A/N 1-17-09:Hello little duckies. Finals are finally over. In fact you should be singing praises to finals because it was because of finals this week (making it a dead week for school work) that allowed me to finish writing out this chapter. Anyway I'm here to clarify some culture confusion dealing with Japan and names. In Japan people are addressed by their last names first (their clan names) and then their first name. So Sakura would be introduced as Haruno Sakura, Sasuke as Uchiha Sasuke, and my newest OC Ryooshi as Kitamjima Ryooshi.

Also, the people of Japan are a lot more keen on respect and add suffixes to the names of people by how well they know them. -san: is like miss, or mr., -chan is used between close (girl) friends and young girls, -kun is for close guy friends and young guys, and -sama is a very respectful suffix to attach to someone. When there isn't a suffix used at all when addressing another person it either implies that a.) the speaker knows the person very well (i.e. childhood friends or close personal friends or between a married couple) or b.) the speaker is insulting the person they are addressing by having the nerve to assume they have the privilege to address the person so familiarly.

Chapter 12

Kitajima Ryooshi had never cared for caves or anyplace beneath the earth. Snakes lurked under the earth, worms also—or to be traditional, wryms both the winged and wingless kind. It didn't matter to Ryooshi. He hunted them all. He killed all he came across if not at first sight then at an unfortunately planned encounter down the road. No dragon was safe from the clan head of the Kitajima Hunters clan.

He shifted from one foot to the other and gave the room a once over with his keen hawk like eye marking all threats, entrances, exits and routes to said entrances and exits. Entrances: 1, Exits: 1, Threats: 1, Escape Routes: Infinite.

Ryooshi's hands curled around the rod of his staff unconsciously. He was a broad man, burly, and proudly possessed the mark of his trade. Firm lines marked his eyes and lips giving him a nearly permanent expression of dark, glowering apathy. All hair was shaven from his head intensifying his expression and proudly baring his hunter's mark, a bloodied crescent moon and three black even spaced gashes curving from above his left ear, through his milky white left eye to the tip of the feral scowl permanently blazoned on his face.

Oh yes, how he abhorred wryms. Only his love for extinguishing their life, and eventually their race kept him here below ground in typical wrym territory with an allegiance, no matter how temporary, to the Snake. Ryooshi let out a low rumble of displeasure akin to boulders being ground together as he shifted his weight again from foot to foot. The Snake was speaking to him.

"Now, now Ryoossshi," the deathly pale figure to his left leered at him while coldly patronizing the hunter, "Let's not be hasssty. He will come."

Ryooshi barely twitched. He merely let his thunderous voice express his affront. "Don't speak to me as if you know me. I don't make it a habit to wait on wryms. I kill them."

A low chuckle echoed through the room originating from the black-haired golden eyed "man's" throat. "I assure you Kitajima-sssan, my apprentice isss not someone whom you will kill. We have an agreement. I hope your huntersss remember it too. None of my elite are to be harmed by your presssence."

Ryooshi reframed from speaking. The only reason the Kitajima clan was working alongside Sound,as the Snake termed his colony of nomads, was to join in Orochimaru's targeting of the abominations of nature. The Kitajima were only here to hunt, kill, and spill dragon blood in vengeance for all their losses in past hunts. Even if the hunters in the Kitajima clan weren't actually spilling the blood, they were ready to aide in any cause that would lead to such an end. Even if it meant allying themselves with a snake.

"My hunters have brought in twenty of the abominations aliveas requested," Ryooshi growled, "none of whom were marked or affiliated with Sound as agreed. The Kitajima clan keeps its word."

Whatever attention Orochimaru had focused on the Kitajima clan head was switched as a new presence blocked out the only light source for the massive room. Ryooshi felt years of training kick in gear as he instantly recognized the aura of a dragon. Not the abomination of human and dragon blood combined but the pure blood of a powerful dragon. Ryooshi shifted, mentally cataloguing all the different ways he could kill said dragon, along with all escape and entrance routes, and how many ways he could fend off said dragon. And finally before he made one move, Ryooshi called to mind his agreement with Orochimaru: No hunting dragons, half bloods, or dragon bloods affiliated with Sound. This dragon was the apple of Orochimaru's eye. Ryooshi settled for a low grunt of recognition to the young dragon's entrance.

Orochimaru had an even less pleasant welcome for his apprentice. "Aah, Sasssuke-kun. Back from your hunt? I heard that it was bloodless."

Ryooshi watched the dragon carefully. This Sasuke had adopted the guise of a human. He was tall, pale skinned, and had empty black eyes with unruly spiky hair. Ryooshi smirked to himself. Even hiding in a human form dragons could be distinguished by their stunning good looks worthy of a runway, another reason why abominations of human and dragon blood where in existence a dragons' human guise was so flattering and attractive to the human race that the weaker minded humans would do anything for such an ethereal creature to buy their positive regard. Some such dragon's posing as humans had been described as "gods" among men.

This "god" however had a cold and blatant lack of regard and respect for both men in front of him. Ryooshi fought back a quirking of his lips. It had been a long, long time since he had found anything close to a common ground between himself and a dragon. They both couldn't stand snakes.

The smirk grew as Sasssuke-kun didn't answer Orochimaru's question. Silent, stoic type, huh? Ryooshi analyzed. Ryooshi's initial presumption that Sasssuke wasn't answering was immediately overthrown when he felt the youth's cold calculating eyes turn to rest on the dragon hunter lingering particularly on Ryooshi's bloody moon. The inspection stopped with Sasssuke'sterse statement directed solely for the Kitajima clan head.

"One of the Kitajima interrupted my hunt."

Even though Sasssuke'seyes had been looking at Orochimaru, and even though the dragon was treating the situation as if it was another vapid duty needed to placate his master, the dragon's words were highly attuned arrows wielded by a master marksmen aimed with deadly accuracy at Ryooshi, the Kitajima clan head.

"Now Sasssuke, that'sss no esxcussse for returning empty handed." Orochimaru purred his words, a deceptive mask clouding the battle of wills between master and apprentice. Ryooshi assumed an apathetic front. Whatever quarrels the snake and the wrym had did not interest him further then as a source of intelligence. Let the two brawl and kill each other. The world would be rid of two less of its scourges.

Leering gold eyes twisting with a wicked humor shifted over to Ryooshi.

"You must understand, Kitajima-san, Sasssuke hasn't the ssstomache for ssslaughter and deathsss." The snake lord dissolved into a small round of light laughter. "Some remanants of honor left from his former daysss as a Ranger."

Ryooshi 'hmed' in response.

Sasuke, undaunted, rebutted the statement with a firm, unwavering statement. "They aren't who I want to kill."

Who theywere, Ryooshi was never told, but in the brief exchange he could easily identify a long struggle of wills revealed for passing glimpse.

"But Sasssuke brings up a good point," Orochimaru continued as he returned to Sasuke's opening statement. "One of your hunters interrupted his hunt. Even if Sasssuke would refuse to kill our intended target, he was, and still is," the statement was undoubtedly directed from Orochimaru to his apprentice, "to bring in said target, so that my forces may harvest. An interruption of such a hunt towards such a distinguished individual as Sasssuke is almost a breach in our agreement."

Ryooshi unclenched his arms from across his chest. As he spoke his deep voice reverberated through his ribs and out into the surrounding air.

"My hunters are well aware of the consequences that would befall them to even dare to stick a toe out of line." Ryooshi intoned. Indeed, he had been quite clear. Not only would all individuals be stripped of their staff, scrolls, and status, all who violated their clan head's order would be exiled from the clan without honor for a period of a year and only after the perpetrator had been handed over to Sound authorities for the Sound punishment. "The Kitajima do not break their word. Perhaps your apprentice is mistaken."

The twisted grin which coiled on Orochimaru's lips was a hideous injustice to all innocent snakes alive. The silky voice which rose even sounded as if it was a snake's voice. "Ah, but as the Kitajima value their honor above all else, Sasssuke is an Uchiha, a member of a clan notorious for their long memory especially considering grievances wrought against the clan. Perhaps you are the one mistaken, Ryooshi-chan."

Bristling at the insult aimed, not only at himself, at his clan and its supposed in-competency, Ryooshi allowed a controlled fury to slightly fuel his next words.

"I assure you Orochimaru-sama that not one of my clansmen employed in this endeavor crossed our bargain. Not one."

"Then explain this," Sasuke said as he withdrew an object from beneath his robes and dropped it on the ground before the Kitajima clan head and Orochimaru. The object rolled into the light all the while simultaneously unrolling revealing a scroll marked in ink for special summons.

Ryooshi's blood ran cold at the sight of the distinctive interior markings including a bloodied moon slashed by three claws with four tiny compass arrows shooting out of it.

"Where," Ryooshi began in a deceptively calm voice, "did you acquire this?"

Sasuke matched the hunter's stare head on with scarcely a trace of emotion when he replied, "The Kitajima who attacked me utilized this scroll."

Ryooshi took a menacing step forward. "Boy, if you killed the one who wielded this scroll—,"

"I would prefer if you would reframe from threatening my apprentice, Kitajima-san," Orochimaru's icy voice cut in for once serious, "I would have to consider our agreement null and void in such a case. It is only a Kitajima hunting scroll; unless there is some significance to it you would care to enlighten us on."

Stilling his movements, Ryooshi let out a bark of bitter laughter. "For centuries this scroll has been the weapons scroll of the Kitajima heir until seven years ago. It and the heir disappeared." Addressing the room and all guards who had emerged from the shadows at Orochimaru's warning and signal, Ryooshi continued speaking to Sasuke directly. "For your sake I would pray the heir is alive for agreement or no agreement, the death of clan nobility for the Kitajima has without exception been the cause for both inter-clan and inter-species war, and the Kitajima are not as weak as certain snakes deem us."

With nary another word, Ryooshi left Orochimaru's main chambers fully intent on an impromptu meeting with the clan elders. Steps had to be taken. The heir had been sighted.


Trivia: Wryms is another name for dragons. I believe, but I could be wrong, that wryms is old English. I'll look it up. :)

Ryooshi means hunter in japanese.

Did you catch the manga quote?