AN: Thanks for all the reviews, Thomas Drovin and others! Thanks for all the favorites and follows as well! I don't own Naruto.
Chapter 26
And so we were off, though where we were going, I didn't know. I had brought an extra copy of The Holocaust to pass the time, because believe it or not, Sai and I were forced to walk, courtesy of Captain Yamato. I was currently reading my book, while the other three stared ahead at the trees.
Why was I on this team, I wondered, flipping to the next page. Teams were usually composed of three people and Sai was the best replacement for Sasuke, hell, he even looked like him. Plus, they both sucked at conversations, as far as I could tell.
Even while I read, I could tell there was tension between the team. Sakura and Naruto had been staring at Sai and I for the past hour. Growing bored of the book, I tucked into my weapon pouch; after all, I had written the thing. I guess I could work on my tangible chakra.
Throughout the years, I had mastered the basic three and learned tons of fire Jutsu, though I only used half of my arsenal. I'd forgotten the other half and had written them down on a scroll somewhere.
"Can you stop that?" Sai asked, directing his complaint at Naruto. Turning my head, I noticed the way Naruto narrowed his eyes at Sai, as if he was the enemy.
"You'll never be a part of this team," Naruto replied, almost growling his answer. This wasn't him. What happened to the Naruto that I knew? What happened to the sweet boy fresh out of the Academy?
"And why not?" My dark-haired partner questioned, turning his head to look at Naruto with his black eyes.
"What's your problem?" I voiced, interrupting whatever Naruto was going to say. Making eye contact with the blonde, blue met blue in a hateful stare-down, daring the other to look away.
"You're my problem," Naruto answered, "You won't replace Sasuke. Not now, not ever." At this, Yamato stopped his eavesdropping and fully stopped, before turning around to meet his new students.
"That's not the way to treat teammates, Naruto," the Captain remarked, warning the blonde not to cross the line. Also stopping his trek, Naruto fully looked at the both of us, along with a watchful Sakura. I'd have to be mindful of her; if I'd learned anything these past couple of years, it's that you don't underestimate someone, ever. Kind of like how Danzo underestimated me.
"Why would you compare me to that rodent? You know, people that betray their village are terrible," Sai reminded, a faint smile working across his face. Of course, after working together for three or four years now, I knew it was fake; all of it. Seeing him clench his fists, I knew that comment was what had set Naruto off.
"Who do you think you are?!" He yelled, causing nearby birds to abandon their perches. Before he could attack, he was stopped by Sakura, who held out a hand to him.
"Stop. We need to use teamwork and this isn't helping. Remember what Kakashi-sensei taught us?" I guessed more than one person had changed. Instead of being whiny for Sasuke,-who had left- she was now more focused on the mission and training. She was smiling, too, so she was cool.
"It isn't just him, you know," she added, interrupting my thoughts, which composed of the Star Wars theme song. Before I knew it, she had punched Sai into next year, completely knocking him a few feet away. Realizing that she would punch me next, I let her. I technically couldn't get hurt and Sakura didn't need any wounded pride.
Pressure suddenly increasing ten-fold in my face, my body was sent hurtling back. Skidding along the beaten, dirt road, I settled to a stop a little bit away from Sai.
"You will never replace him!" Sakura yelled, voice a few octaves higher than normal. Putting my hands under me, I lifted my chest and head to reveal a pissed off Sakura with her fist up and another holding Naruto back. Naruto, bless his heart, looked like he was going to lose it with all the things Sai said about the missing-nin.
"Now, that's enough," Yamato commanded, turned around and watching the scene with wide, almond-shaped eyes.
"If you ever speak bad about Sasuke again, I'll do more than put you in the ground, got it?!" Sakura threatened, a wild look appearing in her green eyes.
"Why'd you do it to me?" I asked, feigning innocence. For a brief second, Sai and Sakura's eyes narrowed before reverting to the normal look they had had before.
"Well... You're with him, aren't you?" The pinkette replied, seeming confused at my question. Behind her, Naruto had calmed down a tad and was now watching Sai and I slowly get up with a hateful look in his eye.
"You... punched me without a reason?" I said slowly, making it seem like I didn't understand Sakura's logic. I wouldn't have done the same; I would've found it hilarious and then killed them later. Sai and I both knew that being on a team with someone outside of Root was running a high security risk, even though we were elites.
I wouldn't call myself an elite, compared to Orochimaru and Danzo. They were legends compared to me. Sai and I were measured at around low jounin levels, what, with our taijutsu and ninjutsu. I had specifically asked for a simple genjutsu, to show people what my world was like and such.
But now, now Yamato was in our presence and I suspected he had been ordered to keep an eye on someone, though I'm not sure who.
"So you're with him!" She stated, ending the conversation. By the time Sai and I had gotten to our feet, Yamato had summoned a large, wooden cage and threatened to lock us up in it for the entire day. That shut the two blockheads up.
As we continued walking along the road, I noticed blades of grass sprouting out of the ground in clumps and was reminded of the only time I had attended the Festival of Lights.
The caretaker had let us leave only with someone watching us, seeing as it was a very special day. Temou had swooped in immediately and taken me from the orphanage to explore the village.
Konoha was illuminated by hues of red, yellow, and orange, tonight. The various different types of lanterns hung everywhere and anywhere, lighting up Konohagakure, similar to a sunset. Shops had redecorated in favor of being booths for kids and adults alike. Nobody was inside, for everyone was outside, enjoying the cool night air that drifted through the dirt roads that twisted and turned in every other direction throughout Konoha.
Closing my eyes, I reminisced about the times my father had taken me to the fair. Instead of a Ferris wheel, there was a decorated Academy with lanterns hung in every nook possible. Except for my father... I had Temou.
Who was just as good...
"Huh?" Temou wondered, bending down to my 5'4 height. "Are you alright, Kabucha?" Feeling a dull ache deep within me, I opened my eyes, already teary from the memory of my father.
"I'm... fine," I replied, sniffling out my answer. For some reason or another, Temou had the compassion and attitude of my dad.
"Kabucha..." He cooed, embracing me in a hug, which made the dull throb, not so dull anymore. It now reverberated in me and my eyes watered, however much I tried to keep the waterworks back. "Why are you sad? It's the Festival of Lights, you should be happy." Wrapping my arms around the tall man before me, I watched the scene behind him with glossy eyes.
People were hugging and dancing and kissing other people. People that treated me in a not very nice way. These same people passed Temou and I with glares set in their eyes and stone hearts.
"Thanks, Temou," I whispered with my tiny, kid voice that I hated. When he chuckled, Temou split us apart and looked at me in the eye.
"For what, Kabucha? To me, you are a..." He paused, contemplating if he should say something or not. "... nevermind. Hey, cheer up! I'll pay for a couple games, okay? And, and afterwards, we can watch the fireworks! Won't that be fun?" He asked in a cheerful, upbeat voice, trying to make my tears disappear. I recognized what he was doing; I had often used that tone when I had babysat.
"Yeah, yeah, let's go!" I exclaimed, startling the crouched man. Big smiles appearing on both of our faces, we found a photographer selling photos.
Because I was now a part of Root, I couldn't talk to Temou as a friend but it was okay, since I got to talk to him sometimes as a customer. Of course, there were places that Danzo couldn't see, so I made small talk with the weapon shop owner from time to time. It went against 'no emotions,' but in the end, who cares?
Throughout the years, I had had doubts about if Root was really the solution to helping Konoha prosper. The Poli Mission had shown me just how far Danzo was willing to go to "help" Konoha and I didn't want to help Danzo "help" Konoha anymore. What if it had been Tobi? I hadn't even been able to kill Poli, so how was I going to do this for the rest of my life?
As the sun shone high and bright in the sky, I decided that I needed to do good deeds to make up for all the pain I had caused throughout the four years I was in Root. I wondered if Sai felt the same way? Maybe not; he was, after all, starting to grasp the concept of relationships and how to distinguish the difference between the different types.
As much as it irritated Danzo, I still retained my sense of humanity and how to properly distinguish and retain emotions. Everything he punished me, it was usually a timed run, but with others, he beat them until he was sure they had "learned" their lesson. Afterwards, they went to the medic.
It wasn't that I was a suck-up to Danzo. In fact, I think I received the most punishments in Root history. How do you punish an immortal?
You make them run laps 'till they're about to collapse.
Watching Sai walk in front of me, I remembered out times in Root. Since we were partners, we had executed missions together, but he had never wanted to do anything fun. Wonder who's fault that was?
"Do you guys want to play a game?" I asked, bored out of my mind. Walking along a dirt road was something I wasn't used; Sai and I always ran on our missions.
Forgetting the earlier fight, Naruto's eyes lit up, while Sakura looked confused. Yamato and Sai looked like they couldn't care less.
"No," Yamato answered courtly, crushing Naruto's excitement.
"Ah, why not, Captain Yamato?" He whined, forgetting he was older than ten. Rolling her eyes, Sakura bonked him on the head.
"We're supposed to be professional, Naruto," Sakura replied, crossing her arms. Sighing, I decided that maybe these people weren't my speed. After asking Sai for a pen and paper, it was silent after that.
Sticking my tongue out of my mouth, I tried to remember some Dr. Seuss poems for the road and wrote them down, using nothing as support for the paper but part of one of my hands. I wrote with the other.
-I meant what I said and I said what I meant. An elephant's faithful 100%.
Dangit. How is it that the only thing I remembered was something from Horton Hears A Who? Ugh, I guess I'll just write down any rhymes that I remembered.
-'Twas the night before Christmas... all through the house. Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
-Jack be nimble, Jack be quick. Jack jumped over the candle stick.
Giving the pen back to Sai, I thanked him and read over what I had jotted down, distastefully wishing I had a better memory. Knowing someone would get mad at me singing or humming, I decided to walk in step with a beat. Lazily, but coordinating arms brushed against my sides in a side beat. I was pretty sure Yamato realized what I was doing, but he hadn't told me to stop, so it was okay.
Sai's P.O.V.
When I saw Sakura punch Kyoki, I knew Kyoki was still acting. My partner had grown powerful over the years we had been assigned together, but she always thought she was weak. "I need to get strong," she would say, but I think both of us knew this was a lie.
Kyoki had developed very fast reflexes, though I don't know what type of training she had gone through to achieve this great feat. When I asked her what it was like, she had said that "the world slowed down." While this only happened to me while I shunshined, it happened to Kyoki forever, never-ending. The other thing she had developed, was her chakra. As she was immortal, Kyoki never ran out of chakra, but I still didn't understand it, seeing as how normal attacks could kill her.
Her chakra was a loud, painful buzzing when I concentrated on it. Danzo's was this way, too, but something... was off with her chakra. The way she could manipulate it outside her body, make it tangible, was an achievement for Root, seeing as how nobody had thought of this before. In the blink of an eye, her chakra would coil around her, in waves of grey. Before anyone knew what had happened, she could lift you off your feet, or choke you to death with these coils. For some reason, she wanted to be able to channel lightning and get into people's heads with this same technique.
Normally, this technique was far too chakra consuming, but my immortal partner had unlimited chakra.
I always made sure to remind her who was in charge on missions, but we both knew she could kill me if she wanted to, and I was afraid for this. No matter how many years I had gone through to make sure I had no emotion, this girl from another world kept me on edge and extremely cautious around her.
The other development of Kyoki, was her transformations and clones. While she claimed to never posses knowledge of Shadow Clone Jutsu, she's able to make equivalent clones to the Jutsu. What was different about her clones and Shadow Clones, was that when her clones got hit, they didn't leave.
They left when she told them to leave.
Us getting paired together wasn't a coincidence. Danzo had put me with her to keep an eye on her and make sure she didn't kill anything out of madness. Sadly, this wasn't the case. On our first mission together, she had been the one to kill the target. Even as he pleaded for her not to, even as he begged us to listen, even as he offered us an alliance with his thugs...
She had watched with uneven eyebrows and bored, blue eyes, as he attempted to crawl away from where she had crippled him.
I had to step in because his screams of pain would've attracted unwanted attention. Her intent had never been to kill him, oh no; she had been torturing him.
Even now, her madness was still very, very there.
So when I saw Kyoki let Sakura punch her, I knew she had to be planning something, but I didn't know what. As I watched her roll to a stop a couple of feet away from me, I was reminded of the power that this tall girl possessed.
Finally. We had finally tracked down the crime lord. Since this was an undercover mission, we both wore black cloaks that showed our faces. In front of us, the door to the crime lord's office sat.
Behind us, was a bloodbath. Bodies strewn everywhere and heads could be seen without a body. We had both been guilty.
Before I could say or do anything, Kyoki held up a hand towards the door. When her restrained chakra suddenly surged through her hand and out of the outstretched fingertips, grey, smoke-like matter could be seen smashing the door open. Residing back into her hand, Kyoki lowered her hand to her side and stepped through the doorway that once held a door.
"We could've knocked," I remarked, imitating Kyoki's joking nature that I sometimes saw. Not responding, Kyoki scanned the office and discovered a chair swiveled around at a desk. Discovering this as well, I grabbed her arm, restraining her from murdering him, like she had the last target.
"You've finally found me," a voice said, coming from the chair. "I congratulate you, shinobi of Konoha." Letting go of Kyoki's arm, I stepped into the room as well, shoes crunching on small pieces of the shattered, oak door.
"Do you have a reason for why we shouldn't kill you?" Kyoki asked, voice suddenly slow, eyes steel. Swiveling the chair around, we saw a short man with a balding head and glasses on his pudgy, round face.
"I knew by killing a few civilians, that Konohagakure would send someone to stop the threat. But I didn't know it was a bunch of weaklings." Knowing Kyoki was all too happy to use her new powers on him, I held up a hand to her, stopping her from killing the man.
"Why did you want to speak to us?" I asked, calmly, trying to ignore Kyoki's growing irritation. Smiling, the short man stood up from his spinning, brown chair and made a handsign, before a poof of smoke replaced him with someone Kyoki's height. He had a well-shaped face and would be viewed as handsome to females.
"I wanted to know who that damn Hokage would send and want to make an... offer... if you're up for it?" Nodding my head, I signaled for him to continue.
"Seeing as you two aren't regular ninja, I'm assuming you work for someone who hates the Hokage, am I right?"
"The point?" Kyoki replied, an irritated look flashing across her face.
"I like a girl with attitude," the crime lord commented, licking his lips. "Anyways, for 40,000 ryo a week, I want protection so I can continue my... experiments."
Before he could say anything else, thin, whispy, grey, see-through, smoke-like tendrils wrapped sharply around his neck and lifted him in the air. Glancing to my left, I saw Kyoki standing there, holding up her right hand with a semi-gripping hand.
"No deal." The part that scared me wasn't her low and slow voice; there was no killing intent. Instead, there was a calmness in the room, almost the type of calm that people experienced on a cool day when they relaxed in the middle of training grounds and the sun was shining down on them.
A stomach-lurching crack reverberated throughout the room and Kyoki dropped her hand, letting the crime lord's lifeless body fall to the floor in a pathetic heap.