Hello, dear friends. I'd just like to thank you all for reading and a special thanks to those who review. I've not yet discovered how long this story is going to be but I'm going to try to stay ahead of you in chapters so that the updates remain semi-constant. Enjoy.
Loud voices outside of my door drew me from my slumber. I had been in Suna for a while now and I had become familiar with the ways of those around me. Bickering between Kankuro and Temari was not uncommon but was usually stopped by the intervention of a higher-ranking ninja or their younger brother. But for them to be loud enough to awaken me; that was strange. I stepped into the hall.
"I have more important things to do than to help you on some wild mission," Kankuro stated, frustrated.
"It's not some wild mission. This will further bridge the gap between our two villages," Temari argued. The council had accepted my idea that Suna and Konoha should reestablish peace, but we were a long way from being friends. Temari thought that whatever mission she wanted to embark on would help the cause. Kankuro thought it was a waste of time. He had been planning on spending the day learning new techniques for his puppets.
"Now, now," I interjected softly. "Let's calm down and discuss this civilly. What's the issue?" I asked even though I already knew. I had yet to reveal my mind reading abilities with them. I listened to them recount their sides of the story silently. Gaara appeared whilst I completed the activity.
"Is there an issue?" he asked. I shook my head.
"You have a mission, if you'll accept it," I replied. "The new Hokage wants you to back up a team of hers that was sent out on a dangerous mission. You're to report immediately." Kankuro heaved a sigh, realizing I was on Temari's side. "It's a perfect way to bridge the gap between the villages," I told the middle sibling. I knew he wasn't really upset about having to help Konoha. He simply didn't feel like doing anything. He was lazy and arrogant. Then again, his arrogance was well deserved.
"Fine," the puppet master sighed. "Let's get going. We'll see you around, Nari."
"I was planning on joining you," I stated. All three siblings hesitated. During our trips to the training grounds, they had discovered the unstable properties of my chakra. They also knew I had just awoken. They didn't want to risk it. "I'm proficient with taijutsu," I reminded them. "Besides, I doubt I'll actually be put on the mission. I'm sure that the Hokage will want my attention." They nodded, remembering that I was awaiting a trial. We left minutes later and headed for Konoha.
Thanks to our breakneck speed, it didn't take long to reach the city. They protruded passports while I explained that, technically, I was a Leaf ninja. Thankfully, the jounin had seen me before I left and I was able to push that memory to the surface. We reached the Hokage's office without incident.
"Lady Hokage," Temari greeted the woman whose first name was Tsunade. I stood a little behind the group, not wanting to draw attention to myself. "What is our mission?"
"One of our genin, Sasuke Uchiha, has been captured by enemy ninja. We sent out a retrieval squad but we now have information that our genin may not be able to handle the task. Your mission is to back-up the team."
"Who are we assisting?" Kankuro asked. Gaara remained impassive as she read the names, until Naruto Uzumaki was uttered. A slight hint of interest crossed his face but it quickly disappeared.
"We also believe that Rock Lee has gone to their assistance." The three siblings shifted uncomfortably. These are the genin we faced during the Chuunin Exams, Temari noted. Naruto Uzumaki was the kid in orange. Rock Lee nearly defeated Gaara and Sasuke Uchiha actually managed to penetrate Gaara's defense. Not to mention Shikamaru Nara. He's one to watch. I was familiar with all but Rock Lee. The memories of a green-clad ninja moving faster than Gaara's sand flickered across her memory. I'd have to talk to him some time to see how he got close to defeating the jinchuriki.
"All of you have been specially selected for this mission. Dismissed." We turned to leave but were stopped. "Besides you," the Hokage said, pointing towards me. All of us paused and turned towards her. "Nari Ninetails," she breathed. "The rest of you can go. I'm sure the team needs you." The sand siblings nodded and disappeared. I approached her desk again and waited for the worst. "I hear about you at least three times a day from Tokomo. Not to mention the families of Miu and Takeo. They want you punished severely."
"I understand," I muttered, looking into Tsunade's mind. It's good she returned to us. As it was, I never intended to waste ninja on finding the little twerp. Her rights as a leaf shinobi were suspended. That's harsh enough for most ninja. Then again, when you're a turn sword… Or perhaps she was never a true leaf shinobi at all. She seems to be getting on well enough. And that headband, a nine-tailed ninja won't be put down so easily. Well, she's here now. Too bad for her.
"I know the sand siblings on a personal level," I informed the Hokage. She knew of nine-tailed ninja and their ability to read minds. "I was asked by another ninja to keep an eye on them so they didn't cause the Leaf Village anymore trouble. I think I did a swell job, don't you?" Tsunade was taken slightly aback.
"And what ninja asked that of you?"
"Naruto Uzumaki. When I told him I was leaving the village until a new Hokage was chosen, he asked it as a favor. I accepted." Of course, it would be Naruto to cause trouble, but why does he take interest in the sand ninja? "Naruto changed Gaara's way of thinking. I believe they will become friends in time." I see… That phrase. I was really starting to hate that phrase.
"Well, now that you're here. Go find Tokomo. Tell her she'll be having her wish granted." I nodded and headed out. Tokomo-sensei was not difficult to find. She was painting just outside of the village. We used to train there, that way I didn't damage anything. She paid me little attention as I snuck up from behind. She was painting a piece with Miu and Takeo looking at a pond surrounded by birds. I was in it as well, on the other side of the pond. I was staring at the sky.
The day came back to me vividly, one of the few days we had rested. "Look, Takeo," Miu whispered. "The pond is surrounded by birds. Isn't it beautiful?" Takeo nodded. I was sprawled on the other side of the pond, watching the clouds. We had been hanging out all day, and it had been three days since I had last slept. I was tired and the sky was so peaceful. Like that, I could almost forget about the upcoming invasion.
"You should sit with me," I called softly. "The birds will stay." They promptly sat down where they stood. I let out a soft laugh. Silly children, I thought. Then I heard Tokomo-sensei approaching. She was studying the scene, smiling at us. They're going to make fine ninja one day, she claimed.
"I miss them," I voiced, drawing attention to myself. Tokomo whipped around and glared at me. I couldn't tear my eyes from the painting, staring at all the discrepancies. Miu had been wearing a blue ribbon in her hair that day, not a purple one. There were seventeen birds, not nineteen. But I didn't say anything. "Come," I called before my former sensei could let loose all the things she wished to say. "The time has come for your wish to be granted."
It didn't take us long to return to Lady Tsunade, whose assistant had joined her. We both stood in front of her desk, side-by-side, as if we were a team again. The Hokage studied us closely, her assistant putting papers down in front of her. They must've been quite a team, she thought, glancing down at the paperwork. But they were still newly-fledged genin. They shouldn't have been sent on such a dangerous mission.
"Don't get too giddy, Tokomo," Tsunade warned. "I'm going to get the truth about this situation. I'm not so quick to point fingers."
"She admitted to killing them," Tokomo protested.
"I did," I agreed softly. "I killed sixty-two ninja that day, six more than I killed while with rogues." I had killed a couple of non-rogue ninja while I was a free shinobi.
"Still," Tsunade muttered. She knew that nine-tailed ninja, especially the young ones, had limited control over their massive chakra stores. And, by what she had read about the incident, it seemed more that it was an accident than anything else. She was right. "You sent three genin, who had only been out of the academy for little over a month, after three elite sand shinobi? What made you think they had any chance on this mission?"
"Our orders were to make sure that the sand shinobi didn't cause anymore trouble. We were a fairly gifted team. We were more than equipped to complete our mission," I defended Tokomo. Yes, she turned me out and stabbed me in the back, but I still respected her and her judgment had not been flawed.
"You mean to say, if they decided to attack, you could have defeated them?"
"With all do respect towards the sand siblings, I could've defeated Temari and Kankuro by myself. As a team, we could've easily overcome them. Gaara, at the time, was incapacitated and we had reinforcements on the way. Not to mention, our plan was to single them out and attack as a group. After weeding out his siblings, Gaara would be forced to either surrender, which is a laughable idea for him, or attack. No, we had no chance of defeating Gaara, but we could have subdued him for the duration of the invasion. The mission was rather simple and fine for our gifts. We were also given orders to retreat if the battle seemed hopeless. Tokomo-sensei was not in the wrong."
"This plan to single them out and then distract Gaara. Was it your idea?" I nodded. It's too bad she wasn't entered into the Chuunin Exams. She would make a fine squad leader. Even Tokomo was thinking the same thing. "Then what happened?"
"She…" Tsunade silenced Tokomo with a wave of her hand.
"I was asking Nari, considering she was the only there left alive."
"Only a few minutes after we left in pursuit of the genin, we were surrounded by sound ninja. I attacked the lead ninja to create a distraction for Miu and Takeo to slip away. I had ordered them to retreat fifty yards since I planned on using an explosive technique and I had slept the night before." Her chakra was at its fullest. As I had expected, the Hokage deemed silently. "I used my firestorm jutsu. Having so much excess chakra, the explosion was massive. My arms were immediately torn to shreds and the ninja around me were burnt to a crisp.
"The agony was unbearable. I collapsed and may have passed out. Whenever I regained consciousness, I went out in search of Miu and Takeo. I found them forty-seven yards from the center of the blast radius. They were badly burned and it was obvious Miu wouldn't make it. I sat with her the last few moments of her life. Takeo, on the other, probably could've been saved. I offered to find help but he refused, saying he could no longer feel his body and was already slipping into the void. He told me to complete my mission. I accepted his last request and caught up to Gaara, who had already been defeated by Naruto. I didn't have much strength at that point, and passed out."
"You didn't help the sand ninja in anyway?"
"No. I even killed an old acquaintance of mine from the Hidden Sound Village. My focus was on completing my mission and protecting Konoha."
"She's obviously lying," Tokomo declared. Tsunade shook her head.
"I've read the medical report. Both Miu and Takeo died from extensive burns, just as the sound ninja did. Nari's arms were said to be injured by a chakra explosion, which is rather common for a ninja of her type. Neither Sasuke nor Naruto reported her having any hand in the battle against Gaara. She was found unconscious afterward. Whether you wish to believe it or not, Nari was doing as she was told."
"But…"
"I promised your wish would be granted, and so it will be. Nari will get what she deserves. For helping to defend this village against invasion, I'm restoring her rights and privileges as a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village. For seeing her mission to the end, even though badly injured and devising a plan of attack one should be proud of, I'm promoting her to chuunin." Disbelief must have been evident on my face because Lady Tsunade smiled and nodded her head in confirmation of the words she said.
"Lady Hokage, you can't be serious?" Both Tokomo and the Hokage's assistant intervened. Where is her punishment, they both thought. Again, Tsunade waved them off.
"Of course, not all can be forgiven. For taking the lives of their children, you are to give both families a formal apology, in person. And you are to do each family any mission they request, so long as it is not the taking of your life or any other ninja. Lastly, because it is obvious that you are too unstable to be a part of a team, I'm sending you to the Village Hidden in the Sand. There, you are to further the efforts of peace and make sure that the Kazekage they select is suitable for the efforts of this village. That is, so as long as the elders of Suna agree. Am I understood?"
"Yes, Lady Tsunade. Thank you for your leniency." You don't deserve punishment, she told me silently. This is simply a mission your skill set is best suited for. I don't see why Tokomo was so insistent that you be sent to the High Security Prison. You'd only break out and become a rogue if we did that. I couldn't have agreed more.
"Now, be gone, both of you. I have work to do."
"Yes, Lady Hokage," both Tokomo-sensei and I said before departing. Although she was doing her best to shun me, I could feel the relief flooding through Tokomo. The entire time I had been asleep in the hospital, the other sensei had been telling her that I was probably a traitor and that those deaths were no accident. She had believed them. Now, she was happy again. She had seen the way I had looked at Miu, how I had admired her. She knew, deep within herself, that I couldn't have killed her on purpose. She had known the entire time that I was innocent.
"We probably won't see each other again, Tokomo-sensei," I said softly. "So, goodbye." She glanced at me with surprise. We were standing just outside of the Hokage's building. Her hand fell upon my head and combed through my hair that hung loosely around my face.
"Don't disappoint them," she said softly, referring to Miu and Takeo. "They would've wanted you to succeed as a ninja, even without them here." I nodded, a tear slipping down my cheek. I couldn't stop myself, I hugged my sensei. Then, without another word, we went our separate ways.
►§◄
The families of my deceased teammates were very forgiving once they heard my side of the story (the tears probably helped). The missions I was given were simple and after they were complete, the families came together and we dined together, reliving the memories of Miu and Takeo. I had enjoyed it thoroughly.
I decided not to visit Sakura while I was in town. I imagined, with Sasuke gone, my presence wasn't going to do anything but upset her. As I was waiting for the sand ninja to return, I was busy reading my scrolls. I had been neglecting them since I had received them but now I had some free time. The information was so overwhelming.
Apparently, the nine-tailed demon fox could use transformation jutsu. As he was discovering what it was like to be a human, he came across a girl from the Mayona clan. Realizing that he was no ordinary man, the girl showed him a great deal of kindness. She fed him and showed him around her village. They spent weeks together.
The nine-tailed demon fox took a great liking to this girl and they married and had a single child. The girl died during childbirth and, finding no reason to stay with the Mayona clan, the nine-tailed demon fox returned to his regular form and abandoned the baby. The boy was then raised by the Mayona clan, who taught him their jutsu. They also taught him how to control the mind reading ability he had received from his mother. They attempted to teach him chakra control but to no avail. He had far too much chakra and, eventually, he was forbidden from using any type of ninjutsu or genjutsu.
When the boy had become a man, he was hunting in the woods. During his trip, he came across Kurama, the nine-tailed demon fox. Upon seeing his own son, Kurama asked the child if he knew what he was. The boy answered no, saying he had grown up with the Mayona clan. Kurama then showed the boy how to shift into a nine-tailed fox. The boy was considerably smaller than his father, about the size of an oak tree. Kurama abandoned the boy again. Unable to retake human form, he mated with a fox.
The boy had many children, only six being able to take human form, which they did on their own at a young age. These children were taken to be raised by the Mayona clan. The Mayona clan started the Village of the Nine-Tailed Fox. All of the boy's children ended up mating with foxes, thus diluting the ninja blood even further. This explains why nine-tailed ninja began to vanish and pop up randomly, I told myself. It was rare to began with and we only made it worse. Of course, it's been a long time since we've bred outside of the species. Well, as far as I know.
While training the six children of the original nine-tailed ninja, two children died of a conjoined chakra explosion. So this is when they learned not to stick us together. The children were trained in solitude after that and all nine-tailed ninja afterward were taught not to stay in each other's proximity for long.
Two generations later, a pair of ninja decided not to heed the warning. By then, the Village of the Nine-Tailed Fox was highly populated and others than just the Mayona clan had appeared to care for the powerful children. Anyway, the ninja wanted to train together. During their training, the elder ninja absorbed the chakra of the other one. He went on a rampage and, knowing he wasn't doing it on purpose, the Mayona clan refused to allow anyone else to deal with him. The entire clan was assembled to try and detain the ninja. He eventually exploded and killed the entire clan.
With the Mayona clan gone, it was up to the nine-tailed ninja to keep up the village. The other clans also joined in and became the leading force. Many years after the creation of the Village of the Nine-Tailed Fox(it didn't state how many), Konoha was established. The rest I already knew.
There was more than that, of course, in the scroll but that was the basic summary. It also contained a magnificent list of wise nine-tailed ninja who had contributed greatly to the race. Then, a list of treaties that had been established throughout the years. First and foremost being the one with Konoha agreeing to raise our children. And, at the very end, was a message exclusively for me.
"I know you must have a lot of question," I jumped as the monotone voice read the message from behind me. I had been so engrossed in the scroll I hadn't heard Gaara's approach.
"How long have you been standing there?" I demanded.
"Not long," he assured me, taking notice of the Konoha headband on my forehead. "They readmitted you into their ranks."
"Yes. They've sent a messenger bird to Suna to ask for my permission as an ambassador. I'll be there to help retain peace and speak of matters involving the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Of course, it will truly be an indirect connection to the Hokage. I have no authority in that area." He nodded in understanding.
"What is that?" he asked.
"Do you remember the scroll I showed you when we were younger? The one that said I was a nine-tailed ninja?" He nodded again. "This is a scroll written by the same person. It's about the histories and the treaties of my people." Gaara sat down next to me and gestured for it.
"May I?" he asked when I hesitated. I handed it to him. For whatever reason, I trusted Gaara absolutely. Him having this information wasn't going to hurt either of us. He began to read where I was again. "I know you must have a lot of question that may never be answered, but I will tell you this, young child. You may very well be that last of your kind. In fact, I beg to the Gods that you are. I can only imagine that your life will be as secluded and tedious as mine.
"Nevertheless, do not despair. One thing I have learned is that you are never alone. Surely, by now, having read the thoughts of those around you," Gaara paused shortly at this and then continued, "you have felt the attention of those who pretend to ignore you. You've experienced things through others that you, yourself, may never have had the opportunity to experience. There will come a time in your life that your suffering will cease, be it your death or your rescue.
"This is why I now write to you. After a mere seventy-three years, I am dying. I was reckless in my youth and have killed my body. I fear that I shall not live to pass my knowledge on to the next nine-tailed ninja so I entrust these scrolls to the first Hokage, my only true friend. I have no doubt he will make sure the knowledge is passed to you.
"The one thing I regret in my life, is not taking advantage of it when I had the chance. What I am trying to say, child, is that it matters not where you are going, but how it is you get there. Worry not whom you're with, but how you treat them. Think not of what you're doing, but why it is you're doing it. Is this the right path for you? With this solemn speech of wisdom, I bid you farewell. Lioka Ninetails."
"I really shouldn't let you read all of that," I told Gaara as he began to read from the beginning. "It's race secrets and stuff." He said nothing and went ahead with his intake of information. It didn't bother me. I laid back on the rooftop. I loved roofs. They were so peaceful and empty. "By the way, how did the mission go? Did you retrieve Sasuke?"
"No." I frowned. So the darkness hath consumed another…
"Where are Temari and Kankuro?"
"Temari is sitting in the hospital to make sure the others are alright. Kankuro is supposed to be keeping an eye on me." I smiled a little. He wasn't doing a very good job. I closed my eyes and my thoughts reached out for Kankuro's. I found him not far off, thinking about how he always got stuck with babysitting. I let out a loud whistle to draw his attention. Nari, he thought before running towards us.
"Thank goodness I found you," he said with a sigh, jumping onto the rooftop.
"Want to fill me in on the mission?" I asked, curiosity getting the best of me. Kankuro nodded and sat down next to me. Now I had a sand brother on either side. Kankuro told me about his part of the mission since they were forced to split up. He didn't really know what had happened with the other two.
"What's he reading?" Kankuro whispered as if Gaara couldn't hear it anyway.
"Nothing for your eyes," I answered. He frowned. She's picking favorites, he noticed. "No offense, but I can guarantee Gaara isn't going to share. I can't have that same certainty with you."
"Excuses. It doesn't matter. I've never been fond of reading anyway." I shrugged and stared at the clouds. I could've been reading a different scroll but I thought one was enough for the week. We sat in contentment for the rest of the day. The only disturbance was Kankuro's constant fiddling with Crow but that was easily ignored. Later that night, Temari found us and we accompanied her to a hotel.
Thanks for reading. The next one is much more involved with Gaara than this one was.