10 - A Juvenile
Kiruma was running. She ran as fast as she could, narrowly avoiding colliding with buildings as Salem's house came into sight. She leapt onto the roof and frantically unlatched the window, throwing it up and tumbling through. In her hurry she smacked her head on the left side of the window frame and swore under her breath. Rubbing her aching temple, she searched the room for her missing partner.
The bed was made, books put away, mask and weapons missing.
She couldn't sense his chakra signature anywhere, but none of Konoha's guards had seen anyone leave.
Where did he go?
She saw a flash of movement from the corner of her eye and whirled around, grabbing her attacker and pinning him up against the wall with a snarl. She blinked in surprise when she saw it was only a small child, holding a pan in one hand as he struggled against her.
"L-let me go!" he yelled at her, eyes bugging out of his head when he saw her. His face slowly began to turn purple with rage.
"It's you!" he blurted. She dropped him to the ground, blinking in confusion before she remembered.
Salem had saved this boy's life on her first assassination mission.
"You killed my grandpa!"
Crap.
She blinked again, meeting his infuriated gaze evenly.
"Where is Salem?" she asked calmly.
He charged at her with his frying pan raised, a battle cry leaving his lips and she grabbed the pan, stopping him. She leaned close to his face.
"I said," she growled, annoyed. "Where is Salem?"
The boy's eyes widened and he released the pan, scrambling backwards.
"H-how should I know?!" he demanded. "Salem onii-chan is always going places!"
She sighed and tossed the frying pan back to the boy. He held it in his hands, watching her warily.
"I'm going to kill you some day!" he swore, leaping to his feet. "I swear it!"
"Right, right," she sighed, heading towards the window. If Salem wasn't here, he was already long gone. "Thanks anyways, Ryu-chan."
She climbed out the window, perched on the roof, and leapt off just as he ran to the edge of the windowsill.
"My name's not Ryu!" he bellowed after her. "It's RU! GOT THAT?!"
Kiruma ended up back at the compound, tired and out of breath. Her search for Salem all morning had produced absolutely no results.
Where could he have gone?
She sparred against Dandelion, distracted as they trained, and as a result got caught up as a vine burst from the ground and pulled her into the air by her ankle, leaving her swinging precariously.
Dandelion grinned his closed eye smile, snickering as she cut herself free with a deft swipe of her sword and landed in a crouch on the ground.
He sprang forward like an animal and his fingers grazed her cheek as she dodged the wrong way, gritting her teeth.
"Stop."
Danzo's somewhat annoyed tone caused both of them to pause, Dandelion stumbling as he tried to stop in the middle of an attack and lost his balance.
"Wo-ah!" He fell forward with flailing arms and she instinctively caught his shoulder, helping him remain upright. She happened to glance at the back of his neck and her eyes narrowed. Printed on his neck was a symbol in black; a strange letter she didn't recognize surrounded by an imprinted square. What was that?
If Dandelion was surprised, he didn't show it. He just grinned mischievously at her, as if he knew something she didn't. She immediately released him, surprised at herself for catching him, and a little embarrassed, before turning to Danzo.
Danzo glared at her before wordlessly marching away. None of them had noticed her discovery, or if they did, didn't seem to be bothered. She followed, frowning slightly once they were out of earshot at the side of the training room.
"Three days," he snapped. "You have three days to get back to your previous standard. You are an embarrassment at your current level, Kira."
Kiruma flushed slightly, but didn't comment.
"I will evaluate you in three days. If you fail, I will expel you from ANBU and remove your memories." She stiffened slightly.
He didn't wait for her to respond before abruptly turning and exiting the room, leaving her standing alone.
Kiruma felt oddly conflicted about the thought of being expelled from ANBU.
On one hand, she would be free. Free to leave Konoha, find her brother, start from scratch with him and try to get him to see reason, away from the so called peaceful village of the leaves. She also wouldn't remember any of the pain that had been inflicted during her time there. She wouldn't remember the pain of losing her eye, or the spiked fist that punched through her flesh like a rag doll. She wouldn't remember the taunts, the jeers, or the people who underestimated her.
Most of all, she wouldn't remember all the people she had killed for her mother's sake, only to be for naught.
Her scowl deepened slightly as her eyes shadowed. Then there was the other hand. She wouldn't remember her team. Dandelion, Three, Ruby, Hatake… she wouldn't remember them fighting with her, trusting her to make the right decision, and protecting her to the end like the idiots they were.
She wouldn't remember Sparrow, entrusting his little sister's life to her, and finding something precious and returning it to her with no questions asked.
And then there was the biggest thing of all. She wouldn't remember Salem, and everything they had shared. She wouldn't remember him carrying her home to check on her mother, taking care of her even when he was her enemy, refusing to hurt her even when Danzo ordered it.
All of the training they'd endured, up to his frighteningly serious promise to earn her trust… it would all be gone.
She found her hands curling into shaking fists. She absolutely could not let that happen. Not as long as he was missing and wasn't there to make her remember. Her hand closed around the worn bracelet around her wrist.
She would pass at any cost.
Why do you stay here? Why live at all?
The questions that had plagued her since her mother's death suddenly seemed much easier to answer.
She almost smiled at the thought of the two blockheads that cherished this village.
What has Konoha ever done for you?
Her lips twitched.
Absolutely nothing, but it's their home.
She turned and saw Dandelion hanging from the ceiling, shooting slimy balls of some plant at the back of Three's head when the white haired man had his back turned.
She couldn't even defeat the plant user at her current level, and he clearly held back in front of the other Faction members.
She jumped onto the railing that lined the walls and launched herself towards him, preparing to attack. She would find a way to get even stronger with one eye than she had been with two.
She saw his eyes widen before a wide grin replaced his blank expression. Mischief gleamed in his violet orbs.
He opened his mouth to utter three words, too quiet for anyone else to hear; his voice full of endless amusement.
"Finally serious, huh?"
Kakashi walked towards the compound, eyes trained steadily ahead.
"Kakashi! Want to join us for some dumplings?" Kurenai's voice called from across the street. His eyes shifted to the side, watching them out of the corner of his eye. He shifted his gaze forward again and continued walking, eyes downcast.
They didn't follow, their expressions a mixture of disappointment and pity, but he walked on regardless.
He opened the door to the compound and began to walk down the long hallway, wondering if Kiruma was going to be there.
He felt his cheeks redden slightly.
How was he supposed to face her? What was he supposed to say?
'Sorry for attacking you and your partner' didn't quite seem to cut it. He closed his eyes, sighing deeply. Would he need to explain himself? Explain why he was so obsessed with being stronger than she was? Explain that he couldn't let what happened to Rin ever happen again? Explain that he wouldn't – no, couldn't handle another failure?
And what was the excuse for attacking the Inuzuka? Letting the ice user get under his skin was one thing, but he had lunged at Kiruma's partner with much harsher intent than just a punch, and he knew she knew it. He had seen the flicker of fear, however brief it was, that flashed through her eyes when they lunged at each other.
He paused in front of the training door, almost hoping she wasn't there, so that he wouldn't have to face her accusatory glare.
He steeled himself and reached for the handle, pulling it open just in time for a flying blur of red to crash into him, sending both of them tumbling back down the hallway. His eyes shot open as he skidded to a stop, a very pissed off looking Kiruma sitting on his chest. She stared down at him through the holes in her mask, panting heavily.
"Scarecrow?" she questioned, anger melting into surprise. "What are you doing here?"
He blinked, before narrowing his eyes.
"That's my line," he growled, shoving her off. She stood without complaint, trying to catch her breath, and turned back to glance in the room. Dandelion's vines were shooting from the ground, writhing menacingly in the air as they prepared to fling her around again.
"I'm fighting Dandelion," she answered as if it were obvious.
"And I work here too," he muttered, averting his eyes. She didn't sound angry, only slightly amused.
"Well, thanks for breaking my fall," she turned and ran back into the training room, dodging the vines in order to get a chance to get close at the laughing blonde.
He blinked as he watched her dodge the wrong way and get swept up by a vine before she turned it to ash with a wave of fire.
Her eye was really holding her back, he realized. He walked over to the targets to train, and noticed that majority of the faction seemed to be watching the fight, whether openly or out of the corner of their eyes.
"Monster," one of them muttered under his breath. Kakashi was surprised to see that it was Sparrow who had uttered the comment, his eyes trained steadily on the battle.
His eyes narrowed and Sparrow glanced at him.
"It's true," he answered, unashamed. "Only a monster could improve that quickly."
"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked.
"She couldn't even get away from him when they were battling this morning. Now he's the one being pushed back."
Kakashi smiled slightly. In that sense, perhaps Kiruma was a monster. When she was determined, she was a force to be reckoned with.
As he watched, she hurled a shuriken towards the boy just in time for a vine to catch it and fling it back at her. She rolled underneath it and came right up close to Dandelion, within the boy's line of defense, and unpredictably tackled the wide eyed boy to the ground.
She sat on his chest triumphantly as the plant user panted, his face splitting into a grin, and Kakashi suppressed a small smile of his own.
Hindered, yes. But helpless? The opposite could not be truer. She stood and pulled the purple eyed boy to his feet as he grinned wide, snickering.
Kakashi felt a small flare of jealousy and instantly quelled it, surprised. Where had that come from?
She released his hand and then glanced Kakashi's way, blinking owlishly before walking over to him.
"Why are you here so early?" she asked. She was panting, he noticed, and her face was flushed. She looked completely worn out, and with her injuries…
The truth was he had come to prepare for his evaluation, which was rapidly approaching. No longer would he be the rookie of the ANBU. He would either be outcasted with his memories stolen from him or accepted as one of them. He was determined it be the latter. He'd heard stories of the mental traumas they put you through in the hated white room, and couldn't help but go a little green when he thought about it, until he managed to steel himself.
He would surpass Kiruma, and he would surpass anyone else he needed to in order to protect her. She was the last one. She hadn't been officially on his team, but she was there. She had been with him for Obito, and she had saved him with Rin… and on the last mission.
He shuddered before the bloody image could register in his mind.
But he had also wanted to face his actions from the day before. Irrationally losing his head and attacking her while she was still injured… it was beyond careless. It was plain idiotic. And attacking her partner when he was trying to protect his comrade; that was worse. Ironically it went against everything Kakashi now lived by. The blue haired boy had been nervous. He always seemed nervous when Kakashi was around, and Kakashi couldn't deny that he had good reason.
She does always get hurt around me.
"I'll teach you," he blurted out without thinking, and then his face reddened beneath his mask as confusion flashed across her grey eyes. She took off her mask, crossing her arms and pressing her lips together, her head tilting slightly to the side. His eyes were automatically drawn to the claw like scar that raked down the side of her face. It was scarring neatly, but the vivid marks would forever be there, strikingly red against her pale skin.
"What?"
"I'll teach you how to fight with one eye," he corrected, much more coolly, though his heart was still racing. Where had that come from? He had wanted to apologize… What was he doing?
She snorted.
"Like I'd need help from you, Scarecrow," she scoffed, though her eyes were burning with curiosity. "Or should I say 'Rookie'?"
He almost shook his head and teased her back, but his pride refused to blow this off. He had to amend for previous mistakes.
"It's not easy to overcome alone," he tried to keep his voice indifferent, but he had somehow inevitably managed to fluster himself.
Curiosity quickly transformed into suspicion.
"Earth to Scarecrow," she called, flicking his forehead. "Are you an imposter?"
He knocked her hand away impatiently.
"It's frustrating not being strong enough, isn't it?" he muttered so softly she just barely heard. Her eyes widened a fraction as he turned and walked out, cheeks burning. At least he had tried, right?
"Scarecrow, wait," she jogged forward, catching up to him and he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Was she going to make fun of him now?
"Th-thanks for the offer," she stammered awkwardly. "Can we start right now?"
Kiruma was tired. Well, putting it frankly, that was an understatement. Her chakra levels were at a dangerous low, even after two sporadic doses of her regulation soldier pills, and though she was improving, the rate was much too slow to be of significant use in three days. It was dark, nearing midnight, yet all the training she was doing wasn't enough.
Kakashi stopped her as she readied herself to spar again, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"It's late," he said quietly. "We should get some sleep." She rubbed an arm across her eyes, nodding distractedly.
"You go on ahead, I'll catch up later." He frowned, disapproving, but nodded reluctantly and walked back towards his apartment. "I'll come get you if you don't," he called, lifting a hand in farewell.
Kiruma just shook her head in exasperation, turning and walking back into headquarters in time to see Three manipulating water into different forms of attack and defense.
Kiruma didn't think about it, didn't even bother to ask permission – she just attacked him. He blocked immediately, almost instinctually, and she brought a wall of fire upward to evaporate the water that almost smacked her in the face.
He seemed slightly surprised when he recognized her, but sparred her regardless, clearly able to recognize that her intent was not to harm him, but rather just to get better. And he was the best in the faction.
She had recognized the name Senju. It was what Dandelion had called him in her presence, and every civilian in Konoha knew that name. Hashirama Senju. Tobirama Senju. The first and second Hokages both shared his family name. And as she looked closely, Three did somewhat resemble the second Hokage, with his slanted eyes and shaggy white hair.
But if he was related to those legendary figures, what was he doing in a place like this? A descendent of the infamous peace loving Senju fighting in the darkest hole of assassinations in ANBU?
She didn't understand, and she wanted to ask him, but her precious memories took priority over her curiosity. She had to overcome her sight incapacity at any cost. So she attacked Three, again and again and again, far beyond what her body was meant to handle after her last mission.
Finally Three grabbed her shoulder and roughly pulled her to a stop.
That's enough, his boring gold eyes told her as they glared into her own. She trembled, her muscles burning, and staggered back out of his grip.
It will never be enough.
She returned his glare harshly, appearing rather formidable with one damaged eye and one slanted in irritation.
Dandelion leapt in between them and threw an arm across Kiruma's shoulders, acting goofy as usual with his toothy grin, but in reality holding her up so that she didn't fall at the impact. She was barely able to stand her legs were burning so much.
He smiled a closed eye smile at her, though somehow the cheerful expression seemed sinister.
"I told ya… that if you moved too much, you'd die," the words came out so much more threatening behind the false cheeriness. She blinked, wondering when the purple eyed boy had deemed it okay to order her around.
She ducked under his arm and lifted a hand in farewell.
"I'll keep that in mind, Flower-chan," she called coolly over her shoulder. Dandelion pouted, crossing his arms, but said nothing. Once she was gone, he exchanged glances with Three.
"Think she knows?" he asked, frowning slightly. Three shook his head slightly. The purple eyed boy shrugged, his oddly serious expression morphing back into its usual goofy smile.
"Well, she'll figure it out soon." His tone was light and careless, but Three's was anything but. Despite that, the white-haired man remained silent.
It was well into the night by the time Kiruma entered the small tea shop, walking straight to the back. She was unsurprised to see Jiraiya awake, a lamp resting on a small table as he wrote.
"Sensei," she greeted, tiredly. His eyes moved up to meet her sleep deprived ones, a small flash of surprise and lingering gaze on her scar the only giveaways that he hadn't heard of her most recent mission.
"Well, I was wondering if you were ever going to show up for work, brat."
She pulled a katana from its sheath, taking a stance and running through her warmup forms.
He frowned disapprovingly.
"You look like you haven't slept in a week," he noted.
"Sensei… I need… to get stronger." She worked her way through the routine, finally finishing the warmup and facing her sensei with her weapon poised. He sighed and stood to his feet. He walked towards her and took the sword from her hand, making her blink in surprise. He placed it back in the sheath on her back and placed a hand on her head, eyes dark as he stared at her.
"What has that old fart threatened you with now?" he muttered, looking annoyed.
Kiruma's lips tugged downward into a scowl. She had to repeatedly remind herself how sharp the sannin was.
"I can't see straight, Sensei," she avoided the question. "It's something I have to overcome."
"Eventually, yes," he agreed. "But you're working too hard for that to be the only reason."
She scowled.
"Do you know what's wrong with me, Sensei?" she asked cryptically. "What makes me manipulate fire to an extent that even shinobi with the best chakra control can't?"
Jiraiya sighed, pulling back and motioning for her to sit. She remained stubbornly upright, adamant about training with him.
He leaned against the table and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"I have a couple of theories," he relented finally, "but nothing factually based."
"The mission I was sent on recently was one where I was misinformed and my team was ambushed."
Jiraiya's lips tightened but made no comment.
She continued blankly, her tone even.
"I did some looking into it and realized I was bait for a criminal."
She didn't mention that the said criminal was her own brother. That was something she didn't want to be spilled until she was sure it was factual. But even if Yuuko hadn't wanted anything to do with her, Sasori had known her name. Said she was part of their plan.
"Why would a criminal want something to do with me?"
"They may want you dead," her sensei answered dryly, but she shook her head before he finished.
"He spared my life because he realized who I was," she clenched her teeth, hating that she had only lived because of someone else's mercy. Because she was helpless.
"I can't think of any reason they would want me unless it had to do with my… affinity for fire."
Jiraiya blinked slowly, assessing the information.
"And you're training so that you won't be put in that situation again," he guessed slowly.
"I'll get expelled if I don't overcome my handicap," she stated bluntly.
"I guessed as much. But," he sighed and pushed himself to his feet again, "one more step and I guarantee you'll collapse. You're chakra isn't severely depleted- it's been completely exhausted. If you push yourself this far again, it may damage your coils beyond repair."
She could feel the effects of her overworked day taking its toll on her muscles, and she knew he was right.
"But-"
"No buts," he interrupted firmly. "Do you even know what time it is? It'll be dawn soon, Kiruma-chan. Go home. Come and train tomorrow after you've slept a few hours."
Her eyes flashed with irritation and she reluctantly nodded.
"Yo."
Kiruma's gaze shot up in surprise as Kakashi appeared silently in the doorway. He watched her with bored disinterest.
"You're late."
She rolled her eyes and took a step toward the door, about to walk towards him when her leg collapsed, about to give way beneath her. Kakashi walked forwards, catching her as she pitched forward, his visible eye curving up as he turned his head her direction.
"You worked too hard."
Feeling drained as her training caught up to her all at once, she didn't even have the energy for a retort.
"Take her and leave," Jiraiya grumbled. "I don't need cheeky brats interrupting my important research all the time." But the ghost of a smile was hovering around his lips.
Kakashi picked Kiruma up, amused by the incredulous expression on her face, and flashed to the roof of a building.
He headed back to his apartment, admittedly slower than was strictly necessary. He could feel her glare burning into the side of his head, but acted completely oblivious.
"I told you I would come get you," he said indifferently in response to her unasked question. He heard her sigh in resignation and his lips twitched.
"Just this once…" her halfhearted grumble trailed off as she allowed her eyes to close. He noiselessly entered through the window and placed her on his bed, rubbing his eyes tiredly as he walked to his designated place on the couch.
He still hadn't gotten the chance to apologize, but maybe that would come with time. She hadn't seemed visibly upset, but she was also ridiculously good at appearing to be fine all the time, so that wasn't saying much.
Allowing the matter to wait until morning, Kakashi tossed a blanket over the red haired kunoichi before grabbing one for himself. It had been a long day.
When Kiruma woke up, she was in Kakashi's bed, with the silver haired ninja nowhere in sight. She yawned, glancing out the window before stiffening in surprise. The sun was high in the sky. How long had she slept?
She needed to train, but this time without chakra. She could feel how low her reserves were and if she wasn't careful it wouldn't replenish before the evaluation.
When did I leave Jiraiya-sensei's place? Had he taken her home? She didn't remember. She tossed the blanket aside and stood, running a hand through her tangled hair. The apartment was empty. Kakashi was probably at Rin and Obito's graves. She packed her things and took her drawings down from the wall, hefting her bags over her shoulder. With Salem missing, that little boy and Apollo would be alone in that house, and someone would have to take care of the two. She didn't bother denying that she cared. Maybe she didn't really care for the boy, but if it was important to Salem, well… He would do the same for her.
She exited and kicked the door closed behind her, jumping onto the roof and making her way to Salem's house. She would have been lying to herself if she said it wasn't a little lonely leaving Kakashi's apartment. As annoying as he was, she had quietly enjoyed arguing with him, discussing mission strategies, and unsuccessfully trying to show him how to cook. It had given her a sense of security she rarely allowed herself to feel.
She opened the door and placed her things in the empty room, feeling an incoming headache when she saw the familiar flash of brown hair as the child from earlier charged her, a rolling pin happening to be his weapon of choice this time.
"I'm going to get you this time!"
She waited for him to swing the rolling pin and plucked it from his grip easily, allowing it to roll over her wrist before flicking it aside, where it landed in the corner with a dull impact. The determined boy charged her anyways, his hands now weaponless.
She walked by him, dodging just slightly and causing him to stumble and fall.
In cases like these it didn't matter which way she dodged, though she still extended a hand to make sure she could cross doorways properly. Her eye would not hinder her here. His voice carried after her as he leapt to his feet.
"I'm going to kill you some day!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, pointing an accusing finger directly at her chest. Kiruma closed her eyes, praying Kami would grant her patience.
"You can't kill me if you don't eat and get stronger, so get ready for lunch, kid."
That bit of logic seemed to throw the kid for a loop. He eyed her warily.
"You- you'll help me get stronger and kill you?"
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. It was difficult.
"Personally I don't care," she stated tonelessly. "But you can't do either if you starve."
He walked past her slowly, seeming to begrudgingly accept her logic.
"My name isn't 'kid'," he muttered.
"Yeah, yeah, Ryuu, if it's that important to you."
He whirled around on her.
"It's not Ryuu either! Papa called me Ru! R-U! Got that? It's short for Iruka you hag!"
She waved off his insult.
"Just shut up and eat your lunch, Ryuu-chan," she told him flatly. His ears turned bright pink, but he stormed through the hall and plopped down into the seat, arms crossed and muttering to himself.
"I wish Salem-nii was here," he mumbled under his breath.
Kiruma's breath caught in her throat and she looked away sharply.
So do I, kid, she thought, gritting her teeth. So do I.
Because even if the snowflake on her wrist remained intact and glittering, worry gnawed at her heart.
Where had her partner gone? Why had he left her behind? What was he going to get himself into in order to prove himself?
All the intelligence in the world wouldn't help her find the answer with no fact to base a theory on, and though she would never admit it, she was scared. Scared that he would succeed and she would fall for him, scared that he wouldn't succeed and get hurt, and scared of letting that hard, protected part of her become exposed to someone.
"L-lady?" Her head snapped around at the boy's voice, making him jump in surprise. He was fumbling with his hands nervously. "Y-you looked kinda… sad for a second there," he averted his eyes, grumbling, but his gaze darted back and forth between her and the wall.
She blinked, and her expressions smoothed out.
"Why are you worried?" she asked. The boy had been dead set on killing her less than five minutes prior, after all.
"I-I'm not," he insisted, face flooding with color. "I will avenge Papa by killing you, just you wait!" With that declaration he stormed into the kitchen and sat at the table stubbornly with his arms crossed tightly across his chest.
Kiruma sighed in exasperation, but began to select a few things from the refrigerator regardless. After lunch it would be training, and she needed all the patience she could manage.
Author's Note: I made a video for this book but I don't know if I want you guys to see it because it might spoil some things ): So I'll just leave it up to you. It's not the best video, I was just playing around with some clips, but it's there in case you're interested. If the link doesn't work just search Fireborn AMV on youtube.
watch?v=O58Ldy0_nZE&feature=
See you in two weeks!
