25.
It was two days later that Inari received her first mission with Yamagichi Kimiko. She was thankful for it since she had been somewhat lost in all her free time and was hounded at least once a day by Guy begging her to set him a challenge. Inari met Kimiko outside the Jounin centre and with a quick nod of greeting both waited for the accompanying ANBU member to arrive in the infant peeks of the rising sun.
'She's actually quite boring,' Kimiko sulked, watching Inari's steady, calm stance from the corner of her eye, 'she's like an ant farm or something she doesn't do much.' Kimiko tried to entice Inari into conversation throughout the ten minute wait but every attempt was met with a nod or one word answer. It was beyond frustrating to the extent that she was almost grateful when the ANBU decided to show. They conferred and went over the mission plan in extensive detail. Kimiko hated this part, she hated plans and maps and generally anything that set down a list of actions she would have to abide by. Rikuto, the man they would be tracking had very little to no information listed already so there was not much they could plan yet Inari and the raccoon masked ANBU seemed intent on preparing for every eventuality from rickets to flash floods. What little was known of Rikuto could be summed up in a single paragraph. Male, fourty five, ex-Chunin, Earth Style Techniques (though the actual Jutsus weren't listed) and the only thing noted in appearance was 'has a ginger beard'. Kimiko was about to curse whatever hapless Chunin had filed the report to hell and back when she noticed they'd included a chakra signal at least. That was good, this Rikuto had been ransacking small settlements within the land of fire and if they wanted to catch him before the earth swallowed up another one they'd need to act fast. Kimiko met Inari's eyes over the table laden with supports and Inari nodded once but this time that was all Kimiko needed.
"I'm not suited to tracking," Inari spoke beside Kimiko as the three darted from tree branch to tree branch at a scarily swift pace. It was the first time she'd spoken all day and Kimiko noted that the younger woman didn't even seem mildly winded.
Kimiko laughed that barking laugh of hers, "well it's a good thing they stuck you with me."
"Nin dogs?" Inari questioned.
"Nope."
Inari made no verbal reply only fixed Kimiko with a questioning glance.
"Wait until we're a few more miles from the hidden village," Kimiko replied, feeling strangely satisfied that she had managed to outdo her new partner.
Once they neared a clearing, Kimiko veered to the left and hopped down from the tree branches onto the floor thickly carpeted with grasping strands of grass and wild flowers. Inari dropped soundlessly beside her.
"Why are we stopping?" the ANBU asked, lurking in the canopy of leaves, the blank holes of his mask making it easy to believe that nothing human lay beneath it.
"We need to pin-point the target's position," Inari explained calmly as Kimiko chose to just huff with indignation as if the very thought of someone questioning her was often personal offence.
The ANBU nodded but made no move to join Inari and Kimiko. Kimiko's grin was broad at the opportunity to showcase her skills as she pulled a scroll from her flat jacket and eagerly unfurled it. She bit down on her thumb and streaked the welt of blood that had risen across the inscribed length of parchment. There was a sudden burst of smoke surrounding Kimiko that stung the eyes and left a dry, gunpowder smell in her nose. Within the smoke a great mass of shadow lumbered, misshapen and ominous in the growing billows. Inari stood and waited calmly. Two great wings unfurled from the belly of the smoke and sent the lingering vestiges scattering amongst the pines. A falcon three times its average size stood watching through unblinking gold eyes. Its feathers were a college of indigos, tawny and silvers, head regale and large beak curled in an elegant hook.
"Kimiko-san," it spoke in a voice that was high-pitched yet somehow managed to thrum in the pit of your stomach, "you have summoned me for a reason?"
"Yes, Sadao-sama we need your eyes once again," Kimiko bowed her demeanour undergoing a rapid change from cock-sure to subservient in Sadao's presence.
Sadao turned his head to face Inari who was still waiting patiently.
"She is not the other," Sadao observed.
"Yes this is Inari, Daisuke no longer works with me," Kimiko replied.
"Very well, you may use my eyes," Sadao nodded his head in acquiescence.
"Thank you Sadao-sama, you do me a great honour," Kimiko bowed low and once she raised her hands began to move through seals.
Inari watched as the gold of Kimiko's eyes flared brighter at the edges the middle darkening until it began a deep bronze pool. Then crawling up from those darker shades came pupils; the black seeping out until they expanded near the very edges leaving a ring of gold tied about them. Kimiko turned to Inari with falcon eyes and a cocky grin but when she saw that there was no awe on her face no sign of her being even remotely impressed just the usual cool expression that may as well have been the ANBU's mask for all its emotional depth Kimiko's grin turned sour.
"Do you have the chakra imprint?" Sadao asked from behind her and Kimiko had to bite down on the jaunty reply that flung itself to the forefront of her mind.
"Yes, Sadao-sama," Kimiko retrieved the piece of parchment imprinted with Rikuto's chakra to the falcon. Sadao took it in his beak and with one last evaluating and haughty sweep of his eyes took to the air.
"I presume you see what he sees?" Inari said.
"Well no shit," Kimiko huffed.
Inari didn't even blink, "we'd best get going. You lead."
'Damn right I lead,' Kimiko snarled internally, 'I'm not being ordered around by some puppet of a kid who can't even track! What makes her so fantastic anyway?'
Following Sadao's birds-eye view the team made good time, Kimiko forcing herself to keep moving faster than Inari's steady, slick pace in a determined effort not to be outdone. Her mood throughout the day had grown bitterer; every glance at Inari from the corner of her eye cementing her newly forged anger at her. The fact that she didn't know what it was about Inari that made her so angry caused her aggravation to worsen. It reminded Kimiko of a scab, itching and irritating and always there in the forefront of your mind so it took conscious effort to focus on something else. By the time they stopped for camp Kimiko's mood was black. Inari silently set about creating traps for the meagre three hours rest they'd consigned for one another and Kimiko deactivated her Jutsu, feeling depleted as the black bled from her eyes.
"I'll take first watch if you prefer," Inari suggested.
"No, I don't prefer. I'll take first watch," Kimiko snarled.
Inari nodded calmly, "very well."
Inari had just slunk into her sleeping bag and rolled away from Kimiko when she was halted once more. Kimiko strode over and stood glowering down at Inari's body.
"No, no actually I think you should take both watches considering I'm the one who's been doing all the work all day," Kimiko spat.
Inari nodded, "very well."
Kimiko stood there eyeing Inari through narrowed slits as the younger woman folded her sleeping bag away and moved to take watch position. Her passivity throughout Kimiko's jibes had done nothing but manage to irritate her more. Kimiko was itching for a confrontation and Inari was making her desire rather difficult with her complete lack of reaction to anything.
"Are you a robot or something?" Kimiko growled, "I've just demanded you take both watches and you just nod. Seriously nothing, nothing at all?"
"I can't be a robot," Inari replied calmly, "if I was a robot I wouldn't require sleep."
"Arghh!" Kimiko huffed, "that wasn't what I meant and you know it! This whole I'm too cool for you act is really pissing me of!"
"I never stated that I was cooler than you Yamagichi Kimiko," Inari replied, "if you are feeling cranky I suggest you sleep we will be moving in on the target tomorrow."
"You are such an asshole," Kimiko huffed and did exactly as Inari suggested but not because Inari had suggested just because she was tired. Which wasn't admitting that Inari was right of course.
When Kimiko woke it was inky with night. They hadn't lighted fires lest they alert anyone to their presence and Kimiko could just barely make out the shapes of Inari and the ANBU in the thick partition of shadows.
"You're awake," the ANBU spoke his voice as faceless as the mask. It would be near impossible to identify him in a line-up the way he spoke, stood and just the general air that he gave off was so vague that any impression of it sunk out of your mind as soon as you turned away.
"We're going over plans," Inari said. Kimiko groaned, 'this is going to be a bundle of fun'.
"Based on the directions you've been following from Sadao-sama," Inari said, "we've managed to pin point our location here," she pointed a finger to a forested area of the map, "while the target is here," another point about thirty miles from the first, "it's clear by his direction of travel that he's heading to a small settlement on the outskirts of fire country. Our best chance is to intercept him here."
"That's a lake," Kimiko stated giving Inari a look that purely embodied 'you've got to be kidding me, this is bordering on mental disability.' Truthfully she was surprised Inari had managed such a long train of speech but it seemed when matters such as these arose her tone took on a blank, automatic edge that like her face conveyed no emotion not even the standard presence of calm she emitted.
"I'm aware," Inari nodded, "All we know of the target is that he is a proficient Earth Style Ninjutsu user, if we attempt an attack in an environment he can easily manipulate we'd only be favouring his abilities. And this lake is fortunately the only sure area which the target will approach."
"Yeah and you have an affinity for Fire Release what if we find out he's got Water Jutsus we'd just be favouring his abilities," Kimiko bit back.
"That is a possibility but one we are prepared for," Inari replied.
Kimiko scowled silently into the musky darkness then grinned.
"Alright genius how do we get him on the Lake then?" she folded her arms and tilted backwards an evident sign that she fully believed she had won one over.
"As I stated before the target will need to approach the lake if he wishes to reach the settlement if we position ourselves here, we are guaranteed to meet. However if the target wishes to run we will have to attempt to keep him in the surrounding unoccupied area using Genjutsu and Taijutsu," Inari explained.
"You only have a two in Genjutsu skills," Kimiko scowled.
"I'm aware. We are a two member team after looking over your file simple misdirection Jutsus should prove easy enough," Inari stated calmly.
"We'd better get moving," the ANBU spoke.
Inari nodded and all three leap away with daylight chasing at their heels.
The Lake abducted the midday sun like a sheet of glass. Inari stood at its centre, feet apart and hands at her side. Kimiko was some distance behind her in the middle of a network of paper bombs beneath its surface, arms crossed and leaning to one side. Inari had told her to stay away from the heat of the fight since her Taijutsu skills weren't high and she was needed to keep Rikuto bogged under a web of Genjutsu. Sadao had long since been dismissed and the ANBU member was somewhere watching and waiting beneath the calm surface of the lake. Kimiko stiffened when Inari did, casting her eyes towards the ruddy fringes of water. There Rikuto stood and he did indeed have a rather impressive ginger beard. His head was squat and square, shaved bald so every notch of bulge of his skull was visible. His eyes were thin and rat-like his other features swallowed up by the thick, wiry rug of hair attached to his face. He was built as stocky and compact as the element he favoured and he did nothing but stood there assessing them warily from the lake's edge.
Slowly Rikuto made his way towards Inari until he stood a metre across from her.
"Hunter-nin?" he drawled, mouth making the same motions as someone rolling a cigar from one side to the other.
Inari nodded.
"I haven't got time to play with you two," he snorted.
Kimiko bawled her fists.
"It's our mission to track you down, you will have to face us at some point!" she yelled.
"Is that so?" Rikuto raised one slug of an eyebrow.
Inari nodded.
"Or I could just run."
"We'll follow," Inari replied darkly, a cold, hard expression shadowing over her face that broke no argument, "you've already confronted us running would be unwise considering we will continue to attack and the action will only waste your chakra before we close in on you."
Rikuto just watched them both, the cogs in his mind visibly churning up his options before shrugging his massive bear shoulders, "you make a point. Very well, I'll kill you now but you better not talk my ear off while I'm doing it."
Kimiko couldn't help the barking laugh that rose form her throat, "heh, you needn't worry about that."
Kimiko's hands moved into seals as she searched to pin down Rikuto's mind, as an Earth user she could go for the rudimentary disorientation (the world spin up and falling down before his eyes) but it was the darker or personal illusions she preferred. Rikuto hardly seemed the one to shout out his darkest fears during a fight and to go fishing and see what baited him was a sure fire way to allow someone to identify and dispel the Genjutsu.
"Earth Release: Gaia's hand," Rikuto boomed completing his own seals before Kimiko could even grasp her own. A great slab of stone rose up from the waters, the lake parted and water cascaded down from the carved behemoth in silvery ribbons. Kimiko's eyes widened as she noted that it was in fact carved into the shape of hand, stone fingers splayed and stretching twice her height. Rikuto swept one hand, chakra glowing blue as it twinned between his fingers, and in retaliation the stone hand also came sweeping round right towards Inari. Inari's hands flew through seals.
"Earth Release: Earth Style Wall."
The stone palm came crashing down onto the defensive wall Inari had erected, both exploding out of existence as shrapnel burst and the resounding blast leaving a hollow sucking feeling in the silence and sending water rearing up in small tidal waves. Rikuto and Inari staggered back, the young woman sliding away from the scene of the impact on the water's edge. Kimiko was momentarily fazed by the powerful display but a sharp glance from Inari out of the corner of her eye had her running through seals again. Inari nodded her head towards the crumbling remains of the stone hand.
'She wants me to…?' Kimiko frowned then a grin darkened her features as understanding finally clicked. Kimiko summoned her chakra, reaching out with creeping tendrils into Rikuto's mind, she feed the image of his stone hand, whole and unharmed into Rikuto's vision and when the missing-nin made no sign of suspecting that the stone hand he was seeing differed from reality Kimiko allowed herself a relieved smile. Kimiko focused her efforts on keeping the Genjutsu going rather than watching as Inari sprinted, unsheathing Kagami and leaping into the air. Rikuto moved his hand believing that his Jutsu was still fully effective. Inari leapt through the illusion and Rikuto's eyes widened at the image of Inari pulling free of what he believed was solid rock. Kagami bore down with the weight of a landslide, Inari's feet gracefully making contact with the water's surface as the force of her strike sent the water bursting chaotically in a spider web of waves about them.
"Woohooo,"Kimiko laughed with the adrenaline surge.
There was no sound from the centre of the lake except the rumbling of the rubble sinking beneath the water. Then growing louder was the sound of metal crashing against stone.
"What…but that was a killing blow," Kimiko murmured.
Kimiko peered into the dust cloud and spotted two shapes trading blows at such a speed that Kimiko couldn't chastise herself for missing them before.
"She's so fast," Kimiko whispered, "I can't even see her. So this is how a jounin moves."
But Rikuto didn't seem to have any weapons and Kimiko squinted to notice now that he was stumbling around to block the almost invisible flurries of Inari's blows with his bare forearms. Inari's movements despite the gigantic sword were strangely boneless and snake-like, dying in the same way gymnastics were and that paired with an almost impossible speed just seemed so gruellingly difficult to deflect
"What the…" Kimiko murmured. She could actually feel the force of Inari's blows echoing through the framework of her bones from where she stood so how in the hell was Rikuto just taking it.
"It's an Earth Style Technique," Inari spoke from behind her.
Kimiko squashed the desire to turn and continued to watch Inari's clone fight Rikuto as if nothing had happened.
"He coats his body in a substance as hard as diamonds. I can't pierce it and Ninjutsu doesn't seem to work either. I'll be running low on chakra if this carries on for much longer and that's exactly what he's planning. He's trying to outlast us," Inari explained.
"Yamagichi Kimiko I need you to plant the image of me dying in his mind, can you do that?"
Kimiko nodded.
"He'll turn his attention to you then, keep inside the circle of traps and they should slow him down before he reaches you. He has a massive reserve of chakra but he's…dim. Make sure it's realistic and he shouldn't suspect," Inari continued.
"How would you die?" Kimiko whispered, "I mean you said make sure it's realistic but how would you slip up?"
Inari was silent for just a couple of seconds but it was two seconds too long for Kimiko to already believe she wasn't going to answer. Shinobi as a rule did not relish making themselves vulnerable and to entrust a weakness even to a team mate (after all Rikuto was once someone's team mate and it was likely he had turned his partner's weaknesses about them before fleeing the village) was a large ask.
"I don't like to lose my sword," Inari answered then, "promise me you'll stay inside the traps." Kimiko smirked and nodded and with that Inari ghosted away.
'Right, pin point Rikuto,' Kimiko internally commanded. She reached out for Rikuto's mind again Genjutsu as always stirring up excitement in her gut. Rikuto wasn't necessarily prepared for Kimiko; he was having far too busy trying to keep track of Inari whipping in and out of vision. Kimiko struggled to wrangle a copy image of Inari over Inari's clone until finally Rikuto's sight of Inari's clone became the one Kimiko had planted in his brain. Kimiko felt like a puppeteer as her created Inari lost her grip on Kagami and the blade tittered away from her grasp, dragged beneath the waves coursing up around Rikuto and Inari's feet. Inari's clone dissipated and Genjutsu Inari scrambled to retrieve her sword.
"Earth Release: Gaia's teeth," Rikuto's hands slammed through seals.
Kimiko made illusion Inari lift her head, shock edging in over her composure, and try to spring away but great spikes suddenly came pinning through the water. Genjutsu Inari screamed as the needle of polished rock burst into her chest and pulled through, her hands clutching desperately but slipping away as the needle's point became slick with blood. Rikuto seemed to take no pleasure in watching the light fade from illusionary Inari's eyes as Kimiko made her struggle weakly, coughing blood and dragging in dry, wheezy breaths until finally her head slumped staring with blind eyes across the peaceful surface of the lake.
Rikuto slowly turned and pinned Kimiko with his thin little eyes. Kimiko dissipated the Genjutsu and grinned.
"C'mon you big bastard, I'm ready for you," she laughed.
Rikuto appeared mildly shocked at Kimiko's lack of grief over the death of her teammate but shrugged it off, running towards her in huge, heavy strides head low like a bull.
On impulse Kimiko began to charge to meet him. He must be low on chakra after having to keep his shield up throughout the fight with Inari, I could end it now. No I'm going to end it now. Kimiko whipped three kunai from her pouch arming her hands and flipping one into her mouth. The rush of battle was singing a war drum in her head and Kimiko's heart surged to meet that primeval march with relish without boundaries or limitations. She whipped her kunai at Rikuto, laughing eagerly as she did so.
They bounced right off.
Horror curled and sank like a stone in Kimiko's gut. After all this he still had his Earth Release shields up.
"He's powerful with a massive reserve of chakra."
Oh God.
Rikuto was still charging towards her and Kimiko felt all the inevitable frailty of an ant before the oncoming hooves of a stampede. The thrill of violence had left her, thought had left her and Kimiko was entirely abandoned by all sense and reason and left to walk naked through a hall of spikes.
Rikuto's fist reeled back and Kimiko could do nothing but stare up at it and already feel every bone in her body snap like dry twigs under its earth-shattering impact. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to brace herself for the sensation of the world chewing her up and spitting her out.
Something gripped Kimiko by the hood of her coat and flung her away over the water's surface. At first Kimiko wholly believed that it was Rikuto's fist and that so very soon her body would explode from the inside out. Weakly, face and forearms pressed against the water and legs sprawled sideways behind her Kimiko opened her eyes and saw Inari, her sword upraised and ready to take the strength of Rikuto's blow along the flat. Her back was facing Kimiko, heels raised in anticipation. 'Oh God, he's going to crush her!' Kimiko thought as she stared at Inari's tiny form appearing almost child-like as it faced off against Rikuto's bulk. Fist met sword as it inevitably would.
"Kagami."
The single word was whispered.
"Mirror sword."
Inari's arms didn't shake from strain; she did not move a muscle but took all the vastness of Rikuto's attack as if it were nothing. Then (and if Kimiko were not watching it with her own eyes she was unsure if she'd believe it) Inari flicked her wrist, the tiniest fluid movement and Rikuto was gone skimming along the lake's surface like a pebble. Rikuto raised his head and stumbled to a stand, wincing as he did so.
"What the hell was that?" he panted, "no way she's capable of that strength."
Rikuto's eyes widened and true genuine fear crept across his features as the place where Inari had once stood now lay empty, "where, where did she go?"
A second, one blink and Inari was stepping lightly onto Rikuto's shoulders, each foot gracefully floating onto each broad shoulder. Rikuto's head snapped up and Inari's finger's flew through seals.
"Fire Release: Dragon's maw," she intoned.
The jaw bones of Inari's face began to glow as if hot coals were imbedded in her skull. Her lungs expanded and her fingers reached down to grasp Rikuto roughly by the scalp dragging his head back and forcing his mouth to open. Inari seemed to suck in every last ounce of air from the surrounding area in a gaping drawing noise before her mouth open and a waterfall of liquid fire came pouring out.
It was the most beautiful and terrifying thing Kimiko had ever seen.
"I..I.." Kimiko tripped over her words as Inari made her way to the shore, a now soaking Kagami at her back and her face shadowed completely by her hair as she moved right past her. Kimiko had for a moment fully believed she was going to die, just admitting it made her feel sick and so painfully vulnerable. Inari had pulled her out of there and then she'd…
Kimiko's eyes wandered to the burnt out shell the ANBU was lugging onto the thin sandy bank. Inari had burnt him from the inside out and now just an empty statue of Rikuto remained. There had been no way to hurt him from the outside so Inari had simply attacked him from the inside it was so basic it was almost brilliant.
"Look, I just wanted to say…"
"Shut yer mouth," Inari snarled and Kimiko jumped. Her face was still completely obscured by her crimson hairbut the very air about her was strained taut with barely caged anger.
"Jus' don' speak t'me right now, don' even look a' me," Inari finished and this time Kimiko could see her lips pulling back from her teeth in a vicious growl. She'd been waiting to break Inari's calm but now she wished she'd never known it could be done.
"But, I just wanted to say-" Kimiko began when any wise person would have kept their mouths firmly closed.
A fist was bunching up in the material of her flat jacket. Kimiko could not breathe all she could see was the burning grey of Inari's eyes, the on-coming old anger of a storm.
"What did ya think yer were playin' at!" Inari snarled.
Kimiko didn't dare blink, didn't dare try to find her lungs from wherever they had buried themselves.
"I told ya t' stay put! Ya promised ya'd stay put! Ya think I wanna drag 'nother dead body back to Konoha huh! Don't ya ever go blood huntin' on a mission!" Somewhere lost in the fury of her tempest Inari had flung them to the floor and was now punctuating each word with the furious slam of Kimiko's shoulders against the sand. Kimiko was fully aware that Inari could kill her now and wasn't entirely sure she wouldn't.
Inari slumped her shoulder's breathing heavily, caught twisted in a grimace then leaned away from her and Kimiko could almost physically see her internally struggling to drag in some fragments of control from the fringes that her fury had thrust them into. Her breaths came in quick, short bursts and her clenched fists still trembled.
"There ain't no glory in this," Inari seethed in a voice so quiet Kimiko believed she'd imagined it. Then Inari removed herself from Kimiko and moved to help haul Rikuto's lead case back to Konoha and Kimiko was left to reassess everything she had assumed about her new partner.
a/n:
This chapter is long and not much really happens in it so sorry about that I'll likely put another one up today to make up for it but I won't be making a habit of double updates since I might run out of chapters TT-TT and I don't really update on weekends since that's the time when I'm trying to bulk up my supply of chapters, sorry. As you can guess the team dynamics between the two aren't brilliant but I just wanted to put this chapter up so you know what Inari is capable of now.
Thanks for reading