WARNING: THERE IS A CLOSE-TO-RAPE SCENE IN THIS CHAPTER. IF YOU WANT TO PROCEED, BE MY GUEST:)
Sorry for the late update. This took me a while to finish it, thanks to my laziness.
Finally. My school started. WOOT! I mean, I was really tired of sitting home and doing nothing. So going to school will give me some diversion.
"Uuuurrrrgggg…" Rena painfully woke up, feeling her hands and feet bound up. She was in… some kind of carriage. She couldn't see outside, but judging from the light coming through the small window, she guessed it was well after morning. Rena groaned. If the kidnappers have been moving since her kidnap, they could be well out of country right now.
She looked down, only to find her garb was gone. She was in her black top and shorts. She bit her lips in frustration. The garb had a special power to transform to any outfit that she has seen. So when her chakra hit zero, her garb's transformation was undone as well. They must have left it somewhere else to distract trackers. They were good. There must have been shinobis in their group, to know tactics like this. But that was not the only frustration. That garb meant something special to her. And taking it away from her without her permission was unacceptable. Once I get my chakra back… They will all pay, she bitterly thought.
Then she remembered her current problem. She couldn't feel any chakra in her. This way, she couldn't even use simple jutsu. There was one way to restore chakra, but she didn't rather want to do it. The other way was to get chakra from other people, but she wasn't sure if she was up for that one either. Besides, there was no one to get chakra from, so it was useless anyway.
She needed to be rescued. Fast. There was no time for trackers to be scattered, thanks to someone's idea to leaving her clothes everywhere. She dug her conscience deep in herself. Moments later, a bright reddish feather appeared. Please… Get there on time she hoped as the feather flew through the window. And she desperately hoped that Kakashi was out of hospital.
"What do you mean, she is not here?" One guest was yelling loudly. Masaki was having a hard time. The day Hikaru, or Mizuho Rena, was gone, this guy was looking for her. He had jet black hair and matching eyes. He had a strange scar over his left eye that gave him odd resemblance to someone, but Masaki didn't care.
"I'm sorry, sir. But.. but Hikaru is not working today," Masaki stuttered. He didn't want to reveal that a shinobi on mission was kidnapped in his restaurant. Well, he had to, but he was planning to do it with Hokage privately. So a sudden guest looking for her was a royal pain to him. He didn't want this guest to tell everyone that the restaurant was careless that a waitress was kidnapped. Now, he had to take care of this guest, so that he could go to Hokage-sama immediately.
While they were bickering, a glowing red feather glided in. It stopped in front of the guest. He stopped talking and eyed the feather carefully. Slowly, the feather led him outside of restaurant. What could this be? He thought. He grabbed the feather and headed to Hokage's office.
"Hmmmm…" Tsunade looked at the feather curiously. "So… this feather… seems to lead you somewhere, correct?" Kakashi nodded. He was finally out of hospital and went to the restaurant to check on Rena's progress. Other jounins were back from a big mission recently, so he was the only one available at that time. But to find out that Rena wasn't there was surprising and disturbing news. He already knew that Hikaru was Rena's alias in the restaurant. He was just going to see her as a guest, but apparently that wasn't possible.
"Well, I guess whoever sent this knew who you were since you're the best tracker in this village." Tsunade finally said. She let go of the feather, and it glided in front of Kakashi again, as if it were ordered to be around Kakashi only.
"It could be a rescue call from Rena or trap," said Kakashi. Tsunade nodded in agreement. This was a delicate moment. It was possible that Rena was out of country now. And since the business meeting was with other country, it was also possible that there were shinobis from other villages. Tsunade groaned in frustration. Most of jounins and chuunins were back from mission to rebuild Suna. She didn't have a lot of choices. Besides, sending too many men will create suspicion.
"Hokage-sama, if you're worrying about who to send with me, I will just go by myself." Tsunade looked up. Kakashi looked determined. Well, she is his student after all, she thought.
"OK, but summon your nin-dogs to search for Rena's scent. Just in case."
"Understood." Then Kakashi was gone. Tsunade sighed. She hoped that everything will turn out fine. Hopefully.
"Well, we are here." Rena squinted her eyes as lights shone through the open door. It seemed like hours after she sent her rescue call. She could see the sky red from sunset. What was taking them so long?! She could see it was the man from the restaurant. The one from other village. What was his name? Ah, right, Sadao.
"Good evening, Hikaru" She just glared at the man for making fun of her. They were sorely mistaken to make fun of her but for now, she was helpless. She will let them have their fun and after this, they will dearly pay for gloating at her like this.
"Do you think it's safe to unbind the girl?" Sadao asked other as they approached to him. They just seemed like a normal people. She was surprised to see some familiar faces. They are Konoha! What are they doing? It didn't seem like they were part of this scheme. Well, not entirely. Then the man, called Sadao, must be the masterhead here.
"Well, she did lose all of her chakra for some reason, it seems." Her eyes stayed on Sadao. Talking about chakra, knowing that she lost all of it… It didn't take a genius too add up the facts.
"You are the shinobi from other village, aren't you?"
He chuckeld and signal others to go away.
"That's right. I'm Sadao from Sound Village. Those morons are from Konoha working for me. Well, for now, at least."
"What do you mean?"
"Do you really think I will let those who know me and what's going on live?"
Rena glared at him in anger. "YOU MONSTER! They don't even know they're working against their country! You wouldn't dare kill them all!"
"Hehehe, you're right. They don't know they're helping their country's downfall. They just think they're delivering goods, which is not totally false."
"So this carriage…."
"This carriage is carrying all the weapons and bombs…. TO BRING DOWN KONOHA."
Rena's eyes widened in shock. This man, he was babbling his plan to invade Konoha like it was nothing. There sure was only one reason for that.
"And you're telling me all this because you're going to kill me, right?"
He gave a vampire smile to the smart, little girl. "Exactly."
"Who is behind all this plan? And what happened to the man who gave you the information?"
"Ahhh, you mean the man under genjutsu. What was his name, Toshiro or something? Of course, it will be obvious to Konoha shinobi later that he was the one who stole the scroll of Konoha military. He wouldn't be able to avoid execution. So I took care of him for them. They have one fewer job to do." Then he roared in laughter.
Rena's head felt as if it were hit by a hammer. His laughter was roaring inside of her mind like a curse. The thought that innocent lives lost and would be lost because of this man's madness haunted her. She couldn't believe that he was actually willing to do this. Maybe she should have listened to him a long time ago. If she knew these kinds of things would happen in this world…. Did you know the world would be like this? Is that why you suggested it to me? I hope you could answer me…
"I won't forgive you for…." Rena was interrupted by sudden body slam. She was knocked on the floor. Crying out with pain, she tried to sit up, only to find him straddling on her. His eyes were glistening in pure ecstasy and madness.
"You know… I will have to kill you eventually. But.. it doesn't mean I can't have some fun before I do that. I mean, once you die, it doesn't really matter, right?"
Her eyes grew wide in shock and horror, realizing what he was about to do. She struggled violently but she couldn't take down the man sitting on her. Laughing with victory, he drew a kunai and slid it underneath her clothes by collar bone. By his rough slide, it made a long cut along her collar bone, which made Rena wince with pain.
Sadao didn't seem to care about it. Slowly, and deliberately, he cut her clothes horizontally.
This can't be happening! Rena thought. Was I wrong? Are they… really not worth our mercy?!
A sudden rage enveloped in Rena. She thought as if she was sinking deep in the water. What was happening in front of her eyes was going away……
The last thing she saw was big red bird.
Sadao quickly jumped back as he saw the girl glow. Soon, the rope around her ankles and wrists burned, freeing her from torturous binding. He couldn't help shutter when he saw her. She was a completely different person. What kind of trick was this? The golden glow around her couldn't be normal! Suddenly, a burst of flame came out of nowhere, engulfing the carriage in fire. Sadao screamed.
"YOU INSOLENT MAN. YOU WILL PAY FOR WHAT YOU WERE TRYING TO DO TO ME!" The girl bellowed. But the voice.. the volume was simply not possible from her little body. Little? He watched in horror as unbelievable was happening in front of him. With a hiss, the cuts on her wrists and ankles were healed, but that was not the only thing. Slowly but definitely, the girl was growing old. Moments later, a full-grown, around twenty, woman was standing in front of him. He couldn't help shuttering. Who was this girl? WHAT was this girl?!
The flame roared, almost burning his skin. He hurriedly stumbled back as the girl, or the woman, was taking steps toward him. He couldn't lose like this. Whatever she was, he wasn't going without a fight. With swift movement, he got to her back and he slashed his kunai as strongly as possible.
A long line formed on her back as his kunai went. It was deep, long cut. Enjoying his victory, his lips went up. However, the girl didn't even flinch. Moreover, she turned around in lightening speed and grabbed his neck in one hand. He coughed as desperate attempts to breath.
"He was right. They were all right. Your kinds were never meant to be in my mercy. Do you hear me? If you knew the only reason that you could exist on this ground, then you would never even dream about doing this!" Her eyes narrowed. "I'm tired of forgiving. Maybe it is the time to show you… people…" Slowly, his body dried up and burned in flame. Few seconds later, there was nothing left of Sadao except ashes.
She looked up in the sky. The sunset was beautifully red. Bloody red...
The amber eyes staring at the sky were just like the ones of Kyuubi. Soon, there was a loud bang and she was engulfed in the flame.
"Did you hear that?" asked Kakashi. Pakkun nodded. One of the other nin-dogs was holding Rena's garb. It was a common distraction tactic. He could finally see why Rena has sent this… feather. He had no idea how she did it, but that was beside the point. The big explosion sound didn't really make him comfortable.
"There!" said Pakkun. Kakashi also could see the smoke. Hoping he's not too late, he quickened his pace.
"Oh, no…."said Kakashi. All he could see was a pile of ashes. It seemed like a carriage was there, but there was nothing else. In the midst of ash, he found Rena, not badly burnt, to Kakashi's relief. However, he stopped midair seeing the state of Rena. It wasn't bad, but she was still burnt. And the long slash on her back… Kakashi couldn't help sighing. This kind of wound will surely leave a scar. He was just hoping that the wound wasn't so bad that it would prevent her from being a shinobi.
When Kakashi gently picked up Rena, he couldn't feel any trace of chakra. He wasn't surprised, but still confused. When he couldn't feel her chakra he was confused of why. Besides, unless there was something wrong with her, there was no way that she would have been caught so easily. When wrapped a temporary bandage up in her wound, Rena stirred and opened her eyes.
"Se… Sensei?" She said faintly.
"Sorry I was too late. Your back…." Kakashi couldn't continue.
"Is it bad?"
"Big enough.. to maybe stop you from being a shinobi."
"Oh….." Rena turned her head, not meeting his eyes.
Kakashi couldn't help feeling sad for her. Somehow, she lost her chakra and was kidnapped. He could easily guess what had happened to her by her torn clothes, and a cut along her collarbone. Those kinds of experiences were never easy to forget. And to realize that she might not even be shinobi….
"Sorry, sensei."
Before he could ask why, she grabbed back of his neck, pulling him into a kiss. Surprised, he almost pushed her away when he felt his chakra slipping away. My chakra! It's being transferred to Rena's body!
Kakashi could hear a hiss and a thin layer of steam coming out of her back. It was just like how Naruto healed his wounds using Kyuubi's chakra. She's using my chakra to heal herself! Kakashi thought.
After what seemed like an eternity, Rena roughly pushed him away, falling in his arms. "I got barely enough chakra to heal my back. It will fine…." Then Rena was out cold. Feeling relieved and awkward at the same time, Kakashi picked her up and headed to Konoha.
"So she is fine, I presume?" asked Tsunade. Shizune nodded.
"She has a minor burning, but she's recovering quickly. It's just that she's not conscious yet."
"Well, after that kind of experience, it might take her a while to restore her mental health."
Tsunade already heard basically what had happened. It has been already a week. Rena's physical wounds weren't problem anymore, but it was a question if she could get over what had happened (or almost happened) to her. There was a knock on the door. Then Kakashi entered. Noticing the atmosphere,
"Good morning, Hokage-sama."
"Morning, Kakashi. How are you feeling?"
"I'm still getting over the effect of donating chakra." He said jokingly. He never had the nerve to tell her exactly how he donated chakra. He didn't want to.
"I assume you came for the behalf of your team member?"
"That, too. And there were something from the scene that didn't make sense."
"True. It was evident that the carriage had explosives in it. What was it for exactly? And…" Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "The man. We could find out that the headband was from Sound. Which means, he was working for Orochimaru. But it doesn't seem like he was a major in Orochimaru's scheme. Probably some kind of a delivery boy."
Kakashi nodded in response. "But the corpse. Right?"
"Exactly. His corpse is completely burnt. Completely. It's like someone has set a fire on him. We could barely tell his origin, thanks to his headband. If the fire was that bad, how come Rena's burn isn't as severe? Kakashi, are you sure she was in the middle of wreck?"
He nodded.
"Well…. We have more questions for Rena once she wakes up then."
Shizune burst into the room, excitement in her face.
"Tsunade-sama, Rena's awake…!"
BOOM!
Out of nowhere, Jiraiya appeared.
"Ji, Jiraiya?" Tsunade was definitely surprised by his visit. Jiraiya, too, looked excited.
"I have news for you, Hokage-sama." Jiraiya smiled as Tsunade frowned for calling her Hokage-sama. "I have found a hideout of Orochimaru."