26. Land of the Rising Sun
The next day, Chika woke early. Dawn hadn't even hit the horizon, and she was wide awake. She didn't move for a moment, taking in the dark shadows in the room, the open window, letting in a breeze now and again. She sat up, her hand reaching towards her hair where she tied it back lowly. She looked to her left to see Kankuro sleeping quietly, but deeply, as she clicked her fingers loudly to ensure it. She smiled to herself, as she pulled on her boots, and fastened the brooch on her shawl. She had wanted to take a walk.
Stepping onto the window frame, she cast one look around the room before landing on the gravelly ground below her. She walked along the side of the Inn, the sky a dark pink, threatening the sun to rise. As she made her way, she could hear the sounds of running water, which she followed to the back of the Inn.
There was a small stream, she found, winding its way in and out of a cluster of trees, leading to a small forest. Chika didn't have to be tempted twice. She walked along the dirt trail, inhaling the clean forest air. Intoxicated by the familiar forest sights, she let her hand rest on the bark of trees, wanting to share this world with no one else.
She looked up suddenly when she heard the rush of grass being blown in the wind. She saw him then. The deer looked as lost as Chika had felt when she lost Haru. It was little more than a calf, Chika could tell by its awkwardly long legs and frightened eyes, which held her gaze.
Raising her hands slowly, she maintained eye contact with the deer, raising a flat palm to its snout, but not touching it. Its dark eyes looked at her, before slowly pushing its muzzle into her palm, scratching its head on her hand. She smiled at the nostalgia, indulging herself in the moment.
Suddenly, there was a rustle again, and the deer couldn't react quick enough, as a swarm of kunai shot through its fur, as it fell stiffly to the ground. Chika could hear a low chuckle, as she turned to see who the culprit was.
Are clothes really that big an ask? She thought to herself, when she saw the man. Slicked back silver hair, oddly violet eyes, and a bare chest, with a necklace resting on it, tied together with the massive scythe he rested on his shoulder. He had a lazy smirk on his cocky face, when he saw Chika, then his grin grew.
"Even better." He commented, "Kill a deer, get a girl, what the hell."
Chika realized she wasn't equipped with any weapons, and the first thing to come to mind was the shadow justsu. She cleared her mind, before letting the shadows dance out towards the man, who was frozen suddenly. She made him drop his scythe, before he started talking again.
"You little fuckface." He seethed, attempting to move, trying to writhe his body. "Let me fucking go, and maybe I'll let you keep your face, doll."
Chika's face remained one of a disturbed peace. "You're one of them." She said quietly, standing up straight, hands by her side.
The man growled. "What? One of the Akatsuki? What gave that away?" He said sarcastically. "All I'm fucking doing out here, is practicing my religion. Fuck's sake, none of you pagan bastards can respect anything you don't believe in, can you?"
Chika raised an eyebrow. "So, a humble man of God decides to join one of the biggest criminal 'organizations on the planet? It's irrelevant anyway, if I let you go, you'd kill me on the spot, or sacrifice me to your God. And not to sound whiny but I'm pretty okay with living right now."
"I've heard of you," The man said suddenly, a smirk sliding into place. "You're the Nara chick, the swordsman, from the same place Itachi is, right? You'd be pretty fucking useful to us, if you had a clue what side to take."
Chika frowned, slowly becoming nervous, as the man proved to be a bigger threat than anticipated. "I could kill you." She said suddenly.
"Hahaha, good luck with that." He chortled, "I'm the closest thing to a God you'll ever fucking meet, sweetheart." He picked up his scythe, out of his own will, and a surprised expression came across his face.
"Eh? What the fuck? Ah, come on now, that's my head, you little bitch, I swear on Jashin, if you fucking cut my head off, I'll splatter your blood- HOLY SHIT!" His voice was raised to a shout of agony, as he cut his own head off.
Chika watched, bewildered, by the fact that he continued to keep on talking. His head rolled on the ground, and he landed face down onto the grass, as he was cursing Chika to no extent. Chika released the jutsu once she realized his body couldn't do any damage without his head. She crossed over to him swiftly, and gingerly picked up the severed head.
He glared at her. "Look at what you did now, you fucking bitch. You know how difficult it is to sew this back on? Oh man," He suddenly look sort of worried. "Kakuzu's gonna give me hell for this."
Chika snickered at the face, "I'm sorry, I thought you were the closest thing to a God I was gonna see."
"I'M NOT FUCKING DEAD, ISN'T THAT ENOUGH?!" He roared back, and Chika grinned, laughing.
"You're kinda cute without your body y'know that?" She teased, poking his forehead.
"I'm gonna mess your face up so badly, Nara." He attempted to bite her, to which she flicked his forehead, earning an "Ow!".
There was a new voice. "Hidan. What have you done now?"
Hidan's face froze for a millisecond, before he smirked. "You're in for it now." He told Chika darkly, before letting out a whine. "Kakuzu, she's fucking bullying me, man."
He appeared then, the tall, tanned, muscular man. Only his green eyes were visible, wearing a white hood underneath his Akatsuki robe. He towered over Chika, who held Hidan's head, and there was an air of underlying rage that was constant, although he seemed somewhat amused by the sight of a girl decapitating his partner.
"So? I bully you all the time, you infantile scumbag." Chika was surprised at the lack of respect he showed Hidan. Itachi seemed to be quite respectful to his partner. Hidan saw Chika noticing this.
"You can't just fucking let her take my head!" He argued, and Kakuzu tilted his head slightly.
"Why not? That part of your body's the problem." He turned, and continued, "Yeah, I can see it now, I'd have you do all the work and wouldn't have to put up with your stupid fucking rambling of that retarded religion."
Hidan turned a rather promising shade of red, looking like he was about to explode. Kakuzu interrupted. "Who's the girl? It's nice that you're making friends, I always worried you were a special child." He said sarcastically.
"SHE'S NOT MY FUCKING FRIEND, SHE CUT MY HEAD OFF YOU BASTARD. And her name is…" Hidan looked to her for help. "What's your fucking name again?"
"Chika." She looked at Kakuzu, not letting Hidan introduce her. "Chika Nara."
Recognition flooded through Kakuzu's eyes. "The beloved student of Asuma Sarutobi. Swordsman, conman, and all around mathematical and logical genius. Your bounty will fly through the roof in the future. Now, usually I'd have killed you on sight, but not many people are able to take Hidan's head off, and frankly I'm glad you did. But, I'm going to have to take this asshole back, and kill you."
Chika's eyes widened, as she gripped the scythe Hidan's body was holding, and defended herself as Kakuzu went straight for the kill. He was barely a blur, as Chika dropped Hidan's head, and focused entirely on Kakuzu. The clink of metal against skin irritated Chika's ears, and she disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Kakuzu stood still.
"Not like you to act on impulse." Hidan smirked, and Kakuzu glared at him, and kicked his head, as he rolled away, screaming bloody murder.
Kakuzu's voice was low. "Come out, come out wherever you are." He hummed, nearly enjoying the challenge, though it was still a pain in the ass.
Meanwhile, Chika hid in the trees, cursing her luck. Okay, Itachi, she could handle along with his sapphire friend, but these two complete and utter terrors? Whatever about Hidan the Head, but this guy meant business, and Chika couldn't compete with an S-Rank Criminal, especially one as scary as this guy. She disguised her chakra with genjutsu, deciding to play to her strengths. This fucker was huge, and could probably tear her apart limb from limb if she got too close.
She gripped the heavy iron scythe she had stolen from Hidan. Although it was no sword, it was a pretty good substitute. Inhaling slowly, she recomposed herself, before she fled through the trees, her speed was slightly dented due to the weight of the scythe.
Hidan rolled towards the Inn, swearing blindly at Kakuzu and that stupid girl, who he supposed wasn't that stupid, seeing as she managed to chop his head off. Gravelly sand and dust was getting in his eyes, and his head began to feel woozy, as he spinned to a halt. He heard a low chuckle, as a pair of strong hands picked him up, and he was looking into the yellowed eyes of Kisame.
"Fancy seeing you here, Hidan." Kisame's teeth bared into a smile, which creeped Hidan the fuck out.
"What happened Hidan?" Itachi spoke up beside him innocently, "You appear to have lost some weight."
Hidan rolled his eyes, "You fucking bastards. I was sacrificing a deer and some righteous hippy fucker went mental and decapitated me. Kakuzu's dealing with bambi now."
Itachi frowned slightly at Hidan, and Kisame felt his partner tense slightly.
"Did she appear to have stated her name?" Itachi asked, and Hidan thought about it.
"Nara? The swords chick everyone hated for awhile." He answered, and Kisame nearly dropped him. Itachi moved quickly ahead, arriving to see Kakuzu standing in the middle of the little clearing, a low growl emitted from him.
Itachi, Kisame and Hidan watched, as Kakuzu frowned in concentration, trying to decipher where the girl was. All of a sudden Chika leapt down from the trees, giggling whilst holding Hidan's scythe carelessly. Hidan began to scream, "THAT'S MY FUCKING SCYTHE YOU LITTLE BITCH."
Chika turned her head, mouth slightly open as she recognized Itachi. Kakuzu took this chance and a fist crunched through Chika's chest, as her mouth formed a perfect 'o' shape. Blood seeped down her stomach, and the scythe dropped onto the forest floor.
Itachi's eyebrows were knotted together, as he watched Kakuzu pull his fist from her chest, with a "hmph". Itachi supposed he had too much faith in his old friend, and turned his head.
There was a slight pop, as Chika's body transformed into a log, and the scythe was just an old branch. Kakuzu's eyes widened. Where was she?
He turned around, waiting for an ambush, but suddenly the ground quaked, and Chika's fist collided with his chin, as she grunted, holding the scythe in her other hand. Dirt was caked onto her face and clothes, as Kakuzu was stunned momentarily. He regained himself, and sent a fist flying, which collided with the scythe.
Chika balanced out the weight of the scythe with her own, and leant back as the scythe collided with his fist. There was a determination to her, which matched Kakuzu's own to kill her. Chika backed up, as Kakuzu steadily repeated the blows, she slipped out of their range, until she was forced up against a tree. Realising she had no escape, she panicked, as Kakuzu went to strike again.
She closed her eyes, arms shielding her, as she anticipated the attack. She would have liked to say she couldn't believe her bad luck, but she easily could. Four Akatsuki members in one day was too much this time, and how the fuck did everyone in the Inn sleep through this. At least it would be a heroic tale, how she came into contact with four lethal s-rank criminals.
But the blow never came. She opened her eyes, and saw the familiar cloaked Uchiha standing in front of her, a calm expression on his face. He held up one hand, and simply said "Kakuzu, you've scared her enough."
Kakuzu inhaled deeply, in an attempt to control his temper, but nodded. "I owe her one anyway, if she didn't chop that bastard's head off, I would've done it myself."
"OI, IT'S NOT LIKE I'M RIGHT HERE OR ANYTHING." Hidan bellowed, and Kisame put a hand over his mouth, which he attempted to chew.
"That was pretty impressive," Kisame bared his teeth, "But we can't just let her go, can we, Itachi?"
Itachi turned to her, and Chika realized there were four pairs of eyes staring at her, which should have made her uncomfortable, but it didn't. She held up the scythe, and handed it to Itachi, who took it. His intense look seemed to be calculating, and Chika felt there was a slight invasion of privacy going on.
"Sooner or later, Chika," Itachi commented, "We'll meet again, not as opponents, but as allies. Until then, we'll let you go, but for now, push yourself beyond your limits. Only then will you come to us for clarity of your true potential."
"What the fuck is that meant to mean?" Hidan piped up, and Kakuzu shot him a look.
"Itachi, are you sure about this?" Kisame asked, and Itachi nodded.
"Trust in me, Kisame, as I trust her."
Kisame nodded, and he and Kakuzu went off to search for Hidan's body, which had wandered off during Chika and Kakuzu's little showdown. Chika was breathing slowly, as she analysed Itachi, who appeared to be doing the same.
"Chika," He spoke again, "What have you heard of Sasuke?" His voice held a repressed note of curiosity and worry. Chika smiled a little.
"He hates me nearly as much as he hates you." She said grimly, and Itachi nodded. "He's letting his hatred consume him, soon enough, it'll be the only thing that fuels him."
"Good." Was all Itachi said, as he turned to leave, still holding Hidan's scythe. He turned his head, and smiled a little.
"I'll see you again, but until that day, tell no one of this."
Chika couldn't speak, as she was too overwhelmed by the entirety of that morning. A little shaky, she watched the Akatsuki members disappear, and then returned to the Inn, where she would try to forget that incident had ever happened, so she could move on to her new life in Sunagakure.
( A Few Hours Later )
Gaara had noticed a change in Chika's attitude, as they neared his hometown. She seemed somewhat more aloof, and quiet than that previous morning. He had thought that maybe he had scared her because of the events that took place the night before, and a somewhat dull feeling washed over him, and he realized that he felt slightly guilty.
The sun was splitting the stones, as they travelled along sandy paths, as Gaara led the way, being the most sure of the path. Kankuro and Chika were talking, and as they saw the gates to Sunagakure, Chika's spirits lifted, and she began to chat more excitedly than previous. Gaara could tell his brother was amused by this, as he continued to poke fun at her because of it.
"Speaking of which, that Inn, can we never go there again?" Chika asked, and Kankuro smirked.
"Why? Scared of the spooky little Inn?" He stretched his arms, finally at home to the Suna climate. Chika rolled her eyes.
"No, it was just weird as hell." She held onto her bag, as they walked, and Gaara eyed her, wondering.
"I agree." He said, causing Kankuro to turn to look at him.
"We've stayed there plenty and you've never complained."
Gaara's expression turned dark. "It's a dilapidated waste of construction." He said, and Kankuro shrugged, as they arrived outside the gates, where a couple of Suna ninja were standing guard. Chika could see overhead more ninja guarding the walls.
This was it. She was here now, back at Suna, where it all began, really. She got her ID ready, as Gaara and Kankuro went without it, they were after all, the future Kazekage and his brother. Chika noticed a slightly scared look on their faces, as Gaara nodded to them, letting out a slight sigh as he did. To be feared, was an awful thing.
Chika simply shook her head, and showed them her ID. They scrutinized it, and one of them recognized her. "You're that little alley rat from before!" He said accusingly.
Chika chuckled awkwardly, "What a pleasant surprise!" She gestured to Gaara and Kankuro. "Guys, a little help…"
Gaara's eyes bore into the guards. "You'll let her pass." He said dully. The guards weren't settling though.
"You can't be serious! She's considered a threat here." Argued one of them.
Kankuro shook his head, smirking. "Be careful, boys. You're talking to the Kazekage's personal assistant."
Chika smiled politely, as they walked through the gates. She looked around in awe. The planned, gridded streets of Suna were exactly how she had left them. Everything was a nude, sandy colour, as the buildings were built many storeys high, there were stalls on each street, someone selling something on every corner. The ground floors of most buildings were shops, offering goods or services. The people weren't as bright as the weather. As the three walked down the road, they received many scared, afraid looks, and dirty looks were thrown to Chika, viewing her as a Konoha ninja, they probably thought of her as an enemy still.
"Ignore them," Kankuro told her, and Gaara nodded in agreement. Chika supposed he was used to it, which was a fairly sad thing.
They reached the center of Sunagakure fairly quickly, where there was a fountain and pond, and surrounding it were groups of people, from teenagers, to mothers, and buskers. There was a sandpit which led to a park, and Chika recognized Baki, Gaara and Kankuro's sensei. He nodded as a greeting, and shook Chika's hand.
"Chika Nara," He said, "I am glad you chose to accept our invitation. Sunagakure will do its best to welcome you."
Chika nodded, "I'm sure they will." She said, there was a patronizing tone in her voice however. She knew the people of Suna wouldn't welcome her with open arms, especially after her previous stay.
Baki and Kankuro were discussing the trip to Konoha and back, while Chika stood nearer to Gaara. She noticed the people around them. The women were nattering among themselves, while a group of small children played in the sandpit behind them. They were wary of Gaara though, eyeing him suspiciously. There was also a group of teenagers, ninja, Chika supposed. About six in total, they repeatedly looked her and Gaara's way, and begun to snigger. Chika rolled her eyes. Little bastards. She recalled Hidan's vulgar language, and smiled slightly, then noticed Gaara's dark look, as he folded his arms.
"Don't mind them, Gaara." She said reassuringly, "By the time I'm finished, they'll see you as a hero."
"I didn't think you were a miracle worker." Gaara replied, and Chika smiled at the joke. She crouched down in the sandpit, while Gaara stood above her. She began to mess around with the sand, constructing a little castle, smiling to herself.
"You know we never had many sandpits in Konoha." She told Gaara, as she watched the other children looking at her little sculpture. They looked as if they wanted to come over, but glanced at Gaara, knowing their mommys said to never go near him. Gaara knew this already. Gaara smirked at Chika's childishness, but crouched beside her.
"You're not doing it right," He said, and held out a hand, as the sand whirled around it, and within a few seconds he had contructed a beautiful sand palace, with a couple of towers, a moat, and a little sand figure standing outside it. The detail was incredible, and Chika shook her head in disbelief.
"You missed your true calling as a sand sculptor." She commented, as they stood up, wiping the sand off of their hands.
"You think so?" Gaara replied. Then something happened that had never happened before.
A couple of the children, two of the braver ones, padded over to the two teenagers. Chika smiled at them pleasantly. One of them was chubby with dark hair, and the other was a wiry little boy with sandy coloured hair. Chika could feel Gaara freeze up and she whispered to him to relax.
"Hey lady." The wiry boy called, tugging at Chika's shawl. "Will you get your friend to do that again?"
Chika crouched to his level, to make him feel more comfortable. "Why don't you ask him yourself?" She said, smiling, "He won't bite, cross my heart." She made a gesture to her heart, but the little boy fell shy.
"Mister!" The chubbier kid piped up, as Chika stood up again, hands on her hips. Gaara looked startled by the recognition.
"Yes?" He replied uncertainly.
"Would you make me a castle like that?" The little child asked. Gaara looked at Chika, who nodded, encouraging him. With a mere wave of his hand, Gaara had produced a larger, grander castle, leaving the children in awe. The children smiled and laughed joyously, leaving Gaara a little embarrassed. He looked pleased, Chika thought to herself, as she turned and looked around the sandpit. There were more children gathering around Gaara who was fairly obliging to make sculptures for them.
Chika's gaze settled on a little girl, who was filling a bucket full of sand. She had ginger curls, and bright blue eyes, but Chika felt a wave of suspicion fall on her. The little girl sat near the edge of the wild park, which Chika knew was stemming with leopards, tanuki and scorpions, as well as the odd roadrunner. It happened quickly, but Chika acted quicker.
As soon as she heard the slight rustle of the bush behind the little girl, Chika flitted to her, just as the predator pounced. Chika pulled the little girl away from the bush, as the leopard struck at Chika, angry she had let its dinner get away. In a dazed flurry, Chika felt the leopard claw at her back, fangs bared, ready to attack. Then Chika remembered the kunai she had stolen from Hidan previously, and as she wrestled with the animal who was inflicting damage onto her, Chika thrust the kunai into its side, slitting the fur open.
The animal hissed in pain, as Chika flung it away from her, watching the leopard's guts fell out of its body, and it writhed, before remaining still. Chika's breathing was heavy, as she turned around, dropping the bloody kunai. The little girl was crying, but was safe in her mother's arms.
Chika saw Kankuro look at her, eyes wide, and she shrugged, raising her hands in defense, before she realized she was dripping in blood. Well that was a little awkward. Gaara had frozen, his eyes wider than before. Everything was at a standstill, and the silence was horribly loud. Someone coughed, before the groups of people at the fountain burst into a round of applause, and Kankuro and Baki hurried over to Chika.
"You okay?" Kankuro asked, and Chika nodded, shaking the blood off of her hands.
"Just peachy," She grinned, and Kankuro shook his head, helping her steady herself. He glanced at her back.
"Your shoulder, it's wounded."
She waved him off. "I'll be okay." Kankuro had an arm on her elbow, as Baki spoke.
"That leopard has been plaguing the park for many years, it's a good thing you've gotten rid of it. Also," He smiled slightly, "I think it's a good impression on the villagers."
Chika looked around to see the child's mother thanking her, which she waved off, glad she could help. She hoped being in Suna this time around would be different than the last.
And she could tell by looking at Kankuro and Gaara's pleased expressions, it would be.