Glimpses of Darkness
Author: shattered-words
Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, it'd be called 'Gaara'. So, isn't it a shame that I don't own it?
Summary: The Kakurezato are on the brink of war and certain events leave several lives hanging in the balance. Meanwhile, what's the fire wielder's fate, and who is the deadly Oto Oinin that has suddenly appeared? (AU, Sequel of "Glimpses of Fire")
AN: Dificil - Juanes
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"I never knew the joy within this life,
nor the gentle caress of the wind.
The soothing touch of love,
or the feel of healing tears.
My sorrow accompanies
me to my grave,
yet a smile curves my lips.
I'm free at long last."
-M. e. Tello
o0o o0o Chapter Twenty-seven: Ambush o0o o0o
She was moved silently through the area that surrounded her village, and a thin layer of mist that hung in the air; dulling her senses. It was the type of day that clouded the voices that whispered to her from beyond the grave. Normally, those were the ones that she lived for and that kept her from going completely out of her mind. However, there was something strange in the air that made her uneasy and actually wanted the unspoken words, and the cold air on the nape of her neck that came with them.
Her pale blue eyes narrowed behind the ANBU mask, its stark white surface tainted by the black swirls of the neko design. She crouched close to the wall, one hand resting on her kunai pouch while the other had already gripped the katana at her side.
A rustle of foliage in front of her made her whole body tense as she prepared to spring forward. She froze as a figure stepped from the shadows, seeming to have melted from them. He stood completely still despite the fact that she'd spotted him and that fact alone sent a shiver through her.
She sensed another presence manifest from her left and turned sharply in that direction and the sight of the man that stood there caused terror to manifest within her chest. Deep down, Nii Yugito knew that they would be the last thing she would ever see.
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The sounds of things breaking could be heard from inside the room but the servants that were passing didn't dare to open the door or check what was happening. They already knew the cause for all the commotion. Motoki had just found out that the Itagaki elders had chosen to make his father the head of the family instead of following his grandfather's wishes to make him the heir. He was furious.
Also, the old man's request for Erizawa's youngest daughter to marry Motoki had also been revoked by his own heir, Ryohei. He had refused to allow his sibling to marry the younger man, and Atsushi had supported his decision. This had then been quickly followed by the reinstatement of Iwane as a member of the Erizawa family.
Those that worked in the main house had seen the extent of the young man's anger when he'd been informed the news that there wouldn't even be any discussion of marriage. Now the final blow had been his inability to assume the leadership of the Itagaki Ichizoku.
No words left his tightly pressed lips as the fury built up inside of Motoki and exploded into nonsensical violence as he continued to break and destroy anything that was within reach. He knew that the two things he cared about had been taken from him, and he knew who to blame.
His sea-green eyes were dangerous as he paused in his mayhem and stared through the window. The afternoon light spilled in the room and bathed the destruction in a blood-red glow, which appeared like the end of a battle.
"I'll have my vengeance and then I will take that which you care for the most, Erizawa Ryohei," he snarled as he gripped a kunai he had withdrawn from his holster. He turned toward the door but not before letting the blade fly, embedding it in the Itagaki emblem that had been etched into the wall behind his grandfather's desk. Motoki left the mess for the servants to clean while he went off to plan his devious schemes.
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Iwane paused as an unnamed shudder passed through her. She straightened from the crouch she had fallen into after having jumped from the tree branch where they had been training in. The two individuals ahead of her stopped at noticing that she wasn't following them.
"Is there a problem, Iwane-san?" Aiko inquired quietly, lifting an eyebrow at her guarded look. "You seem spooked." He wore his normal clothing, except that the ends of his pants had been held down and wrapped with bandages since the weather had grown colder. His muscled arms also donned the white bandages.
Iwane and Amane had unrolled their shirt sleeves and pants of the Chunin uniforms, since all three Suna-nin were use to warmer climate having lived their whole lives in a desert nation. The nights were getting colder as well and each was thankful that the houses they were staying were insulated for this type of weather.
The Erizawa gave them an uneasy grin and shook her head as she jogged toward them after shaking off the feeling of foreboding she had experienced moments before. "Iie, it's nothing!" she assured them as she jumped onto Amane's back. The taller girl shook her off with an annoyed groan and Iwane promptly hopped off with a laugh.
In the back of her mind, Iwane couldn't easily shake off the feeling of dread that had gripped her. She made a mental note to write to her brother soon to make sure that everything within Suna was fine. Hiroaki might be dead, but that didn't mean that Motoki wasn't still a threat.
Iwane didn't remember the number of times she had tried to tell Amane that it had been her brother that had made her suffer all those years ago, and still did. Every single time she had convinced herself that it was best not to say anything. She had told herself that if she were to ever overcome her fear of Motoki, then she would have to do it on her own.
She let a grin spread easily over her face when her friend turned her gaze on her. Amane's brows furrowed into a frown but nothing more to show that she wasn't fooled with the other girl's charade. Iwane let the expression drop when the wind user turned away and allowed her pace to slow slightly.
They had been in Konoha for most of the remaining two months of summer and autumn was coming. Although they had advanced their skills tremendously, the kunoichi still had no leads on Arisa's whereabouts. Naruto had left Kaze no Kuni shortly after responding to their letter, and they had no idea in which direction he would travel.
Amane was worried about the attack the blonde had mentioned, since the ninja -there was no other explanation for their skills- had not worn anything to identify them or their village. The possibilities that they had been Sound ninja were high, but it was the same for Iwa and Kumo-nin.
They had no reason to attack the blonde besides the fact that he was searching for Orochimaru's whereabouts or any clues leading to his location. Although, the people that knew of his involvement with that matter were few and the kunoichi were sure none of them would willingly give up the information.
Aiko already knew and Amane was quick witted to know that it meant he would have told the person that acted as a middle man for him and the council, but Iwane had already found out that it was her brother, Ryohei. The Itagaki had told Hyuuga Neji in confidence and Iwane had only told Hinata, since she hardly spoke with anyone else within Konohagakure.
The trio paused as they saw a figure waiting at the edge of the woods and Iwane smirked when she noticed that it was Hinata. She knew that the dark haired heiress had been away on a mission with her team for several days now and apparently had just recently returned. A glare was thrown at her smirking companions before she jogged ahead and took hold of her hand before they both disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Amane and Aiko parted ways soon after as the sun cast a soft orange glow over the streets of the village. The wind user stuffed her hands into her pockets as she leisurely walked toward the Haruno household. She had almost reached the two-story building when an ache in her left bicep made her stop suddenly.
She gave no explanation to Sakura, who had lifted a hand to greet her from the door since she had just arrived as well. Meanwhile, the pink haired kunoichi blinked in confusion as Amane turned and sprinted down the street before jumping to kick off a building and landed on another one. She quickly disappeared from view and for some reason, the sight made the pink-haired kunoichi quickly head back toward the Hokage tower.
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The Hebi Sannin had made the terms of the agreement with Akatsuki very clear. Pein wanted Arisa because he believed that the Rokubi was sealed within her, yet Orochimaru wasn't too sure. He had come across several documents on the biju of legend during his travels. The former Konoha-nin had read that the six tails was a beast known as the Raijuu and controlled the element of lightning.
However, Orochimaru had failed to mention this to them because when he was done with her he wouldn't have any use for her. He would have his perfect vessel, which was a child even more powerful then anything the shinobi world had ever seen. It was only a matter of time now, since he had the two pieces of the puzzle within reach.
He'd been moving an object between his fingers and now stopped as he gazed upon it, and the symbol Kuuchin glinted up at him. It was the ring he had worn long ago on his left little finger when he had been in the Akatsuki, and now it was his bargaining chip with the people that had wanted to find and destroy him for so long.
Orochimaru was no fool, since he knew that Pein could and would betray his word if given the chance, so he had not given him the ring right away. As a former Akatsuki member, he knew that all of the biju had to be extracted in order or the statue would surely shatter. So, that meant they had to capture and extract Shukaku before any of the others, but it would be hard to do since the rest of Suna had grown to trust the red haired jinchuriki.
So far, they had collected the Yonbi, the Gobi, and the difficulty obtained Hachibi. He knew that it wouldn't be long before they collected the Nibi in Kumogakure. After all, Orochimaru had given the Akatsuki the information on the biju as a show of good faith, and Pein was interested in his proposition if he had sent Zetsu instead of another agent.
Many would confuse the man's role within the organization, but the former Leaf shinobi knew that the plant-man was merely Pein's scout. He may have the ability to sense the movements of others while traveling through rain, but it wasn't always a sure source. Zetsu could be anywhere at anytime if he knew the general location of his target using the Hiru Banshou: Bouka no Jutsu. Orochimaru had gone to such great lengths to hide Otogakure mainly because of him.
'It's only a matter of time before my plans come together at last,' he silently contemplated. He continued to stand at the window until the sun had nearly set, and over the horizon appeared two figures. A smirk slipped across his alabaster features. Getting the Uchiha to come to him had been easy, since he only had to offer him the power to destroy that which he so feverishly sought after without regard to anyone else's life or safety.
Arisa, on the other hand had been tricky. He'd sought her since he had first learned of the power that slept within her, but he couldn't take her over at the time. She had been much too young and her abilities far too unstable. So, he had taken a memento to ensure that when the time came she would never willingly leave when he forced her to his side. His greedy, hateful eyes fastened on the kunoichi and the Hunter and the smirk turned into a cruel grin.
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Iwane appeared with Hinata in a small clearing several feet away from where they had been moments before. She knew that her teammate and instructor had continued ahead and she was glad since she didn't need their teasing at the moment.
Hinata's hair had been pulled into a messy ponytail at the back of her head and several strands had fallen into her pale features. There was dirt smeared on her face and Iwane's hand unconsciously went to wipe some of it away. The shorter girl leaned into the touch with a sigh and the Erizawa smiled slightly.
She had never actually been with anyone, since the experience with Motoki had made her too scared to ever be with a man, and Amane was the only girl she had ever loved. Iwane remembered the way the taller girl had flinched away from her touch and winced, but forced the memory away.
She wanted to make it work with Hinata because she cared for the kunoichi, but at times she still found it hard to completely forget about Amane. Iwane had cared too much for the girl which is why she hadn't ever confessed her feelings. Motoki had made things clear to her long ago.
'You stay away from her, or the next one to suffer will be Akemi.'
Those words had haunted her every time she tried to get near Amane even after Motoki had retreated from her life, and it had been Arisa's presence that had given her the courage she needed to finally interact with her. Although, the meetings after the first one hadn't been the most pleasant. Iwane's suicide was still a touchy subject and the Itagaki still wanted to know why she had done it.
At times, their arguments ended with one of them throwing a punch but the Ashikaga female had always broken up the fights. Then gradually Iwane had been able to tell her the vague details of why she had tried to take her life. Amane wasn't completely satisfied, since she wanted to brutalize Iwane's attacker, but she left it alone for the time being.
Afterwards, their relationship had grown stronger and then Iwane didn't think she could ever live without either one. Even now, as she pulled Hinata into an embrace, she could never allow Amane to leave her life. She knew that nothing would ever exist between them but that didn't mean she would stopped caring about her.
Some might say that Iwane had gotten over Amane too quickly and it meant she hadn't loved her as much as she claimed, but that wasn't true. After all, she had a right to move on with her life because not only would it make the Itagaki feel guilty if she let her life fall apart, but she'd also beat the hell out of her until she snapped out of it. Iwane wasn't sure which one scared her more.
The sun's dying light bathed them in a warm pool as they shared this moment, lingering in each others' arms away from prying eyes or whispered words. It had been obvious to Iwane from the beginning that Hinata's father would not approve of their relationship. However, it wasn't because they were both female. Such things were trivial in the world of shinobi, where any day could be your last. No, the thing that made Hyuuga Hiashi frown upon their relationship was status, and clan honor.
Iwane would have laughed in the older ninja's face if she had heard him say such things. They were more understanding in sexual orientation then her own mother had been, but they judged honor and status as strictly as the Itagaki. It seemed that no matter where a person went, they would always find ignorant people that never saw past the surface of money and social standing.
That is what the so-called honor and status was about. Hiashi wanted his daughter to marry into a wealthy family that would benefit his clan, but also at the same time be rid of the daughter he openly called an embarrassment to the Hyuuga name. The man sickened Iwane, but that didn't change the fact that he was Hinata's father and so she held her tongue while in the shorter girl's presence. Despite the man's cruel words, the dark haired kunoichi still cared for him as a child unconditionally did to a parent.
"You're quite scruffy," Iwane teased as she wiped at the dirt smearing her cheek. She could feel her face heating in a blush and smirked before pecking her on the nose. "But don't worry. I'll still cuddle you all the same." The Erizawa proved this by burying her nose in the other's hair, which she had pulled from the ponytail she had it in.
She enjoyed the scent of her hair, the texture as she passed her fingers through it, but the color mesmerized her. It was indigo and unlike anything she had ever seen, and not even her younger sister had acquired such startling color. "Don't ever cut your hair," she sighed into the luscious locks, and heard her giggle at the words.
Iwane wanted the rest of the world to fade away around them so that way they could never be bothered. However, she realized that wouldn't be possible as she felt a chill pass through her back and then sensed four presences heading in their direction before they stopped just out of sight. "Do you feel them?" she whispered against her ear, having noticed that the other's body had tensed.
"H-hai," she muttered as she turned her head slightly, the veins around her eyes bulging to show that her Byakugan had become active. She sucked in air when she was able to see the ninja's hitai-ate. "Kumo-nin."
The earth user's eyes narrowed but they hadn't moved since the four ninja would most likely become suspicious. They would be outnumbered, and she didn't know if they were of the Chunin level or higher, but she doubted that simple Chunin had been sent to Konoha during such a portentous time. That alone worried her, but more that they had managed to get past the ANBU units that were rigorously patrolling the area.
"Just act naturally," she advised quietly as she ran her hands through the others hair, but slowly pumping chakra to the kanji for life that she had tattooed on the right bicep, opposite the one for death on the left. It worked as a summoning between the three Suna-nin, since they had decided almost a year ago that there could come a time when they would need something like this.
It wasn't as strong as the summoning tattoo that Harukaze had as Oinin, since it would only work if they were a few miles away. So, she was praying that Aiko and Amane had only gone back to their designated homes instead of anywhere else. If they were somewhere farther, then neither would be able to get here in time.
Iwane's first instinct was to protect the younger kunoichi and when they made a move toward them, she had already started to forms seals. A wall of earth rose from the ground on all sides of the girls, since the ninja had started to surround them. It stopped the barrage of kunai that had been aimed at her back. Iwane was worried that they hadn't attacked the Hyuuga girl, and then realized that they were obviously after the Byakugan.
She formed seals once more and teleported them away as an electric jutsu smashed through the defensive barrier. "Get out of here, Hinata-chan," she commanded as she shoved her behind and whirled to face the approaching enemy. The girl hesitated and was about to refuse, but she cut her off. "They're after you!"
Hinata was startled into silence but she didn't seem surprised by this information. After all, Kumo-nin had tried to kidnap her when she was a child and Neji's father had died as a result. It was a fact that she had found difficult to live with after she had found out, and so she had never resented Neji for his hate toward her.
"I know," she whimpered but the moment of weakness did not last as she moved to Iwane's side. "I am a shinobi of Konoha. I will fight." There was such determination in her voice that her father would have been proud.
Iwane hesitated but couldn't respond as the ninja appeared before them. "You have no responsibility to this girl, Suna-nin. Give us the Hyuuga and we will let you live," one of them said, obviously not wanting to waste their time fighting the Chunin.
The earth user let a grin split her features, her emerald eyes sharply locked on them. "Your threats are idle and promises false." She shifted into a fighting stance as the kunoichi did the same beside her, the Juken stance recognizable.
They realized that she was serious and moved to attack. Iwane could tell that they were most likely of the Jonin level and cursed their luck, since Hinata and she were only Chunin. She moved to intercept her first opponent as the other kunoichi did the same. The other two hung back for the moment and she suspected that they would join if they saw an opening.
Iwane's kunai clashed with the enemy's as she twirled in place to deliver a kick to the side of his head, twisting the rest of her body down. He disappeared to be replaced by a log, but when he attacked her she was also replaced with a log as several kunai and shuriken impaled its surface.
The Kumo-nin rushed her with a lightning jutsu covering his hand and she quickly formed a ten seals sequence before stamping her foot against the ground two times. She stayed still as he moved toward her but the ground started to shake beneath him, causing the Cloud ninja to stop in his attack. It was a mistake but he never had a chance to regret it as the earth opened up beneath him.
'Doton, Akakujiku!' The ground quickly closed up to crush the man before he managed to jump out, and the sound of his bones being crushed as blood dribbled from a small crack was the proof that it hadn't been a replacement or a clone. She stepped back as one of the other ninja attacked her, a kunoichi this time but she was quick to avoid the sword she wielded.
When she jumped back, the woman didn't follow her and was immediately on guard. The air around her dropped several degrees and a thick mist started to cover the area. Either this was Kirigakure no Jutsu, or a Genjutsu that copied its effects. She tried to dispel the jutsu first and realized that the latter was true as the surrounding area started to come into focus once more.
"Abunai!" she heard Hinata cry out. Iwane jumped back as the fourth shinobi struck the ground with a lightning jutsu that vaguely resembled the one that Uchiha Sasuke had used during the third part of the Chunin exam, but this one seemed weaker in comparison.
The Erizawa had been forming seals even as she had jumped and now the ground shook as a pair of hands broke through the surface. 'Doton, Gasshou!' One lunged toward the Cloud kunoichi while the second tried to crush the man that had attacked her.
She turned to see the fight between Hinata and the Kumo-nin while the other two were distracted. The long haired girl wasn't fairing too well against the Jonin. Hinata had jumped away from an attack but he used his superior speed to land a kick to her midsection, which sent her flying across the clearing.
Hinata had just returned from a mission and was no doubt still tired. So, her whole body was trembling as she slowly rose to her feet. Meanwhile, the Kumo-nin was forming seals quickly before a ball of electricity started to form in his hand.
Iwane felt the whole world freeze for a moment, and imagined what her life would be like if she lost the smaller girl. She felt a terrible ache form in her chest, and it jolted her into movement before she could think twice about it. The next instant all she knew was agony and the sound of Hinata screaming her name.
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Joukai knew it was an easy mission, since they only needed to gather information on the activities of Suna and Konoha. Orochimaru had been growing restless since he had lost his main spy within Leaf when Kabuto had been discovered and he had lost any control over Sand when Suna had found the Kazekage's body after the Snake Sannin had murdered him.
So, he had decided to send them on reconnaissance around the lands of Hi and Kaze no Kuni. Hitori didn't seem bothered by this, since he was probably use to doing it, but Joukai was a bit nervous. Since the run in with Nara Shikamaru in Kawa no Kuni, she hadn't come any closer to either country.
She dreaded going there, but figured that it would be fine since no one knew her true identity with the exception of Kabuto and Orochimaru, and it was in the Hebi Sannin's interests to keep it that way. If her teammates discovered her then it would be harder for him to keep her within Oto, and that was especially true when it concerned Gaara.
Joukai shuddered at the thought of meeting up with the red head after so long. She wouldn't ever return to Suna of her own free will. Hitori needed her and she would stay at his side. That is what she had decided and what she would fight for.
However, as they had passed out of the Ta no Kuni, they had been ambushed, and had become separated. They had enough warning that they weren't caught completely unaware, but it proved difficult to remain together. Joukai and Hitori both had been using stealth jutsu, while she had henged to impersonate a normal Oto-nin.
Joukai soared through the air to another branch, the wind pulling at her garments and twisted at the last second before she would have crashed into the trunk. She kicked off the surface and formed seals as she did so, unleashing an inferno that reduced everything in front of her to ash and two of the ninja that had been pursuing her weren't fast enough to evade the attack.
She pulled out several kunai and shuriken and flung them to the sides, since the other four had split apart and were now on either side of her. They deflected the projectiles and she used their momentary distraction to vanish from their line of sight. The ninja, whom she had realized consisted of both Sand and Leaf shinobi, were smart enough not to linger in the clearing and quickly took cover in the trees.
The former Suna-nin slowly let out a breath, feeling her heart beat slow until it almost seemed like it had stopped completely. She slipped from her hiding place in the shadows and stalked the closest ninja, a Konoha-nin that had his eyes riveted to the shadows as he crept along the branch. Joukai watched as he glanced around, slowly starting to withdraw shuriken and kunai.
She knew that the next jutsu that she was going to use was Kijutsu because of the dark affects on the recipients of the technique. However, she had learned it in order to figure it out and that way learn how to break the hold that Orochimaru had on Hitori's mind, which was a stronger version.
Her hands were quick and precise as she flashed through the thirty seal sequence and then lunged at the man. She was upon him before he could attack her, and her slender fingers curled around his agape lips and she met his wide eyes as her own flickered crimson. "Omoi shoji, Kiri no Kagami," she snarled into his ear as she leaned closer to him.
The kunai he had raised to stab her stilled and his arm dropped to his side. When she pulled away from him, she saw that his eyes had drained of life as if his soul no longer housed his body. Orochimaru's files on this jutsu had stated that it had taken him almost two years to perfect, but she had managed it quicker and knew that the being inside of her made it possible.
She heard the rest of the ninja coming and she moved her hand in the direction she knew they were approaching from. The man moved as if he were being controlled by strings and Joukai turned away from the sight, since she was sickened for a moment for having used it. However, Hitori was worth any suffering, and if using and understanding this horrible jutsu helped him then she'd be able to handle it.
"Kill them all," she whispered and the shinobi lunged into action as her eyes slid closed. The next sounds she heard were the cries of the remaining three ninja before silence flooded the forest.
Hitori landed beside her a few moments later and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. Joukai breathed out shakily before turning to meet his gaze and nodding. He jumped away from her and knew that the shinobi she had been controlling would now meet his end. She sighed softly and swore to herself that when she freed the Hunter and Orochimaru was no more, then she would destroy all knowledge of this terrible technique.
When he returned from disposing of the bodies she jumped away from the tree branch, and didn't have to turn to know that he was following her. Hitori would be with her no matter where she went and that thought comforted her for now.-
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Rokubi: Six tails
Raijuu: the six tailed biju that controlls lightning
Kuuchin: the void
Yonbi: four tails
Gobi: five tails
Hachibi: eight tails
Nibi: two tails
Hiru Banshou: Bouka no Jutsu: Leech All Creation, Attack Prevention Technique
Juken: lit. "Gentle fist"; the Hyuuga's taijutsu that is used with the Byakugan
Doton, Akakujiku: Earth Release, Bloody Crush
Doton, Gasshou: Earth Release, Praying Hands
Abunai: Watch out
Omoi shoji, Kiri no Kagami: Mind Possession, Mirror of the Mist
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End, Chapter Twenty-seven
