Dedicated to MzPearlz
"Please! Please help me!"
"I already told you Kirie, I'm not a teacher."
"But you have to help! What if they come after me again? I need to know how to defend myself!"
"Look, Kirie, I'm not the right person to teach you. Trust me."
"Please! I'm scared…."
Kanna sighed, and stopped walking. Kirie bumped into her, the sudden stop catching her by surprise. Glancing upwards, Kanna ran her hand through her hair, and sighed again.
"Alright, fine. I'll teach you a little."
"Thank you thank you thank you! You have no idea how grateful I am! I promise I'll try really hard!"
Kanna smiled, amused by the enthusiasm of Kirie, now her student.
Well, I never did get to train any Genin before I left the village. Perhaps this is my chance.
Kirie grinned, excited and overjoyed. She jumped around, laughing and clapping her hands, looking as if she was about to start singing.
"When can we start? Can we start now? Please?"
"Alright, alright. I'll show you a few basic moves now. Mind you, this stuff will be really basic, so you should still avoid trouble when possible."
"Ok, got it. Come on, let's go!"
Kirie sprinted down the street, startling an old couple leaving a restaurant. Kanna followed at an easier pace, tracking Kirie's movements as she made her way towards the edge of the village. She followed as Kirie led her to an open area just outside the village walls. It was empty of anyone else, giving them some privacy.
Kanna, somewhat bored, decided to have some fun. She lingered in the village a little, giving Kirie some time to wonder where she had gone to. Then she vanished, appearing behind Kirie in her trademark blood mist.
"Boo."
Kirie jumped, and whirled around. Kanna laughed.
"Well, your sensory skills definitely need improvement. But first, I'm going to teach you some basic blocks and defensive moves. Remember, these moves are for defense only. If you ever use what I teach you to bully or to get your way, I will come after you myself."
"Ooh, scary," Kirie murmured sarcastically.
Kanna leapt forward, moving too fast for Kirie's eyes to track. She pulled out a kunai and held it against the younger woman's throat, growling.
"Don't make me come after you. You will regret it," she murmured softly, voice menacing.
"Alright, I got it, I got it," Kirie practically yelled, hands raised. "I promise, I won't use what you teach me to get my way."
"Good. Now, copy my stance. This move is good for blocking an attacker's punch. It uses their own body weight and power against them, and gives you plenty of openings if used effectively."
Kanna led Kirie through the steps in the move, watching with a hint of pride as she realised the potential her student held. They progressed quickly that afternoon, Kirie mastering most of the basics after only a few attempts.
"Alright, that's enough for today," Kanna sighed, calling a halt to their training.
"Already? But I was having so much fun! And I want to keep practicing."
"You need to rest. I can see your legs trembling. If I push you any farther, you'll collapse. Go home and get some rest. I'll meet you here tomorrow, same time."
"Ok! Thanks Kanna! I'll see you tomorrow!"
Kirie dashed off, Kami knows how. Her legs were still trembling from all the work they had done that afternoon.
"Where does she get all that energy," Kanna murmured, shaking her head. She strolled back into the village, in no particular hurry to go anyway. The sun dipped below the horizon before she reached the inn she was staying at, painting the streets and houses with dark shadows.
"Do you plan on actually attacking me, or are you just going to follow me like a puppy?" she called out.
A shadow at the end of the street shifted, shaping itself into the silhouette of a man.
"So, you knew I was here the entire time. Such sensory skills you have. However, you must know that I'm not alone. Make one wrong move, and you'll be dead before you can move an inch."
Kanna grinned, moonlight turning the smile feral.
"Do you really think you are capable of doing that?"
The man laughed softly, menacingly.
"We know all about you, Kanna. Your little Jashinist boyfriend isn't here to save you this time."
"Save me? You're underestimating me. And you're going to regret it."
She moved suddenly, vanishing in a red mist that glittered in the moonlight. Swiftly and silently man after man fell, until the one who had initially confronted her was the last one standing.
"So," she whispered softly, lips almost brushing his ear, "still think you can take me out?"
A shiver ran through his body, betraying the fear he was so desperately trying to hide. Kanna laughed quietly, causing him to flinch. Silently he fell at her feet, the kunai she held gleaming bright scarlet.
She glanced up, searching. For a moment, it felt as though someone was watching her, hiding their presence. But the feeling soon vanished, and she forgot about it, instead cleaning up the mess she had made.
"Sumiko-sama, I have news."
Sumiko lounged in her chair, examining her nails in the dim light.
"Well? What is it?"
"It's Kanna, mam. She's training a student."
"Why did you think this would be of any interest to me?"
"We did some digging, and found some rather interesting information."
"Spit it out already, you're testing my patience."
"Her student is a young woman who goes by the name of Kirie. However, this is not her real name. The young woman is actually Himiko Kinoshita."
Sumiko laughed suddenly, causing the man bringing her this information to flinch violently. The sound echoed through the empty hall, rebounding off the walls.
"So, Himiko has shown her face again. I do believe that we may have some competition, Kato. Keep an eye on her for the time being, but don't intervene. I'm curious to see what she's after."
"Yes, Sumiko-sama."
Kato left, and immediately found himself a private room. Ensuring he was alone, he took a transceiver from his pocket and turned it on.
"Orochimaru-sama, I have some information you will find very interesting."
"So you've finally resurfaced. What are you up to, Himiko?" Sumiko murmured to herself.
A change was coming, she could smell it. And soon it would reach the world everyone thought was safe, shattering that reality into thousands of tiny pieces. Soon, the world everyone knew would be replaced by something darker and far more menacing. The only thing that could stop her was the choice her daughter will make. She walked the border between the two worlds, and her decision would be the catalyst that would either plunge the world into darkness, or hold the delicate the balance in place.
AN- Yea I know, I don't update fast enough. Still, I rather enjoyed writing this chapter, and I hope you all enjoy reading it. Oh, and thank you to MzPearlz for reviewing almost every chapter, it means so much that you read and enjoy this story. So, I've written this chapter, just for you. I know it lacks the all important Hidan, but he's really not doing much at this point, and I wanted to get all this in before I forgot what I was writing about. Thanks again for reading this story, and please review!