Chapter Twenty-One: The leader of the Wakahisa Clan
Standing there, watching and staring down her enemies Verlet couldn't help but finally understand why it was her father had always held that mask in front of others. That cold, stoic, calm face he used when in front of others.
"You aren't capable of killing all of us." hissed Orochimaru, licking his lips and glaring at Verlet. Shaking her head she took in a deep breath and tried to focus. The truth was that Verlet didn't like killing, she hadn't even made her first kill let alone kill these four rouge, dangerous and deadly ninja all at once. Then of course Verlet knew she wasn't alone but could she hand them the burden, could she add to the already spilled blood in their hands so as to be able to escape and stay innocent? No. No, she couldn't.
"I have not said that I am here to kill you." Verlet responded, causing everyone's eyes, including the rouge's eyes, to widened in surprise. Wasn't it usual for an avenger to kill those who had wronged them? So why? 'Why is she sparing us?' thought Orochimaru worriedly, all the while keeping his face calm and smooth.
"Really now, even after I ordered that rogue to kill your family, you friends and your parents? I did it, surely you must know that." he taunted, causing the akatsuki members beside him to widen their eyes. He truly was a mad man. It was rare for an avenger to pause, to be as rational as the young girl before them was and yet all he was doing was adding fuel to the fire. Did he truly have some sort of a death wish?
"I was taught to respect life, not to end it. Who am I to judge." Verlet spoke wisely before shaking her head. "No. I will not kill today but I will put horrible men to sleep, bind you still for all of time." Verlet spoke, her eyes narrowing then, a sort of fire lighting in her eyes. She was angry, still raw about all that had happened and consumed by sorrow but she would not, under any circumstances fall to their level. She was raise above their expectations and stop them without becoming the perfect tool, the perfect killing machine they couldn't stop thinking her to be.
"Impossible." growled out Orochimaru, trying against all odds to try to break free from the child's hold. No matter how hard he tried though, he still couldn't break free.
"Nothing is impossible, not for those who have the strength to achieve and most certainly not for those with the power." Verlet growled before turning to the two akatsuki members and sighing. Somehow she couldn't bring her self to bind, to the two into stone. They had had nothing to do with her families death, and although they were responsible for kidnapping her Verlet couldn't help but feel compassion for the two. Perhaps their stories were as sad as hers, perhaps the lack, the loss of their families had turned them into who and what they were today.
"Verlet! Stop this, please." Called Sakura, speaking despite her daughters words, going against a leaders words and request. None of that mattered to her, none of it should have from the very beginning. She was her daughter now, she was the mother and therefore she shouldn't have had to do as her daughter said.
"Ka-san..I.." but before she could finish Orochimaru broke out into a laughing fit. The tone in his laughter was that of malice and taunting.
"I see! You've completely forgotten about that wretched family you claim to lead now. Those who died protecting you? You threw away your history!" he taunted, all the while laughing at the girl. "You've thrown away your past, your family even and forsaken your parents." he scram. As soon as the words left the mans lips Verlet growled, she balled her hands into fists and tried desperately to control her emotions. The monster was the cause of her pain, of her sorrow and she had tried desperately to move on. To live happily with only the memories of her parents, her clan and her home. Now, now that man stood before her. He taunted her face to face and had come after her himself and yet Verlet could do nothing. Say nothing in return. Some small, still childlike part of her mind suddenly felt guilty, knew that somehow despite her knowing better of it all he was right. How could she have accepted a new family so easily? Why hadn't she just been able to die along side everyone she cared for, everyone she had come to love! Tears suddenly fell from her face, her anger rose and then she let out an earsplitting scream. The barrier she had placed around her fell, her hold on those against her fell and in a blink of an eye she was running at Orochimaru with katana in hand and killing intent.
"You know nothing!" she scram, easily seeing through his attacks, blocking what needed to be blocked and slicing when she would. Orochimaru tried desperately to place distance, as much as possible between the two. He had been hoping she would crack, that she would break and finally give in to her emotions. Now that she had he wasn't quite sure what to do or think. Even when her mind was clouded by emotion the young child fought as if she was focused on the fight at hand. Yes, she would be the perfect specimen and the perfect vessel for his new body. Meanwhile, after several seconds of shock the others had jumped in. Instantly blocking and keeping the akatsuki members form the young girl. Every now and then Itachi tried to break free, to join his daughter by his side and yet just before he could, right before he found and opening he was annoyingly met with a hit, a bomb or some sort of distraction to keep him in the fight. Sakura stayed to the shadows, keeping in mind that unless her daughter fell she had to stay hidden. To once again stick to the shadows and be ready as the medic. Tears all the while fell from her face.
"I know well enough." Orochimaru responded, kicking and then instinctively blocking a kunai. "You were happy to have found a way out, to be free of them." he taunted.
"Shut up!" Verlet scam and cut his side. Orochimaru cursed. She was proving to be too good a fight to take back alive let alone conscious.
"Come now, come with me. Become the perfect shinobi." Orochimaru cooed. Verlet all the while moved, fought with emotion alone. The man before her was the cause of all her pain and the only thing she was able to think of was to end his life, even if it cost her her own.
"Never." she growled, jumping in and ignoring the kunai that cut at her side. Verlet hadn't felt the cut, she didn't hiss or fuss. She simply kept forward only to meet with the vile mans face. She punched him straight into a tree and kept on hitting him, kept on going at him until he stopped moving. Her hands were covered in blood, as well as her katana but none of it matter, none of it registered with her. When he finally failed to move Verlet took in a deep breath and instantly began on a new set of seals. She had only practiced this jutsu once and that was all. Slowly she looked over the field where her family fought, where her parents were desperately trying to get to her. She knew her mover was somewhere in the shadows, doing what a medic was supposed to do and sighed with relief. She was safe and whole.
"This ends today. Once and for all." Verlet whispered upon finishing her hand seals. "Wakahisa style, ultimate binding jutsu." she whispered. A frown formed on her face then, as a small line of blood fell out of her mouth and down her lips. She had underestimated Orochimaru, and now his snake like sword was threw her stomach. 'It doesn't matter,...they're safe.' thought Verlet at the end before a wave of bright white light covered the battle field and Orochimaru lay dead on the ground while the two akatsuki members disappeared.
Sakura had been watching from the treetops, had been relieved when Verlet turned around and started on another set of seals. It looked like she was fine, like she was just about to clean up the mess when all of a sudden Sakura could see a blade sticking out of her daughters stomach. Blood steamed down endlessly, fluidly and yet Verlet kept a calm and peaceful exterior. She was happy, content with this being the end.
"No..." Sakura barely whispered, protested before she shook her head. There had to be something wrong with her eyes, there just had to be. Verlet was strong, wise, and never let her guard down. She was just starting how to let that guard down around her and Itachi so how? How could she had just been taken by surprise. "No!" finally scram Sakura and just as she scram a wave of bright white light covered the battle field and Orochimaru lay dead on the ground while the two akatsuki members disappeared. Everyone froze in confusion as first but the instant they saw Sakura by Verlet's side with green glowing hands they had an idea as to what had happened.
"Stay still.." Sakura cried out, slowly taking the blade out before she began healing Verlet's body. Her body had already begun trying to save its self but the healing, the regeneration of her body was too slow for the wound.
"I'm sorry...Ka-san..." Verlet barely spoke, her voice and warm. She was crying but there was no signs of it in her tone of voice, not like in Sakura's tone of voice anyway.
"It's alright, just don't speak." she insisted, pushing her chakra and stopping the bleeding. Verlet couldn't help the sigh at the feel of her blood stopping, at the feel of her wound slowly healing. Sadly she shook her head. 'She is low on chakra...' Verlet thought, could feel and allowed her self a couple of more tears.
"I let my guard down Otou-san.." Verlet spoke, a sad smile on her face. Itachi shook his head, not sure what to tell his daughter or how to comfort her. He knew that she'd be feeling guilty, bad for not having putting distance between she and the body before going on with her plan. Verlet smiled at his silence before her eyes showed the activation of her kekki genkai. Instantly he lost his and Sakura lost access to her chakra.
"No! Let me help you." cried Sakura but Verlet shook her head.
"Chakra...low.." she mumbled, feel how tired her body was and finally able to feel the pain that should have been felt sooner. She squinted her eyes, holding in the protest of the pain.
"Naruto, Sasuke, Shikamaru go. Clear the way and get the hokage to the hospital." Itachi said while slowly taking Verlet into his arms. She was in pain, he knew she was but he also knew that Verlet would never let it show.
"Hai." and with that the three took at a run. That let Itachi, Sakura and Shisu behind. Shisu looked at his cousin sadly, he understood what Itachi understood but couldn't understand how, why he would stop Sakura. Verlet had to have know, must know that no matter how far Sakura pushed herself she always came out of it alright. Once they were ready, once Itachi could move without disturbing his daughters room he, Sakura and Shisu all took off at a light run. He could have run faster, could have pushed himself but knew that the wind hitting into her would only cause her more pain.
"I shouldn't have let her! Why did I?" Sakura questioned herself angrily while shaking her head. Shisu put an arm on her shoulder, tried to comfort her but Sakura shook it off.
"Don't." she growled out.
"It's not your fault." Itachi spoke, his tone of voice hard, but calm. "She chose this, as the leader of the Wakashia clan she chose to end this herself. To keep her family safe and keep the past from repeating its self." he said. More tears streamed down from her face.
As soon as they got back to Konoha a team of medics was waiting along side the hokage herself. A couple of medics tried to check on Sakura, Itachi and Shisu but none of them allowed themselves to be looked at. They snapped, they growled at the medics, telling them that if they had time to look at those with no mortal injuries then to go find something more productive to do for their daughter. While sitting in the waiting room Sakura held on to Itachi as if her life depended on it.
"Itachi, Sakura." suddenly came Fugaku's deep voice. Mikoto stood beside him, her eyes full of concern and guilt. Itachi looked up and then away. This wasn't the best time to approach him, this wasn't the best time his father should confront him and lecture him some.
"I'm so sorry Itachi. She wouldn't let me help...then...then..." but Mikoto couldn't finish her words. Sakura shook her head then, wiping away her tears before meeting her and Fugaku's face.
"It's not your fault. If it was what she wanted then there was simply no stopping her." Sakura said, trying to provide comfort to the woman.
"Itachi." Fugaku called, his stern eyes meeting those of his sons. Itachi sighed and stood up.
"Now is not the best of times. I will listen to your commentaries once..."
"I know about Wakahisa-san." he said, cutting Itachi off mid-sentence. "I spoke with the hokage." he answered before Itachi or Sakura could ask.
"When? Why?" Sakura asked defensively. Now that he knew would he be like all the others, curious about her or would he want to turn her, use her as the perfect weapon. A way to alter the Uchiha kekki genkai if only to empower it?
"It is not what you think." Fugaku tried to explain but before he could go on the hokage stepped from the door and looked over the room. Immediately she saw Sakura up and on guard, her eyes full of anger and worry.
"Enough. Fugaku I'm sure that all of the formalities can wait." the hokage said, tone of voice tired and annoyed. "Sakura, Itachi, with me." the hokage said while holding the door open for them. The other's stayed behind. Waited for the return of either their hokage or their teammates.
Upon following the hokage Sakura stayed close to Itachi and softened. She trusted her sensei, she knew that Verlet was fine and recovering but honestly she wasn't sure why she had pointed them out. As soon as they walked into Verlet's room and saw her daughter sleeping in a bed, hocked up to machinery Sakura's blood ran cold and her heart stopped.
"What's wrong with her? Was she poisoned?" Sakura asked, a bit of hysteria seeping through.
"No. She's fine, physically anyway." the hokage answered before sighing. "She's young, she just made her first kill and pushed her body farther than any shinobbi twice her age. It's her mind way of protecting its self." the hokage informed them. Immediately Sakura ran to her daughters side and took her hand.
"How long?" Itachi asked, tone of voice serious and tight. He was struggling with his emotions.
"Who knows. That all depends on how long it takes for her to wake." the hokage said before she left the two to tend to their adoptive daughter.
For a long while Sakura just sat beside her daughter, read and talked to her. Eventually she had asked to be take off of the active list and for time off. Itachi did so as well. She was a child, she was strong but most of all she had proven to those around her, reminded them that despite being so many things she was still, and always would be, the leader to the Wakahisa clan.