Disclaimer: I don't even really own my own money (because my father gets my tax deductable, and I owe much of it to my parents for breaking the gate and knocking down that wall), so what makes you think I own Naruto?
Thanks for the reviews, everyone!
spsnaruto: Don't worry about it. I'll give the NaruHina some thought, since you gave a good reason. Pinky and the Brain, LOL. I used to watch that show all the time… Thanks for reviewing and giving me food for thought.
The latest chapter of Naruto annoys me…
I had a really hard time with Lilith's room, since I was tossing so many different ideas around. In the end, I just gave up and asked my friend Minty Goodness for help. Some of what she suggested gave me an idea I could work with…
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End discrimination. Hate everybody—Elle Eden
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Six days earlier…
"What's that, Cean?" an older version of Lilith asked, peering at the scroll that a hawk had dropped off.
A pale woman with her long ebony hair pulled back into a braid that went down almost to her ankles shrugged. "Probably a mission from Pein."
Her mother-in-law raised an eyebrow. "With the words, 'From: Madara' on it? Not likely." Cean leapt off the couch to inspect the scroll, her strange black eyes—with fiery spears jutting out from the pupils—widening.
"Hmm…" she muttered to herself, being careful to read absolutely everything at least twice. "He didn't insult me even once. This must be serious…"
"What does he want?"
Cean looked up and smiled. "A mission. Of course."
"Wow, that's the first mission you've gotten in a while. Is it important?"
"Very. Sorry, but I'll have to leave right away for it." Cean gave her mother-in-law an apologetic look. "You'll have to clean up the mess by yourself." She gestured to the destroyed room that was filled with body parts, weapons, and drenched with blood. "Those Cloud nin are just so…persistent." She scowled. "And lucky."
"Yes," Lilith's mother replied with an amused look on her face. "They even managed to scratch your arm." She pointed towards a mark that actually looked more like a small scrape. It didn't even bleed.
"Lucky shot," Cean defended herself. Her mother-in-law laughed.
"Do you need me to wash your cloak before you go?"
Cean looked down at the blood-stained garment. "It needs it. I don't though, for this mission." She took it off. "Can you wash it while I'm gone?"
"Sure. How long until you get back?"
Cean ticked off the days on her fingers. "If I want to avoid detection it takes a week of traveling, round trip. So…about 10 days. I'll leave now; no need for anything to be packed. I'll forage." She paused, looking at her clothes. "I think changing into a fresh outfit would be a good idea though…"
"A shower, too," Lilith's mother said, scrunching up her nose comically.
Cean threw a pillow at her mother-in-law, aiming for her head.
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Present, in Pein's office, after the girls left…
The air took a perceptible turn for the darker as soon as the door shut, again.
"Well?" Madara demanded, impatient.
Pein pulled out a scroll from within his cloak; it seemed to be infused with the very essences of evil and darkness. Which was appropriate, since it was.
"The Darkness Scroll? Ah, so Cean must have written regarding her mission." Pein nodded, handing the scroll—one of thirteen—that enabled instant communication when talking mind-to-mind wasn't feasible. There were other properties, but it was unclear as to what they were.
"There's another message as well."
Unfurling the darkness-hued—paper?—Madara glanced at the light purple writing that told of the message originating from the Wind Scroll. Strangely, even though it should be hard to read because of the colour, it was very clear and easy to see.
And so was the writing underneath it.
Putting that aside for now, Madara read the first, from Cean.
Yo, Madara, Pein, Konan, and Lilith.
Mission went well. The targets in Konoha were eliminated as ordered. However, there was one unexpected casualty due to interferences.
Death Toll:
Madara listed off the names of the dead, all of whom were members of Konoha's council of elders. He was surprised that Cean had managed to eliminate Danzo successfully: that old man always had several protectors. The names of those who protected him were on there too—another surprise. Cean was more observant than he thought.
He paused when he came to the last name—it hadn't been on the list of targets, and certainly wasn't a guardian. Just what had happened in Konoha?
Hyuuga Hiashi
Date of Mission Completion:
She had listed it; apparently she had finished early this morning. That must have been why Pein and Konan were up so early.
Details:
I made it as difficult as possible for Konoha medics to identify the bodies. I left a nasty little surprise. With luck, the demon fox will soon fall into our hands. The deaths had to be spread out over several hours, since the Copycat Ninja seems to have gotten smarter. I think that Danzo knew something was up, as well. He had three more ANBU guards than he usually does.
Signing off now, because that blasted Copycat's dogs are on my tail.
Cean
PS: I paid the fox-boy a visit. Cute kid. Do we really have to kill him? Is it too much to ask for the Resurrection of an enemy? I think that Lilith would agree with me. Since she's the one who performs it anyway, you should leave it up to her. (I also sent this message to the Yang Scroll, so I know that Lilith will get this message. HA!)
Madara sighed after he finished reading. Typical Cean. It was the message underneath that that made his hands shake in anger.
Written in a shade that can only be classified as Twilight, held a disturbing memo:
Hello, everyone. Especially you, Madara, old friend. How's life? Bad? That's good…for me, at least. When I saw the mission that you gave Cean, I couldn't resist helping. Since your little organization has three more members, I thought I'd hit a little closer to home.
I lured the current—or should I say former?—Hyuuga Head to where Cean was performing her task. I'll also distract the guards to help her escape. I might even chase the fox your way if I'm feeling nice…
See? Aren't I behaving?
Forever watching,
The Demon of Silence
Possessor of the Scroll of Silence
PS: Yes, I live to annoy you. I bet it just bites you to have the Scroll of Silence (the strongest one) in my possession. Especially since it allows me to read what is written in the other scrolls.
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The dim room that the three kunoichi had entered was…well…dim. The walls were painted a dark colour, and the lights were off. (How in the world they had jerry-rigged the power to work this deep into the rock will forever remain a mystery.)
Feeling along the wall, Sakura felt two light switches. Flipping the first one, a series of black lights turned on, making the room very eerie. The dark shadows on the walls proved to be various weapons hung up. There was enough weaponry to constitute an arsenal, and make Tenten scream with joy if she ever found this place.
"Lilith probably has light-sensitive eyes," Ino observed, thinking hard. "Since she wears that blindfold all of the time. This switch is for her."
The others nodded, and Sakura turned off the black lights. She flipped the second switch, regular light—bright by comparison—flooded the room instead. Whereas the black lights had made the room feel ominous, the current lighting made it feel more cheery.
The walls were actually painted a very dark shade of purple, similar—yet so different—from the black glass in the volcano.
The bed was situated against the wall in the right side of the room, a large black bookcase pushed up next to it and filling up the rest of the available space there. Purple was apparently Lilith's signature colour, since her sheets were also a light shade of lavender.
Every wall in the bedroom, except for the right-hand one, held a plethora of the aforementioned weaponry. There was a large, circular lilac rug in the middle of the room, the edges of which touched each wall.
Dropping their bags in the middle, they went over to Lilith's bookcase to browse the selection. Several books were actually diaries with a lot of notes in them. Some of it was research, while the rest was made up of personal thoughts.
Right about then, Lilith entered the room with a few folders in her hands. Grinning broadly she sat next to the others on the bed. "I snuck these out of Pein-nii's room. Here you go." She handed them over.
"These are the girls, and these are the guys. My mother and the member you won't meet don't have files, so I can't show them to you."
"Thanks, Lilith," they chorused, already looking through them.
Sakura, who had picked up Lilith's file, stared in shock. Looking up, she asked incredulously, "You're TWO YEARS older than us?!"
Hinata and Ino stared as well, as Lilith nodded.
"What, did you think I was younger than you?" The girls chose not to answer this, and went back to the files. "I'll take that as a yes…" Lilith muttered to herself, rolling her eyes even though no one could see it.
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Another chapter. Please review, it keeps them coming!
I'm curious, was the suspense good?
And I only have one voter on pairings?! (Two, if you count Freyja's wanting ItaLilith.)
"Quick reviews makes for long and loving relationships"—My Mother.