Chapter Fourteen
~Kana's POV~
When we reached the islands on the other side of Gaikotsu Bay I almost dropped and gave up. There were more islands here and unfortunately, some of the islands were inhabited by Hibagon- the eastern version of bigfoot or yetis.
"Do you think we can ask them for help?" Yuuki asked walking closer to me. "Cause all the staring is kinda freaking me out and I don't do well with eyes just staring at me."
"What, you want them to come out and touch you?" I asked ignoring the stares. "And I don't know if they'd help us, do you speak Yeti?"
"They speak Chinese don't they?" Yuuki asked hopefully. I stopped to whack her over the head.
"OW!" She held her head while glaring at me. "Bad Kana, it's a valid question."
"Do you speak Chinese?" I asked impatiently.
"...No."
"Then it's an invalid question."
"Well, why don't you send them thoughts or read their minds?" I huffed looking around the otherwise isolate glacier.
"I tried when we first saw them. Unfortunately all I got was, 'Hek valori forschustendaum durber thlat.' And that's not English or Japanese so unless you know what that means we're SOL."
"'SOL'?"
"Shit outta luck. Shina's always saying that phrase. The point is we can't talk to them nor do we know if they know sign language so we can't search their caves or ask them if they found a slightly blue Unmei with broken ribs." Yuuki backed off. "And all this shaking is so not helping me right now."
"The battle is getting very big very quickly." Yuuki noted subdued.
"It'll get even bigger once the Jinchuuriki join in. And the eight of them minus Gaara will probably be able to knock the armies back enough to stop the complete destruction done by the Edo Tenshi."
"Gaara was going to join them on Turtle Island." Yuuki said slowly. "'Although after this incident, I don't think the Shinobi Alliance will be able to allow him leaving." Nothing was said for thirty minutes until I swallowed the awkward sIlence.
"He's still the Commander?" Yuuki shrugged.
"Considering he's the only Kage not completely insane, probably."
"There's the irony of that statement." I snorted. "She's not on this island nor on the surrounding islands."
"We still have the islands to the north-northeast and the islands to the northwest. Wasn't there another island slightly to the south?"
"Yeah but I don't think a Hibagon would be there. They usually don't go farther than a day's journey on water." Yuuki nodded slowly.
"You're probably right, but do you think we should leave it be? Obito could Kamui to anywhere. Not just here in these regions."
"Don't remind me of that. Let me continue to delude myself into thinking she's on one of these islands somewhere." Yuuki didn't say anything except transform into a dragon. I hopped on allowing her to take off to the north.
Around mid-day we stopped to rest but only for thirty minutes before we took to the skies again.
'We need to hurry.' Yuuki thought. 'She won't survive more than a few days in the ice.'
'Really? I didn't know that.' I snapped in my thoughts trying to survey the five mile wide island below. No Hibagon lived here, nor were there any holes in the ice/land. 'Next island.'
'Stop girls.' Yuuki came to a swishy halt I almost fell off.
'Kami-sama?' I prayed, boeing my head. 'Have you any hints to Shina's whereabouts?'
'Head to the lone island south of you. One of the Hibagon have found a female in his caves. He does not recognize her but only knows that she is injured.'
'We're going now.' Yuuki roared taking off at a faster speed than we had been going while also going higher. I clenched my hands, teeth and ass not wanting to see the whirling sky as we moved.
'He is a gentle soul. Do not provoke him nor ask him questions. I will tell him you are coming.'
'Jolly good.' I screamed mentally as Yuuki seemed to accelerate.
Eternity later and Yuuki was yelling at my numb mind.
'I see the island! Hang on.'
'Already doing it.' Yuuki's wings flapped a few more times before she stopped. My eyes popped open as I felt our bodies suspended in air before we were nose-diving.
"YUUUUUUUUKKKKKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" I sat upright seeing the island coming at us in a rapid pace while the wind pretty much blew out my ears and caused my eyes to water. This was so much worse than when we had ridden the water slide to earth. I hated heights so fucking much. I was never going to be more than five feet off the ground ever again!
Yuuki's wings opened quickly making me fall flat against her back as she leveled out.
'I see him!' Yuuki roared. I was practically crying when Yuuki landed. I cut the wire holding me on her back and fell to the ground in fervor.
"I am never leaving land ever again! You are fucking dangerous as a ride!"
"Don't be a baby. I wasn't even going that fast." I glared at her summoning my killer's intent. Yuuki smiled weakly when I stood up shakily and slowly.
"I. Will. Murder. You!" Yuuki whimpered in fear.
"Eeerroooggghh?" I turned around about to yell at whoever got in my way for vengeance (Wow I was really channeling Past Sasuke). The large Hibagon was staring at us in confusion. I had to admit, he looked a lot like Phil from Rise of the Guardians.
"Hi!" Yuuki chirped hopping up. The Hebagon grunted before turning around and walking away. Yuuki and I followed. "Any idea where he's taking us?"
"I may be psychic but even I can't tell." I snapped, still mad over the flight pattern. Mock-Phil led us halfway across the island before he turned and pointed to the big cave entrance half buried in the ice and snow. He shoveled the snow away like we were bigger than him, a fact I find a little insulting, before leading us down into the ice.
"This is kind of creepy." Yuuki whispered. I nodded looking at the black greenish ice all around us that was a very light blue on top, barely lighting our way down. There were many other caves that branched off from the main one but they went down or curved to the left or right.
"You have to admit, this is awesome." I whispered. Mock-Phil continued to lead us a few more feet until we arrived in a giant cave that actually rested on brown earth. His cave was huge with the ceiling a brighter blue than the others we'd seen. In fact, half his walls were half earth and half ice.
"Heeerrrgggguuuuuaaallllhhhhh." Mock-Phil roared indicating something wrapped in various furs. It took me a while to see it was a bed and not a hairy beast with my sisters face.
"Shina!" Yuuki cried running over to her. I followed helping her unwind the wrappings and feeling the intense heat Shina was pouring out. "She's got a fever." Yuuki touched Shina's eyes and concentrated with closed eyes. I waited not so patiently for her to finish her exam.
When her eyes opened Yuuki started to pull out various scrolls from her holding seals. She unsealed two that held various plants and snapped at me.
"Give me your water." I did as told not wanting to interrupt her mojo. While Yuuki cut up the plants I was betting her herbs I looked at Shina and delved into her mind to try and keep the illusions from her fever to a minimum. Of course I could also cut off the feelings to pain. I positioned myself so my hands were resting over her temples and closed my eyes.
Shina's POV~
The unbearable heat was missed when I felt my body wracking with violent shivers. I almost wished I was in near a fire, or even burning in fire to keep the cold away. But when the cold flashes were over I was too hot and uncomfortable. The pain in my side was unbearable as it throbbed sickeningly along with the pounding headache. Needless to say I wasn't happy one way or the other.
But after a while of going between hot and cold I stopped feeling either as I felt myself drift further into my own mind. And that was where the real prison was. I was stuck in the dark as untold time passed. For all I knew I could have been locked in the darkness for five minutes to fifty years and every time I tried to fight against the darkness, I stumbled Into a memory that was not how I really remembered it being.
The first memory I stumbled on was from my past life with a family I loved and who loved me. One I didn't have to be a ninja for. But I remembered it wrong. My father wasn't an alcoholic who beat my mother. My mother wasn't a housewife who was always being beat. My brother may have been a little shit, but he wasn't cruel. My sister was a brat but not a slut. And my friends weren't bad influences who made me do things I didn't want to.
I ran from that memory until I stumbled upon Akatsuki's kitchen. And that was just really wrong. Obito wasn't really an idiot. Zetsu wasn't really a meek boy who loved plants. Nagato wasn't a pervert as big as Jiraiya. Hidan wasn't a greedy asshole obsessed with raping women. Kakuzu wasn't an old man in body as well as mind. Konan wasn't a scanty slut who was messing around with Hidan behind her husband, Nagato's, back. Deidera wasn't a puppet obsessed with eternal art. Sasori wasn't a goody two shoes who loved fire. Kisame wasn't a poison obsessed octopus who looked like Davey Jones. And Itachi... That was the worse one. He was married in Konoha to a kuniochi named Izumi with two children of his own.
That just about killed me so I ran from that to another memory. Kana and Yuuki weren't my friends. We didn't even know each other. Instead I was friends with two Barbie dolls- which defeated the first memory but in dreams you didn't have control over sense. I ran from that memory to see the Uchiha Massacre. Only I was the Izumi chick and everything Itachi showed me cut me deeply. He was happy, would have been happy in another life without me.
My next memory was of seeing Naruto in full on Kyuubi mode, glowing blood red and on a rampage throughout Konoha, killing everyone and everything. I screamed for him to stop but he never did. He killed Sakura by snapping her neck. Kakashi died by complete Kyuubi chakra overload, his body was too badly burned. Sasuke died after Naruto ripped his eyes out of his head and made him listen to the screams of everyone in Konoha. Tsuande, Jiraiya, the Konoha 12, everyone was dead. I couldn't run fast enough to get away.
When I stopped I curled on the ground and held onto my knees, rocking myself back and forth while telling myself it wasn't real. That I was Just dreaming and everything was just a horrible nightmare that wouldn't end. That it was all in my head and wasn't real. But that was the worse part wasn't it? You never knew what was real after a while. Was Akatsuki really messed up? Was my family a bunch of fucked up freaks? Did I even know a Kana and Yuuki? Was Itachi even interested in me? I couldn't take the self-doubt any longer.
Please, please, please, please, please, please someone just kill me. Just end the suffering already. I didn't want to see anymore messed up things
'I told you Shina. Kami-sama would abandon you. You're all alone in here. You chose the wrong side and now you're paying the price of that loyalty. You should have taken our side.'
I stayed curled in my little ball. Not wanting to hear the shouts, screams, taunts, and jeers from all around me. I was in hell.
Eventually, a millennium later a new voice came to me.
'Shina... Shina... It's okay Shina-chan. It's just me. You can stop muttering to yourself.' I shook my head. Everything was in my head or not. Nothing was real though, it was all just a horrible nightmare. 'I am not a nightmare!' A sharp pain on my head had me falling out of my crouch and staring in shock at the woman glaring at me with a wad of rolled up papers. 'I do not appreciate your mental 'anguish' little girl. If you want to go back to what you saw then you can. But I will not be compared to those things.'
Chiharu-oba-san. Wasn't she dead though? Another whack to my head and I was holding my head in pain.
'Have some respect and don't mention my current status you brat. If I'd have known you were this dense I would have never allowed your shinobi ways to interfere with my life. Now get off that floor and go back to work missy!' I just stared at her as she seemed to brighten. 'Well? You have a job don't you Unmei? Go do it before I put my foot up your ass.' She pointed behind me. I turned to see Kana smiling at me holding out her hand.
'Found you sis. Come on out of here.' I looked back to where Chiharu-oba-san was but there was nothing. Just an empty darkness. I looked back at Kana. 'Come on. Yuuki's almost done healing you. You can't stay in here forever Shina. We need you.'
I blinked before slowly reaching for Kana's hand. When we touched everything changed as if Kana was pulling me out of a dark pit full of nothing but tar, evil, and doubt. I clung to Kana until I felt my arms again. Then my head, neck, chest, stomach, hips, thighs, legs, and feet. And amazingly, nothing hurt anymore.
My eyes fluttered open to see bright light. I groaned raising my hand to try and block out the light.
"Good to see you're not in a coma." I peeked through a tiny crack in my hands to see Yuuki smiling down at me while Kana was looking relieved yet slightly annoyed.
"How-" My voice cracked and I coughed.
"Oh for heavens sake." Yuuki sighed as Kana lifted me up and a bottle was pressed to my lips letting cool water flow down my throat before I choked on it. I hacked trying to clear my airways. Amazingly, I felt like I'd only been sleeping and not like I'd been run over by a tractor.
"How long have I been dead?" I asked.
"You weren't dead." Yuuki scolded as Kana flicked my ear. I frowned.
"Really? Then how long have I been out of it?"
"Well you've been missing for almost two days before we found you. Yuuki's been healing you all night so I guess three days?" Kana answered trying too hard to do the math. I nodded before my eyes widened as my memory kicked in.
"But the war! And Akatsuki! Oh shit, I was taken out by Obito!"
"Calm you fanny down sis." Yuuki said getting up. "We know you were kidnapped. Kana and I volunteered to look for you while everyone else prepared for the war. And from the vibrations we've been feeling, it's started already."
"Akatsuki?" I asked.
"They're still on Turtle Island with the Jinchuuriki. Minus Gaara who is leading the resistance once again."
"You were out of it so long because of the phony gods poison. Not sure about it's specifics and it was touch and go there for a while but you survived." Yuuki held up a small container. "I managed to bottle some so maybe Tsunade or Sasori could take a look at it once this mess is all over and done with." I nodded. Kana helped me get into a sitting position as some parts of my back ached.
"When do we leave?"
"Probably not for a while." Kana murmured. "You need to get a little better before we throw you into battle. Not to mention we need to survey things."
"You two do. Remember I'm a dunce in the psychic business now." I muttered.
"True. But we are going to have to go someplace a little warmer if you're going to get better so as soon as you can stand and hold on I'll be taking you two back to the mainland where you won't be able to freeze to death." Yuuki chirped happily. Kana made a choking noise at the back of her throat.
"You're looking a bit green there sis. You okay?"
"Yuuki is a horrible driver." I nodded sagely.
"That's why we never let her drive when we had cars. Backseat position was better for her. She napped and handed out the snacks so much better than driving or navigating." Yuuki scowled at my innocent expression.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I miss your teleporting."
"Thought you might. I do." I got up shakily trying not to falter or waver. Kana and Yuuki kept a sharp eye on me until I was standing up straight. I took a step forward and while it felt like my legs were jelly, I was okay. I let out a breath before channeling chakra into my feet and walking up the ice walls. I slipped and slid a little but managed to make it upside down before letting go and landing on my knees on the floor.
"That could have gone better." Kana commented.
"At least she got up the walls." Yuuki protested. "You probably would have only made it halfway. But now that we know Shina can use her chakra and is able to walk we should get going. Don't want to take advantage of Phil any more than necessary."
"Who's Phil?" I asked looking around.
"He's the yeti who found you and tried to take care of you." Kana said. "He went out a while ago."
"I see." Even though I really didn't. But I guess I shouldn't complain. Hell, he could have just left me to freeze to death. "Where are my weapons?" I asked just realizing I wasn't armed.
"Here." Yuuki said happily throwing my stuff at me. "They were in another cave system and Phil got them."
"I take it we're leaving now?" Kana asked. I nodded.
"Not for the war front. Although that is on our way. We need to get that demon and send him back to hell."
"Only a god can pull another back to their domain." Yuuki said confused. I nodded.
"It's a good thing Kami-sama has three choices for host bodies."
"Then let's get going." Kana commanded. "We can thank Phil if we survive." Yuuki and I followed Kana out of the tunnel and through the other tunnels. I shivered feeling my slight claustrophobia coming back with a reared head. I managed to make it back topside by thinking of never coming back or going anywhere near underground in the future, no matter what anyone said.
GM NASAI: I made a mistake! I accidentally posted Chapter Fifteen as Fourteen and realized it after I looked back and yeah... I'm really distracted. GOMEN NASAI!