Chapter 21: Flight
Uchiha Madara gazed long and hard at the kunoichi standing nervously in front of him in the large underground room of the second north tower. Her golden brown eyes were steady, but he detected apprehension and uncertainty lurking behind her composed figure. Her new shozoku-like outfit was put together quickly and skillfully by Konan during Toriya's convalescence: a sleeveless top, a pair of shorts, and long black bands on her legs and arms. Very plain but very simple.
Then he knew how to introduce himself: Tobi style.
"Nice to meet you, Toriya-chan!" he finally shouted, throwing his hands in the air and leaping down from his pedestal.
"…"
"My name is Tobi! Tobi is a good boy. Toriya-chan may call me 'Tobi,' but better yet—" (he suddenly quieted down) "—call me Uchiha Madara."
Then it clicked. Several clicks, in fact.
"Uchiha Madara?" she repeated. "Weren't you the founder of the Uchiha clan? Aren't you supposed to be dead? Actually… didn't you die several months ago in an explosion?"
"I am immortal," he stated simply. "As immortal as one can get, that is, with continuous life reserve renewals."
"Konan, and Itachi, said you wanted to train me."
"That is correct."
"Why, though?" Toriya persisted, still greatly confused. "Aren't you afraid that I'll use my new strength to attack you? Or bring down Akatsuki?"
Madara chuckled.
"The reason is simple," he remarked. "Essentially, you will not be able to defeat me or Akatsuki because I will ensure that your powers are put in check. And we wish to train you so that the six-tailed demon hawk's power will not be wasted, and you can utilize that power to benefit Akatsuki as an… employee, so to say. It's more convenient than if we extract the demon now. I'm sure Pein, who takes orders from me, has informed you of the consequences if you betray us."
"He has."
"Very well. Now I will explain to you the logistics of the rokubi's chakra."
Toriya nodded cautiously, tingling with anxiety.
"Some say the spirit of the demon hawk originated from the desert where you came from; others say it was created through the fusion of an ordinary hawk and a malicious spirit by an ancient priest. It certainly existed by the time I was around, and I have heard that its chakra is capable of granting anyone the most powerful eyes in the world. In any case, the rokubi is known for just that: its powerful eyesight in addition to its adept control of the wind and water. I believe you have learned how to use those elements quite handily in ninjutsu already.
"Although my Mangekyou can bend the kyuubi fox to my will, it cannot completely do the same to the rokubi. Nonetheless, I can still exert some power over it and will teach you the ways of channeling it in sync with your own chakra system. If you learn how to activate and master the rokubi's eyes, you will be able to read your opponents' moves, no matter how fast they are."
"May I ask one question…Madara-san?" Toriya interjected tentatively, still maintaining a careful distance from the man.
His orange masked glanced at her; she took it as an affirmation.
"What are the powers of the Sharingan? How can you control the bijuu?"
The crimson eye appeared through the hole in Madara's mask. Toriya felt a sudden chill, quivering deep within her soul despite her attempts to remain calm.
He's very strong… even more so than Itachi… she realized in shock as cold sweat slid down her body. There's absolutely no way I can defeat him at my current level.
"The Sharingan," Madara explained, ignoring the kunoichi's state of fear, "is comprised of two levels: the regular Sharingan and the Mangekyou Sharingan. The kaleidoscope shape of the Mangekyou then has three wheels, or forms, in its spiral: power, control, and life.
"The wheel of power is the ability to use Tsukuyomi, the illusion; Amaterasu, the flames of the sun; and Susanoo, the ultimate defense. Both Itachi-kun and I are able to use all three.
"The wheel of control is obtained by taking the Sharingan eyes of one's sibling to eradicate the aftereffects of blindness. Only by doing so can the user obtain a fresh pair of eyes and reach new heights: virtual immortality and control of the kyuubi."
He paused, anticipating the next question flickering in Toriya's eyes.
"Has Madara-san reached this level?" she whispered.
"I have."
She shivered at the mere thought of it.
"And… what about Itachi?"
"He has not—yet," he answered, sounding a little sadistically amused, "if he ever does."
"Please continue…" she muttered, still disturbed.
"And finally," resumed Madara, "there is the wheel of life. It is able to revive any one member of the dead back to life. The price of sacrifice is enormous, one of which includes the user's loss of the Mangekyou. However, the wheel of life is purely hypothetical, as even I have never attained or used it despite my knowledge of its existence."
Toriya decided not to probe further to find out about the other sacrifices.
"Does that answer your question, Toriya-chan?"
"Hai," she responded, attempting to insert some more confidence into her timbre.
"Now… we shall start your training."
x-x-x-x-x
In the roughly one month during Toriya's confinement, Madara trained her how to utilize the power of the rokubi without losing control. She had shown great progress and was even able to go up to three tails. However, she was having problems maintaining the activation of its eyes, which were supposed to turn her chestnut brown orbs into those of shimmering golden seas against midnight black with gray concentric circles radiating from a dark red pupil.
Nonetheless, Madara was pleased, and the harsh training always left Toriya stumbling back to her room in the tower with a sorely aching body, a throbbing headache, and a case of extremely dry eyes. As per her "employment," she had been sent on a few missions alongside some Akatsuki members merely as surveillance or as a precautionary measure.
Her trip back to the tower was always escorted by Konan's plastic, water-proof origami crane. Once back in her gloomy room at the top of the first north tower, the brown-haired kunoichi would wait patiently under the watch of Konan's surveillance papers, which were able to detect changes in her chakra levels—meaning Toriya could not use any jutsu for any purposes. And there was also the issue of the high security door. And Suna, which she tried so hard not to think about…
Despite her alienation from Suna, it was painful to think that her home had rejected her. From time to time, during a blustering rainstorm while she stared out the misty window, she would wonder how Kai was faring, whether Kon was still as clumsy as ever, if Temari and Kankuro had improved their skills, how Gaara was holding up as the Kazekage…
But then she would snap back to reality and forcefully convince herself that it was all in the past and would never resurface again. Memories of Suna and her family were all crinkled, faded photographs, after all, and would never return to haunt her.
She slowly buried her past self.
x-x-x-x-x
One month after Itachi met Madara for the first time in a long while, both Uchiha reunited once again in the underground room.
"It is time, Itachi-kun," Madara pronounced. "As you know, the eyes of a user of Mangekyou Sharingan sink into darkness until they are replaced by those of the user's sibling. Just as I plucked out my younger brother's eyes, you must take your brother Sasuke-kun's eyes in order to gain new heights in power."
Itachi said nothing and waited patiently.
It is time…
Suddenly, Madara struck at Itachi with a force likened to lightning. The former man had executed the move so swiftly and so skillfully that Itachi did not have time to react. In another blink of an eye, the attack was gone. At first, it seemed as though nothing had happened. Just as abruptly, Itachi crumbled to the ground on his knees, weakened and trembling and gasping and sweating in raw fear, all his usual composure lost.
"It's a must that you take Sasuke-kun's eyes, Itachi-kun… if you wish to survive," Madara murmured. "Your eyes are growing blind. Not only will that attack accelerate the process but will also begin to eat away at your body on the cellular level."
"Madara-san," Itachi whispered shakily, feeling both confused and deceived, "was your wish of making me strong a lie?"
"I had every intention of making you strong for my own benefits," the older nin replied.
"Then why did you attack me?"
"Because… I want Sasuke-kun."
"That… my foolish little brother?"
Itachi gritted his teeth and glared at his teacher with a burning hatred he never knew he possessed. He had been betrayed and used. Shinobi were supposed to be mere tools, after all, but he was too hurt at being so carelessly tossed aside.
"Go now, Itachi-kun," ordered Madara, "if you want to live. Prove your worth to me by finally killing your brother. He should be in the forest at the borders of the Land of Fire."
Itachi stood up. The pain from the attack was subsiding, but he still felt the slash of betrayal even with the return of his stoic façade.
"Hai, Madara-san," he said coldly, staring right into his teacher's one eye.
He bowed stiffly and left under Madara's gaze. Underneath his mask, Madara smirked.
"Once Sasuke-kun kills you, I will be one more step closer to my goal," he whispered, trembling in excitement at the thought of it. "Just a little longer and I'll be able to see my brother again…"
x-x-x-x-x
As Itachi left the underground, he impulsively decided to pay Toriya a visit. Ignoring the pelting rain, he walked across the wet path and trekked up the spiraling staircase of the other tower. Each step up the stairs made his legs quaver even more, but he consoled himself that he had bore much greater pain in the past before.
"Oh hello, Itachi-kun," Konan greeted him at the doorway of Toriya's room when he reached the top level. "Rokubi-chan is currently eating the meal I delivered to her."
"That's fine, Konan-san," he said quietly.
She inclined her head in acknowledgement and headed down the stairs.
Itachi paused in front of the door that Konan hadn't bothered to close due to his arrival. Having only caught glimpses of Toriya from time to time, he found himself feeling nervous about finally being able to see her.
Strange.
Blinking through his darkening eyes, Itachi slowly stepped through doorway.
Toriya, with chopsticks in hand, greeted him with a slightly surprised look. Her eyes, he noted suddenly, were empty and devoid of... emotion. He somehow felt a little sad seeing the sparkle in her beautiful eyes gone, yet he was also soothed that someone in this world was feeling the same hollowness as he was feeling now.
"I'm leaving for a special mission near Konoha, Toriya-chan," he spoke.
"What for?"
He paused, finding an appropriate response as the tapping rain against the misty window filled in the still silence.
"To reach new heights."
Toriya nearly dropped the bowl of miso soup she was holding. Itachi glanced at her.
"Is something wrong, Toriya-chan?"
"Ah, no. Nothing. My hand just slipped," she said brightly.
Forcing a smile on her face, the kunoichi began shoving tofu and seaweed into her mouth to reassure Itachi that she was perfectly fine. Deep inside, she began to wonder and worry; Madara had said the exact same words to her one month ago.
"Toriya."
The kunoichi blinked, startled out of her musings.
He had just called her name without an honorific.
Suspiciously, she stood up and stared at his face. Although it was still wearing the same expressionless look, she realized that there was something missing. What was it?
"Toriya," Itachi began again, "take care of yourself."
She pensively placed her half-empty soup bowl on the table, pondering his strange behavior.
"I will," she said softly. "Is… is there something wrong?"
He looked at her, and their gazes locked. Once again, she was surprised to see another different aspect: his eyes, cold and mysterious as usual, were now black and empty. No Sharingan.
In a moment, he was right in front of her.
"Itachi?" she said, startled.
Reaching out a hand, the said nin cupped her face and continued his steady gaze.
"Did Madara-san ever hurt you?" he whispered.
"Eh… no… not intentionally…"
"Good."
Itachi broke eye contact then and sighed. His vacant black eyes stared blankly out the misty window. Toriya wavered, her mind flutteringly wildly in confusion at his bizarre behavior.
"Um… Itachi?"
He turned towards her again and, without a word, with the blazing look having returned into his obsidian eyes, pressed closer and closer until nothing could keep them apart—she was melting into his orbs of black fire—could count every—eyelash—he was a breath away—heart pounded so loudly—closed her eyes—so warm—so relishing—
When they broke apart from the tender kiss, Toriya's head was spinning almost giddily. Itachi's eyes flickered back into their empty dormant state as he gazed into her face, seeming to be pondering and perhaps even regretting his action, for it was very out of his character to do so.
Itachi stepped away from the kunoichi to hide the tiniest hint of his curved lips, admitting to himself that he enjoyed it despite the persisting pain throughout his body. His heart tugged at him, begging to stay, but the reasonable mind of Uchiha Itachi knew he had a mission to fulfill.
"Take care of yourself," he repeated in a soft voice. "Good-bye…Toriya."
With Toriya staring in a daze at him, he headed towards the door, giving her once last glance before bidding her farewell and pressing his Akatsuki ring against the black circle.
Once the door clicked shut, Toriya snapped out of her reverie. Her heart was pounding as she connected the dots… realizing what exactly the "special mission" was…
For Itachi to "reach new heights," he had to gain the second wheel of the Mangekyou. And in order to gain the second wheel, he had to gain new eyes, which meant he would be after Sasuke, who had recently (as she had heard through the grapevine) taken over Orochimaru's white snake and was planning on searching for Itachi…
In short, both brothers were walking straight into a direct confrontation with each other.
Was this Madara-san's plan all along?
Extremely uneasy, Toriya tried to convince herself that Itachi was strong, he was a master of the Sharingan; he couldn't possibly lose to Sasuke, right?
The image of the younger Uchiha's angry black eyes back at Orochimaru's Oto hideout flashed through her mind, and she considered Itachi's strange behavior and ashen face.
Something was wrong. And she felt Itachi was going to be in trouble.
But what could she do?
Munching pensively on her rice, Toriya's eyes wandered to her knapsack sitting placidly at the corner of the room. As memories from the past month flooded her mind, she suddenly remembered Pein said they had left her with all her original belongings.
She jumped straight up, spilling her rice bowl into the ground. Completely ignoring the fallen article, she immediately made her way to her bag and rifled through its pockets. Kunai… explosive tags… shuriken… soldier pill wrappers… random bird feathers… and there it was: the ring that she had picked up in Orochimaru's hideout.
Her head singing in elated victory, Toriya leaned against the wall and gazed in wonderment at the sapphire blue ring. Never had she thought that she would benefit from that visit to Oto from what seemed to be a long time ago. She usually tossed anything she happened to pick up into her knapsack—a habit that usually annoyed Tsumemaru, who from time to time would clean out her bag for her. Now she was glad she had such a habit.
The ring's design was very similar to that of the rings of the other Akatsuki members. No, in fact, it was an Akatsuki ring, as Orochimaru used to be a member. If she could successfully use it to open the door…
Careful to restrain her chakra from pulsing too much lest she alert Konan, the kunoichi ambled over to the door and slowly lowered the ring to the black circle. The moment narrowed down into that one action, with a held breath and wide eyes as she raptly watched the circle tremble very slightly and, accepting the signature of the ring, allow the door to open.
Toriya gaped.
Would her escape be this easy?
She was strangely breathing calmly now. Perhaps it would work. Perhaps luck would be on her side. She only needed to be careful and avoid being caught.
Easier said than done, the kunoichi thought, grimacing.
Immediately she foresaw the problems: she could run into Pein, Konan, or, even worse, Madara; Pein's rain could detect the chakra of anyone passing through the precipitation, and he would certainly recognize her chakra signature; and once she was caught, Suna would be attacked.
Just then, she frowned at the thought of Suna. Pein had to be bluffing when he said Akatsuki's allies were stationed around the village. No reasonable daimyo would be willing to send troops to a certain location for a month.
"Nice threat, Pein," Toriya murmured, "but it won't work on me. I've long been estranged from Suna, anyway."
Reminded of the time when she managed to slip through the clutches of the Land of Green Bean guards, Toriya smiled grimly at the uncanny similarities between the two situations. Back then, she had escaped merely for her own sake. This time, however, she was escaping not only for herself but also for Itachi.
And so she stepped outside the door that had once confined her and took flight into the world of tentative freedom.
Glossary:
shozoku – the typical black ninja full-body outfit, complete with a cloth that covers the lower part of the face (source: Wikipedia)
A/N: Meh, I don't like making characters talk to themselves in their minds, but it was necessary to get it down. Note the Sharingan technicalities! They will be referred to later on.
I wonder if anyone even remembered Toriya picking up the ring? O.o
Also, did some parts of this chapter seem too abrupt to you? Please tell me if that's the case. I'd like to improve my story-writing. Believe it or not, this is the first time I've written such a long story! Usually I stick with short stories.
Virtual miso soup to Stickman-sam, RebelFlame, Alumia, Transient Shadow, and Belladonna-Isabella for R&Ring! Yum.
Naruto (c) Kishimoto