No I don't own Naruto. Although I kind of wish I did after Sakura's "confession."
Back in Konoha!
Chapter Twenty Three Part Two: The Lonely Child
Rushing along the road, Sakura kept her eyes peeled for enemies. She knew that realistically either Shino or Kiba where more likely to notice something wrong first. But even with chakra sensitive bugs or a specially trained ninja dog, you could easily miss the obvious. Ever since taking over Hinata's position in Team Eight, Sakura had supported their sweeps by checking the details and her developing chakra sensing technique. After all, what was point of knowing that there was a strong chakra presence nearby if you could not determine where is was or how strong it could be? Right now, those newly learned senses where screaming that something was wrong.
Pausing at the sensation of a light flux of power the young Kunoichi signaled her compatriots to stop. Before they could question the move, the need became rapidly obvious. Blocking the center of the road was a large and unusual tree. As the ninja watched, the single tree became a solid wall of vegetation, blocking the path as effectively as an earth technique. Of course, since the only one to manipulate plant growth within popular ninja history was the First Hokage, what was happening was clearly impossible. As such, it could not really be there! Forming a seal, Sakura launched a carefully controlled wave of chakra with a cry of "Dispel!"
Unfortunately instead of disappearing, the illusion wavered before becoming more complex. One of the engorged vines suddenly began budding before forming enlarged seed pods. To her disgust, a pod swelled before disgorging a sallow faced ninja. "Sorry for the trouble, but you brats might want to run along. There is a clan issue being resolved up ahead and we really don't need any interlopers right now." To emphasize the implied threat, the unfamiliar ninja wielded a kunai in a deceptively casual manner.
Another pod swelled, releasing a slightly taller, if still pale ninja. "I know that you clan kids know better than this. When a clan matter is in effect, the others should look away. The Kurama don't go poking their noses in your business, so don't go looking for trouble. We don't want to hurt such promising ninja, especially from our own village." Despite his assurances, he drew a sword that seemed to glitter in the sunlight. Confident, the two Chunin maintained their readiness without a problem. This was clearly going to be harder than they had thought.
Hearing a slight noise, Sakura saw Shikamaru whisper something. While the question was too low for her to understand, the answer was a toned down Kiba volume. This of course meant that they had heard him in Suna. "Yeah, these guys are not the first people down the road today. I'm picking up Kurenai-sensei and another unknown that smells a little like these two. That means that Sensei is probably facing the strongest member of the clan right about now. We've got to get out of here!" Frowning, the young Chunin made a quick thinking pose before tapping Sakura's back. With her body hiding the movements, his sign language could not be read by the enemies.
The orders were crude, but understandable. She and Kiba would rush through the illusion while Shikamaru, Ino and Shino provided a distraction. Once the two rouge Chunin where taken care of, they would rush forward to provide backup. Forming an acceptance sign back at him, Sakura tensed. In fact, she got so wound up the flash bomb nearly caused her to run in the wrong direction. If not for Kiba grabbing her arm, things might have gone bad. Closing their eyes to prevent the illusion from being a problem, Sakura and Kiba found themselves past the two Kurama before they had a chance to clear their vision. Feeling her friend's chakra swelling, she firmed her resolve. She would save Kurenai-sensei and make sure everyone made it out ok! This was not the time to be eye candy!
-----
Satisfied with Yakumo's immediate safety, Kurenai began to check the room before leaving. Obviously without the ANBU or medics, this place was going to be very dangerous fairly soon. Relocating the girl to a new, safe base of operations was a top priority. Noticing something behind the bed, the Jonin froze. Moving as slowly as possible, she placed the younger girl behind her before lunging forward to attack. What was there brought her up short in shock. There, bound, gagged and knocked out, was the missing ANBU!
Replacing her weapons, she rushed over to free her comrade. However upon removing the mask and blindfold, she was shocked by the vacant expression on his face. Frowning, she attempted to channel chakra in his system, but to no avail. Someone had put the ANBU into a very powerful Genjutsu, and the only ones with that sort of power where the Kurama. But how the hell did a Kurama get by her, yet still leave Yakumo alive? Turning towards her old student, Kurenai was shocked by the girl's sudden proximity.
Smiling almost gently, the younger girl patted her shoulder. "Don't worry, I took care of him. That man was such a naughty person, trying to stop me. Once he received word of enemy attack, the silly little ANBU tried to destroy my power." Suddenly, the contact was far from comforting for the Jonin, who found herself unable to move. Leaning down, the girl's smile became predatory. "It s not like I would actually allow someone so weak to bind my strength. We could not have that, could we Sensei?" The unstable look in her eye left the Jonin feeling cold. She had been too late.
Disarming her, Yakumo took one of the captured kunai. "When I heard someone was coming, I knew it would have to be you. After all Kurenai-sensei, you taught me everything that I know, didn't you? Oh, let's not forget my favorite lesson." Yakumo lashed out with her weapon, letting a thin trail of blood trace down the Jonin's arm. Yet despite the pain, Kurenai could not move. "Pain is the enemy of Genjutsu users. Anyone with a brain can harness it to break the technique, so you're better off incorporating it into the illusion. Isn't that right, Kurenai-sensei? I have to admit that you always were such a wonderful teacher. So wonderful, in fact, that the Hokage trusted you the most to end me."
Snarling, Yakumo dropped the kunai and grabbed her hair. "I am no fool, Sensei! You want to seal my powers again! You want to make me weak again! You always wanted me to be weak, because you feared me! You feared me one day surpassing you as the Genjutsu Mistress of Konoha! Well, I'm so sorry Sensei, but you're not doing anything of the sort!" Kurenai felt her panic bubble and foam. Despite the pain, and all her attempts to flex her chakra, the paralysis would not budge. She was absolutely helpless, and Yakumo was not feeing charitable.
Forcing the older woman to meet her gaze, the Kurama heiress began to shift and change. "Now that I'm free, things are going to be much different. First, I'm going to show you what it's like to be helpless and powerless until I get bored. Then, I'll move on and see what the clan thinks about the same state of being. After all, they think that I'm so useless that I cannot even be their pawn anymore." The girl must have seen her expression, because she let out a dark chuckle. "Yes, I heard about the Uchiha Breeding program. The clan made sure to inform me that they would never think of entering me into something like that. After all, I'm no longer worthy to be considered a part of their family. Why would they want me to represent them in such an obvious way?" Skin darkening, the girl looked downright demonic. "Finally, I think that I'll go and wipe out that stupid village. Let's see whose useless then?" All Kurenai could do was gaze in horror at what was about to be released.
-----
Sniffing the air, Kiba frowned. He, Sakura and Akamaru had managed to bypass the Kurama about fifteen minutes ago and Kurenai-sensei's trail was getting stronger. But, at the same time he was getting nervous. Akamaru told him that whoever was left was a lot stronger than the two idiots they had left for the others to deal with. With the safe house coming up and trail intensifying, things would have to come to a head soon. But when the unknown scent trail disappeared, he knew they had bitten off more than they could chew. That was a Jonin level skill! Grabbing his teammate's arm, the Inuzuka barely managed to avoid a sudden wave of kunai.
Looking around he turned to the girl at his side. "Alright, Sakura I can smell him but I can't see a thing. Think you can do something about that?" Pouting, the pink haired Kunoichi formed her dispersal technique. Say what you will about her, the girl knew her Genjutsu. The pouting was kind of cute too. Shaking his head at the distraction, Kiba took stock of the situation and bit back a curse. This was all levels of not good.
There were two medical ninja bound to the tree. Judging from their vacant gazes, someone had put a powerful Genjutsu on them for security. Kurenai-sensei loved that tactic when dealing with a captured bandit camp. After all, if the bandits where stuck in an illusion they would not have a chance to break free. Besides, it took some level of mental discipline to break one, so their palls could not just sneak up and free them on the sly. The other figure was somewhat imposing. It was an elderly man with lined and hardened features, dressed in formal robes of some sort. He just screamed leader, and was potentially the biggest threat.
Hissing, Sakura swore under her breath. Sparing a quick look behind him, the Inuzuka frowned. Biting her lip the Kunoichi whispered, "Kiba, those are the two medics from earlier. If this guy already managed to take them out, Kurenai-sensei and Yakumo must be in real danger!" Thinking of his mentor in trouble, Kiba growled. This man had threatened his pack, and had earned his anger.
Making hand signs the unknown figure seemed to swell, forming a giant vine that blocked their view of the other ninja. "I am sorry that it came to this, but there is no other option now. Yakumo is now being handled under the authority of the Kurama clan, and as such, no one else will be allowed to interfere. Run along little Genin and save your lives. I have no desire to fight deluded members of my own village, but sometimes the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Follow my warning and our conflict ends here. Ignore it, and I cannot be held accountable for my actions." By now a wall of vegetation separated them and the safe house. Things really were going to get difficult.
Staying behind his cover, Kiba decided to attempt a little diplomacy. As much of a jerk as this guy was, he had no desire to fight another Konoha ninja either. "Say what you want, but we have our orders! Jiraiya-sama demands that Yakumo be properly evaluated by Kurenai-sensei before any overt action is taken! You are violating the protection of the Hokage's office with this, and he's going to be pissed when he gets his hands on you!" Ok, so maybe he should have let Sakura do the talking. But this was taking too long and that bastard was just standing there! It was too damned annoying!
Sniffing, the elder ninja looked down his nose at the two in front of him. "Please, Jiraiya is simply a regent. How can I trust him with something as important as this? Without the Hokage here to stop me, I see no reason to listen to the demands of a silly old lecher. Besides, this is clan business and if Kurenai gets caught in the middle, then it's simply her poor judgment. Yakumo must die for the good of Konoha! Now leave little boy, before you get hurt." That attitude more than anything made his vision turn red.
Biting his lip to focus, Kiba thought over his options. As much as Kurenai-sensei needed help, this guy was too much for someone like Sakura to delay. Besides, if this Yakumo chick had really gone off the deep end he would be at a major disadvantage. He knew more about dealing with Genjutsu then most Genin, but someone that good was far beyond his skills. That meant it was time to take a leap of faith. "Sakura, me and Akamaru are going to deal with this guy. I want you to go and help out Kurenai-sensei, alright? You're the one who really get's this stuff, and can provide better support. My fighting style doesn't work as well stuck in a house anyways. Besides, right now I really want to knock this guy's block off." Sakura might have been annoying, but she was becoming pack now. If you could not trust your pack, who could you trust?
Seeing her nod, he leapt into action. "Come on you old bastard!" Rushing the opponent, Kiba threw a brace of shuriken at the enemy. As expected, he simply deflected them with a kunai, but hitting him was not the goal. Distracting him to that Akamaru could get him with a dynamic marking right between the eyes was. Listening to the bastard rant, he noticed Sakura's scent heading into the house. Knowing that he had to provide a proper distraction, he pulled out some more weapons. He would show this traitorous bastard why you did not mock an Inuzuka!
-----
Entering the safe house, Sakura suppressed a shiver. One of the first lessons that Kurenai-sensei had taught her was how to sense Genjutsu. In the Academy they only taught you the theory of the technique, but with enough practice and chakra sensitivity, a ninja could pick up the subtle ebb and flow of an active illusion. She had the foundation from her time in Team Seven, but Team Eight had enhanced those abilities to a razor's edge. Right now, those senses where screaming. It felt like the entire building was one big illusion!
Trying to stay focused despite the screaming sense of danger at every turn, Sakura grabbed a kunai before trying the first door. She needed to find Sensei, and the only ones who should be here where Yakumo's keepers. Seeing as Kiba had confirmed no additional scents entering the property, she thought it was relatively safe to search from room to room. Besides, with all the chakra radiating from the door, something big had to be happening behind it. Of course, she was not expecting to encounter a vision of Kurenai speaking with the Third Hokage. What sort of illusion was this? Keeping quiet as to not arouse suspicion, the young Kunoichi listened in on the conversation with growing horror. What had this girl done to make her a potential threat to the village?
Closing the door with a grimace, Sakura began to search in earnest. After three empty rooms, she paused in front of another door. This one also screamed of power, so maybe she would find more clues about the situation? Cracking the door slightly, she saw a bright and sunny day. Walking along was the girl from earlier, smiling as she walked along the roof of the Academy. However, the smile quickly disappeared when she came across another conversation between the Sandaime and Kurenai-sensei. Both Sakura and the illusionary Yakumo listened in shocked silence as Kurenai expressed concern that the Kurama heiress would soon outperform her with raw potential. The declaration that such growth might make her a real threat to Konoha was shocking.
Closing the door, the pink haired Kunoichi frowned in thought. It was clear that whoever made these illusions was a master, but this level of detail was really frightening. She could see Kurenai-sensei being able to do something like this against a single opponent, but an area-wide Genjutsu should take more time than she had. But who else could have known all these details? On that note, why would the Jonin use them for the illusion in the first place? It had to violate village security. More importantly, just how bad could this girl be that the kindly old Sandaime was thinking about having her killed as a potential threat?
Scanning her surroundings, the Kunoichi was drawn out of such deep thoughts by the sounds of crying. Gripping her weapon firmly, she headed towards the noise. Finding the room where the noises where coming from, Sakura took a deep breath before throwing the door wide open. There, curled into a weeping ball, was Kurama Yakumo. Looking at the weeping child in front of her, Sakura felt something in her chest ache. This was the great threat to Konoha? Something seriously wrong was going on here!
-----
Looking over the enemy ninja, Shino suppressed his desire to glare. If there was one thing that had recently begun to bother him, it was traitors. Despite what the Kurama's were saying, clan authority could not simply be used as a shield for disregarding direct orders. This sort of behavior was most upsetting, and there was nothing more that he would enjoy than showing them the error of their ways. Unfortunately despite Kurenai-sensei s exceptional instruction concerning Genjutsu, the techniques that these two seemed capable of were at whole other level. While he could sense his enemies, having bugged them at the first opportunity, coordinating effectively with Ino and Shikamaru was more problematic. Each team had significantly different methods, and adapting them on the fly against ninja of greater experience and teamwork was not going well at all.
Dodging a lunging vine, Shino relaxed slightly. Judging from the slightly metallic smell, he had just avoided a disguised projectile weapon. Launching himself into the foliage, he was soon joined by both Ino and Shikamaru. Turning to the squad leader, he made his concerns known. "I have received extensive training concerning Genjutsu, but our opposition is significantly more skilled than I am. Shikamaru, what are your orders?" Forming the same odd hand sign he recognized from the Chunin Exam, Shikamaru remained silent. Shino hoped that he hurried. Judging from the rapidly approaching scents from his bugs, they would soon lose their meeting spot.
Opening his eyes, the Chunin barked his commands. "Shino, since you are currently having the least trouble tracking them, I want you to act as the decoy for the next ten minutes. After that amount of time passes, you are to lead both in my direction. Ino and I will construct a proper welcome for the two. Now head out and distract them." Nodding his acceptance, Shino ignored them as they retreated into the forest. Shikamaru was a skilled strategist, and he had faith that they would be ready for him in the allotted time. Now was his chance to demonstrate his own abilities.
Sensing a vine appear from above, Shino wasted no time leaping to the side. Both ninja began to focus upon his movements with absolute confidence. Clearly they believed that the others could be dealt with later, either by catching up or whoever had gone ahead to take out Yakumo. Replacing himself with a swarm he had planted earlier, Shino watched with subdued amusement as the two illusionary projectiles impaled his Bug Clone. That amusement turned to irritation when the branches disappeared with no bodies in attendance. Sensing the pheromones from his previous tracking bugs suddenly become stationary, he relocated as quickly as he could. Observing his previous hiding spot peppered by kunai, Shino bit back a curse. Clearly, the Kurama had found the tracking bugs. This had just become quite a bit more difficult.
Not wasting any time, the Aburame spread his entire colony to cover all the nearby places where the enemy ninja could be hiding. He knew that with his chances had just become that much worse, but held on for two reasons. Firstly, they were clearly overconfident and not seriously attempting to kill him. Posturing aside, taking out the heir of another clan who was following orders would look very bad when this incident was properly examined. Secondly, the requisite time had not passed yet, and he would rather die than fail his comrades. Feeling a disturbance from both above and below, Shino made a quick decision. The smart thing would be to launch to the side, avoiding both attackers. However, given the skills of the enemy, that would not be the logical thing.
Launching himself upwards, he was rewarded by the sound of clashing weaponry below him. Obviously, the ninja had cast a Genjutsu on his insects to disorient their sensory information. Since this was an enemy from within his village, it was only common sense to assume that they would know about his preferred tactics and plan accordingly. However, they had neglected to take into account that he might understand the same method and use it against them. The important thing was that their attention was distracted and ten minutes had passed. It was time to launch Shikamaru's strategy.
Tracking the female insects placed upon his comrades, Shino began to run through the trees. In response, both Kurama dropped their respective Genjutsus and began to catch up with him. Clearly they thought that their normal tactics had been ineffective against the mental abilities of his partners. Regardless, both where apparently experienced Chunin, and rapidly closed the gap. Unconcerned, he judged the relative positions of both Shikamaru and Ino, before acting accordingly. Passing the Chunin, he landed on the branch between both allies before continuing. Clearly irritated, both Kurama began to increase their speed only to be brought up short.
Looking upwards, Shino smirked at the sight of Shikamaru hidden within the shadows of the tree. Clearly his Shadow Bind technique had been a success. The next action was a bit of a surprise, though. Watching a hidden tag launch ropes and chains around both Chunin, Shino raised an eyebrow. However, before he could send his bugs to finish them off, Ino launched herself from underneath the branch. Moving with more skill than he had previously given her credit for, the Kunoichi knocked both Chunin with an example of vicious Taijutsu.
Leaping downwards, Shikamaru took charge. "Ok you two grab them and head back towards the road. We need information on what we're facing and have to get moving. The sooner we get the needed data, the sooner we can help the others out. Let's move." Grabbing the heavier Chunin, Shino nodded in appreciation of the excellent planning. Once this was all over, he was going to ask for more joint operations with Team Ten. They had improved greatly and made for fine allies.
-----
Leading the shivering girl into the next room, Sakura sighed in relief. Ever since discovering the quivering form of Kurama Yakumo, the Genjutsu had become significantly more dangerous. Instead of depressing or informative scenes from the young heiress's past, the different rooms now contained a large number of deadly environments. So far, Sakura had barely managed to avoid the room of lava, an empty vacuum, and falling spike traps of stone. It was times like this that she really missed Naruto's Shadow Clone Jutsu. He would have been able to figure out the trapped rooms within a minute!
Taking a small breath after the latest danger, Sakura decided that enough was enough. There was only one source of information here, and that was Yakumo. Turning to the nervous girl, she began her interrogation. "Ok, Yakumo right? You're supposed to be some sort of prodigy. What do you know about the Genjutsu surrounding this building? Why are loyal Konoha ninja knocked out here? What is making these illusions so realistic?" Looking at the frightened expression on her companion's face, Sakura bit back a wince. For someone who was supposedly so dangerous, this girl sure did scare easily.
Wilting under her gaze, the older girl began to shuffle her feet. "I don't know! I mean, this is kind of my dream world. Anything that I want to have happen, I can make happen here. But it's all been in my head for years!" Looking around, Yakumo sniffed loudly. "But something is wrong. I should be able to control this place, but I can't! Nothing is working like it's supposed to! What could be going on?" Patting the girls back, Sakura felt about three inches tall.
Eyes widening, she turned to Yakumo in shock. "Wait a minute, if you can normally control this place maybe you can find out who's here! If you could locate Kurenai-sensei, she could help you get this under control!" The Kunoichi was so excited about the possibilities; she did not notice Yakumo stop shaking. The sudden angry glare on the other hand was impossible to miss.
Quivering in apparent rage, the young heiress began to rant. "I know just what sort of person Kurenai is! She said she would teach me, but no matter how hard I tried nothing was good enough for her. Then I found out that she wanted the Sandaime to seal my powers, or kill me! If she hadn't told him that, then maybe my parents would still be alive!" Her disbelief must have been too obvious because Yakumo snorted. "Yes, that's right. My parents were killed in a fire after Kurenai's warning. But no ninja could get close enough to save them! They were silenced so they couldn't stop Kurenai from sealing me! The only one who could have ordered something like that was the Third Hokage!"
Sakura did not know what to think about that pronouncement. The scenes she had observed seemed to support some of Yakumo's theory, but everything did not add up. The Sandaime would not have simply wiped out the heads of a clan for anything less than treason. It was hard picturing the wise old leader killing a little girl on the advice of a single Jonin. Besides, Kurenai-sensei always pushed them to excel, and never failed to support her students fully. Clearly, something was missing here. But the middle of a powerful, out of control Genjutsu was no place to debate the situation.
Grabbing the other girls hand, Sakura began focusing on the strongest concentration of Chakra ahead of them. If Kurenai-sensei was trying to shut down or escape the illusions effect that would be the most likely place she would be. Feeling a sudden buildup of energy, Sakura moved forward towards the end of the hall. However, upon opening the entrance, she was shocked by the picture in front of her. Kurenai-sensei was being choked by something that looked like a deformed version of Yakumo. Turning to her companion, she found the same shocked expression mirrored before her.
-----
Breathing heavily, Kiba was past being diplomatic. The fight, if it could be called that, had been going on for a while now. Yet he was the one gasping for air while the geezer was barely winded. Half of his techniques seemed to be centered on tiring him out while sitting back and enjoying the show. Apparently, the older ninja was skilled enough to fool his senses despite every attempt to break the Genjutsu. Every time that he tried to go on the offensive, the Genin found himself attacking trees, bushes, and clumps of poison ivy. Despite his endurance, destructive technique, and Akamaru's help, Kiba was getting his butt kicked and he knew it. The whole process was humiliating. At that moment, the Inuzuka swore an oath. He was going to get his hands on this pretentious ass and rip his face to shreds.
The only reason that he had lasted as long as he had was that initial lucky strike. Even with his skills suppressing the effect, the Kurama was still reeking slightly of Akamaru's Dynamic Marking. Kiba could not quite track it from the breeze, but whenever the Kurama tired to attack his suppression Genjutsu would slip. It barely gave him a seconds warning, but with his greater speed and agility, the Inuzuka was able to avoid final injury. In fact, given the difference in their abilities, Kiba was secretly happy he had survived this long. His pride absolutely refused to consider the old man was toying with him. That would simply be too much.
In the end, Kiba did have one thing going for him. No matter what the reason, killing another member of your village without legitimate cause would get the offender in hot water. But if the acting head of the Kurama clan killed the child of the head of the Inuzuka, it could cause a clan war. With the Hokage out of the village, the Dog Users would be free to wipe out the offenders at will before anything could be done. Also, as Ino had pointed out, there weren't that many Kurama left to deal with such an attack. Therefore, the old bastard had more to lose than he did, and had to be careful. Kiba on the other hand, did not.
Apparently the standoff was beginning to frustrate the Kurama leader though, because he dropped his defenses just out of reach. "Why do you persist in attacking me boy? To my knowledge, you've never even met Yakumo! There is no reason for you to fight so hard for someone you don't know! Stop this foolishness before I am forced to seriously injure you!" The almost casual way the man spoke of murdering his kind inflamed Kiba's anger beyond all previous levels. This man was the purest form of trash!
Signaling to Akamaru to back off for a moment, Kiba took the opportunity to rearm. "I might not know this Yakumo chick, but I know Kurenai-sensei! She has taught me more about being a ninja than anyone else in my life! If this girl is important to her, then I'll fight! I fight for my family, I fight for my village and I fight for my pack!" Glaring at the old and withered human being, Kiba bit out his next few words with particular venom. "But if there is one thing that I have sworn to fight against, it's traitors! There is nothing worse than betraying your fellow ninja! You and your clan have moved against the leader of the village. For that alone I would be happy to slit your god damned throat!" Seeing the man freeze at his angry declaration, Kiba lunged to attack.
Of course, when the figure remained insubstantial, the young Inuzuka knew he had been duped. Feeling a harsh impact on the back of his skull, Kiba was helpless as he fell to the forest floor. Looking down on him, the real Kurama leader frowned. "You can say what you will boy, but you lack both knowledge and experience. The Kurama have always been loyal to the village, and will remain so. In fact, it is our loyalty that forces me to act in this fashion. Do you think I wish to kill my niece? The poor girl really is not to blame for any of this. But if left unchecked, Yakumo could destroy Konoha, and I refuse to allow that to happen." Drawing a senbon needle, the elder took aim. "Rest for now, and when you awaken it should all be over." Frustrated in his helpless state Kiba closed his eyes, waiting for the attack that would finish it.
However, that final moment never came. Looking up, Kiba was stunned to see the Kurama elder stuck in his pose, struggling to move. Apparently it was a difficult proposition, because the bastard's face was turning red from the strain. Looking around and sniffing the air, the Inuzuka felt a smirk coming on. Hidden behind the base of the tree was Shikamaru, his hands forming a familiar sign. "Sorry about the delay Kiba. Interrogating those other losers was more troublesome than we expected." Watching the laziest ninja from his graduating class make such a cool entrance, he snorted in amusement. He had better work harder if that guy was getting so smooth.
-----
Shaking off the feeling of wrongness, Sakura sprung into action. Dropping Yakumo's hand, the young Kunoichi moved forward to attack, a kunai in hand. Kurenai-sensei was in real danger, so she had to do something. Smirking, the Yakumo doppelganger directed its other hand in her direction. Before she knew it, Sakura was thrown across the room by a massive blast of wind. Losing her grip on the weapon, she was pinned to the wall by the pressure before falling to the floor. It took all of her will power not to pass out from the momentary flash of pain. Looking up, all she could see was the suffocating form of Kurenai-sensei looking at her with pleading eyes to run and get away. Unfortunately, that was the one thing that the Genin was not willing to do.
Gathering her strength, Sakura got back on her feet. Looking between the evil creature in front of her and the whimpering girl to her side, she narrowed her eyes in confusion. Since a direct attack seemed to be useless right now, and any Genjutsu she tried against this crowd would do little but irritate that thing, her best bet was to gather information. "Alright, what's going on here? Why are there two Yakumos? Why are you trying to kill Kurenai-sensei? What is all of this mess?" Of course, the question she wanted to ask involved her own abilities to survive the conflict, but Sakura was not stupid enough to try that.
Chuckling darkly, the demonic creature loosened its grip on Kurenai's throat. "Ah, how the mighty have fallen. This is your latest student? You throw me, the strongest Genjutsu prodigy in generations, away for this little girl? I think you re slipping Sensei." Facing her gaze, the monster smiled wickedly. "As to whom I am why it's quite simple. I am the real Kurama Yakumo."
"No, that's a lie!" Turning, Sakura could see that the girl she had discovered earlier was no longer shocked. Now her expression wavered from fear to anger. "I'm Kurama Yakumo! I don't know what you are, but you can't be me! My life and my identity are all I have left, and I will never allow some monster to take them from me!" The determined gaze probably would have been more effective if she had not been visibly shaking at the time.
Snorting, the creature dropped Kurenai-sensei in a huff. "Oh, you might have been Kurama Yakumo at one time, but that's ancient history. You see, whenever things were difficult, I was always there to pick you up. Every time you doubted yourself or felt others question your skills, I was there to push you forward. When the techniques simply refused to work, I saw the problems. When the life of a ninja was denied to you, I was there to make your dreams come true." Reaching out, the double slowly transformed into an even more monstrous form than before. "I was that voice in the back of your mind that always fought for such grand dreams, and took them into myself when you gave up. At that moment, when I showed the world the true power of Kurama Yakumo, I earned the right to everything that meant. After all, you lacked the will and power to control your gift. Someone had to step in to make sure it wasn't wasted."
Eyes wide in shock, Yakumo gulped. "What are you talking about? When did you ever use my power?" Licking its developing fangs, the evil mirror snapped its claws. Suddenly, the walls became transparent before presenting an image. As the group watched in shock, an argument between the younger Yakumo and her parents was shown with the clarity of a movie screen. As the confrontation continued, the Kurama heiress began to shake her head in denial, eyes rooted to the screen. Before the audiences locked gaze, the fire that wiped out the elder Kurama sprung from nothing. Both parents were consumed by flame, while the younger Yakumo watched in horror. Sakura felt tears fall as the elder Yakumo, memories fully adjusted, began to scream in denial.
Sakura could only watch as the human Yakumo cowered in the shadow of this creature. Kurenai was still too weak to help and she felt powerless here. The strength of this Genjutsu was far greater than she could ever hope to untangle. But of course, like any good villain, the thing was not done playing with its prey. "Oh yes, Yakumo-chan, I used your powers to start that fire. It's what you really wanted deep inside. People you loved and trusted had turned their backs on you and your ambition. Such an action needed a proper response don't you think?"
Sneering at the Genjutsu Mistress, the fake Yakumo lashed out with a misshapen foot, kicking the Jonin in the ribs. "The Third Hokage and this bitch where satisfied that you hate them, as long as I was under control and your powers removed. But there was no way I would allow those two cretins to deny me! While you've been painting and taking it easy, I've submerged into your power, developing and enhancing it with every moment I had! Now that the seal is broken, well, there's no real reason to keep you around anymore!"
Grinning wickedly, the thing suddenly pierced Sakura with its gaze. "However, before we do that, I think I'll have some more fun! First, I'll break this little replacement Kunoichi in front of Sensei. Then, I'll break Kurenai just for laughs. Then, after I'm done with that, I'll lock you so deep within our mind that the entire Yamanaka Clan would never find you!" Throwing her arm forward, the evil Yakumo's arm extended to capture the suddenly mobile Sakura. Dodging desperately, the girl thought she might have a chance of all of two seconds before capture. Helpless, she was dragged until she was coated in the creature's putrid breath.
Cracking an impossible grin, the dark creature began to squeeze. "I don't think that we've been properly introduced girl! Since you're a little tied up right now, I might as well find out more about you." Once again the walls began to change. "The fun thing about this technique is that we are literally in my mind. Anything here is a reflection of my thoughts, wishes and will. Therefore, the people who enter open themselves, if only a little bit. I could get glimpses of the thoughts of a Jonin. So let us find out how much is on your mind!" Thus the invasion began of her brain began.
Having experienced both, Sakura could honestly say the monsters technique was significantly different from a Yamanaka. Ino's technique had put a blanket over her conscious mind, cutting her off from her body and sense of self. The Kurama Genjutsu, on the other hand acted as a form of suggestion. An odd phrase here, an unusual word there, repeat the process at the speed of thought, and Sakura's mind would review information. Almost against her will, the girl was forced to watch her memories project upon the walls just as Yakumo's did. Her crush on Sasuke, time on Team Seven, and abandonment where displayed brightly for the world. The sensation was not unpleasant, but the nature of the attack made her want to scrub herself raw.
Sniffing the creature spat on the floor. "This is trully pathetic! What is this? You're not my replacement; you're a damn charity case! Too weak for your Sensei to train, too ugly to attract your love, and too close minded to accept the friendship of the last. What do you think you are doing as a ninja? I was discarded for less than this!" Gripping Sakura's face, Yakumo's darker half snarled, "Why don't you just lay down and die, you pathetic weakling!" At that moment, on the brink of death, secrets broadcast to the world, exposed in the worst manner possible, Haruno Sakura would have gladly given up. In fact, if the creature had simply ended the memory probe, she just might have. But because of that oversight, the Kunoichi was reminded of one thing that should keep her going.
Feeling herself black out, Sakura watched a final memory play. In it, Ino had nearly beaten her in the Chunin Exam elimination rounds by suppressing her consciousness. Her memory of the event had always been somewhat hazy, but there was one thing that came to mind right then. Naruto screaming her name reminding her not to give up. Smiling, Sakura could not help but find it ironic. She was about to be killed by the mental figment of a deranged clan heiress, and the only one she could think of crazy enough to get out of something like this was Naruto.
Forcing her hands up, Sakura decided that if she was going down, then she would fight to the end. None of her main technique library would work, but there was one other trick to try. Forming a weak hand seal, despite the lack of oxygen, the Kunoichi gathered her chakra to utilize one of the trickiest fighting techniques in a Genjutsu user's arsenal. She attempted to reflect the Genjutsu back at Yakumo. Sakura had not managed to perfect this technique yet, and in fact only knew it to develop in later training. But if there was ever a time for this to work, it was now!
At first nothing happened. Sakura only knew she was alive from the pain that drawing breath caused. But then the blank walls began to bulge. Startled, the demonic Yakumo released her onto the ground. As Sakura, Yakumo and Kurenai watched in amazement, a large black arm reached out to grab the monster. Despite its best efforts, the creature could simply not get free. The more it struggled, the more the capturing limbs gained definition. Before she realized it, the Kunoichi was looking at a giant version of herself made out of shadow and with a tattoo on her head. Looking at the phrase 'Inner Sakura' displayed on her forehead, Sakura began to twitch. Perhaps Gaara had been a bad influence on her subconscious or something?
Grinning, the apparition looked at the evil Yakumo in her hands. "So this is what it's like to have a meeting of the minds. It's not quite as fun as I thought it might be." As the creature began to struggle, Inner Sakura began to squeeze. "None of that now! You unleashed the technique, now you get to deal with the consequences." Feeling dizzy at the surreal atmosphere generated by the battle of the psychoses, Sakura crawled over to check on Kurenai-sensei and Yakumo. Maybe they could reassure her that she wasn't going crazy. Of course, judging from their nervous looks, she might try taking up drinking later to forget this image.
Bringing the frantic monster to eye level, the faux Sakura's grin turned positively evil. "You know, that really should not have worked. I'm nowhere near strong enough to reflect a Kurama Genjutsu like this. But you had to drag things out, and that last little moment of rebellion gave me enough power to come out and play." Forcing the monster to watch, the giant grabbed a misshapen arm and began to twist. "So why don't we go ahead and play!"
What followed was sick, wrong, and in many ways satisfying as hell. Inner Sakura took her time, layering injury after injury upon the apparition. With every bit of damage sustained by the creature, the room became more normal. Sakura tried not to pay too much attention, but both Kurenai and Yakumo could not take their eyes off the spectacle. After a mere five minutes, the evil Yakumo was nothing more than a lump of twitching flesh.
Trying to match the gaze of its tormentor the monster managed to speak, if only barely. "How are you doing this? This is my world! You should have no power here, and especially over me! Nothing can stop me here." With the last of its strength the creature lashed out, only to be swatted down like a fly. With that final defeat, the Genjutsu over the safe house began to slowly fade.
Unmindful of her disintegration, Inner Sakura began to glare at the creature in front of her. "You might be able to draw bits and pieces from the memories of your victims, but that doesn't stop someone from forcing their own energy into the Genjutsu. I've been with Sakura for years, giving her someone to like even when the other kids would taunt and tease her. I became her closest confidant and guardian. Now doesn't that sound familiar?" Noting the shock on the creature's face, the apparition faded. "But while you fed on Yakumo's fear, hatred and self loathing, I worked to make Sakura strong enough to reach her dreams. You could have supported the poor girl, guided her to greatness. But instead you became arrogant and demanding, wanting that life for yourself. The thing is, we're both a part of both girls. The major difference was that I made sure that Sakura found people to help her and drive her onwards."
Looking over at the audience, the manifestation of Sakura's true feelings gave a gentle smile. "You can't become strong alone, and you can't throw away potential friends without reason. Things might suck now, but hey they can get better. I might have had the top of the scores back in school, but it took a village idiot to show me the truth. Now that I know it, I can remind Sakura at any time." Looking down, Inner Sakura formed a fist. "But there is no reason for someone like Yakumo to put up with a creep like you. So go die already! CHA!" With that last act of power, evil Yakumo's head was knocked clear off.
Looking around the suddenly normal room, Sakura felt faint. Between her injuries, the emotional strain of the moment, and whatever her inner personality had done was very draining. Thinking about all the questions that battle was going to bring later, she sighed. Hopefully, they would not throw her in the loony bin or something. Hearing signs of distress, she turned only to smile. Yakumo was crying into Kurenai-sensei's shoulder, apologizing for her hatred. Maybe things would work out in the end. At least, that's what Naruto would have said.
-----
Exiting the Safe House with her charges, Kurenai did not know what to think. Going into this mission, she had thought that Yakumo might rage against her and the Sandaime a bit. Due to the nature of her duty, the Genjutsu mistress had assumed that her first student would never forgive her of the perceived betrayal. Yet the girl was latched onto her arm like a lifeline, and showed no signs of letting go. Somehow, that battle with Sakura's construct had broken the hold of the evil personality buried in the heiress's mind. Now all Yakumo seemed to be was a scared child looking for someone to love and support her. Honestly, after giving her a mental evaluation, Kurenai might be willing to help out with that.
But the biggest surprise of the day was Sakura. Gone was the little simpering fan girl, and in her place was a fairly capable Kunoichi. She had never thought that the girl would master the basics of reflecting Genjutsu so quickly, and had only instructed her to lay the ground work for later training. However, if her opponent had been anyone besides Yakumo, Sakura might have successfully completed the technique. She was a little confused about this extra personality the girl seemed to be carrying around, but there had been enough drama for one day.
Looking up, the Jonin felt a smile forcing its way through her professional mask. There on the road were her students along with about half of Team Ten. While they looked a little worn out, it was nothing compared to the three Kurama Clansmen hogtied by the side of the road. Even that blowhard Unkai was bound like a wet-behind-the-ears Genin. If not for the sudden tenseness in Yakumo's grip, Kurenai would have been tempted to laugh out loud.
Shielding the girl with her body, Kurenai addressed the acting Kurama clan head. "So Unkai-sama, it seems that you have a rather slow learning curve. The Sandaime forbid you from acting against Yakumo in any fashion, and the Godaime's regent agreed with the ruling. Yet your clan thinks that it is alright to ignore direct orders whenever you feel like it and attack such a poor girl? I cannot wait to see what Jiraiya-sama does to you when we get back to the village." Watching the three men pale was definitely the high point of the day. Maybe she could petition to be present when Jiraiya started to work on them?
Gathering himself, Unkai sighed deeply. "What else could be done, Kurenai? The Id Possession of the Kurama Prodigy is very well documented. With Yakumo's powers, that creature could have leveled half of Konoha. Do you think that I wanted to kill my own flesh and blood? Some things must be done to protect the village, and I would rather kill the child myself than watch her descend into madness!" Shuddering, the elder ninja could no longer look at a paling Yakumo. "The tales of the torture the Id can use are horrible. We could never want the poor girl to suffer like that. What else was there to do?" Mindful of the fearful girl gripping her arm Kurenai was about to bite back a reply, only to be forcefully interrupted by a resounding crash.
Looking over at the noise, Kurenai felt a small sweat drop form at the sight of an enraged Sakura, fist extended through the remains of a shattered tree. Noting the various Genin stare in shock, the Jonin decided that some more control and taijutsu training was needed. If the young Kunoichi could pull this sort of thing off at will, she would truly be a danger on the battlefield. Seeing the look Sakura was giving the Kurama elder, the Jonin almost felt sorry for Unkai. Instead, she could really go for some popcorn right now.
Picking up a very large branch with no apparent effort, Sakura slammed it into the ground for emphasis. "She's your family, you god damned idiot! You are supposed to love and support her! The only reason that thing became so powerful is because she didn't have anyone to support her dreams without question!" Dropping the ruined wood, she cracked her knuckles. "A person is still a person, no matter what their family or ability. But you jerks marked her as a genius and prodigy, and instead of being proud of what she could do, you worried about what she was capable of! She needed nurturing, not crazy standards and murderous relatives! How could you not see that?"
Observing the cowering Kurama clan members, Kurenai let out a sigh. Sakura's speech might have been a little naive, but she had to admit it was rather inspiring. Apparently Naruto had rubbed off on her a bit. Watching Yakumo's look of shock at Sakura's impassioned defense, the Jonin firmed her resolve. She had given up on Yakumo because of her own fear and feelings of inadequacy, but that was going to change right now. It might not be practical, or convenient, but damn it she would help this child reach her true potential! Even if she had to flash the pervert to make it happen!
-----
Looking at the group in front of him, Jiraiya began to understand just what his Sensei had been going through all these years. The conflict of what was best for the village versus what was right really did suck sometimes. On one hand, Kurama Yakumo represented a clear and present danger to the safety of the village. Her next painting could do anything from destroying the Hokage monument to leveling the forest. But the look in the Jonin's eyes was enough to almost make a believer out of him. "Are you sure about this Kurenai?"
Nodding without fear, the beautiful Jonin smiled. "I believe that by taking recent events into account, there can be no other course of action. Yakumo has always been talented, but I failed to properly maintain her rate of growth when she was my apprentice. However, I now believe that the failure was not on her part, but my inability to allow her to develop the mental discipline in such a limited atmosphere. With the current team construction, she cannot join Team Eight. But if she was allowed to develop her skills in the company of her peers, then I know that she can grow into a fine Genjutsu specialist."
It was far from ideal. Yakumo's talent was by far the greatest Genjutsu potential within Konoha. That was the main reason that Kurenai had apprenticed her in the first place. But being lumped together with an active team could introduce a whole new level of stress on the girl. But at the same time, he had to admit that socialization might do her some good. If anything, this could be an interesting test case for when Naruto's little problem became more widely known. The parallels between the two were downright unnerving.
Sighing, Jiraiya decided that some faith was in order. Besides, from the report the Haruno brat had managed to subdue the Id without help. Perhaps spending time with Yakumo would help stabilize things a bit. "Alright, I'll let this go. After a mental evaluation, Kurama Yakumo will be attached to Team Eight for ninja tutoring with an emphasis on Genjutsu. Hopefully the group learning environment will help her more than an apprenticeship did." Looking at the hopeful girl behind the Jonin, he smirked. "That is, unless Yakumo-chan has some sort of objection?"
Looking down, the child appeared pensive. "I want to become stronger. Whatever that thing was, it managed to kill my family because I lacked the will to control it. I didn't know what Kurenai-sensei and the Sandaime went through to keep me safe, and I would be spitting at their sacrifices if I let that happen." Firming her stance, Yakumo met his gaze with fear and determination. "So I will train and grow to protect the home that my family loved. I humbly thank you for this opportunity and promise not to let you down!"
Smiling at the determined girl, the Toad Sage let out a sigh. Clearly he was going soft in his old age. "I'll have you crash with Kurenai for right now. Hopefully we can arrange more permanent accommodations later on. Now if you two lovely ladies would excuse me, there are other matters that require my attention. Oh, and remind that Nara brat to fill out his paperwork later." Watching the two leave, Jiraiya felt a smile coming on. He always was a sucker for a happy ending. Now it was time to take care of one little guilty pleasure.
Signaling his ANBU, Jiraiya kept his face impassive at the sight of his newly delivered guests. These three had tried to do what was best for Konoha, but as Danzou had demonstrated the road to Hell was paved with good intentions. "I don't think I have to tell you how angry your actions have made me. Circumventing a direct order, collaborating to commit murder, and attacking fellow Konoha ninja with the intent to kill; truly your clan will fall if such treasonous actions are left unpunished. You're just lucky that everything went as well as it did. At the very least some of the Genin got a valuable lesson in dealing with a Genjutsu battle." Heads bowed the battered forms of Kurama Unkai and his direct subordinates remained silent.
Leaning back, the Hokage Regent smirked. "I don't think I'll need you to lose your ninja status, but after I'm done you'll wish you were dead." Looking at the nervous Chunin, he shook his head. "I can't punish you two too badly, because you where ordered as part of an internal clan matter. Therefore, I want you on gate duty for the next six months. There have been some reports of infiltrations due to illusionary techniques, and a couple of masters would be invaluable there." Noting their sudden relaxation, he decided to nudge Iruka to make their lives hell when they got bored. From what he understood, Konohamaru had a very short attention span.
Looking at the still tense figure of Unkai, the smirk turned vicious. "As for you, well such actions could very well be a sign of senility. Therefore I think that you need a proper evaluation of your skills to insure you are still fit for ninja life. Therefore, you will begin the requisite one hundred D-rank missions to test your viability. I'm sure Homura and Koharu will be glad to have the help. After all, they have been at it for months, and have failed the evaluations twice. Maybe you'll have better luck?" Seeing the look of horror on the old fools face, Jiraiya almost cackled. It looked like Tora-chan had a new chew toy!
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Authors Notes
Cliffhanger Jutsu - Complete! Yay!
I am so sorry everybody! I was planning on having this chapter out much sooner than this, but I got caught up in all sorts of unexpected holiday plans with friends and family. Between those preparations and trying to finish a large amount of extra work before the end of the year, things got ahead of me.
Again, thank you everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I am sorry that I did not manage to reply to everybody, especially some of my favorites. You know who you are. *wink*
I will strive to improve this in the future, I swear!
Oh, and for you doubters...Naruto's inspiration through proxy! Hey, Sakura has pretty well documented mental issues, and it seems to be her special ability in cannon. Sasuke has that bloody eye thing that just keeps leveling up. Naruto has the super powered chakra demon in his tummy. So, for Sakura to fit in at ANY level in Team Seven, she needed some sort of edge. Of course, this is the first time it s done anything since the Chunin Exam, but such is life.
Now, this seems to be the best time to clear up a minor issue. The Yakumo and the Kurama Clan are not OC s. They are cannon from the anime fillers. If you want a detailed explanation on their situation, I would recommend leafninja dot com. If anyone has specific questions concerning my interpretation of the clan as depicted here, I swear I ll respond to a review or private message.
Now then, on to the next chapter; some people claim that it's the end of the world as we know it. But Naruto and company are feeling just fine! Stay Tuned!