Chapter 38:::The Awakening
Nami walked through a hallway dimly lit by the rising sun through the small windows, inside the building where herself, Sakura, Kakashi, and Naruto had spent the night. She was dressed in her black sleeveless spandex suit, Jounin vest, and green skirt, ready to depart, box-o-wings, as she liked to call it, securely on her back. She stopped in front a door and knocked softly, only waiting a second before opening it. She raised an eyebrow when she caught sight of the sleeping figure of Naruto and smiled to herself.
She turned her gaze to the other two occupants of the room. "Kakashi-sensei, you wanted to see me?" She smiled at the small ninja dog sitting across from Kakshi on the bed, a map between them. "Hello Pakkun."
The dog nodded. "Nami."
Kakashi cleared his throat. "Nami, I think it would be best if you went with Pakkun and met Team Gai, and be the bird's eye view."
Nami raised an eyebrow. "You want me to stay in the air and follow Pakkun? Why do I need to go with him in the first place? Surly he can reach Team Gai on his own and inform them of where to go."
Kakashi nodded. "Yes, but as you can see, Pakkun is not a combat dog. If something happens to him it will be your responsibility to lead them. Take a look at the map and I'll show you the coarse; memorize it quickly."
Nami looked down at the map, burning the image and marked path into her memory.
"While in the air you'll be able to see the path and know the way. Make sure Pakkun is in your sight at all times, he will be tracking Gai." Kakashi said while she studied the coarse.
She waved a hand. "Even if I lose him I'd still be able to find Gai-niisan. I gave him a necklace for his birthday, it contains a tracking device that will lead me to him. I think he'll just be in range if he's traveling towards Suna."
Kakashi visible eye was half lidded and looking at her with curiosity. "You put a tracking device on Gai…Why?"
"Because I am a very protective cousin. Now, recap. I am to be Pakkun's bodyguard, or doggyguard, and if something happens to him I must continue on and give Team Gai the information needed and lead them to the Akatsuki's hideout?"
Kakashi nodded. "Leave now."
She nodded and formed a hand seal, but suddenly Naruto rolled off his bed, face first, and woke up. She momentarily forgot what she was doing to laugh. Naruto groaned and sat up, automatically giving her the evil eye.
"Oh, you're awake Naruto!" Pakkun said.
Nami rolled her eyes. "I think that's rather obvious."
The dog shot her a look while Naruto stared at them curiously, sleepiness leaving his eyes. "Pakkun? Nami-chan?"
Kakashi looked at the dog and the girl. "I'm counting on you two."
They nodded. Pakkun looked at Naruto. "See you later, Naruto."
Nami smirked and saluted. "Ja!" She formed a seal and disappeared in a puff of smoke. She reappeared on the roof of the circular building they were staying in. She didn't waste time to release her wings and jump of the roof, following Pakkun as he ran. If she had been running she probably wouldn't have been able to keep him in sight, but in the air, everything was in her sight.
She was enjoying her time in the air, keeping her sights on the dog, and didn't realize how long she had been flying until her arms began to hurt and she jolted back into reality and noticed she was flying over trees. She flew out of the coverage of the clouds and into the trees, nearer to Pakkun, dodging the trees and branches with practiced expertise.
"Pakkun, are they close?"
The dog nodded. "Yes." He ran faster and Nami flew up, knowing she could go faster above the trees. Only about ten minutes passed when she suddenly dived, breaking the connection she had with her wings, and they returned to the box. She flipped and landed on a branch next to Pakkun. She flipped her hair out of her face and smiled at Team Gai.
"Pakkun? Nami?" Gai said surprised.
Nami smiled. "Hello Gai-niisan!"
"Nami…what are you doing here?" Lee asked.
"Kakashi-sensei sent us to find you and lead you….Well actually, he sent Pakkun, I was merely supposed to be a distraction if an enemy got him." She paused and looked at the dog. "Do you think if you didn't wear the leaf representation you would be safer? Hmmm." She continued to ponder while Pakkun rolled his eyes and looked up at Team Gai.
"Kakashi had us Eight Ninja Hounds split up and follow Akatsuki's sent. We found that they've gone to the River Country, which lies between Konoha and the Suna."
"The River Country?" Neji repeated.
Nami nodded, attention focused once again. "Yes, and currently we're now closer to the Akatsuki's hide out than everyone else."
The air became tense as the information sunk in and Tenten gulped while Lee, Gai, and Neji face contorted into absolute seriousness.
"I see." Lee said.
"I'll explain while we follow Pakkun." Nami said.
Gai nodded. "Okay! Everybody, let's go!"
Pakkun jumped up and continued to run, the four humans following.
"I'm sure Tsunade-sama informed you that Gaara was taken." Nami stated.
"Hai." Gai answered.
"Afterwards, Karkurou, Gaara's older brother, chased after the two Akatsuki member who took him, even though it was a stupid and irresponsible thing to do because he got himself hurt in the process and now can't do anything to help…" Nami took a deep breath and calmed herself. "Anyway, his puppet cut off a piece of cloth from one of the enemy and gave us the scent the dogs tracked earlier, leading straight to Akatsuki's hide out. Because we're closer we may reach the hideout first and we must be ready for any conflict." Nami warned.
"What information do you have on the enemy?" Neji asked as they reached the edge of the forest and ran past and around numerous number of large and small rock formations.
"The two that took Gaara are Sasori of the Red Sands, a puppet master, missing nin from Suna, and a missing nin from the Hidden Rock, I don't know his name, but he uses clay models as bombs. They can be any size and can even fly. Both are headed towards their hideout, and may be there already, giving an opening for the other members to corner us. The only others I know of are Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame." She spat the latter's name with such anger her companions looked at her strangely. She ignored the looks and glanced at her cousin. "You should know of Kisame, you've fought him."
"What can you tell us of him Gai-sensei?" Lee asked.
Gai remained silent, a thoughtful look on his face. Nami stared at him for a moment before sighing. "You forgot didn't you?"
"No!" He protested. "I must have found the battle unworthy of a place in my memory. Never let trivial information take up your memory when that space can be used for more important information."
"Hai, Gai-sensei!" Lee exclaimed.
Nami and Tenten shared a glance while Neji sighed.
"Gai-niisan…I think remembering the members of an organization collecting the human vessels of the nine, tailed demons, is important." Nami said.
"What?" Neji asked sharply.
Nami nodded. "I'm not sure how many they have acquired before Gaara, but the last two years they've been dormant, and now they will strike without hesitation until their master plan has been fulfilled."
"And that is?" Tenten asked.
"To take over the world. The demons were originally put in human vessels, in some cases, to be foolishly used as weapons to make a village stronger, and now the Akatsuki are going to draw out all demons and use the bijuu to defeat all villages and be the only reliance for protection in conflict. It will be a monopoly; they will control all and be the only reliance, therefore, they'll control the world when the other village crumble."
"Why do you know so much Nami?" Lee asked.
"You must have a specific reason for find so much about them." Neji said.
"Kisame killed my grandparents. He's the reason my father gave up on being a ninja and why we left the Mist for Konoha. If he was never around my family and I would happily be living together in the Mist." Nami said, shocking them.
"Nami." Gai said. "Such vengeful thoughts will not help you. They will only hurt the memory of your okaasan, neesan, otousan, and your otousan's parents."
Nami looked at him and glared. "I do not need the input of someone you finds the murderer of my grandparents not worth remembering."
Gai's eyes widened. "Nami-"
She ignored him. "I'm going up." She pulled the straps of her box and took off into the air when the wings emerged.
Gai sighed. She has her okaasan's stubbornness.
Nami forced herself to calm down. There is no point of getting worked up. I can't take my anger out on Gai-niisan, he hardly knows anything about my otousan's family. We didn't even tell him what our life was like in the Mist when we came to Konoha. What my grandfather was…
A sudden stopping in movements below made her look down. Her eyes widened as she gazed down at the scene below.
Hoshigaki Kisame! She thought angrily when she saw the shark-like man below, facing Team Gai; she spotted Pakkun hiding behind some rocks far away. Her anger rose when she saw the all too familiar smirk on Kisame's face. She was about to dive down, but saw him form hand seals, and paused. She watched in amazement and frustration as he preformed a perfect Baku Suishouha, and rode the newly formed waves of water that he had expelled from his gullet to attack Team Gai.
He is able to perform it so easily and change his surrounding to benefit his ninjutsu. She watched as Team Gai dodged the waves, and she waited for the opportune moment. It came when Gai distracted Kisame and Lee landed a kick to his arm, causing Kisame's sword to fly from his grasp.
She made enough wind with her wings to glide through the air while she took out a scroll from her weapons pouch and opened it, summoning her weapon. She threw her sickle and chain at the sword and watched with satisfaction as it wrapped securely around Kisame's Samehada. She held the chain that was holding the Samehada in her left hand, while her right held onto the golden hilt of a black sword; chain attached to the end on the hilt, connecting it to the sickle.
She smirked when Kisame's sword moved on its own to return to its owner, pulling Nami with it. Her wings returned to the box and she raised her sword, pulling her chain and sickle back.
Kisame looked up and his eyes widened as the black blade swung at him. He caught the hilt of his sword and blocked her attack.
Nami took off her box, knowing her speed would increase if the box didn't weigh her down, and threw it onto one of the boulders sticking out of the water, before attacking Kisame again. "Die!" She screamed, tugging back the chain and throwing the sickle at him. He blocked it and she aimed a swing of her sword at his head, but he easily blocked with his sword and kicked her in the stomach. She slid across the water and stood up slowly, sword in her right hand, sickle in her left.
"Nami!" Gai yelled. "Wait for instructions!"
She ignored him and ran at Kisame, aiming for his mid-section with her next swing, but he blocked and laughed.
"If it isn't Fukishima." He peered at the sword and his eyebrow raised. "Oh? It went to you?"
She smirked. "It's only proper for the sword to be passed down to his granddaughter. I took it from his grave, so his memory can live on. It's tradition after all….Kisame-sempai."
Kisame matched her look and swung his Samehada at her. "I stopped being your superior when I left the Mist Seven." She ducked and jumped back, throwing her sickle at Kisame, who blocked again.
Nami sneered. "Yes, also when you killed your teammate!" She pulled the chain and caught the sickle and tried to stab his open side, but he caught her wrist.
"A real teammate wouldn't have died so easily."
She glared and rage coursed through her veins. "Bastard!" She kicked his arm, freeing herself from his grip, and jumped above him, hands forming seals around the hilt of her sword.
"Katto no Fuurou!"
She swung her sword and blades of wind and Chakra headed straight for him, cutting at him, as the water at his feet shifted and swirled around him, giving him no means of escape from her wind blades.
But Kisame just laughed and swung his sword, breaking the wind and water. "Pathetic, you'll never be able to beat me like you are. Your otousan did more damage to you then I thought, you were never this weak before!" He swung his sword at her and landed a hit to her side, sharp scales coming out and ripping the skin of her side and sending her through the air towards Gai and the rest. She dropped her weapon as she fell head first towards the water.
"Nami!" Lee yelled as he caught her. "Are you alright?"
She winced and her hand moved to her injured side. "No, I was caught off guard. Once I get my sword-"
"No Nami." Neji said. "You are letting revenge cloud your vision and you are wounded, let us handle it."
"It's nothing." She said, moving away from Lee. "I-"
"Nami!" Gai interrupted. "Neji is right, you are not fit to fight, we will handle it. Everyone, now!" Gai, Neji, Lee, and Tenten all attacked using the teamwork they perfected over the years, leaving Nami staring after them. Nami watched as they attacked and as Kisame taunted Gai for not remembering him, calling him stupid.
Nami panted heavily and covered her bleeding wound with one hand, but it just seeped through her fingers, and her heart with the other. She glared at the ground, anger rising, her heart hammering against her chest painfully. Damn him…Why am I so weak?! Why can't I be strong?! And how dare he talk about my otousan! I am strong! 'tousan never did anything to me! I WILL KILL KISAME! Suddenly her anger turned into pure uncontrollable rage and her heart gave one last strong beat, pulsating through her body, mind, and soul. Her eyes widened and her pupils dilated. After a moment her eyelids drooped and her pupils became large, eyes becoming hazy and blank. Something snapped inside her and her heart began to beat again at a calm pace. She slowly stood up, pain of her wound no longer bothering her, and dove into the water, swimming to her weapon. She grabbed it and watched, eyes still blank, as Chakra began to twist around her sword, chain, and sickle
Henzuru!
The chains and hilt of the sickle and sword molded together to form a glaive of sorts, but the blade was the same size and the sickle transformed into a crescent moon shape blade at its place at the end on the now black and gold handle.
Nami swam to a submerged boulder and kicked off it, launching herself out of the water and swung her transformed sword, but the person who blocked the attack directed at him was not Kisame, but Gai.
Gai's eyes widened and he jumped away from Nami, his nunchakus, that he had taken out before, raised defensively. "Nami! What are you doing?" He noticed the blank look in her eyes and narrowed his own. Something's wrong.
She silently turned her long sword in Gai's direction and swung it horizontally. Blue crescent shaped horizontal blades flew at Gai and barley hit him as he dodged. One clipped his arm and he covered it with his hand as it started to bleed. Something is definitely wrong.
"You're in the way." She said emotionlessly. "Don't get in my way."
Lee, Neji, and Tenten's eyes widened as they watched from their water prisons, that Kisame had caught them in while Nami had received her weapon, as Nami attacked her own cousin.
"Gai-sensei!" Lee yelled, but was muffled somewhat by the water.
Gai turned his attention to his students and kicked the three Kisame clones, destroying them and freeing Lee, Neji, and Tenten. Neji caught Tenten as she lost her balance and Lee went to Gai's side, watching Nami's calm form, as an unfamiliar aura and killing intent surrounded her.
"Gai-sensei, what's wrong with Nami?" Tenten asked, finally regaining her breath.
"Something's awakened in her." He said.
One of Lee's hands clenched into a fist and he took a step forward. "Nami! What is wrong with you? You do not attack your allies!"
She ignored him and didn't look away from Kisame.
"Nami!" Lee ran forward.
Gai's eyes widened. "Lee wait!"
Nami slashed her sword in Lee's direction and the blue blade would have hit him if Gai didn't pull him out of the way. "Something in her eyes and heart has changed, she no longer recognizes us." Gai said.
"We have to help her fight, she can't do it by herself." Tenten argued.
"We can't." Gai said.
"Why not?" Neji asked.
He looked at them. "Because she may try to kill us."
Three sets of eyes widened.
Kisame smirked. "Attacking your teammates, your true colors are starting to show." His eyes gained a mysterious glint. "Wonderful."
Nami's eyes widened and filled with gleeful malice, and a cruel smile broke out across her face. She got into a fighting stance and the same thoughts traveled through her mind.
kill…Kill…KILL! SHED HIS BLOOD!
Her sword's blade glowed blue and she dipped it in the water to wet the blade. The next second she was gone and appeared behind Kisame, who blocked her attack, but looked surprised. Fast.
Nami disappeared again and appeared above him, then at his side, then the other, then behind, and finally stopped in front of him. Each time she swung many times, too many to count for some, and blue crescent blades were sent at him, killing intent aiming them true.
Kisame blocked most, but a couple hit him and Nami didn't hesitate to attack again. She pressed her hand against the still bleeding wound on her side and her hand became covered with her blood. She slid her hand over the blade of her sword until it glinted red in the light with her blood. She grabbed the handle of the sword with both hands; not looking bothered as her wound continued to bleed.
"Boufuu no ketsueki." She whispered. Nami lifted her sword above her and slowly brought it down vertically till it touched the water. Her blood left the sword and surrounded Kisame. Kisame tried to jump away, but blades of blood shot out of the water and followed and attacked him in all directions so he couldn't avoid being hit. She jump up to face him in the air and covered her sword with more blood.
"Boufuu no ketsueki." She slashed the air in front of him and millions of blades of blood sweep around him and slashed him repeatedly, only millisecond pauses between attacks. He was bleeding profusely when it ended and Nami stabbed him through the heart without hesitation.
Both fell from the sky, but while the now dead man landed roughly on the now waterless ground, making a human size pit in the ground, Nami landed gracefully and bowed her head, back facing Team Gai.
Lee took a step forward, but still kept his distance. "Nami?"
She turned her head slowly and looked at them, same excited malice filled look in her wide eyes. "…More…Kill." She smiled widely and faced them, long sword raised and pointed at the nearest person, Lee.
She ran straight for his, sword posed for attack, crazed look in her eyes, but before she could reach him Gai grabbed her arms and hit the side of her neck. She dropped her sword and fell forward, into Gai's waiting arms, unconscious; her long sword returned to its normal state before its transformation now that her Chakra no longer kept it together. Tenten picked it up and gathered around Gai with Lee and Neji, all staring at Nami.
"She…was going to attack me." Lee murmured.
"She was going to attack all of us." Neji said. "Even if she was wounded she would have continued to fight, even if she ran out of Chakra and died."
"Gai-sensei…" Tenten trailed off when she saw the look on her sensei's face.
Gai stared down at his last living family member with something close to fear in his eyes. "The seal has broke."
Jutsu Translation:
Kisame's jutsu
Baku Suishouha:::Bursting Water Collision Waves
Nami's jutsus
Katto no Fuurou::: Cutting of Wind and Waves
Henzuru:::To be Transformed
Boufuu no ketsueki:::Windstorm of Blood
A/N Pics of Nami and her weapon posted on my profile, please comment on them as well as the chappy, and sorry I haven't updated in a while.
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LadySoftball