A/N: Here you folks go, something big. Took some time to write all these following chapters, but I'm sure you could figure that out. And what a coincidence, just in time for the holidays. So, here's my gift to any faithful readers who've stuck with this silly little tale. I appreciate all of you!
Hope you all enjoy! :)
A dark cloud hovered over the Kage from that day on. How could they have been so foolish as to let a man like that put them in such an embarrassing position? They had been lucky, Naruto barely managed to have The Nine Tails lend a helping hand and provide a safe landing, though they had cut it quite close. The only wounds suffered were to their pride as Kage, and such wounds did not heal so easily. It was agreed upon, war was to be waged against the Hidden Abyss Village. Efforts to find them would be tripled, security around each major village was to be beefed up, and the best shinobi from each land were to be used to their absolute best abilities.
Each Kage had made it home safely, albeit distraught with the concept of their villages being in peril after so many years of peace and unification. Chojuro in particular was feeling the pressure on a spiritual level. Deep down, he had a sinking feeling that his village was going to play a large part in all of this. It was selfish and unreasonable for him to center his own village, his own people, around something as large as this, but he was sure his fellow Kage were doing the exact same. If anybody were to be worried on a level such as this, it should be Naruto. Father had threatened to take him last, or rather, promised that Naruto would see the light in the end, after the others had. How ominous.
Finally reaching the familiar tower, the Mizukage climbed the steps inside all the way to the top, reaching the comforting space he knew as his office. He tossed his Kage hat to the side with little care as he walked in, closing the door behind him and seeing Kagura stand up behind the desk; the young man was shocked to see his village leader, his mentor, in such a state of distress. Naturally he rushed forward and asked question after question, wanting to know if Chojuro was alright. The bespectacled Kage seemed to have his focus set on something beyond his planned successor, something that wasn't physically there. He was lost in thought as his brain wracked itself to find an answer, any sort of answer to his current predicament. He couldn't find any, not one. How could he and the other four Kage possibly fight against a village when it's leader alone was capable of nearly killing all of them in a single moment?
...in fact...he could have. Why didn't Father do it? Why did he let them live? Surely, a shinobi capable of whatever technique used to levitate the temple like that was also capable of killing them without warning. Perhaps it was all a statement. It wouldn't be a huge surprise, but it was a terrifying thought nonetheless. That overconfidence would be his downfall, that was something Chojuro would make certain of.
"...Lord Chojuro?"
Blinking himself out of his own stupor, hearing his name spoken aloud brought the Mizukage back to earth. He put his attention on Kagura, who was holding a small scroll out to the man.
"I'll...stop asking questions. I don't know what's on your mind, and I know your trip was long, but I really think you should look at this."
Almost like he was confused by what he was being told, Chojuro eyed his pupil, then the scroll, then his pupil once more. A cautious hand reached up to the roll of paper, gripping the item and holding it near his face for a quick inspection. A pit formed in his stomach when he noticed that the scroll was sealed up with the symbol of the Hyuuga. This could be nothing but bad news. If they wanted to begin another squabble over Jiyuu at a time like this, they would be sorely disappointed in the lack of participation from the Hidden Mist's side.
"...when did this..."
"Three days after you left," Kagura admitted. "A Hyuuga kunoichi who referred to herself as Ai entered the office and handed it to me. She said it was in regards to Jiyuu. She...also asked if she could visit him, to which I told her that now probably wasn't a good time for something like that. She left the village without causing any trouble, but I haven't opened the scroll. I figured it was best to leave it for you."
Chojuro felt more and more uneasy with each word spoken, his small glare trailing from Kagura to the scroll clutched in his own hand. He took a short, quick breath and unfurled it, ripping the seal apart in a small fit of irritation. The words, he felt, were going to upset him even more than he already was after the summit.
Lord Mizukage,
I am aware that a meeting will occur between you, my brother-in-law, and the other Kage within a few days.
Whether this scroll reaches you before or after doesn't matter, my message would be the same regardless.
Firstly, I wish to apologize for anything that had happened between your village and my clan in the past, as
they were the actions brought about by a different leader and carried out by a kunoichi who, in my honest opinion,
should not have been allowed to act in the manner that she had. That very Hyuuga, who you may or may not have known as Riri, had
actually defected from our clan like many others who had gone to join the Hidden Abyss Village. She was never the embodiment
of what we Hyuuga wish to be.
I will be straightforward. The Hyuuga Clan still desires Jiyuu Tamashi to join us. It is less about the Hyuuga keeping our doujutsu safe, as it's now
more about what he could do for us and our future. I have tried my absolute best to keep our clan stable, but all of our defectors have made the Hyuuga
appear to be nothing more than a group of traitors in the eyes of our fellow villagers. That is just outside our compound walls. On the inside, discord is tearing
us apart on a level I cannot describe. Times could not be worse for us, and I know that I have no business requesting help after having
unwillingly contributed to the growth and development of the Hidden Abyss Village through those of
us Hyuuga who had split away. That being said, I strongly believe that Jiyuu Tamashi, a Hyuuga who I believe recently returned home and put up quite the
resistance against the Hidden Abyss, would be essential in saving our clan, and boosting the moral of the Hidden Leaf Village.
Naturally, I understand if he doesn't wish to hear our plea. I know that our previous leader, Hiashi, desperately desired Jiyuu to join us. Unfortunately, his
words about keeping our doujutsu safe and bringing home a stray Hyuuga were twisted and bent by Riri Hyuuga. She had led a crusade of sorts with a member
of her own genin team, Oda Hyuuga, and a member of another genin team, Ai Hyuuga, to drag Jiyuu back here without any regard for how the boy felt.
I am certain he has a less-than-favorable view on us. I do not demand he come here, I will not force him as Riri had once attempted, but do let him know
about this scroll when the time is right, and when you feel he will be most inclined to listen.
This will be his chance to help a lot of people, and it is a chance that I can only offer to him.
If you get this scroll before your departure to the summit, say hello to my brother-in-law for me.
-Hanabi Hyuuga
"...Hanabi Hyuuga..."
"The Head of the Hyuuga Clan?"
"...unfortunately, yes." Chojuro looked up from the scroll and looked out the window. "Thankfully, her request can wait. There are more important issues to tend to."
Normally, the lake behind the Tamashi family's home was serene, quiet in the mornings save for the distant splashes made by Jiyuu while training. The serenity, while still intact, was ever-so-slightly at risk of being disturbed. Jiyuu had been on his way to train alone on the lake's surface as usual, yet Warai caught him before he was able to leave. She offered to train with him, which he refused right away...and then, Warai took it as a personal insult, even challenging him by saying he would not be able to land a hit on her. Now, Jiyuu had full respect for his mother, but he simply couldn't let his status as a taijutsu-specialist be challenged like that. He agreed to spar with her, and out onto the lake they went.
More than 20 minutes in, and he had yet to connect with a clean strike.
"You'll have to do better than that."
Warai, in full Hidden Mist gear, wore a mask of stoicism as she blitzed around her son, evading hooks, flying kicks, even ninjutsu as he began to get frustrated. It was all just so uneventful to her...she did expect her son to be a ferocious fighter, and believe her, when she narrowly avoided his first attack and felt the wind from his punch alone, she knew he was a threat. But Jiyuu had also trained himself while fighting VERY specific opponents, the Hyuuga. He learned how to break down their fighting style in his own way, but such knowledge did him no good against a user of Swift Release.
She rushed in again, afterimages of her body dancing around the water like a pack of wraiths. She stopped dead in front of him, but of course Jiyuu's reaction was to throw a punch at her. She knocked away his arm with ease, already hitting him with her own counter-attack before he could even begin to throw his own. A punch to the chest was delivered, and Jiyuu skid across the water's surface before coming to a halt. He pushed himself up, glaring with gritted teeth at his opponent. His highest level of the Mezame Byakugan was active, meaning he had his senses and reaction speed on a level that was probably capable of giving a Sharingan-user some trouble, but this sort of speed from Warai was ridiculous. He couldn't fight her head-on, there was no way he could keep up. trying to subdue his panting, he thrusted his arm towards her and fired a Violent Air Palm, but of course, she avoided it...this time, however, with her own attack. Leaping right over and coming for Jiyuu was a front-flip kick, and Jiyuu had more than enough common sense to know he didn't want to be hit with that. He darted to the side just in time to avoid it, so Warai's heel kept traveling until it smacked against the lake's surface. The massive eruption of water from the sheer force alone tossed Jiyuu off-balance, making him stumble and even partially fall into the lake before he pushed himself out and took up his stance.
Warai stood up after her whiffed attack, placing a hand on her hip and smiling at her son. She hadn't broken a single sweat. "Sweetie, you have lots of holes in your defense. I didn't take advantage of them, but if I had and this was a fight to the death, I could have thrown some really powerful strikes that could have caused internal bleeding."
Jiyuu remained silent and dropped his stance, only quelling his aggravation of having been tossed around so effortlessly.
"You rely on your eyes and whatever they do too much. If there's someone faster than me who becomes your enemy, you'll need to find another method to fight. Your eyes should not make or break your chances in a battle."
All she got in response to her tutelage was a grunt, and a dismissive one at that. She wasn't exactly thrilled with having her wisdom so casually pushed aside, but she did understand where he was coming from. He was dangerous, he survived for years by himself, he feels unstoppable. Warai had been that way once, a survivor, but she did find out eventually that she couldn't take on the world alone. She just hoped to spare Jiyuu from learning such a fact the hard way.
"Hey, you two!"
The call of Ketsui got both to look towards the house, and see the bearded jounin walking over to them, fully-clad in jounin gear. He looked tired, like he hadn't slept well at all.
Warai greeted her husband with a warm smile, turning fully to face him. "Good morning, dear. You're awake at a strange hour."
"Yeah, well, wasn't really somethin' I was plannin' on doin'." The Man of Five scratched at his cheek and let out a yawn as his weary gaze went skyward, he was too tired to really focus on anything, too tired to even address the fact that his wife and son were training together. "I just got visited by another jounin, I'm bein' summoned for a recon mission and I gotta head out now."
"A recon mission?" Warai's smile wilted away, and both men could feel the natural warmth of the kunoichi be replaced with worry. "What are you doing reconnaissance for?"
"Don't know too many details just yet, just that I'll be joinin' some other jounin and it's out of the village. It'll probably turn up nothin', like usual." He spoke with a dull tone, and looked back at his concerned wife. "Another waste a' time, but the Mizukage's so desperate to find anythin' on the Hidden Abyss after the Five Kage Summit that he keeps sendin' people out. It was just a matter of time before he picked me."
Warai's worry subsided a little...but only a little. Her hands dropped from her hips, and she placed one on his cheek. "Just be safe, okay? I don't like you going out on missions now with those Abyss-nin running around...but I know you have to."
Ketsui fought through his half-awake state and gave his wife a smile, even reaching up and cupping her hand in his own. "Hey, like I said, it's gonna be nothin'. I'll probably be back sooner than ya think." He lowered her hand and squeezed it in his to reassure her that he would be fine, and thankfully, she had enough faith in him to believe his words. Ketsui let her hand go, and he gave Jiyuu a quick glance.
His son did not show any signs of concern, not even a small twitch or shift in his facial muscles. He was uncaring, he probably knew just how pointless this 'recon' mission would be. Either way, Ketsui gave his son a grin before he flickered off the water's surface.
The moment he was gone and Jiyuu noticed his mother's back was to him, he knew he had an opening. The sparring never really concluded, this match was still on. Without wasting a moment, Jiyuu darted in and readied a punch that would be aimed at the back of her head, but when she whipped around to face him faster than he could even pull his fist back, he knew he was in a bad spot. Hell, the glare she was giving him was probably worse. She stomped her foot on the water and created an explosion on the lake, shooting droplets all over in the air before they started cascading down like light rain. Jiyuu stumbled back and readied himself for a follow-up from Warai, but was surprised to see her bursting towards him with a speed so ferocious that she cut a hole through the water droplets that were falling. She closed the gap faster than he thought possible, and her fist connected with his gut.
He was winded in an instant, spit falling from his open mouth as he felt the air rush from his lungs. He crumpled down onto his knee, gasping for air, all with his mother looking down at him with a disapproving shake of the head, and her hands returning to her hips.
"A sneak attack? Very dirty."
"..."
"I think that's enough for today. Come on, let's get some breakfast going, okay sweetie?"
Jiyuu's response was a pained cough. He found himself being lifted by the arm from the kunoichi who made all his years of intense taijutsu practice seem trivial, and he did not take well to being made such a fool of. He ripped his arm from her grasp, not saying a word as he began walking towards the house, ignoring the stare he was getting from Warai with his back to her. How? How had she been able to make him look like a genin in comparison? Sure, she was more experienced, but that hardly had anything to do with it. His doujutsu deactivated as he continued to walk, and he cursed under his breath. That damn speed of hers, it was all due to her using that kekkei genkai. Speed Release...unbelievable. As a taijutsu-specialist, it made sense that all her training would have revolved around striking power, as her insane speed was a natural gift, and not something she would need to improve. That blow to the stomach was solid confirmation that she was a slugger, someone who hit so hard that it would knock down even the biggest of foes. But Jiyuu had fought people like her in the past, be them speedsters or heavy-hitters. They've all died, Jiyuu had found ways around them...but he just couldn't seem to find an opening when fighting his own mother. Why? Why was she so dominant in the spar?
Because she understood his mindset. As Warai watched her baby shake off her help and walk home alone, she felt something grip at her heart and squeeze. She knew just what Jiyuu was thinking, how he was thinking. He believes himself to be unstoppable because he's beaten all sorts of low-level shinobi during his time away. He thinks that he has accumulated the experience needed to approach any opponent, but his scope of what he could face is so limited. Warai had seen it all, been through it all. She did not have it as comfortable as Jiyuu did when growing up, not ever. She grew up in the era of the Bloody Mist as a kekkei-genkai user, having to resort to making herself a taijutsu-expert so she could masquerade her insane speed behind mere physical training, not a bloodline technique. Her 'training' was killing adults when she was a simple genin, and the small things like her graduation day at the academy still stayed fresh in her mind. She never felt pride in her skill...powerful, and unstoppable, yes...but she saw herself as a survivor more than anything. And that alone would be her only source of pride.
It wasn't until the Fourth War that she began to accept that there were others out there better than her, but she didn't want Jiyuu to realize such facts about himself when it was too late. He clearly wanted to become strong, and at a fast rate, but the strength of a warrior comes from a heart that does not beat to the sensation of negative feelings, or the mind of a person who seeks power for the sake of power. Warai was unsure of what path her son was looking to travel down, but she could only hope to steer him towards one that would shape him into something grand.
Something better than she ever was.
Within the walls of the Kyofu Clan compound, a couple that was to be wed stayed indoors, him reading a novel in complete silence while she had to sort through documents in regards to clan-specific business. She was to be the head of the clan not too long from now, and she took it upon herself to begin handling such business on her own. Sifting through papers and gathering them into piles, a slight frown found itself on her usually-smooth, gentle face. Emerald glowing eyes focused on a few papers she clutched in her hands, a thumb brushing along the material as she could only focus on certain words on the document.
'Head of the Kyofu Clan'.
Those were some big shoes to fill, especially after going from nobody to a somebody. She knew quite well she was being given the position only because of her love life, and felt guilt over the matter...but this was an opportunity that would never present itself again. The chance to go from someone who stood by idly on the sidelines to the leader of the charge. She could still do all the things she wanted: be a mother, retire as a shinobi and stop going on missions, raise her children, help the others in her clan, provide wisdom and guidance where needed. This all truly was a gift, but...
"...you're ready for this."
Tenshi jumped in her seat, a light 'eep' escaping her as she turned to face her fiance. "Eh?"
Tsuyo was looking at her from behind his book, eyes half-lidded before they went back to his novel. "I said you're ready for this," he clarified, turning a page in his book. "I could feel the self-doubt from here. You'll be fine, Tenshi."
"Do you really think so?"
"I know so, I've seen it first-hand." He brought his book down again, this time lifting his chin and giving Tenshi his full attention. "The way you speak to the elders and how you handle your training with Torakuta? I wouldn't ever question you being the best person to lead the clan."
The orange-haired girl gave him a doubtful look. "You're just saying that because we're engaged."
"N-No! I mean it!"
The doubtful look she bored into the man made him sweat a little, something only she seemed capable of doing to the elite hunter-nin nowadays...but a playful grin on her part made him breath a sigh of relief, and she went back to sorting her papers. "Thanks, sweetie."
"..*ahem*...uh...yeah..."
Coyly picking his book up and shoving his nose into it's confines, Tsuyo felt a small blush growing. She went and teased him again...something she didn't do too often, but brought out every now and then just to show that she still had a playful side to her. He appreciated it, let him know that their relationship wasn't going stale. He never was one for showing much emotion, and in the past he had been so awkward that the only emotion he could portray was complete fear. But she helped him grow and mature into something different, someone who could actually manage a relationship and keep the other party happy.
Sometimes, his whole situation felt just a little too good to be true.
Thirteen slashes. The log Sakana had propped atop a tree stump in the middle of the woods was now in disks, one stacked atop the other in a fashion that wasn't exactly perfect, but very impressive after having been made from sword swings. The kunoichi's sword found itself at her side, and her single eye was focused on her target.
Kagura had witnessed the moment she sliced through the log, and couldn't help but clap. He had been dismissed from the Mizukage not too long ago, but not before being asked to give Sakana a quick test...a sort of preliminary for the Seven Swordsmen. Chojuro's thinking was the sooner they could get her to be working in sync with the Seven Swordsmen, the more fierce of a fighting force they would have. The group had almost all been dispatched on a lead for the Hidden Abyss, unfortunately, but at least Kagura was around. He would be more than worthy to judge.
"Not bad, Sakana," he said, a smile visible as he walked past the Hoshigaki and looked over her work. He took the topmost piece of the sliced log and looked at the bottom, silently inspecting it. "Precise, clean swings. Exactly what we're looking for in our members. Raw strength is nice, but the ability to use a sword in any method is what counts."
Though she did not respond to the compliment, just staring into the log like a wolf stares down it's prey. Many thoughts were running rampant in her mind, so many that she couldn't keep count of them all. The most prominent one not being Jiyuu, for once. And, the more she thought about this thing, the more she tightened the grip on her sword.
"Tell me, Sakana," Kaguya began, tossing the log piece to the side and folding his arms. "Why did you want to become a member of the Seven Swordsmen? You were always so determined to join, from what your father used to say, but now that he's...not exactly on speaking terms with you for whatever reason, I've only heard you mention a few times that you just wanted to become one of us. Never a real reason."
The one thing on Sakana's mind swam through her thoughts again, and her knuckles became white as Kagura continued.
"...Sakana, I came out here to see what you were capable of on behalf of the other swordsmen, not in a spar but in a bunch of tests. You're skilled, yeah, but too many swordsmen in the past had earned their title and abused it after the fact. To uphold a clean name, I need to know what your goals are."
But his words were just barely heard. Sakana's eyelid lowered, and she reran the recent memories of her father's words about her when he happened to be asked by the other swordsmen if he would observe her talents through a series of tests, and determine if she could TRULY make the cut. After all, sparring wasn't EVERYTHING. And his response to such a request?
"Bah! As if I'd want the little bitch in our group...she's nothing! She'll weigh us down, make us look like a bunch of fools! Forget about her..."
"...my goal..."
In the blink of an eye, Sakana's sword arm went from a resting position to having her weapon cleave the stack of log slices in half, embedding her weapon in the stump that it sat on. The motion was so fast that it even took Kagura by surprise, making him back up into a more defensive stance on instinct. The kunoichi's fingers were wrapped around the swords' handle like she was trying to choke someone, but slowly released the deathly grip. She ran her fingertips along the swords' handle, and pressed a single finger against the pommel before glaring at her weapon.
"...is to prove someone wrong."
Kagura, after taking a moment, regained a more relaxed posture. "...motivation is fine, but I don't want 'proving someone wrong' to end up twisting into some sort of revenge plot. Training with us is one thing, Sakana, but if I go back to the others and tell them you might become unhinged at some point, that's the best you'll get. You'll never earn the right to be one of us if we think you'll be too risky."
"..."
"Can you promise me that you'll not seek revenge? I don't know what happened between you and your father, but please, don't turn this into something drastic."
"...I just want to show him I can be one of you, that's it...nothing else."
"...alright."
"..."
"...well, let's move on to the next test, okay?"
"Fine."
Shimmering sands and sweltering heat go hand in hand, as do some friends and a few drinks. Alone stood a closed bar in the midst of the Hidden Sand Village, yet the owner allowed two long-time customers to stay just a pinch longer as they reminisced. Leaving the two to their own devices, the old friends sat beside each other, shots of all sorts of drink being thrown back one after the other. Evening drew close, orange light setting across the village as other establishments also prepared to close their doors for the day. The silence of a tiring village made the solitude around the two friends seem all the greater, and on occasion, it became quiet enough for one to hear the other's breathing.
Kyofu, a little red in the face, rimmed the bottom of a flipped shot glass with his finger, one eyelid lowered as he tried to let the alcohol take over his mind; he was halfway there, but still too much in control of himself. He wanted to drink to forget who he was, where he was, what was happening around him, all for a few moments. Jari was beside him, glancing on in mild concern, yet not knowing what to say to her old partner under the current circumstances. She found him in here while there were still customers, and the moment she brought up Sakyu, Kyofu just...
...well...the barkeep was happy, at least...wherever he went.
"Kyofu, I think it's time we head out of here for the night."
"Ahhhhhhhhh dunno 'bout tha...Ah phink...ah phink ahm gonna have one more..."
Jari felt herself frown at Kyofu, despite trying not to. "No, you're not. You can't keep doing this, it's bad for you."
"Lossa fings're bad fer ya..." slurred Kyofu as a shaky hand stretched over the bar counter in search of a bottle, but the really nice stuff, like the jin and rum, were just out of reach. All he could grab was seltzer, and his hand was actively trying to avoid it. However, what his hand ended up doing was shooting away from the bar and being held hostage by the wrist, courtesy of Jari's own. The intoxicated man frowned back at her, the lowered eyelid falling even further till his eye was shut. "...whadduya want..."
"I want you to act like a grown up."
"Hah...I'm doin' my fair share-a-that."
"I mean like a responsible grown up."
"...Nnnnnnnnno such fing..."
"Sakyu was."
Clear disgust wriggled it's way onto Kyofu's upper lip as the thing curled into a snarl. "Him AGAIN?! I'm sad he's missin' too, but we've gatta move AHN."
"He was our friend, Kyofu!"
"He was YOUR friend..." Kyofu slammed a hand on the bar counter, though if it were out of frustration or to keep his balance, she was not sure. "You fink I ever liked 'em?"
"..."
A drunken Kyofu pulled his other arm free from her grasp, and slumped onto the counter as his eyes focused on the empty shot glass in front of him. "I was his teammate...meanin' I was jus' tryna help...but I nevah liked 'em. I...only wen' lookin' for 'em 'cause I fot it'd make ya happy...I know ya liked 'em real bad..."
"..."
"...I jus'...nevahmind..."
Ah...now it all became clear. Jari looked over her teammate with stoicism. She was not mad, for some reason, though the revelation surely would have triggered someone of weaker skin. She was not irritated, not upset, not even confused...but she did feel a tinge of guilt. This had never been her intention, to make Kyofu feel as he did. She let a small smile curl on her lips and pat his back, though Kyofu dared not look at her.
"You idiot, you have it all wrong."
"..."
"I never liked Sakyu like that. He had nobody who treated him normally. His parents put him on a pedestal for being a jinchuuriki, he was the most popular kid in our academy...I'm sure you remember. The one thing he wanted was a friend who would treat him normally...and I was that friend. I knew he needed encouragement, that he should feel it was okay to be himself and not have to live according to how people said he should act because he's a jinchuuriki. Yes, he was a little rough around the edges with you, but he really was a nice person. And you, Kyofu, have been nothing but kind and encouraging to me when he was taken away. I know how you feel about him, yet you still went out there with me looking...in the rain, the snow, the blistering heat, where ever we thought a trail could lead us to him."
"...mmm..."
Her smile grew a little more, and she gave him one more pat before walking to the exit of the bar. Kyofu listened to her footsteps grow more distant as she reached the door, and still did not have the courage to look over his shoulder at her. The kunoichi opened the doorway and stepped outside, pausing with the entrance still open. She turned to face her friend and felt a little chuckle escape. "...so, you're the jealous type, huh?"
"..."
"...well, like I said, I never liked Sakyu like that, not once. I always had my eye on someone else."
That got him to turn and look at her, though he was so drunk he must have felt that he was hallucinating. "Huh?"
"Oh, never mind that. Just don't stay here too long, okay? I'll see you tomorrow, Kyofu."
Jari let the door swing closed, and started to walk away and leave her teammate alone to ponder what he had just heard. It was a bit unfortunate that she had to leave him like that. Normally she would have offered him an opportunity to go somewhere for them to talk, but she had a 'family meeting' to attend, so tonight just wasn't good.
Ah well...hopefully he remembered what she said to him...tomorrow.
Atop a roof within the elusive Hidden Stone Village, a young jounin was laid down and staring at the sky. He had pulled off the bandages that usually covered his lower face, exposing his fair skin and sharp jaw. His eyes were narrowed as his mind wandered for the past hour or so. This whole situation was a mess, wasn't it? One village declaring war on the Five Nations? That was a suicidal move, nobody would be stupid enough to do it...and that must have meant...
A large figure blurred into vision before him, beefy arms folded and brow knitted. "Why aren't you training, Suzushi?"
It wasn't a real question. It was the type of inquiring one did when they wanted to make another do a specific task. The jounin shut his eyes and hummed a sigh.
"Hey Uncle."
"I asked you a question."
"Because I'm not up to it right now...maybe later."
Boseki growled through his teeth. Typical. "Your siblings are out there training up, and you're not motivated enough to join them?"
"No. Good for them though, I know they hate it."
"...hmph...what's this? You've gone soft? Or do you think you're just too good for training now?"
"No, I've just had a lot on my mind."
"The whole village has had a lot on their mind, kid. You're not special. Come on, train with us. You need to be in top shape for-"
"For what, the war?"
"What else?"
Suzushi frowned a little, standing up and looking his uncle in the eye. "...you don't get it, do you?"
"..."
"There's no way this is something minor. I was there with the other jounin for the debriefing about the Kage Summit, I KNOW just what one of the Hidden Abyss Village's shinobi can do. Do you really think it's normal for a single village to wage war on the greatest shinobi superpowers we have today?"
Boseki clicked his tongue. "'Course not, it's damn idiotic."
"Then you don't find what happened weird? That their leader made a statement like that against the Kage?"
"..."
"Uncle, they aren't the ones in over our heads. We are, all five of the nations. We don't know what they have, what they can do, what they're planning. Do you really think that basic-"
"Just train with your siblings, Suzushi."
Suzushi had known Boseki for a very long time. The older son of twins, the trio had lost their parents in the war and were about to become playthings for Zetsu clones...that is, until their Uncle Boseki saved them. He had taken on the role of caretaker ever since that day, raising them up as if they were his own kids. He was very stern, but fair. He almost never smiled, and Suzushi could count the number of times he did on one hand. He also almost never cried...but he did once, at the funeral for Suzushi's parents.
...but Boseki never worried. He was an older man, experienced as a shinobi. Worry never had the chance to sneak up on him, he always had a plan or had enough experience to get out of tight situations, no matter how bad. He never let anything bother him...and that was why when Boseki said those words, turning his attention towards the distant mountains of his village and his knitted brow loosening into something solemn, Suzushi knew this was far more serious than even he believed. This was all they could do...and Boseki was painfully aware it may not be enough. He may have been brash, but he was far from stupid.
Suzushi, in silence, shut his eyes and wrapped the bandages around the lower half of his face once again, breathing out in a dramatic way. "...I'll go train with them."
"...thanks."
In the middle of a busy district, Netsu Natsu stood beside her mentor, Killer Bee, with tickets in hand. What were these tickets for, you might ask? Well, for a concert, of course...starring her mentor. He seemed very excited, enthusiastically handing these tickets out to anybody who crossed, though the number of people around was nowhere near as large as it typically was. Word spread fast about the war, and most felt that Bee wasn't taking it seriously. Netsu was one of them.
I can't believe I got saved and brought back here just for this...now we're at war and sensei's trying to promote his new album...did anybody even buy the last one?
Bee smirked as he gave away yet another ticket, and thankfully he wasn't looking when the person who took it had crumpled the item up and tossed it in the trash. "~We're making a some good progress today, ain't nobody gonna slip past us if they come this way.~"
"...yeah...sure, sensei."
The older jinchuuriki looked over to his pupil, a fist going on his hip. "~C'mon now, I know that tone. Don't tell me you wanna leave me alone...~"
"No sensei, I just..." Netsu gripped the stupid tickets harder, and brushed a ponytail off of her shoulder. "After what they did to me, and what they did to the rest of us. You're not worried that we'll be at war with the Family?"
Ah...that did make sense. Bee's smirk faded, and he put a hand on Netsu's shoulder, getting her to look at him. "~Don't get me wrong, the Family's whack, but the Akatsuki were the ones I'd fear would attack.~"
"The Akatsuki?"
"~The O.G. capturers of the jinchuuriki. Power and tactics made 'em look real mean, but Naruto Uzumaki helped take 'em out the scene.~"
"Well, yeah, but-"
"~We were weaker then, so how 'bout now? We're ten times better, our abilities I'd never doubt. Best to not worry about what you can't stop, we'll deal with those fools in one clean chop.~"
The jinchuuriki for the Eight-Tails even thumbed at one of his swords for emphasis. He was confident that the Family wasn't nearly as dangerous as the Akatsuki had been, and he wasn't alone in that sentiment. Plenty of people figured that they had all been off-guard when they were stricken and their jinchuuriki taken away...but to lose six (with Netsu nearly making it seven) and still believe the situation was manageable was...
"...got it, sensei."
Netsu clearly didn't like this situation, not one bit. But it's not like she could voice her concerns, the top brass of the village already felt as she did, but having everybody truly prepare for what could possibly happen may not have been possible.
The Akatsuki were one thing...this was entirely another.
The afternoon sun beat down on the Hidden Sand Village, as well as the great desert surrounding it. The heat had come down to a light simmer as the cold of the desert night began to creep up, finally bringing a rather decent temperature to the land for a brief moment. Two people trudged through the sand on their way to the Hidden Sand, one of them being a thin man dressed just like The Father, but in all red, and the other being Tokage.
"...it's very hot in this land...almost unbearable," said the crimson man. His shoulders sagged with visible exhaustion, one could easily tell he was far from comfortable.
"I'm actually pretty comfortable right now," quipped Tokage, a small grin forming and growing as they drew closer to the village. Their journey had been a rather long one, nearly 24 straight hours of running through lands at an insane speed not many possessed. For them to get here before night was impressive to Tokage, but Elder had insisted that such a task was very possible...he had run this same path often.
"Do not forget, we attack at night. I have a 'family meeting' to attend to, unrelated to the Hidden Abyss. I'd like to have enough time to share our message."
"Do whatever you want, I think I'll partake in one of those famed Hidden Sand restaurants while it's still standing."
In sync, both shinobi made the hand sign for henge, and in a brief puff of smoke, transformed into two very plain-looking civilians of the Hidden Sand. They would be entering 'on business' if there were any questions. This was going to be a very simple matter.
Far off in land littered with jagged mountains, one could barely make out the tip of the Tsuchikage Castle if they stood in the correct spot. Two haori-clad beings, the Mother and the Pet, were in such a place. Having flown here at breakneck speed, Mother requested that they take a moment to view their target from a vantage point behind the village, the last place anybody would expect as a starting point for an infiltration. The wind was still up here when it should have been stronger...a rather ominous sensation wriggled it's way across the skin of the Mother. She was not concerned, not at all...she knew this was going to be bad for anybody but her or Pet. Her light blue cloak fluttered a little, and she turned to face the very, very tall and thin man cloaked in grey. Pet was staring off into the sunset in the distance, silent as usual. The man was easily standing at eight feet tall, making him a very intimidating creature...but the serene aura coming from him could make anyone feel contradicted.
Mother let out a long, quiet breath before looking back to the Hidden Stone Village. "...We're almost there. We will attack at night, as planned. Let's move a bit closer."
"..."
"Pet?"
"..."
No response, he must have really liked the sight of the sunset. Mother turned around to face him, and sure enough, he was simply entranced. Such a simple creature...but what could one expect, given the circumstances surrounding him. Again, Mother would try calling out to him, but in a way she knew he would respond to.
"...sweetie."
It did the trick, getting Pet to shift his focus to her and tilt his head, like a puppy.
"You have to follow mommy, okay?"
Pet now fully turned to face her, and began slow, gentle steps over to his colleague. Mother held out her hand, which Pet took right away, and the two began walking towards their target. Oblivious to Pet, a small bird fluttered down and landed on his head, twittering away knowing that what it was perched on was of no danger to it's small form.
Flight was going to be the best method for two haori-clad figures, one in black and one in dark purple, to approach the Hidden Cloud, but some scouting on distant terrain was required first. They were handed a rather difficult village to infiltrate, considering that this was one of the places where there wasn't an informant for the Hidden Abyss. On top of that, Son and Daughter were specifically chosen for this village because of their capabilities...they both knew beyond the mountain ridges and over the vast waters were two jinchuuriki waiting to be plucked. The two of them had abilities that would allow the job to be completed, though the actual branding of the Caged Bird Seal would have to be done at the Hidden Abyss.
"I still don't get why Father isn't with us to brand them," Daughter mumbled, stood on a mountain peak just within view of the Hidden Cloud. "He'd make this way easier."
"Father gave us pre-made seal tags for us to place on the jinchuuriki ourselves, after we've finished our duty. He would not have given us the task if he didn't think us capable," Son countered, voice quiet and eyes wandering. His mask had a slit in it for him to see through, making him stick out like a sore thumb among the other members. "Just remember not to kill them, we need them alive."
"Well of course, I'm not daft."
"Still, the fact that we have no inside knowledge of the village is a bit troubling. I'm not sure how we will infiltrate."
"Hah, you worry about the least important details," she remarked. Daughter held her palm towards the village, and fired two black orbs of chakra that went whirring through the air at the speed of bullets. A moment of silence passed between the two, and Daughter dropped her hand.
"...was that really smart?"
"Relax, I can see the village from here. There were two guards on this side of the village, the rest must be focused near the entrance. The two people who could have spotted us are dead."
"Do us a favor, and don't get careless. The last thing we need is-"
"The whole village fighting us?"
"...yes."
She let out a small laugh. "I figured you would say as much. Come, I'll make sure that isn't an issue."
Son, although hesitant, grabbed the hand of Daughter. Black wings leaking with even darker chakra sprouted from her back, and within a few flaps, they were both off the ground and heading towards the village.
Slithering underwater was another haori-clad being, this one draped in green. They had approached the village hidden in Mist cautiously, as one should. Her Byakugan was letting her see everything clearly, or at least, whatever would be a concern to her. Weak chakra signatures were everywhere, civilians. They were of no concern, not unless they were going to run off and yell about an intruder.
...not that it mattered. They would all be in for a surprise soon.
Aunt breached the water's surface and landed on a boating dock, quick to slink away between two nearby buildings, one of them apparently a forge based on the worn-down sign on the front, and beside it was an old house. She chuckled a little as the sun just began to settle in the horizon, though tried her hardest to be quiet. She needed to meet up with Uncle before their mission began...what better place to hide than here, hm? Deactivating her Byakugan for a moment, Aunt lowered her mask just below eye level. Pale yellow, reptilian Byakugan orbs scanned left to right along the dock, seeing nobody nearby who could pose a threat. Good. She slinked around the corner and into the house, silent and undetected.
Well...not entirely.
A particular kunoichi from the Hoshigaki Clan had just appeared into thin air by the dock, body and clothes covered in sweat and dirt from a grueling day of training. Sword sealed into the marking on her forearm, Sakana breathed a sigh of exhaustion as she fixed her arm warmer, pulling it up a little. Out of the corner of her eye...she noticed something. It was brief, but the sudden movement so close to her could not be ignored. She snapped her single good eye to the sight of something small and green slithering into the entry of what was once her home...when she still lived with her brothers and father.
A passing thought was that one of her brothers or her father were just entering and she barely caught a glimpse...but...that couldn't be. Himeru and Manto were supposed to be at the Kage's Tower this very moment, and had heard that her father was out on a mission...was someone breaking in?
Sakana grit her teeth some, and although she couldn't care less about some bastard stealing from her father, she did care a little if her brothers lost anything. Perhaps it was best if she investigated.
A little rabbit was held in the hands of Jari as she walked with her parents at the break of night; they, too, carried small animals in their arms. All three were smiling, yet unspeaking as they walked. There was nothing to say about their family meeting, this was something that had been planned and discussed for months. Then again, it was somewhat routine...this family meeting was held every three months at the edge of the Hidden Sand, a place far from judgmental eyes. There was an old home with the lights still on inside, it sat far from other houses but had nothing that made it special. The trio approached the door, and Jari held the rabbit in one hand as she knocked with the other.
A series of locks could be heard being unlocked on the other side, and this went on for a few seconds longer than one would expect. An elderly woman opened the door, her curious face soon becoming a warm and welcome one when she saw who it was. "Why hello, you three! Come in, come in!" She waved for the family to enter, which they wordlessly did. The older woman closed the door behind them, redoing her locks before she walked to the middle of her living room. The home was standard fair, nothing really special about it...but that was the point. It looked plain, ordinary...almost boring. Only four things were placed in this room: a grandfather clock, two arm chairs, and a rug. The elderly woman pulled the rug away in one swift tug, and a trap door was present.
"It feels like just yesterday when we last did this," the old woman remarked to the three.
Jari's mother, Satsugai, nodded, clearly containing her excitement. Her usual tight-fitting wardrobe was replaced with a more comfortable, loose-fitting outfit that was all crimson, hiding the curvaceous body most women her age would die for. "My, it certainly does! But, I'm glad the day is finally here. You have no idea how much I was looking forward to this."
The woman's husband, who was almost never home due to complications with the Hidden Abyss and whatnot, breathed a small breath of relief. He was a gruff man with black hair, though some grey was fighting it's way in. He had a full beard and mustache combo, and his hair was long enough to be put in a small ponytail. For the meeting, he chose to leave his shinobi headband at home. "Same here. Work's been hell lately."
Jari herself only nodded in agreement with her parents, her eyes going down to the rabbit she held.
"Well, let's not delay," the elderly woman said. She opened the hatch and revealed an old, dusty, stone stairway that lead to darkness. "Go on! We'll start shortly."
The family nodded their thanks and proceeded down, the trap door above them creaking shut before it closed, sealing off any more light from the pathway. A minute or two of going down the stairs, and the trio found themselves entering a large room lit with torches, candles, and the like. There was no real furniture to speak of, just large rugs laid out on the floor to make the stone ground feel more comfortable. The only noticeable part of this giant place was an altar at the opposite end of the room from the entryway, and a crimson banner that had a special symbol marked on it with black paint; matching banners were hung around the walls of the giant room, but that was as far as the decoration went. There were numerous other people there, normal civilians who lived in the Hidden Sand that were casually chatting with one another while sat on the rugs. Each of them had their own small animal, cradling them in their arms and petting them to make sure they stayed calm.
Jari's family sat near the back with everyone else, her mother and father greeting people while Jari kept to herself. Her hand went to her abdomen, which had bandages wrapped all around it...her crop top just barely hung over them. She slowly undid them the best she could with one hand, until the bandages collapsed around her, and revealed that her stomach had the same symbol tattooed on it. Her hand then went up to her chest, feeling for the necklace underneath her top that she's worn for nearly her whole life...it's cold metallic surface pressed against her flesh, and goosebumps welled up on her skin. She pulled out the necklace and let it sit outside on display for all to see...the same symbol, now shining with a chrome coating. The time was nigh, she could feel it in the air...and she was ready.
The old lady hobbled into the room, and she quickly made her way through everybody with her hands up in the air, a silent request for the others to be silent. She hobbled to the altar, and stood just in front of it, turning to face the crowd with her usual warm smile. She, too, wore a metallic necklace with the symbol...as did everybody else in the room. Satsugai and her husband both had pulled their necklaces out when the woman faced the crowd, and Jari held her breath in anticipation.
"Welcome, brothers and sisters," she began, a small glint in her eye as she scanned the crowd. "I know how much you all must be looking forward to the ritual...I also have been waiting with bated breath to pray with you all...but tonight, it will have to wait just a moment." She waved for someone near the back to come forward. "Brother Dansei would like to share some good news with us!"
Jari's smile faltered a little. Brother Dansei? That pasty guy who never speaks and sits alone in the corner every meeting? What's HE got to say at a time like this?
But when he approached, it quickly made sense to her. Dansei emerged from the walkway draped in a crimson haori, with matching gloves and boots...and a featureless mask, save for the symbol of the Hidden Abyss on it's forehead. Her blood ran cold, and she absentmindedly began to hold onto her rabbit a little tighter. His garments swayed with what little air circulated in the room, and many of the occupants made more of an effort to clear a path for him than they did for the elderly woman. The room was deathly silent, save for some squeaking from the small animals that had been brought. Uncle stood tall at the front of the alter, with the old lady watching him from behind with beady eyes. Slowly, his head turned from left to right, looking them all over. His hands lifted up and pulled down his hood, revealing short, silver, spiky hair that almost seemed combed back, and pasty white skin. Then his hands pulled off his mask. Pale white pupil-less eyes with a very faint red tint glinted in the light provided by the candles and torches. His face was young and slim, a very nice face for someone with such a foreboding chakra...ah, and a Caged Bird Symbol was on his forehead. Typically, Dansei would have a bandana of some sort covering his forehead...now it was clear why that was.
He parted his arms as if he were a prophet, a creepy smile arching the corners of his mouth, small fangs on display when he did so. He had the grin of a demon, someone who could convince you to give up your soul with a few simple words. His aura was cold and menacing, yet it was what his brothers and sisters craved. He, too, had the same necklace as the others.
"My brothers and sisters of Lord Jashin...I come before you tonight bearing only the best of news for us all. Tonight...we shall pray like we have never prayed before!"
Everyone was silent, waiting with anticipation.
"I see many of you are confused," Dansei stated, arms falling to his sides as his smile lessened. "It is only fair...I never spoke much at these meetings because, frankly, there was nothing for me to say. I did not know who I could trust here, who was truly devoted to Lord Jashin. I'm certain you all understand just how the world views us...all thanks to Brother Hidan taking part in the Akatsuki's affairs some time ago. We have been run out of our respective villages, our homes, all for our beliefs! But I have been hard at work in my spare time...in my new home, the Hidden Abyss Village."
Jari, upon hearing that village's name, squeezed the rabbit she held so hard that she broke it's neck without knowing.
"My name...is Dansei Hyuuga...and I am a founding member of the Hidden Abyss Village. You may have heard of a group called 'The Family' that resides inside it, the same group who's leader attacked the Five Kage. I am The Elder in this group...do not let looks deceive you, I am much older than you think I may be. I have worked hard, not for my own sake, but yours as well. I made sure that this village became a place for all of us! It is a place that does not discriminate...and I have been free to practice my belief in Lord Jashin as I see fit for some time now. You'll forgive me for not saying anything sooner...as I said, I did not know who I could trust. But, I stand here tonight with open arms, inviting you to my home! We are in high demand in the village where all are accepted! And tonight...we celebrate."
People began standing up in the crowd, one by one people looked on with hope glistening in their eye...excitement in others. "You mean to say that we-"
"Yes," Dansei responded. "We no longer have need of the Hidden Sand. What have they done other than discriminate? And Lord Jashin craves blood, destruction, raw and pure CARNAGE! Tonight, we will no longer be shackled due to fears of retaliation from the Hidden Sand. Tonight? Tonight, WE will pray in a way that Lord Jashin TRULY DESERVES!"
The roaring applause and cheering that came from the group made the ground shake, many of them waving around knives, or the helpless animals they brought.
"DO NOT WASTE THE SACRIFICE YOU HAVE BROUGHT WITH YOU," he shouted over the crowd, smile growing wide once more. "IT IS MERELY PREPARATION FOR WHAT IS TO COME TONIGHT! WHEN WE ARE READY, WE STRIKE, AND I WILL LEAD YOU ALL TO THE PROMISED LAND! ALL HAIL LORD JASHIN!"
"ALL HAIL LORD JASHIN!"
One by one, the screams of small animals could be heard as people plunged their knives into their sacrifices, draining them of their precious blood to consume and paint themselves with. Satsugai already began with the little bird she had brought, but a small turn of the head showed her that Jari was gone...nowhere in sight. The rabbit with a broken neck was all that sat in her place, not even bleeding.
"Jari?"
But it was futile, the young woman wasn't there. She snuck out through the entryway, pushing open the trap door and running from the house. There was a fury in her heart, burning more intense with every beat. Her teeth were grit, and her feet carried her faster and faster towards her apartment...towards her unique tool of carnage. Her scythe, a weapon blessed by an old Jashin Priest, Iseki...a tool that synced with the user's chakra so much that a user could rip the soul from an enemy in one swing, if intended. Thoughts of Sakyu disappearing flooded her head, thoughts of all the times she and Kyofu risked their lives in the field weighed down on her mind. She was covered in the blood of other animals that were killed around her when she ran out, her Jashin necklace and tattoo were on full display, but she didn't care. She had to get her weapon, and claim the Elder's soul.
Brother of Jashin or not, she wouldn't let him do this.
The sun finally set after a long day of pushing tickets, regardless of whether they were going to get tossed in the trash or not. Netsu found herself more tired than expected, and her patience thinner than a strand of hair with her sensei. Bee was elated, keeping quiet as he wrote down lines he could use for the upcoming performance. Neither of them were sure how many people would actually show up, but at least one of them would care enough to put on a good show. Thankfully, Netsu did not have to be a part of it.
The two had agreed to go grab some food before splitting for the day, and as the two walked into town along a streetlamp-lit walkway, a sudden chilling sensation made them both stop.
Netsu couldn't put her finger on it, but she could practically feel her hair standing up. She made fists so tight that her knuckles cracked, and her eyes frequently scanned back and forth. They were alone, but the sudden wave of dark aura couldn't have been their own. "Sensei..."
Even Bee stopped writing in his book as he stood beside her, slowly looking up from the pages. He smacked his book closed before pocketing it, and twirled his pencil around between his fingers. "...yeah, I know."
Bee not bothering to make a rhyme meant only one of three things.
He was focusing.
Something was bothering him.
Or both.
Without warning, he flicked the pencil high up into the air, like he tried to shoot something down with it...
...and what he got in response was a black ball of chakra, flying down towards the two of the jinchuuriki at a high speed. Both Bee and Netsu saw it easy, and leapt back to avoid the impact. A small explosion rocked the ground, taking down the streetlamp that they were under moments ago. A thick cloud of dust kicked up in it's wake, and as it began to settle, two figures could be seen inside of it. Hooded ones, standing firm like statues. Bee didn't waste a moment, already pulling out two of his eight swords and getting into a stance.
"~Netsu, don't hold back. Wait for my signal, then we attack.~"
The Four-Tails jinchuuriki slammed her foot back as the tips of her long pigtails caught on fire and began to float a little. Her fists lit up as well, forming what looked to be brimstone gauntlets that also went ablaze. "Yes, sensei!"
The dust cloud settled, with Daughter and Son standing in the darkness. The moment Netsu saw them...her eyes widened, and her legs began to shake. She recognized that getup, she would remember it anywhere. And those circles carved out on their masks? She only knew of one village with a symbol like that. She felt a bead of sweat roll down her face, and suddenly, she felt that she was in far more danger than earlier, even with Bee beside her.
"...I...I know that costume," she spat, trying to let her anger cover up her fear. "...you idiots have a death wish if you're attacking two jinchuuriki head-on."
Neither of them responded.
"What? Did you freaks at the Hidden Abyss just get impatient? It's too much work to force me to come along now?"
At that, Daughter let out a low chuckle. "You could say that..."
Bee twirled a blade in his hand, flipping it into a backhanded grip. Light shimmered off of his glasses, and his brown lowered into a small frown. "~You fools might be tough, but I'll bet it's all a bluff. You lot think you're cool? Me and Netsu'll take you out! Fool, ya fool!~"
The words from the older jinchuuriki helped calm Netsu. He was right...what was she thinking? Bee was a veteran of the Fourth War, and fought beside Naruto Uzumaki himself! With him here, they may have had a chance at survival...hell, not survival, of victory. Netsu pounded her brimstone fists together, letting small embers fly around her. "He's right, y'know. Come quietly, and you idiots might just get to live."
Son clicked his tongue, and looked to Daughter. "This is a waste of time. Let's proceed with the mission and subdue them for Father."
Bee began twirling his other sword before he he stopped it, aiming the tip at Son. "~You tryna bring down the Bee?! You and what army?~"
Immediately, Daughter flew through hand signs at a speed so fast that it took both jinchuuriki a moment too long to realize what she was even doing. She already completed her sequence, and aimed her palms towards the ground at her sides. "Secret Technique: Dead Vein Puppet Jutsu!"
Her forearms wriggled around like they were made of rubber, and a multitude of thick, branch-like veins sprouted out from the bottoms of her wrists into the ground. There were thousands of them, and they snaked along the ground at breakneck speed in search of something. Bee and Netsu were fully prepared for the ground to rise up and attack them...but they felt the rumbling beneath their feet, beneath the concrete they stood on, move past them. In fact, the whole ground was shaking, and soon enough, the veins found the targets they had been seeking.
Bodies. The bodies of shinobi, civilians, anybody who had the misfortune of walking through a dark alleyway or wanted to be alone once the two Family members entered the village. Piles of bodies hidden away in the shadows of night, freshly killed and ripe for the using. The veins sprouted like weeds from the ground near the soulless husks and entered their cold flesh. Each cadaver had a violent spasm before standing upright, slow and feeble in their movements.
Daughter grinned menacingly beneath her mask as she began lifting her arms, the veins coming out of her wrists ripping up the ground around her. Bee and Netsu leapt back to an area where the ground wasn't being torn up, but Netsu only had to look back to see that Daughter's veins were reeling in a large amount of...dead bodies?!
There was the guy who ran the ramen place she liked so much...and there was her old sensei from the academy...and...and...
Her blood went cold, and tears began spewing from her eyes without any way to make them stop. She could only call out to the other people she saw, now puppets of the Daughter.
"MAMA, PAPA!"
Bee grit his teeth when he heard her scream, and even he was beginning to sweat. He was focused on the two enemies ahead, and had to keep reminding himself to not look around at the mass of zombie-like puppets that came closer. If he ended up seeing someone he knew...
"...how does this army work for you?" Daughter asked. She began to laugh maniacally as black wings sprouted from her back, lifting her into the sky. Bee was ready to pursue, but saw Son was going through his own hand signs.
Son completed his signs, jutsu at the ready as chakra swelled in his gut. "You're our's, Eight and Four-Tails! Fire Release: Dragon Flame Release Song Technique!"
Night within the Hidden Stone was peaceful, silent. Near the center of the village was the neighborhood housing the Otoko Clan, not being old enough to have a Clan Compound but not spoiled enough to request one. House after house contained masters of either Earth Release or Lightning Release. Only one house contained a shinobi who was a master of both.
Suzushi, bandages off the face and garbed in looser, more comfortable clothes for sleeping, was stretched out across his bed. Dreary eyes stared into the ceiling above, their lids coming closer to closing with every second that passed. He was tired, not just in a physical sense, but of thinking. He didn't want to mull over the Hidden Abyss situation, the Jinchuuriki Crisis, none of it. He was worn out mentally, he had no room left in his head to spare for such things...at least, not right now. His eyes finally closed, and Suzushi let out one more long, held breath before deciding that tomorrow will be a new day, and he can start preparing for the worst.
But then he heard something. It was very subtle, but he hear it nonetheless. It sounded like a single footstep just outside his house...
His home was small, his bedroom smaller. Only had room for the bed, a nightstand with some shuriken on it, and an exit. The only thing that would catch your attention was the window on his wall right above his bed, which let moonlight spill in. But there was a shadow now, a slender shadow that was a cause for alarm in the young shinobi. He felt the darkness loom over himself, and could hear whispering voices all around him. Reality didn't make sense. He snapped open his eyes and felt his breath catch in his throat. He looked at the tall man as he grew larger, and larger, so impossibly large and yet still within view of this small window. The voices got louder, they were the voices of children, giggling, crying, yelling, shrieking, roaring, whimpering, singing, all circling Suzushi as if he were stuck in a tornado of mindless sensations that numbed his senses.
"W-Wha-"
He couldn't find it in himself to speak. The tall creature was a silhouette, a void of a man, but he began to take color. He was dressed in a haori...he wore a featureless mask of the Hidden Abyss. He matched the description that the Tsuchikage gave out! Suzushi tried summoning his shuriken to his side with Magnetic Release, yet to no avail. The shuriken were not there anymore. The Abyss-nin reached a lanky arm towards the window, coming closer and closer, swallowing all of reality in black.
Then he woke up. Suzushi sat upright in his bed like he was brought back from the dead, bug-eyed and sweating. He quickly began feeling himself, he could feel his heart beating through his whole body. What the hell kind of a dream was that? Was that genjutsu? He quickly made the sign to release it, but there was none...it really was just a dream.
"...what the hell..."
His hands lowered to the sheet that was on his lower half, and began to clutch it without his input.
Just what the hell was that? That all felt too real...like a genjutsu. I felt everything, I felt IT reaching for me.
A few deep breaths started to come and go, and Suzushi fell onto his back, head hitting the pillow. He found himself staring at his ceiling again, blank in the face except for his wide, darting eyes.
It was all a dream...nothing more...maybe he had been thinking about all of this too much.
"...whatever."
Rolling himself to look away from the window of his bedroom, Suzushi got comfortable and shut his eyes, falling asleep quick. There was no need to ponder on something so idiotic.
But it wasn't so idiotic. The Pet was stood outside his window once again, head tilted as he peered inside at the jounin. This time, however, Mother was at his side, and she would give him a single two-word command that would begin their mission.
"Do it."
Pet's head tilted the other way at a high speed, making his neck crack audibly before he shrieked out like a banshee. The wooden wall between him and Suzushi burst apart into thousands of splinters, and soon the ground shot stones all around.
Jari's apartment was ominous with the lights off. Propped up in the corner with little care was Iseki, ebony rod and jagged, serrated chrome blade waiting to be wielded in the name of carnage, in the name of Jashin. The door to the kunoichi's apartment swung open, and a bloodied, crazed-looking blonde ran inside. She quickly saw the tool she had been blessed to own and ran to it, out of breath from her incredible sprint across the village. She swiped for the rod and knocked it over by accident, quickly scooping it up as it clanked against the floor. She didn't even care enough to change, she simply opened one of her windows and leapt outside onto the sand in the midst of the village. The dark of night would have to be her shield, her cloak. She couldn't afford to fight off all those Jashinites head-on. She needed a plan, and as she panted and gripped Iseki harder, the kunoichi's mind began to run.
"Think, Jari, THINK."
But it was no use, the situation looked bad no matter how you sliced it. She grit her teeth and palmed at her forehead. This can't be happening, she thought. We used to keep ourselves hidden in plain sight, offering sacrifices to Lord Jashin every few months. Were they really not satisfied with it? What if I was? I was happy...and that bastard had to ruin it all! A fury filled her once more, and she took off with images of her cutting off Dansei's head flowing through her mind like a rushing tide.
But around the corner came a large man, and Jari bumped into him like a fool. They both fell onto their rears opposite from one another, and Jari was going to yell at the man for being a fool and to watch where he was going, but he beat her to the punch.
"HEY, WHAT'S THE-"
She knew that voice, and it made her skin go cold. She scrambled to her feet, as did the large man. "Kyofu?! What are you doing out at a time like this?!"
Her teammate was going to answer, but naturally when he saw the state she was in, the words were caught in his throat. And then, he had seen her necklace. Her exposed Jashin tattoo. Her bloodied form...and Iseki ready in her hand. She was panicking, he could hear the scythe rattling away in her hand as she stared back at him with puppy-dog eyes. He was lost in his mind, like he believed himself to be caught in a genjutsu...but this wasn't a genjutsu, was it? He still couldn't believe what he was seeing, it didn't add up. Maybe the alcohol was still running things inside his head, maybe leaving the bar for a late-night stroll in the cold air was doing more harm than good. Either way, he was seeing his old friend, a girl he had feelings for, standing in front of him and revealed to be a worshiper of Jashin...
...and he didn't like it one bit.
"...Kyofu," she spoke in a quivering voice. "...Kyofu, please...don't freak out, okay?"
"..."
"I don't have time to explain. The Fa-"
Explosions began to rock the village in the distance, getting both of them to look at where the chaos was occurring. A masked shinobi in the standard Hidden Abyss armor was leaping around in the air, hands full of kunai with explosive tags. He flung them in every single direction with no rhyme or reason, his objective being naught but pure destruction. Tokage had been watching the clock like a patient young man, and when he saw the hand strike 10 p.m., he knew it was time to act. This was the beginning of something grand, and he was thrilled to be a part of it.
At the edge of the village, a multitude of Jashinites poured out of a single house, hooting and hollering as they rushed out into town with their own bladed weapons of choice. Dansei had been the last one to emerge, hood back up as he slipped his mask back on.
"Hm hm...Praise Lord Jashin for the glorious battle we will soon partake in. May the chaos ensue."
The door to the house Sakana had grown up in was slightly ajar, and the Hoshigaki used a single finger to push it open. The fading afternoon sun was disappearing with every second she stood in the doorway, observing her shadow stretch across the floor as light flooded in from the entrance. Her single eye slid back and forth, scanning the room. She knew she saw someone, something, enter the house. She didn't care what her father or brothers would think of her coming in like this...she may not have been on speaking terms with them, but she he had morals. If she was going to prevent anything bad from happening, then she would.
Sakana took a single step forward, her movements slow and careful in an attempt to avoid making sound. She was a predator hunting prey, and could not afford to alert whoever had come in here. She closed the door behind her, but left it slightly ajar as the stranger did, all to minimize noise. The old house was filthy without anybody wiling to clean it, with cobwebs forming here and there and an ash-filled fireplace. But more importantly, it was almost silent. Almost, because murmurs could be heard coming from her father's room. This door was shut, and when Sakana focused, she could hear two voices: one male, one female.
Odd...that male voice sounded familiar.
Steeling herself, Sakana took more slow, careful steps as to avoid making any noise. Her full attention was divided between being silent, and listening in on the conversation.
"-and I'm fed up with it," the male said. "All this crap they put us through? Today it ends. I've got more than enough reason to pack up and go."
The female chuckled, and her words came out in a dry, raspy tone, as if her throat and tongue were made of sandpaper. "Well, it's about time, baby," she cooed. "I've been goin' crazy thinkin' about you...and now you won't have to sit around here all the time."
"We're gonna have to do something special..."
"Hm hm hm...I think you're right..."
Sakana recognized that voice now, and the sudden discovery made her lose focus. Her foot fell just hard enough so the wooden floor creaked. This sound was enough to make the door to the room swing open.
Yaju had opened it, his frown present and his killing intent overwhelming. Sakana had figured as much...but she was still surprised by what she saw.
Her father always wore goggles over his eyes, always, even when she was a little girl. Today, they were off his face and on his bed, right beside an entirely blue attire consisting of a haori, a Hidden Abyss mask, some gloves, pants, the works. Sitting on this bed was an individual wearing that very same attire, but in an emerald green...she was sat with her legs folded and arms propping her up as she leaned back on the bed. Dark emerald hair cascaded out from the hooded haori, and a long, green, scaled tail was coiled up behind her.
Oh yes...and her father had Byakugan. There was no way a Hoshigaki could be born with those eyes, not Yaju who was a pureblood Hoshigaki. That could only mean he had plucked them and put them in his own head...
Sakana's entire body tensed up, every single muscle fiber constricting and twisting as it prepared itself for battle. She only widened her single eye at the entire picture, but her mind knew what it had to do. Hell, she had been waiting for an excuse to do this...what better excuse was there than this?! She rolled down her arm warmer and summoned her sword with a motion so swift that it would have taken any high-level shinobi by surprise, and the kunoichi gripped her weapon's handle and swung with a speed to match.
But her father was not just a high-level shinobi. He was beyond that, and his Byakugan had activated the moment she reached for her arm warmer. The thick veins on his temples protruded down to his cheeks as well, wrapping around his gills and making that terrifying face even more monstrous to look at. He delivered a front kick to her chest, sending his daughter through the wall of the house and skidding out onto the water beyond the boating dock.
Yaju spat. "Fuckin' unbelievable...I thought you said you weren't followed."
The Aunt sighed and stretched, reluctantly getting off the bed. "Well, I guess that's my bad, hm?"
The large Hoshigaki stomped towards the hole in the wall, pulling off his left arm warmer and tossing it to the wind. He, too, had seals on his forearm, and he already began making hand signs. "YOU LITTLE FAILURE," he shouted out to Sakana, frown deepening. "YOU JUST HAVE TO KEEP RUINING EVERYTHING FOR ME?! IS THAT IT?!"
The kunoichi had caught her footing on the water, and was already rushing the man who had made her like this, the man who had made her into a killer. She let out a blood-curdling roar as she leapt at him, but she wasn't fast enough to reach him with a lethal strike.
No, Yaju slapped the seal he had on his own forearm, and summoned a large slab of metal with a handle and a flattened tip; this large slab was almost as big as he was, half as wide as his muscular body, and chopped into this weapon's edges were numerous sharp, jagged edges with no real form or reason; it looks as if someone had been cutting triangles out of the edge, leaving only dangerous, piercing tips. This crude sword not only looked intimidating, but never had to be managed, as it's mere design didn't require upkeep. It was meant to be wielded by someone with berserk strength, any victim who wasn't cleaved apart got impaled by multiple jagged teeth. Old, dried blood stained the edges of the weapon, showing that it has seen many, many battles. The large Hoshigaki grabbed the weapon by it's handle and swung it down at his daughter, who only had enough time to block the strike. Even then, the blow was heavy, making Sakana bend at the knee as she fought against her father's monstrous strength. The ground beneath her cracked from the impact alone.
She grit her teeth, knowing this wasn't going to be easy.
"Fine," Yaju sneered. "Guess it can't be helped that you're a disappointment, just like your mother."
"FUCK YOU! DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT HER LIKE THAT!"
"Pipe down, runt," he said as he applied more pressure, pushing her lower to the ground until she was on her knee. "I can't stand failures. I'll just send you to the same place that your mother went. Then, maybe you can explain everything to her..."
"You bastard...I'M GONNA-"
"YOU are gonna die here, chopped up by my precious Widow's Bane. That is...if you can actually get up."
Sakana was certainly trying, but his strength far outclassed her own...and they both knew it.
Aunt stepped out from the house, opting to use the door instead of the gaping hole in the wall. She rolled up her haori's sleeves halfway past her biceps, showing off arms that were also clad in scales, yet still had an insane amount of muscular definition. Her fingernails weren't even fingernails, they were claws, sharpened and ready for battle. She punched into her palm, and cracked her knuckles.
"Alright Uncle, I can take a hint. You wanna mess this brat up? Fine, I get it, personal matters. I'll get started on the REAL mission."
"Do whatever the hell you want, I'll be finished in a minute."
Sakana could do nothing but watch as Aunt knelt down and sprinted into town like a feral beast, without any idea as to what she would do.
...damn it...this isn't good...
Alone, in a remote part of the Hidden Abyss, Father was sat before the chakra flames produced by the jinchuuriki who slumbered below. He had a stopwatch in his hand, and was waiting ever-so-patiently for his cue to start it.
The bell tower within his precious village began to chime, the ominous ringing rumbling through town for twelve counts. Midnight, the time to strike. Father began his stopwatch, and placed it on the table he sat at, watching it carefully.
"...it has begun..."