty to me and me alone." She said smugly.
'You see?! I wont agree to that!'
'It wouldn't be that hard! Just tell them a little white lie. Let them jump to conclusions like they always do. You want to see Mother again and so do I!'Mitsukai sighed and relaxed. Hitonomi smiled and released her wrist. She walked in front of Mitsukai and stared her straight in the eye. Mitsukai glared down at the girl.
"Who's to say that I'd ever agree to those demands?" She said hatefully. Hitonomi laughed.
"You want to." Hitonomi slowly began walking towards Mitsukai, who matched each step with a step back of her own. "You've been arguing with yourself because you want to have that power you know I can give. You want a dangerous lifestyle, even if you don't know it yet. And most importantly, you need to see your mother again." Hitonomi said. Mitsukai met with a tree. Hitonomi smirked and then giggled. "You have nothing to fear. I don't kill people I make promises with like my father did." She said calmly. Mitsukai slowly looked over Hitonomi. She found nothing but the truth. A twisted truth, but the truth. So what was she hiding that she had to twist it?
"You want something in return." Mitsukai stated. Hitonomi smiled and nodded.
"Of course. I'm not about to just go around distributing dead people!" She said sarcastically. Mitsukai glared at her.
"What do you want?" She asked. Hitonomi smiled again.
"I'm not going to worry you about it until after you agree if you choose to take me up on my offer." She said. 'Of course, you're bound to choose me in the long run.' Hitonomi thought. Mitsukai went into her own personal battle again.
'DO IT! DO IT! She's offering us the chance of a lifetime!'
'But at what cost?'
'Does it matter?! She's going to give us mom!'
'Don't you understand?! I could be the cost! WE could be the cost!'
'Mother is worth it!'
'What about father?'
'...'
'Exactly. You don't care about what we have, only what we've lost. It's not worth it.'
'NOT WORTH IT MY ASS! You know you want to join! PLEASE MITSUKAI! JUST SAY YES!'
"Well? What say you?" Hitonomi asked. Mitsukai clenched her fists. Her darkness was getting desperate.
'TAKE HER OFFER!'
'It's NOT WORTH IT!'
'IT IS! DO IT!'
Hitonomi sighed. "This is your only chance Mitsukai. I won't ask again after I leave this forest." Mitsukai began to sweat.
'YOU MUST! IT'S OUR ONLY CHANCE!'
'But father-'
'Misses her even more than us. We'd be helping him too!'
'But...I can't.'
Hitonomi smiled at her. "Last chance."
'DO IT! YOU MUST! It's the ONLY WAY!'
'...I can't'
'YOU MUST!'
Hitonomi sighed and turned around. "Fine. Goodbye Mitsukai." She said and then began to walk away.
'STOP HER! SAY SOMETHING!'
'What would you have me say?'
'SAY YES!'
Hitonomi took another step.
Mitsukai felt her desperation rising.
'SAY YES!'
Mitsukai began to shake.
'SAY-'
"YES!" Mitsukai screamed. Hitonomi stopped and looked back at her. "I'll do it! Whatever you want! Just bring my mother back!" She exclaimed. Hitonomi smirked.
"Wonderful choice Mitsukai-chan." She said. She walked back to her, laughing. Mitsukai took a step back. Hitonomi stopped and began doing hand signs. "Relax Mitsukai. This will only hurt for a minute." She said. Then, without warning, a snake about 3/4 the size of Natalia was thrown from Hitonomi and tackled Mitsukai to the ground. It wrapped itself around her left upper arm and bit her. Mitsukai screamed in agony. When it released her, the snake disappeared into a wisp of black smoke. Mitsukai pushed herself up, cradling her now aching arm. She glared up at Hitonomi who smiled in return. "You're coming with Hajimi-chan and myself. We're leaving Konahagakure in seven days now. You will not tell anyone about this. Or Hajimi-chan. Trust me when I say you don't want to. If you don't believe me, you can ask Hajimi. Until then, I'll see ya around." Hitonomi said. Then she laughed as she walked away. Mitsukai bowed her head and cried.