Kitsune Chronicles: Never Put All Your Kitsune In One Village
By: .Blood.Engel.Yuzuki.
Dedicated To NexusKitsune, for letting me humiliate her.
Summary: A girl accidentally stops Sasuke from joining Orochimaru, hence bringing the wrath of Sound upon her. But once Akatsuki gets involved she is pulled into War. And all she wants to do is go home! (And some caffeine.)
Chapter Twelve: Kitsune At The Chuunin Exams! Sasuke's Price
Sasuke could see the amusement in the woman's yellow eyes as she stared him down, a lazy smirk plastered on her face. "Sasuke Uchiha." He could see a plot forming behind her hazy eyes and narrowed his eyes almost imperceptibly.
"I know just the price for you…"
The narrowing of his eyes was now unmistakable, his frustration creating a distinguishable furrowing on the bridge of his nose.
"Your price… Will be your eyes."
Naruto frowned, chewing on his pencil absent-mindedly. 'The most important thing to a ninja?'
Well, the most important to him, as a ninja, was…
His Nindo. ("Ninja Way")
Because it agreed with him as a person, as a human being. If he lived the life of the ordinary cold, heartless ninja that so few actually manage to perfect…he would be the monster the Villagers pointed him out to be.
He would no longer be fit to be Hokage…
He would no longer be fit to wear this headband that Iruka-sensei gave to him, after defending him as a human being and risking his own life for Naruto.
Because he swore he would become Hokage. Because he swore he would earn the Villager's respect. Because he swore he would prove them wrong, show them he was not a beast.
And Uzumaki Naruto never goes back on his word.
That is his Nindo!
And next thing he knew, he was holding a kunai. He poised it towards his left eye, and clenched his teeth until his jaw began to hurt, awaiting the pain.
He hammered his fist down on the end of the kunai, successfully destroying his left eye.
…One more eye left. Just one more stabbing pain and he'd be on his way…
Sasuke chuckled. "That's an interesting Genjutsu. How often does it work, convincing people they'll have to give up what the treasure just to fulfill their goals?" Sasuke blinked, both eyes still intact now he was out of the Genjutsu's grasp. "I'll suppose the fear of seeing the 'future' with out their most precious possession would be enough to drag some people out of this competition. But…" Sasuke locked his intense eyes on to her languid ones, "I would do anything to reach my goal. I would give anything. And I will not allow anything, or anyone to stop me from killing him."
Yuko's eyes hardened, causing them to appear nearly brown; though she could sense no lie in him she still could not hold back. How far would he really go?
"Prove it."
'Most important to a ninja?' Sakura asked herself, eyes thoughtful as she concentrated on the last question. Suddenly a scream came from the Office-Room. 'That…sounded like Sasuke!' Her mind raced, and she completely forgot the question. He sounded like he was in agony.
Her teammate…
Sakura's heart rate quickened, echoing in her ears as she imagined all the terrible tortures Sasuke could be going through. Her head whirled at the sudden intake of thoughts and her instincts screamed for her to do some thing.
So she did.
She ran right up that door and burst through it, not even caring about all the commotion she and the eerie scream had caused.
Prove it.
Sasuke frowned at the ridiculous suggestion.
Prove it.
Oh, he would prove it all right.
He would kill his closest friend for a chance to destroy his brother.
He planned to kill his closest friend for a chance to destroy his brother.
Prove it.
He took a kunai from the pouch on his leg and ran it along his arm in a deep cut. The skin was sheered off as easily as if he was slicing butter.
Prove it
It did not hurt at first, not until the adrenaline rush wore off. He cursed himself for letting out a single, strangled cry as all his exposed nerves met the air. He held his mouth shut from that time on, determination the only thing driving him.
Prove it.
He took the fragile slab of bloody skin from his arm, and dropped it at the woman's feet.
"Let that be your proof."
Kitsune watched Naruto's eyes widen as Sakura charged through the wooden door on the other side of the classroom.
He had nearly jumped out of his seat to follow but then…
NARUTO! NO!
K…Kitsune-'nee-chan?
…Naruto?
Wow! We're like twins! We can communicate with each other through our minds! Okay, I'm thinking of a number between one and ten…
'Wow, he's easily distracted.'
Hey! I heard that 'Nee-chan!
Eh? You can hear everything I think?
'Must be because of our demons…'
YOU HAVE A DEMON TOO, 'NEE-CHAN?! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!
Why didn't YOU tell ME you had a demon?
I-I-I; uh…
Never mind. I guess it doesn't matter when you know anyway.
Wow. Do you have a Biju (Tailed Demon) too?
I guess. It's basically like yours, just…Silver.
And Female.
Huh? That's not the damned fox.
Kitsune could feel Nexus' anger boiling.
That's my demon.
Wow. Quite the family reunion.
Nexus rolled her eyes at her little brother's antics.
Quiet, Otouto. (Little Brother) Look here, I meant to show this to you later, but it seems you've figured it out on your own. As you can see, you can communicate through us. As of now you can only speak when you are close to each other, but with practice you can communicate even when you are thousands of miles apart.
Even when you're sleeping if you try hard enough. Kyuubi said, referring to Nexus' long sleep.
Right. You can hear everything the other thinks now, but with practice you'd be able to block each other out. Your mind is basically an open book right now.
Hold it, so I could go into 'Nee-chan's head?!
Not literally…But yes. Nexus confirmed, sounding slightly worried.
Wow!
I'm not too keen on this, especially now with all these things happening. Can't we just shut it off and sort this out later when there's not a test we have to pass?
My thoughts exactly. I'll break the connection, next time you need to communicate, just ask…
Sakura swung open the door, nearly expecting to see Sasuke's corpse splayed all over the ground. Instead she saw a great deal of blood decorating the simple tile.
What had happened?
Was this all that was left of Sasuke?
'She didn't just kill him…she destroyed him!'
A wave of dizziness came over her.
She was a medic; she had probably seen enough blood to be a Jounin.
But this was different. This blood belonged to…
"Sasuke…" The name came out in barley a croak, and the woman had already moved to shut the door behind Sakura.
"I'll guess you'd like to know the answer to The Last Question. You look like the brainy type. Naturally, with your large forehead and diminutive build you are suited for nothing else."
Inner Sakura was yelling and screaming for her to fight back, but she held her tongue. "Where's Sasuke?"
"Scholarly you may be, but you're also overly sensitive. Not good for a ninja. Your one good feature, I think, is that you can take criticism. You must be used to it."
CHAA!!! THAT'S IT!!!!!!
Without thinking, Sakura did her usual thing…Took her anger out on something in a violent way. Usually Naruto was the one who ended up being the target.
This time, however, it was the floor, covered with Sasuke's blood.
Lifting her hand up, she noticed it had also acquired some of Sasuke's blood.
Her balled up fist covered in Sasuke's blood. Her own blood pulsing…
It seemed almost like Déjà vu… (FORESHADOWING!!!!!! ;D)
Yuko smiled. "Well…It seems you are worth something after all."
Kitsune thought about the last question the most.
What would it be?
Your comrades?
No, a ninja is supposed to be more selfish than that. Remember White Fang Hatake?
The mission?
Any mission? Even a D-rank mission?
One's Village?
Even a Missing Nin is still a ninja.
Then what?
The most important thing to a ninja is…
Yuko sighed. "The Last Question… 'What is most important to a ninja?' …It is obviously not what is most important to you, is it?" Yuko questioned, as if Sakura would actually answer, studying the kunoichi (female ninja) carefully.
"No," Yuko continued, solving her own inquiry. "Your bonds mean more to you than that. Especially your bond with that boy. That is why you rushed in here to aide him, not even considering that you would most likely die as well. You are weaker than him, so, if I had chosen to kill him you would have met the same fate.
"It seems even your brain betrays you. Perhaps you aren't even smart."
Sakura's emerald eyes widened.
"Yes, I think so. You have book smarts, but you lack common sense as a ninja. You should quit now. You have enough potential to be great out in the common world, but if you continue on this road…" Yuko stopped, waiting for her words to process. "You'll die."
To say Sakura had not heard such things from others would be a lie.
But she had never heard it from anyone she'd just met, not from anyone she did not know.
And that made it seem all the more true.
"The most important thing to a ninja," Yuko concluded, "Is themselves."
Yourself…?
Naturally. Will your comrades matter when you're dead? Will your mission matter? Will the Village who sent you on the mission that led to your ultimate demise matter?
Kitsune could not help but wonder if Nexus was right. Still, the idea still did not sit well with her. To be so fickle, relying only on life… Acting as if just living another day was the only thing that mattered.
Clearly, they had differences, but those differences would just have to be put aside.
For now, anyway…
The examiner walked out of her office, Sakura in tow, and waited until it was the exact second for the hour they'd had to finish the test was over. "You will be called in by order of Teams to have your tests judged in my office." Yuko stated, walking behind the door she had just come from and leaving the team calling to Kuro.
Team Seven was the called in soon to be graded in Yuko's office.
"Uzumaki Naruto, you fail."
"What?! How?!"
"The Last Question. What does a Nindo mean?"
"It means everything!" Naruto retorted.
The woman raised a slender eyebrow. "So, a Nindo is more important that one's life?"
"A Nindo…is someone's life." Naruto said, almost softly.
Yuko's countenance softened, and she looked on Naruto with a kind twinkle in her eyes. "So, even if the mission fails…if you abide by your ninja way…it is a success?"
"In the world of Ninja, those who do not follow the rules are considered trash. But…those who would abandon their teammates…they are even worse trash."
They all smiled at Kakashi's quote.
Yuko sighed. "Well…I can't very well fail you when the answer is in a way, correct can I?"
Naruto smiled brightly, and Yuko handed him his pass to the next round of the Exams. "It is true. Often times as Ninja we tend to stray from the path of humanity. We destroy our emotions because it makes killing so much easier. We throw away thoughts of religion because such speaks against our life-style." Yuko's eyes fell. "However, in doing so…we often deprive ourselves of happiness.
"The only thing that should ever matter to a ninja…is their own opinions. No one should ever have the right to tell you what to believe…"
Their Team smiled, looking up at the black haired woman, and seeing her in a new light.
"W-wait a minute! Where's Sasuke?!" Sakura exclaimed.
"I allowed him to get his arm bandaged after it was injured. He passed the test as well." Yuko sighed. "He has a dangerous determination, that child. Dangerous, but respectable." She nodded her approval to all of them, in an oddly sober mood. "You all possess admirable traits. I was amazed that you, Haruno-San, did not give up even after all that taunting; and you two did not even need my help at all. I'm impressed."
Her sly smile returned, "But I wouldn't get too confident. There is after all, another test to go. Followed by the finals! And even if you get there, you probably don't even have a chance of becoming Chuunin." She laughed insanely, walking away and leaving them all very putout.
"Good l-u-uck!" She continued in a singsong voice. And, after she led them out and mentioned to the next Team she continued lowly, so they could not hear: "You'll need it."
It was a mix of Suna and Konoha, Kitsune decided.
Like Konoha because of the trees surrounding them (though they were not nearly as large as Konoha's trees) but also like Suna because instead of rich soil under her feet, there was sand, and the sun was unbearable, even when she was in the shade of one of the trees.
It was a lot like City Towen, she concluded, with one last look around as suddenly the crowd of Genin became silent.
"Oi!" All attention was focused on the tall man. "I'm your next examiner, so if any of you don't feel like taking the chance of dieing, I advise you to leave now…"
The tension-filled moment was completely ruined by a pleasant, but undoubtedly male voice. "Wow! Kuro-pipi is sooooooooo amazing!" Seemingly sarcastic clapping followed.
The second proctor narrowed his red eyes, teeth clenching dangerously. Coal black hair, cut short and spiked slightly, bangs hanging over a blood red Suna headband. His strong chin, pitch-black trousers and long, high collared cloak made him appear rather frightening to the less experienced Genin. "…Fai…" he began dangerously, pointing a deathly glare towards the owner of the voice.
"Yes Kuro-woof?" Placid, ice blue eyes stared back at him from behind a mop of cream-coloured hair. He wore a white shirt with a fishnet undershirt (1) and a pair of plain black pants, accompanied by a pair of black sandals. He seemed to be unarmed, but was proved a ninja by the blue-fabric headband on his thigh.
"IT'S KUROGANE!!!!!!!!!"
A few Genin actually fainted after seeing 'Kurogane' angry.
Kitsune, meanwhile, was not affected at all by the killing intent in the air, she was too busy mulling over the two of them.
'Fai' wore his headband on his thigh. Kitsune only knew one person who did that. Suteishii. And Suteishii had mentioned her sensei was a man called Fai. On the same subject, it had been mentioned that Fai, Yuko and a person named Kurogane were students of some famous Suna ninja called Ashura.
Obviously this blue-eyed, smiling idiot was the man Suteishii got it from. (And by 'it' Kitsune means extreme personality disorder.)
Kurogane cleared his throat, shaking Kitsune out of her thoughts. "The rules of this round are explained on a form you will receive from my…" he spat the word out grudgingly, "partner… Fai. Upon signing the form you will be allowed to begin the test."
Kitsune clenched her jaw; according to the previous exams, if anything bad was going to happen, it would start during the second phase.
Little did she know how right she was…
(1) I had to give Fai fishnet and put him in… Who doesn't love ninja-Fai after all?
End of Chapter 12.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or Fai, Yuko, Ashura, and Kurogane. They belong to CLAMP and Kishimoto, respectively
Next Chapter:
Chapter Thirteen: Kitsune at the Chuunin Exams! The Second Event!