He hummed a strange tune under his breath as he flipped a page of his quality literature –nothing that can be compared to the holiness that is Icha Icha (Kakashi's words, not his) but it was still 'alright', considering that Jiraiya hasn't started writing porn yet, so… yeah- as he nonchalantly shot a paint balloon at the child, who was already drenched with splatters of red, yellow and blue paint. The child scowled at him, inconspicuously picked up a pebble, and threw it at him in retaliation. He didn't even have to tilt his body to dodge the pebble, as it only reached halfway before it dropped.
He gave the boy a fake smile and mocked, "-2 points, your throwing skills suck, Kenta-kun." He then paused as he flipped a page of his book, and added on, "and your dodging skills aren't any better. Five laps for each time you got hit by the paint balloon." He mumbled under his breath, "I swear what the hell that idiot is teaching you? Some Weapon Specialist he is."
The child grumbled under his breath, "Sai-Sensei, were you a demon in your previous life?"
He stilled as memories of past life flitted through his mind, of a boy with a heart too big but with too little emotions to express it –of how the once emotionless robot-like person fought through his shackles binding him to a megalomaniac old geezer -with a crazy hatred for Uchihas- just for the sake of those whom he called comrades.
(To be honest, he could kinda see why Ino was so head over heels for Sai. Doesn't mean he have to like it though. Not one bit.)
"I don't know about demon," he said fondly, "but I guess 'Robot' would be quite correct term."
Kenta stared at his teacher strangely as his eyes once again dimmed as he was thinking of god know what. That has actually happened quite a few times by now, and even though Kenta was curious as to why his Sensei looked so melancholic when he speaks of his past. However, he knew better than to ask. He himself had a few skeletons in his closet that he would never want to relive again, and he is only four years old.
It truly is jarring how cruel this world truly is to a no named street rat.
He yelped –more in surprise than in pain- as a paint balloon smacked into his face, drenching his face in pink glittery paint. "What are you dawdling for?" Sai-sensei frowned at him. "Get on with the laps, will you?"
"Yes, Demon-sensei." He grumbled under his breath, and whooped in triumph as he clearly dodged another paint balloon aimed for his left shoulder.
His victory was short-lived as a barrage of paint balloons were aimed at him. Oh jeez, this man is so petty.
At least he's helping him get stronger so he could get into the shinobi career –which has, frankly, far more stable income than any other job he can think of- and help feed his five companions waiting at home. If his suffering at the present meant for a better survival and future prospects, then he'd gladly train himself to bone.
He will do anything to help those children survive who had given him a reason to live.
.
.
.
Tenten's eyes flickered around the shadowy corners of the long, dark corridors as she made her way to the room at the end of the corridor. Even after facing the horrors of war, she still feels the makeshift Research and Department's building –that Orochimaru had somehow salvaged from god knows where- is something that is terrifying in it's own right. The creepy hallways of R&D department were something she wouldn't want to step in even if someone offers her extra sleeping hours –which Kami knows she really need. But unfortunately for her, she was stuck with wandering in these dark hallways under Tsunade-sama's orders. She swore if it hadn't been an official A-ranked mission personally assigned to her by her Leader, she'd have hightailed out of here long ago.
Her steps halted outside of a room, with it's door slightly ajar. Pale florescent light passed through the gap in the slightly opened door, but she dared not walk in unannounced- who knows what horrors will be sprung up on her if she did that. She raised her hand to knock on the doorframe, minding to not peek –not because it's rude, because she's terrified to do so. With people like Orochimaru and Zetsu as examples, is it a wonder that she is terrified of this specific Department?
A muffled noise of acknowledgement startled her out of her reverie, and the door opened fully, revealing a forty years Old man wearing tattered Kiri Jonin outfit, the band with shinobi metal plate tied to his arm. He donned a white lab coat over his shinobi gear, making him look more like a part of R&D, if not for his ghostly pale skin and the heavy purple bruises under his eyes –they're supposed to be eye bags? She thought someone punched the poor man!- as he blinked a few times and stared at her, as if trying to put a name to her face.
Tenten gave a slight nod and flashed her grey armband with the shinobi symbol knitted in white to him. A flash of recognition and surprise passed his eyes, "Fukutaichou?"
Tenten nodded. "From Squad 3 of Leaders' Guard Platoon." And it really says something of Tenten's skills for someone as young as her to be chosen as a guard for the Leaders of the Shinobi Alliance, especially as a Vice Captain of one of the five infamous squads among the whole Army. "Tsunade-sama sent me here."
The man bowed to her in respect, "It's an honor to meet you." he mumbled as he got up straight and then opened the door wider as he let her step into the room and said, "And yes, Hinata-sempai did mention that the Leaders will send someone here for that."
Tenten followed him into the room, ignoring the dozen or so shinobi researching one thing or another –some dissecting Zetsu corpses to look for god knows what; some were glued in front of their computers with codes that even looking at them made her head ache; others were looking into microscopes, and there were a few looking over the files in the book cabinet and exchanging info she couldn't make any head or tail out of.
She ignored them and their curious stares –because honestly, no sane Ninja –or whatever's left of them- liked to enter R&D department, especially after the stunt Orochimaru pulled before his death –the one in which he hacked off his limbs into pieces and fucking regenerated from those pieces into new, individual Orochimarus. Sure, it had been sort of a last resort thing he had pulled off suddenly just to make sure Tsunade-sama –who had been with his prior to Zetsu army's ambush in their location- gets back safely to the headquarters, and his sacrifice had been admirable. But you have to admit, it was just way too creepy!
If it hadn't been for Hinata, who had stubbornly entered the R&D Department and reformed it, then the Research Department would've been shut down by now. She still didn't understand why Hinata did that, but it was clearly something instigated after Neji's death, and Tenten truly didn't want to open that can of worms yet.
She herself still hasn't gotten over his death, how had been Hinata- who had thought of Neji as her own older brother- faring it?
She shook her head and followed the older man into an office at the end of the Research Hall. Now is not the time to feel guilty over the past.
The man knocked on the door to announce their presence, and after getting a hum of affirmation, he opened the door and politely reported, "Hinata-sempai, Squad 2's Fukutaichou is here to see you."
Hnata replied something in her soft voice which she didn't exactly hear, but when she saw the older man gesture her to step in, she did so without hesitation.
"Hinata-hime." Tenten greeted as soon as she stepped in the small, cluttered office, as she saw Hinata step into her office from the glass doors that sealed a room behind her –most likely her own personal Research room.
Hinata's lavender eyes scanned her from head to toe, noting every new scar and wound on her body with her sharp eyes. "Tenten-chan." She mumbled softly as she pulled off her surgical gloves and dropped them on her desk. "You must be here for that."
"What, no 'I missed you, Tenten-chan'?" She tried to keep her tone light, and failed spectacularly at that.
Hinata raised a raven eyebrow and asked sharply, "You really want me to talk about feelings?"
Tenten grimaced, "Fair enough." She then changed the topic quickly, before Hinata could push the topic about why Tenten wasn't with her after Neji's death, as she said, "so, what is this all about 'that' thing? I swear, I've never seen Tsunade-sama look so restless when she handed me this mission."
"She didn't tell you?" Hinata blinked her pupilless, lavender eyes and then hummed in contemplation as realization dawned on her. "Oh, of course she didn't." She murmured as she opened her desks and pulled out a dark blue scroll from one of the drawers on her desk and dipped a brush with ink as she started writing something on the scroll. . "I was just putting on some final touches into that. I can assure than the success rate is 93.65 percent this time, a clearly favorable number."
"Are you also going to keep me in dark, Hinata-hime?" Tenten sighed in exasperation, "what exactly is that 'that' you are talking about?"
Hinata paused in midst of her writing and bit her lip. She sighed as she made a decision, and turned towards Tenten, and explained "Naruto-kun once told me that his parents had sealed a bit of their chakra in his seal when they were alive, and even after their deaths, those chakra impressions remained as a soul, a memory of the dead." She then paused and chuckled humorlessly, "Actually, they're more like lingering spirits of the dead, or ghosts, if it makes it easier for you to understand."
She sat on her old, battered chair next to her desk and continued on, "As you know, it's quite a difficult feat to create a chakra impression powerful enough to have even an iota of the imprint of their soul. Not only it requires massive control and strong, positive emotions, but it also requires the chakra impression to have a use –a task –or a mission, if you will- assigned for them to be completed before the chakra impression could fade away after the user's death."
Tenten's head hurt at the explanation. She asked, "Wait, I don't understand….. I get about the control and emotions thing, but what is all this about a task?"
Hinata sighed and explained, "Naruto's father sealed his and his wife's chakra imprints in the seal with the hopes of not only getting to see their son one day, but to also help him overcome Kurama-san if he ever goes berserk. The first part can be accounted for strong emotions, the second part can be accounted as the mission. In the end, their chakra impressions met the requirement and hence, they could leave behind their chakra imprints successfully."
Tenten asked, "I have to admit, it's quite clever technique and all, but what does this have to do with the present? We're at war now, and I'm not sure how something like chakra imprints of dead people could help us win it. If their Edo-Tensei forms –with their limitless chakra supply and inability to die- didn't work, then how would chakra imprints –which only have a fraction of that true power- help?"
Hinata's eyes stared into Tenten's brown ones imploringly, and for once Tenten felt the urge to shy away from her gaze. Honestly, the Hyuuga heiress's sharp stare is making her nervous.
"The scrolls you found during your tryst within the weapons of the Sage of Six Paths were quite fascinating, Tenten-chan." Hinata spoke slowly, and Tenten jerked at her reply.
Her eyes widened and she hissed, "What?"
"Did you know," Hinata licked her dry lips as she continued on, "that those seals require more than a dozen different chakra channels to activate them? And even then, not many chakra sources are there that can activate the scrolls. Even Bijuu chakra failed." Tenten opened her mouth to argue, but Hinata cut her off, "I know that because we've tried it before."
Tenten gulped –though she wasn't eating anything- and asked –even though she had a feeling she isn't going to like the answer- "Then, what can activate those scrolls?"
"Chakra imprints." Hinata answered simply as she once again grabbed the brush and completed writing a short report on the scroll, and casually threw it at her, which she caught easily. "For some reason, they seem to work though it still requires specific conditions to be met to truly activate the seal." Hinata sighed wearily, and for the first time Tenten truly noticed how tired she looked, "And if I'm correct –which I really, really do hope I'm not- then I'm afraid someone will have to pay a very huge price to activate this seal."
Saying this she abruptly got up from her seat and pulled out a glass vial from her pocket, which shimmered with a silvery white light which she belatedly recognized as a mass of chakra.
"It's a chakra imprint," Hinata explained at her curious look, "Something I have worked through sweat blood and tears to acquire. Please hand it over safely to Tsunade-sama."
"Whose is this?" Tenten asked curiously –and a bit warily.
Hinata didn't answer, instead, she walked towards her and shoved the vial in her hands. Tenten was startled as the chakra in the vial shimmered for a second as soon as she touched it, warming her heart. Her heart pounded in her chest as she could sense the familiar thrum of the chakra through the glass that she thought she would never be able to sense ever again. The warmkindproudunderstanding chakra felt foreign –yet oh so familiar- against her skin that she trembled.
NononononnonONONONONO-
This isn't possible…..
She wouldn't-
Hinata wouldn't-
Her lips quivered as she stared at Hinata with watery eyes, filled with accusation and disbelief. Hinata averted her lavender eyes that had long since dried of tears as she mumbled in remorse. "I'm sorry." She whispered, "I wouldn't have desecrated his corpse if I had any other choice left." Unable to stand the accusation in Tenten's eyes, Hinata left her office briskly, leaving behind Tenten holding a vial with a chakra imprint-
No, not just any chakra imprint. It was Neji's chakra imprint.
.
.
.
"You know the reason Night Watch duty is divided among everyone equally is so that they can get equal amount of rest, right?" Orochimaru's dry tone jolted him out of his thoughts as he stared up at the teenager who silently shunshined and settled on a branch next to him.
Jirou spared the Snake summoner a glance before staring up at the crescent moon in the night sky, glad that it wasn't a full mon night today, or else he's have broken down in a panic attack by now –or would've levelled the entire two miles radius around him into level ground, whichever comes first.
"Sorry," he mumbled, "I just couldn't sleep." He then glanced at his companion curiously and asked, "Why are you up anyway, Orochimaru-san? Shouldn't you be asleep by now, since you took the first shift and shoved the duty to us to let us 'experience' Night Watch?"
Useless question, really, since he was sure that Orochimaru had been keeping an eye on them during their night watch shifts –just like he had been doing for the past few days. It makes Orochimaru seem much more human when he does such things that he has seen only normal Jonin-Sensei do for their genin team. Even though Orochimaru was very irritated that he had been saddled with the responsibility of not one, but two genin teams –with said genins being equally annoying- it really is a wonder why Orochimaru hasn't dumped a bunch of snakes down their shirts yet to teach them a lesson.
The fifteen year old Orochimaru sat down on the branch next to him and stared at him with an unreadable expression in his golden eyes as he answered back, "What if I said I couldn't sleep?"
Jirou shot him a dry look. "Of course, you couldn't."
There was a companionable silence that surrounded them, interrupted by the chirruping of crickets every once in a while.
"You should get some rest, you know. We'll reach the borders tomorrow, and who knows what kind o situation there is right now." Orochimaru mumbled softly. "I'll wake Shimura-san up for his turn for Night Watch Duty." He then stood up and said, "Do get some rest, if you can." Saying this, he shunshined away in a flurry of leaves.
Jirou sighed as he leaned against the tree trunk, settling himself comfortably on the branch of the tree. He didn't feel like sleeping in a sleeping bag –years of fitful sleeps on the hard ground in his previous life makes him feel strange now when he sleeps on soft mattresses- so he just sprawled out lazily on the tree branch and tried to not think about mutant plant with ten tails and a red moon illuminating the pinwheel patterns of the Mangekyo –and why the hell is he even thinking about them when it isn't even a full moon night?!
Sigh. It' going to be a long night, isn't it?
"This," Chieko mumbled as she stared at a boy's drenched form-who the hell is he again? She doesn't remember cannon fodders' names, okay?-, who was glaring at her. "-is getting ridiculous."
"And whose fault is that?" the cannon fodder whose name she can't even bother remembering glared at her as if this entire situation is her fault –which….. is debatable.
Chieko sighed as she leaned back on her desk and shrugged lazily, "Well, it's not my fault that you are chicken enough to let some bullies prank you and came here to accuse me- an innocent bystander."
She heard Atsuya choking on his spit and Inoichi guffawing at her comment. The others –namely Minato, Shikaku and Choza- didn't even bother reacting at her sassy reply.
The mob character –seriously you can't find anyone less plainer than him, what with his plain brown hair, brown eyes and tanned skin. If nurtured better, he's gonna be a perfect spy, really- glared at her, looking like an angry kitten by all means. How uncute. She hated felines.
The top members of feline race preyed on her precious deer after all.
"You stared this mess." The plain guy hissed in offense, "so deal with it."
She stared at him incredulously. "Why should I? I don't even know who the hell you are!" She complained with an eye roll and said in a shoo-ing motion, "Why are you complaining to me anyway? Go to your class and inform your teacher about this incident. I'm not a messiah, you know."
There was a pin drop silence in the class, and she could feel everyone's bewildered stare on her figure. Her amber eyes narrowed as she realised that even her friends were staring at her incredulously, with an 'are you stupid or are you acting stupid?' look. Hell, even Shikaku –that lazy bastard- was staring at her as if she is a moron.
She frowned and asked in an annoyed tone, "What? Why are you all staring at me like that?"
"Chieko-san," Minato spoke slowly, as if coaxing a dumb child, "Tokiya Isshiki-san is our classmate. He has been studying with us since year one."
She blinked in confusion. "Who?"
"Me." The cannon fodder said dryly as he pointed to himself.
Her amber eyes fell on the plain looking boy and frowned. She didn't remember him. This guy really must be good at blending in the background to escape her sharp eyes. Danzo will have a field day if he ever recruit him in ROOT's sabotage and infiltration division.
"Well… what do you want me to do, Isshiki-san?" She answered in the end. "Do you want me to apologise to you-though I think it'd be better if you ask those bullies for apology? Or do you want me to inform Hiroto-Sensei about the injustice done to you? Or maybe just beat bullies on your behalf?" she casually listed her options, and the brown haired boy's face paled at her ever word.
"No, just…" Tokiya bit his lower lip and then sighed as if he was mentally exhausted. "Chieko-san." Even though he was nervous, he stared at her with a hint of steel in his eyes –and she distantly wondered in morbid fascination whether his strength will break or not if he –for some unfortunate reason- gets in hands of scum like Danzo or Zetsu- and he said, "I do not criticize you for teaching those fifth years a lesson for bullying Minato-san. In fact, if I had been in your position, I would've done something similar." He took a deep breath and said sharply, "But have you ever thought about the consequences of your actions?" She opened her mouth to argue, but he interrupted her, "The fifth years got pranked by a little second year brat –of course, anyone in their shoes would feel humiliated. Before, they had been only bullying and harassing a few junior civilian kids in the Academy. But now, their focus is specifically on the students of our class. Because of the stunt you pulled, I am afraid I am not the only one who is being bothered by them."
Chieko knew that –of course she did- but how is it her problem? These bunch of snot nosed brats can't even take care of a bunch of bullies, and they want to be a shinobi?!
But still –she reasoned with herself- they haven't seen the horrors of life like she had. Besides, they're five. They're not supposed to worry about things other than their grades and silly things like bullies.
As she noticed the nervous gazes of her classmates, she realized how different she is from them. She had thought that if she smiled, laughed, and acted lazy, then she'd blend right in among these ninja-in-training chibis. But there was always, always something that made her feel like an imposter amongst these children.
Her heart squeezed in suffocation as her limbs felt cold. She always tried to suppress the numbness spreading in her heart, distracting herself with her new family and friends and plans for the future.
But something always, always reminded her that this doesn't truly belong to her. They are not the friends and family she yearned for.
Her parents' weren't Shikaku and Yoshino. There was no Naruto. No sakura. No Ino, no Choji. no Ino-Shika-Cho with Shikamaru as the tactician. No Rookie Nine, No Konoha Eleven.
Not anymore.
She was now Chieko Nara –a girl with loving parents and mischievous friends- who had only jagged memories of her past life and a promise to keep her going on.
The walls of the classroom felt much more imposing and domineering, and for a moment she couldn't breathe. She suppressed her nausea and the bile that rose to her throat as her heart stuttered in panic.
'Breath…' Ino's voice whispered coaxingly in her mind. 'Don't give in to the panic attack.'
'Take in a deep breath. In.'
She took in a deep breath.
'Out.'
She exhaled slowly.
'Repeat again. In. Out. In. Out-'
She unconsciously followed the soft instructions of the phantom memory of her former teammate.
'Good. You're doing good.'
'Remember, you are a shinobi. You cannot lose your cool, no matter what the situation is.'
Her face donned a cool and lazy expression as she distracted herself recalling every shogi strategy she could. She didn't let any indication of her internal struggles as she tilted her head.
That's right. She is not just any child. She is a shinobi. She will not lose her cool, especially not in such a stupid place as a classroom.
She will endure.
(Unknown to him, a crack appeared on the mask he had been donning on ever since he woke up in this new life. A mask that he had mistaken as his real self.
He didn't know how long he can hold on anymore.)
She folded her arms as she scanned the classroom with her amber eyes, making eye contact with her classmates, who averted their eyes after the first few seconds. She cleared her throat and asked, "Everyone, tell me the truth." She paused and then asked slowly, "Who else among you was targeted by those bullies because of me?"
The five year olds murmured as they shifted their glances, avoiding her eyes. They whispered among themselves, afraid of meeting her eyes. There was a moment of uneasiness, but after that, a soft voice answered back to her-
"I… I was shoved off the swing during lunch break by one of the sempai." A strawberry blonde girl admitted, "He thought I was you, Nara-san."
A raven haired boy exclaimed angrily, "They ripped my homework and stomped my bento on the ground."
"They cut my hair with scissors and shoved me on the ground." A girl complained.
"They rigged our weapon pouches and exchanged the wooden kunais with metallic, rusty ones."
The list went on and on. She didn't know there were this many civilian kids in her class. Well, if she had paid less attention to the clan kids, maybe she'd have noticed them.
….Nah. She didn't notice anyone who weren't related to her precious people.
She was selfish. She knew that. She always knew.
But then again, who wasn't?
Her ears rang as the complains grew louder and louder, and she immediately put a stop to the shouting before they could attract any teacher's attention because of the rukus they're causing.
"You're telling me that a bunch of fifth year clan kids bullied you and you guys let them?" She asked incredulously, "Why didn't you do anything? You can at least complain to Hiroto-Sensei, right?"
"It doesn't matter." Tokiya –the mob character she hadn't even known was her classmate until today- said softly, "We tried, okay? But the most Hiroto-Sensei could do was punish those jerks, and even that didn't work when their homeroom teacher bailed them out from the punishment with just half assed apology."
She felt them staring at her in hope. What? What did they hope? That she will take on a few brats for them?
Really, just because these kids don't have guts to face their fears, doesn't mean she have to do it for them. She really need to toughen them up, or else if they grow up with such weak backbone, they will only be burden in future to Konoha. They won't last the next two wars, not to mention what she has been planning for the future.
The Hidden Leaf's ROOT is already infected, it won't do if the buds are affected too.
A harsh chuckle escaped from her lips, making everyone flinch as they stared at her, taken aback. "Pathetic." She sneered at them. "You are afraid of a bunch of bullies- and you want to be a shinobi?!" Her amber eyes pierced through others' as she said, "A shinobi doesn't back down even in the face of death, so why are you afraid of a bunch of jerks who think so highly of themselves?"
She leaned on her left foot lazily, but her intense and fierce aura never lowered. Instead, it only increased. "Don't expect others to solve your problems for you. If you have guts, confront them yourself." She tilted her head and spoke out loudly, "I admit it is my fault for provoking them, but if even one of you had retaliated against them, things wouldn't be so bad right now." Her eyes scanned the pale faces of her 'classmates' as she retorted coldly, "If you can't even deal with a bunch of bullies, then quit being a shinobi, because that is just a wishful thinking for someone like you."
Saying this, she marched out of the classroom, ignoring everyone's eyes that were glued to her back.
Jirou ignored the looks the others shot him, his mind already falling into mission mode. His purple eyes that were normally vibrant and warm, were now cold and ruthless- and with the imposing aura that he was unconsciously emitting right now, it really is no wonder that he was being subjected to the wary looks of his teammates.
Honestly, everything was going so well. They had reached the Border Patrol Station at the edge of the Land of Fire and the Land of Stone without any mishaps and had returned after exchanging scrolls and some ration. But their luck didn't last long as they were ambushed during their return journey by a squad of Iwa shinobi having two Jonins and two chunins.
Thankfully, Orochimaru had already anticipated the chances of something like this to occur as he had handed identical white scrolls to everyone –hence none of them knew who had the real scroll containing the information the Hokage wanted. So really, when Orochimaru asked them to leave while he distracted the enemy squad, the six genin didn't object at all.
But for all the genius teenager Orochimaru has, he himself must be overwhelmed while handling a squad of two Jonins and two chunins, so really, it's no wonder that the chunins caught up with the six genin and attacked them.
For rookie genins who were on their first C rank, they didn't really do that bad. Between Kizashi's genjutsus, Nawaki and Ichigo Shimura's water and lightening jutsu combo –not to mention Sakumo's amazing kenjutsu, Dai's kickass taijutsu and Jirou's fantastic skills with weapons- the enemy stood no chance.
It can be said that they even managed to overwhelm the two chunins. The fight had been going exceptionally well.
It wasn't until one of the Iwa chunin managed to pierce an earth spike in Sakumo's shoulder- and when Sakumo staggered back with a pale face as blood dripped out of his wounds, he felt as if he was watching one of his comrades die in front of him, again.
And then he snapped.
Jirou lost his grip on reality, and fell back into the mindset of a shinobi in the army. He wasn't Jirou anymore. He was now the Vice-Captain of Squad 2 of Leader's Guard Platoon.
He remembered how he easily took on the chunin, how pathetically easy it was to defend from his frustrated strikes and how annoyed and furious the enemy was when Jirou just disarmed him with a mocking smile.
He numbly remembered stabbing a kunai in the enemy's chest, piercing his heart. The warm blood that dripped from his would trailed over the cold metal and stained the pale skin of his hand as it dripped down on the ground. He remembered distractedly raining down senbons on the other shinobi before he could use a devastating jutsu on the other genin team, turning the Iwa Chinin in a living, human porcupine. He remembered smiling coldly at the trembling foe, leaning nearer to him and whispering lightly in his ear, "You know, I don't like it when people hurt me or mine."
He remembered the chunin's eyes widening in horror as he enhanced the sharpness of his kunai with his chakra and slammed it ruthlessly into his skull, splashing blood, gore and brain matter all over him.
He remembered the looks of horror and wariness on his teammates' faces as they stared at him killing the two shinobi, and he remembered how his heart grew numb at their gazes that couldn't meet his eyes.
He remembered Orochimaru meeting them at the rendezvous point after dealing with the enemy, asking for the report on their own encounter, and remembered how the future Sanin never reacted as he heard Jirou report in the same cold tone.
He remembered so many painful details of how this mission went wrong, how he wasn't supposed to show them what he could do –even if it was only a tenth of his real skills- and how he wasn't supposed to react like that!
.dammit! What the hell is wrong with him?!
Why? Why can't he forget the looks of horror on his teammates' faces?! Why did they stare at him as if they couldn't believe that the person before them is Jirou?!
Why does it hurt to remember Orochimaru's nonchalant expression when he explained how he killed the enemy shinobi? Why didn't he react at all? Why didn't he stared at him in hatedisgustrevulsion-
Why?
Why?
WHY?!
So many questions. So little answers.
Ah, he hated emotions. Maybe Danzo really was onto something when he made ROOT soldiers into emotionless robots. Emotions are such a hassle.
The forest grew denser as the trees appeared to be taller and thick with leaves. Ah, they're two days away from Konoha.
His shoulders relaxed a bit as he thought of his newly bought crappy apartment in the red lights district and his 'not-by-blood' brother waiting for him at home. He thought of how the mission pay will be more this time –and maybe he can take Minato out for dango treat? For all his love of ramen, dango came second in Minato's list of favorite food. Unfortunately, they weren't well off enough to let his little brother eat sweets whenever he wanted.
Maybe if he has any money left, he should even try out the new weapon's shop that has opened near the shinobi market –who knows he might find a nice katana. He had always wanted a katana of his own. It really is a shame he didn't have a weapon of his own- so much for being a Weapon Master. Although the katana won't be comparable to the awesomeness that were the tools of the Sage of Six paths –that, honestly were some drool-worthy weapons he was itching to use once again, if he could find them- but it'd be nice to finally have a weapon he could put a name to. Using kunais and shurikens would only get boring sooner or later.
Something jolted him out of his thoughts. The sixth sense -that he had honed in his previous life to alert him of Zetsu's ambushes- was blaring full force. His mind was already filtering information at a pace that would astound even Itachi on a normal day.
Is it Zetsu? –No, it's too soon. Besides, that bastard isn't this careless.
Enemy? –No, that's not it. he couldn't sense anyone –even if his chakra sensing skills are crap, being a war veteran he knew what signs to look for to deduce if an enemy is surrounding them or not.
A spy? –Not possible. He knew the other genins well, and he was quite sure Orochimaru isn't in cahoots with Danzo –at least not yet.
Is someone following them? –that doesn't seem like it.
So what is it? An ambush? Or a trap?
A hazy memory resurfaced in his mind, and he remembered Tsunade-sama's drunken rambles. Didn't she say that Nawaki died on his birthday during a C ranked mission? And she also said something about Orochimaru being the mission Leader….
A shiver chilled his spine as the feeling of dread got stronger and stronger.
How could he forget about that?! He thought it was just a normal mission, but now…
'I'm such an idiot!' he scolded himself mentally as he looked around for Nawaki, and found him trailing at front –just before him- at a very fast pace. He was the closest to the boy, actually, who was jumping from tree to tree like a crazy monkey. He could feel the boy's eagerness as they neared Konoha. He remembered Nawaki squealing in excitement a few nights ago, bragging about how his sister gave him the first Hokage's necklace as his birthday present, and how his grandma is gonna throw him an amazing party after he gets back from his mission. They had been joking and arguing with the boy about how much of a sis-con he was, but now….
'Oh fuck, that crazy Nara will kill me if I just let him die!' He knew her plans will be ruined if he let Nawaki die. She had a plan regarding Nawaki's death, but now he doesn't even remember an inch of what they had discussed before. Nawaki is the key to control Tsunade –and by extension the Senju Clan- that is what Chieko had explained to him, but he hadn't bothered to listen at that time. He didn't care how that Nara will play her cards, but he knew he couldn't let Nawaki die.
He can't let Tsunade be weighed down by the death of her brother again. He can't afford it.
So, when Jirou and the others noticed Nawaki –who, in his eagerness to rush back home, was at least ten metres ahead of them- step in the middle of a Jonin level seal matrix –that would normally take even Naruto a few minutes to sense, it really is no wonder they hadn't noticed the seal until it was too late-that activated as soon as he stepped on it, Jirou knew he had no choice.
His body moved, and the last thing he had on his mind was how that crazy Nara will kill him again after reviving him with Edo tensei Jutsu if he dies this time around.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The seal exploded, and the raging flames engulfed the surrounding trees and started a crazy fire that only spread even further. The ground was destroyed, the trees uprooted, and there was no way any normal person could survive the destruction caused by the orange and yellow flames that leaped to reach the sky.
He could hear the screams and cries of his teammates –he thinks?- but because of the ringing in his ears -thanks to the loudness of the explosion earlier- he couldn't be too sure. He had used all his chakra and speed to fling the Senju heir away from the range of explosion –those lessons drilled into him by Darui-taichou about lightening chakra's effect in enhancing speed in his previous life had been totally worth it- and now that he was in the midst of the flames, he wanted to scream at the agonizing pain that the flames that licked his body was causing him.
His clothes melted as they clung to his flesh, his hair and skin was burning and all he could think of was painpainpainpainpainpaINPAINPAINPAINPAIN-
He was going to die, and there would be no second chances this time.
Just as he accepted this fact, the flames of the raging inferno he was engulfed in was suddenly cut off, and a warm sensation that was foreign –but he was oh so familiar with- rushed through his body.
He felt phantom arms embrace him –no, it's not real. Definitely not. nonononoNONONONONO- and he spun around 360 degrees in quick speed that would make even Yondaime jealous. Blue chakra spun along with him and the phantom touch that held him sent a pleasurable shiver down his spine. The flames couldn't pass the barrier made by the Hyuuga Clan's famous Rotation Jutsu.
The seal on his abdomen throbbed and pulsed a deep red as warmkindproudunderstanding chakra gushed out of the seal and engulfed his form as if in a loving embrace. A lone tear escaped his eyes, and all he could think of was-
Neji.