Kazu stood in small clearing in the woods with a small pond connected to a creek flowing through it. Shaku was perched on her shoulder. Her blonde hair was pulled back away from her face in a high ponytail.
The clearing she stood in wasn't one designated for training. However, she didn't want others to know about Shaku yet. She was her secret weapon after all.
She readied herself once more, facing the small pond. She had been practicing her control over her joint attack with Shaku. And, while she could perform the jutsu on her own, with Shaku's chakra added to the mix it was harder to control.
Her hands formed the needed hand signs as chakra built up in her and Shaku's chests. They both inhaled.
"Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" She yelled, bringing up her fingers to stabilize the flame and exhaling. Shaku growled as Kazu yelled, and then she proceeded to spit forth flames matching the size of Kazu's making the jutsu twice as large as it was before.
The stream of fire grew into a huge fire ball at the end, scorching some of the leaves off of the trees. Kazu couldn't help the slight smirk that graced her lips. Finally after several nights of no sleep she had finally achieved control of the jutsu. Once out of breath, she placed her hands on her hips enjoying her handy work as the fire ball dispersed.
"Impressive."
Kazu whipped around at the sound of a foreign voice. Shaku's claws dug into her skin keeping herself from falling off her perch.
Kazu's eyes widened before narrowing. Why couldn't they just leave her alone?! She was tired of running, of hiding in the place where she was supposed to be safe. This time she would not run.
Before her stood the man who had attacked her at the Chunnin exams so long ago. He walked out of the shadows with high confidence.
Shaku growled and her mouth lit with fire when it was open. Kazu's hand slowly inched towards her kasurigama. If it was a fight he wanted, she would give it to him. The said man chuckled.
"I'm not here to fight. I'm here to tell you of the benefits of joining Orochimaru-sama." He kept his hands in the open and in a non-threatening position. He truly wasn't there to fight. He had to convince her to join or else Orochimaru-sama would have his head.
"Well, I'm not interested. You are wasting your time." Kazu forcefully said while removing her kasurigama from its spot at her hip. The man shook his head, stepping forward.
"Do you not understand? He is offering you a chance to become stronger than your parents could have ever dreamed. He is offering you a chance to become something greater than this." He said motioning towards the Hidden Leaf. Her grip on the hilt of her kasurigama tightened.
"I said no!" Her temper exploded. Stepping forward she released her kasurigama. It arched in the air and embedded itself into the neck of the man. Quickly she yanked on the chain connected to her blade, pulling it back to her.
The man exploded into smoke, revealing that it was a clone. Shaku roared in annoyance, voicing Kazu's own annoyance.
"You will join him." Was whispered on the wind. Kazu's eyes were burning with unshed tears as she ferociously launched her kasurigama at an innocent tree.
Shaku jumped off her shoulder to a safe distance away. She watched as her master attacked a tree savagely. Her temper had snapped.
()()()()()
Kazu sat, the tree she had killed laid in splinters to her left. Shaku had gone to get food for them. She enjoyed the silence. Her blue pools gazed out into the peacefulness of the forest. Why couldn't her life be like that?
"Why won't you take up his offer?" Kazu heard coming from behind her. It wasn't the voice of the man that continued to harass her, and it wasn't Kabuto's voice. Glancing behind her, she saw the silhouette of Sasuke. Slowly she stood up to face her teammate.
"Because, his offer is hollow." She replied. Her arms crossed over her chest. Sasuke eyes narrowed slightly. What could she mean by that?
"And how is it hollow? He is offering power. A way to avenge our families. And you refuse?" He questioned. He just couldn't understand her. She went through almost the same thing as him. And yet, she refused the one thing they both needed, the thing he desperately needed. Power.
"It's hollow because that is all he is offering. Power. He isn't offering a meaningful future. He's offering something that could destroy a person." Kazu replied before lowering her eyes. She didn't want to see his eyes filled with a lust for power. It would probably send her pack to that nightmare of a night.
"Maybe you don't understand. But, power is the only way one of us can avenge our families. Or do you not care about your parents and clan?" Kazu's eyes met his immediately. He did not just say that! Her fists clenched.
"How dare you! Of course I care!" This confused Sasuke.
"Then why aren't you taking up his offer?" Kazu let out a heavy breath.
"Eventually, the man who killed my clan will get hit by Karma. If it's me who delivers that hit, I would be ecstatic. However, I know it would be a while before I'm able to. I don't mind being patient. This promise of power wouldn't be my own. I wouldn't feel the same satisfaction if gained strength from Orochimaru." Kazu almost choked on his name.
"Any power is good enough when avenging your family." Sasuke stated as if she should have known that already. Kazu wanted to shake her head. He wasn't getting it.
"What do you plan on doing after you kill your brother?" Kazu suddenly asked, catching Sasuke off guard. What did that have to do with anything?
"No answer? Have you not planned for after you actually killed him? What then?" Kazu asked. Her voice was growing in conviction.
"I plan to rebuild my clan," was his quick reply. Kazu wanted to roll her eyes. Of course, she should have known.
"By killing the only other member alive?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed, but this time in anger.
"You wouldn't understand. Just like you don't understand what exactly is being offered to you." Sasuke practically growled back. Kazu took a step forward, her demeanor changing from hesitant to deadly. Sasuke didn't understand, and, by the looks of it, probably never would.
"No. You do not understand. And, you obviously are consumed by this plot to kill your brother. This power will do nothing for you. It will satisfy your thirst for but a moment. Then you will be lost. I pity you Sasuke. You do not see that you are digging your own grave." Kazu said in an even voice before beginning the trek home, which included walking past Sasuke.
"You're not leaving then." He stated more than asked. Their backs were to one another. Kazu stopped walking and took a deep breath. The wind blew through the clearing whipping her ponytail behind her. "You're not stopping me."
"No. I'm not. I wish you luck Sasuke. You're going to need it." Kazu spoke over her shoulder, not even looking at the boy the words were directed to, before walking towards her home.
Sasuke glanced back at Kazu. She was clueless. If she wanted vengeance, she needed power. She was just blind not to see it. Completely and utterly blind. He huffed as he walked off into the night, heading towards Orochimaru's. She would see the error of her ways soon enough.
()()()()()
Kazu hugged Naruto fiercely. He was going after Sasuke, along with Shikamaru (who had been made a chunnin), Neji, Kiba, and Choji.
Kazu could tell Naruto was upset. And she knew that Sasuke was one of Naruto's best friends or his best friend. She just hoped she fell into that category too.
"Remember Naruto. You can never be certain of your courage until you have faced danger. And, don't let anyone tell you otherwise, you ARE strong. If anyone can do this, YOU can." She whispered in his ears.
"Thank you, Kazu." He whispered back. They released each other. Naruto held his same old goofy smirk.
"I'll bring him back. BELIEVE IT!" He fist pumped the air and then turned to follow the others.
"Please be right." Kazu heard Sakura mutter under her breath. Kazu glanced at said girl. She had bags under her eyes with tears threatening to over spill. She was taking this hard.
"It's going to be okay." Kazu whispered to her as she pasted Sakura. Kazu shook her head as she watched the ground as she walked. She knew the truth. He wasn't coming back. It was a lost hope.
()()()()()
Kazu leaned back as she sat on her knees a top a roof. Instead of being put on a mission of any sort, she had been put on rebuilding. And, at first she had felt cheated. She felt like she wasn't doing anything.
And, then she saw the families. She saw their faces as they watched as she helped rebuild her house. Their eyes were filled with hope, and that hope grew with every board put up.
Her left hand came up and wiped the sweat from her forehead. Determined, she picked up the hammer again, continuing her work. She would do everything she could to help these families. They were innocent victims in some personal vendetta against someone in the village.
Whack! Another nail pierced the wood, anchoring it to the piece beneath it. The leaf was rebuilding slowly, but surely.
They had found another Hokage, Tsunade. The ninja not on recon or other missions were helping rebuild just like her. And slowly the village was looking like its old self again.
However, Orochimaru now wasn't the only threat to the Hidden Leaf. Sasuke's brother Itachi had shown his face again while Sasuke was still there. He was in some organization called the Akatsuki. And they were after Naruto and his Kyuubi. Perfect timing no?
She continued to whack away at the roof. She would do all that she could to help her village.
()()()()()
"I let him get away!" Naruto whined while slamming his fists against the table, shaking his bowl of ramen. Kazu sat across from him, sympathy clouding her eyes. Naruto was so upset.
"I need to get stronger, so I can bring him back." Naruto said gazing angrily at his bowl of ramen. Kazu reached over to him, loosening his clenched fist.
"Don't worry Naruto. You will." Kazu briefly wondered how long she could lie through her teeth before she cracked.
()()()()()
"Welcome Sasuke." Orochimaru grinned as the Uchiha walked into his lair. Sasuke's bored expression was his only response. He had better make him stronger. And, then once he was strong enough, he would be going after his brother. This was only the beginning.