A/N: Remember when I said that I will post this chapter one month after the last one? Yeah… almost. But the important this is, we're here!
Before we start, I would like to thank my new Beta AgresteBug for picking this chapter for any grammar mistakes, and KitsMits for being the best critique partner I could ask for!
Also, to all you wonderful people who comment and fave this story, letting me know what you think about it! I love to read every comment and please, if you liked something, disliked or have questions, don't be shy, leave a few words. They really do make my day and push me to write faster.
Long before Shukaku was captured and sealed, it roamed the deserts of Wind country, killing and destroying all in his path.
When the ninja of Sunagakure first managed to imprison him in a teapot, they ambushed him in his lair in the desert. They then built a temple there, the temple of the Beast, where we prayed day and night and poured our spiritual energy into the sealed pot. Many from our ranks went insane, corrupted by the demon's whisperings until they could no longer complete their holy tasks.
Many began killing their fellow brethren, too far gone in their madness to oppose Shukaku's influence.
Many killed themselves.
It was to stop the madness that our revered and most holy Bumpuku-sama took the Demon inside his body and locked himself away with it, so that Shukaku may never again see the light of day. But even so, the demon's chakra was strong, and it was only with the aid of constant prayer and meditation that he managed to keep the beast contained. It was only one as holy as Bumpuku-sama that could keep the entire immensity of Shukaku sealed within him.
Shukaku's former lair has since then been called by the people of Suna, the Demon Desert. Yet the temple that was once held in such high regard now lies in ruins under the sand dunes, as the Demon was taken from Bumpuku-sama and foolishly turned into a weapon. None can hold the entirety of such a Demon and keep their sanity.
-Extract from the memoirs of the Second high monk of the Temple of the Beast-
Previously:
Was that…a child?
She ran toward the sound, somersaulting from the building's balcony and pushing chakra in her legs to flash to the next, racing toward the broken cry of a child. Yahizui reached for her sword and swore when she grasped at nothing but air. All she had were two kunai she kept hidden in the inner lining of her boots.
Those will have to do.
Within seconds the rooftop where the scream originated came into view, and just before her feet touched the railing of a nearby building, she saw a crimson-haired little boy no older than Naruto hugging his small body and crying. A few steps away from him lay the unmoving body of a man and behind him… was that sand?
The boy let out a wretched scream that tore at her heart, his small hands burying into his hair. She tensed her legs, ready to jump when a wave of malevolent chakra burst through from the boy's crouched frame.
-Monster-
That feeling… she knew it.
Yahizui's senses burned, each breath searing her body with the energy-saturated air. The boy's scream turned into a roar pulsing with malevolent chakra that threw Yahizui into a nearby dew collector. The glass shattered beneath her, and for a moment, Yahizui wasn't sure what happened. Her head rang. She couldn't breathe. It was too much hate, too much fire clawing at her throat.
Breathe!
She pulled her chakra back; it didn't help. The air around her was scorching, scratching at her skin as it entered her lungs, making her throat close up with panic.
Breathe!
The aches of her body pricked her nerves like needles. Pieces of shattered glass had pierced her skin, slashing at her flesh. Yahizui rolled to the side, heart thrashing in her ears. Her lungs burned, her ears rang, and all she could think of were yellow eyes and a gaping maw that threatened to swallow the world whole.
She bit her tongue. Breathe! Blood pooled in her mouth, and the sharp pain anchored her back to reality. In, out; breathe. Each breath hurt, each movement pulling at her aching muscles. This was too much. Such power and malice…
Run. Her father's words echoed in Yahizui's head. She wanted to give in to the fear that was squeezing her heart and cradle her bruised body until it all passed. She yearned to hide in a small dark corner and never get out, ached to scream and cry herself raw. Run, get away from here.
Outside the shattered glasshouse, the beast roared once and Yahizui felt sick. Sick at how scared she was, at how much she wanted to crawl away from it. This monster was the same one that had leveled her village and shattered her childhood. It was the demon from her dreams, the terror hiding in every dark corner when she woke from sleep. She curled in on herself, cradling her head between her hands, as flashes of bodies whose faces she had long forgotten flashed behind her eyes.
Screams, cries, and the demon's roar filled her ears.
Get up. Through her closed eyes, Kaito's icy blue eyes bore down on her. His gaze was calm, as it always was before a fight, pulling her like a beacon.
You're a kunoichi, so act like one. Get up!
She grimaced at the pain in her back but moved anyway, using it to keep her grounded in the present. This wasn't like before. She was no longer the scared little girl that cowered in fear and could do nothing but cry. She was a shinobi of Konoha, an Uzumaki, and this moment was what she'd been training for.
The beast roared twice, and Yahizui ground her teeth. She took a deep breath and pushed the horrors of her childhood to the back of her mind. Today she will avenge them and help put their tortured souls to rest forever. Today she will show her worth! She pushed her fear away allowing the latent anger and hate to fill her veins like liquid fire. The lost souls of her family and village screamed at her from beyond the grave asking for justice, demanding revenge. She would gladly answer.
It was clear to her now that beneath it all, this is what she'd been training for. This was what her heart yearned above all else: to face the demon that had taken everything from her. Before her, the beast roared thrice and Yahizui stood to face her nightmare.
It towered over the buildings, dwarfing them with its colossal body. Beady luminous eyes were shifting everywhere, and rivers of sand poured from its maw. Behind it, measuring twice its size swished a tail, though if that thing was a tail Yahizui wasn't sure. It looked like jagged cliffs put together and animated by an unnatural force. The beast was precisely as she remembered it and yet so much more. Doubt began to trickle down her spine.
No! She bit her cheek; how it looked changed nothing. The dead were still dead and still angry.
She was still angry.
Uzumaki use their anger, their feelings. We control them.
Yahizui used Ashina's voice to anchor her resolve and closed her eyes, focusing on the knotted ball of rage inside her. Use it; she delved into that feeling. It felt red-hot and overpowering. She didn't fight it, didn't try to push it back as usual. Instead, she let it fill her to the brim, dissolve the aches in her body, and add the pain to her strength. For a moment, it was too much; the rage threatened to overwhelm her and drown her. Control it. Her anger was a blade, sharp and deadly; her hatred was an arrow awaiting release. As the monster's roar reverberated once more, she released it.
Glowing chains burst from her chest, racing toward the behemoth before her. They wrapped around it, coiling like snakes around their prey. Once, twice, thrice, they enveloped it before it could even realize anything was amiss. Yahizui's lips pulled up in a predatory grin. This is what she'd been waiting for! For a second time stopped, suspended in her victorious feeling. Then the beast moved. It thrashed, pulling at the chains and clawing at the links. No, she couldn't let go! The chains glowed anew, eating her chakra up at an alarming rate. She had to make it stop, get its attention.
"You're mine, you stinking bag of sand!" Yahizui screamed. Her face was alight with a golden glow, her green eyes filled with the fire of fury.
Yahizui's knees buckled as a wave of dizziness made her head spin. The force behind those yellow eyes made her shudder. She couldn't let go now, even if the chains were eating up more chakra than she anticipated. There was no going back, no way out. She pushed on, pouring more energy as another chain shot from her chest, piercing the bound beast. Her vision swam. Not yet! The seal on her hand which bound her to Ashina burned.
She was at her limit.
"I c-can't… I can't give up, I WON'T!" A primal scream tore from her throat. Desperate, she pushed past her chakra reserves, digging into her life energy. The chains burned white, tightening around the beast.
"HaHaHa!" Its head rose to the sky, maw open in a peal of hysterical laughter. "You sure are desperate, little gatekeeper!"
It spoke!
"Careful there," said the beast in a mocking tone. "You're going to burn up that long life of yours like a candlewick if you keep this up."
"Shut up, demon!" that it was capable of speaking made her hatred burn even hotter. If it spoke, then it could think, which made the act of killing all those people, her people, all the more gruesome. "You killed them all and now I will end you!"
The behemoth looked at her for a moment, then threw its head back and bellowed with laughter. Yahizui tightened her chains around it, satisfied that it stopped its mirth. Its yellow eyes pinned her once more. "Stupid, stupid little cub. You can't kill me! And even if you could, you shouldn't want to. I'm a sweet pet compared to what lurks inside the —"
A colossal wave of golden dust crashed into the demon, smothering its voice. Yahizui's grip on her chains slipped, and they dissolved into nothing. She watched in fascination as the golden dust pushed the beast down, forcing it to retreat back inside its host.
The boy that had been crying…frightened and in pain. Her eyes were heavy, and she could swear her tongue had grown to double its size. Wobbly on her feet, Yahizui took a few steps forward, leaning against the railing and looking at a passed out child. Was the demon held inside him?
Shame crawled up her spine. That boy was even younger than Naruto, small, alone. And she had been ready to kill it—him. She wasn't sure what to think anymore. Had it been his choice to decimate entire villages? Did being a child absolve him of the sin? And if he was about Naruto's age then… then he was nothing but a baby when it all happened. A baby! What could a baby be guilty of, it was pure and small and defenseless! Seeing him laying there, so tiny and… human-made the burning feeling inside her ebb away. No longer held upright by anger Yahizui's body crumpled to the floor, her eyes turning in her head as darkness smothered her.
-O-
"You stupid girl!"
Yahizui's eyes cracked open, yet she didn't bother to look in the direction of the voice. Everything was too bright, mocking the way she felt inside. She'd failed. For that one moment, when the beast was in her grasp, she'd felt powerful. She'd been so close to delivering the justice her parents deserved and still let that chance slip through her fingers. How was this better than running away scared? She tried everything, gave everything and still… nothing.
With her eyes half-closed, she pulled her knees toward her and lowered her head on them. What a failure… what a waste of time.
"What were you thinking?" the same voice snarled, this time right in front of her.
Yahizui refused to lift her head, letting her bangs hide her from prying eyes and scratched at her arm. She knew that voice, and his presence was the last thing she needed at the moment. Maybe she'd given too much and was dead, which would make sense why Ashina was here. Hopefully, it wasn't the case. If she were dead, then she'd have to face her parents and deal with the shame of letting them down her whole afterlife. That was worse than dying. But, she would see them. Her chest ached, a knot forming in her throat. How long had she wished to see them, to feel their arms around her? Will they forgive her?
"Answer me!" Ashina's voice sounded far away, but the grip he had on her hair was solid. He yanked her head up, pulling at her with viciousness. "Answer you stupid girl? Answer!"
Yahizui looked away. How unlucky of her to have to spend her afterlife with him. Maybe he'll go away if she stopped reacting. With her luck, she was likely caught in a half-dead state, stuck as a ghost with unfinished business, like him. At least she could've adequately died, but it seemed she failed there as well.
She heard him sigh, and the pressure on her scalp eased as he allowed her head to lower once more. As Ashina's footsteps withdrew, Yahizui closed her eyes. Yellow orbs swallowed her whole and massive fangs tore at her flesh, eating away her chakra and soul. Mountains of blood-soaked sand engulfed her until all that remained was her shriveled ghost sitting in a corner with her head on her knees. Alone. Over and over.
-O-
The inside of Riruka's home was chockfull of herbs. The open shelves separating her kitchen from her living room were brimming with jars, bags, and boxes of various dried, ground, or infusing plants. The cabinet next to her working table was also filled with teas, powders, ointments and assorted bags of herbs. The ceiling wasn't spared either, with orderly hooks housing bundles set up to dry. The entire house emanated an amalgam of scents that gave one the distinct idea of stepping inside an apothecary. Riruka loved the smell; it calmed her. As did the repetitive work of grinding down leaves and roots to a powder, weighing ingredients, blending teas and mixing salves.
Riruka was sitting down at her table, a steaming cup of calming tea in front of her. She'd put in it enough belladonna, passionflower, and lavender to put a jounin to sleep, yet she was restless. Her fingers banged on the table in a no-nonsense rhythm, her teeth gnawing at her chapped lips.
Do it.
She shook her head, her fingers stopping their movement.
Give in, do it.
Her lip trembled. She hadn't managed to sleep in days, the puffy rings under her eyes no longer concealable.
Do it.
Give in.
Bring her to him.
"NO!" She jumped up, downed the tea, and began rummaging through the open cabinet, knocking over boxes and jars in her frenzy.
Her movements became frantic with each box she pulled and tossed away. Then she stopped. In one hand, she held a small rectangular container, in the other a large bag of valerian. With jerky movements, she brought water to a boil, dumped the valerian bag in it and sat back at the table, clutching the rectangular box. There was no name on it, no label to state what the box contained. She opened the lid, admiring the beautiful poppy craving on the inside. Riruka's hand shook as she dipped the tip of a knife in the brown powdered substance and brought it to her tongue.
"Make it go away." She washed it away with a cup of valerian infusion.
-O-
Eons seemed to have passed, and yet it could have been an hour or a few minutes until Yahizui opened her eyes. She lifted her head and saw Ashina before her.
"Why are you here?" Her voice felt scratchy and unused, the words foreign in her ears.
Ashina rolled his eyes, muttering something that sounded like 'idiot.' "You pushed too far, gave up too much chakra and too much life energy for that matter."
"I am dead." How strange that she cared so little for it.
"No, you're not dead, but that's not for lack of trying," scoffed Ashina. "What possessed you to pour all your chakra and a quarter of your life energy in?"
Alive. She wasn't dead, not yet. Yahizui wasn't sure whether she should be relieved or not. The possibility of being dead had been peaceful, like she didn't need to struggle anymore. But she was alive. With a quarter of her life missing yet alive nonetheless. This felt like a second chance.
"I was facing the demon that killed my village and parents," she said, pinning the old man with a defiant gaze.
"You are reckless with your gifts! Long-life does not translate to immortality. Neither does the power to heal with a bite mean you're to give it about like free water!"
How did he know that? Could he spy on her through the seal? And why did he care what she did with her chakra and life energy for that matter? He was dead, clinging to life because of… oh, but of course! He cared because if she were to die, then he wouldn't have anyone to mooch chakra out of! "Don't worry, old man," she sneered, "I'll deliver your chakra."
"Hardly," snapped Ashina. "It is up to fate if you ever wake up from the mess you've put yourself into."
"What do you mean?"
"Congratulations, you're in a coma."
-O-
For the second time in a year, Kaito stood outside a hospital room, staring at his student's motionless body. In Suna Yahizui's chakra had burned like a beacon next to the tailed beast, overpowering it for a few seconds. Just as Kushina's did with the Nine-Tails before her death. He'd acted out of instinct, defying the lockdown order and flashing off into the night to reach her.
Only once in his life had he seen the Adamantine chains when Kushina showed it to them in private. She wasn't fond of using them, claiming they were hungry beasts that gobbled up chakra like nothing else. Back then, he'd scoffed at her, poked at her terrible control. After all, the technique was formidable and could turn the tide of a battle within moments. Now, Kaito understood Kushina's hesitation as he felt Yahizui's chakra burn up like a cheap candle. She kept on pushing and giving until there was nothing more to give and the ice-cold burn of life energy replaced the warm feeling of her chakra.
It took him seconds to reach her, but a world of damage happened in those few moments. The Kazekage had pushed the Ichibi back in its host, and Yahizui lay unmoving on the ground. He didn't think, and that had been the start of this mess— no, the start had been his meddling student that couldn't mind her own damn business! But that was so impregnated in her nature that he wasn't sure he could fault her for it. The problems started when he ignored the Kazekage's firm request to go to the Suna hospital with her. They continued when he called his largest, fastest summon and ran with Yahizui and the rest of the team back home. Running away was an apt description since Suna ANBU chased them all the way to Konoha, retreating only at the Hokage's interference. Ever since he had been in the hospital, guarding.
The implications of her little stunt were unimaginable: an international conflict, removal from shinobi rank, prison? Even if this was to be her fate, it was better to have it done at home and not in a strange land. Allies or not, he wouldn't rely on Suna's courteous nature; they weren't known for it. With Yahizui being who she was… Kami, he was going to kill the stupid little chit when she woke up! If… if she woke up.
His mood dampened once more.
"I was hoping to meet you under different circumstances."
Kaito glanced away from Yahizui's comatose form into the stern eyes of his once teacher. "So was I." How fitting for them to send the master of interrogation his way; it wasn't like he had anything to hide. "I guess you want a detailed recount of what happened."
Ibiki turned to look at the window. "I can pretty much guess, but indulge me."
"I wasn't there, but I can guess that she saw the Ichibi break loose and sought out retribution for all those years ago." He could understand her motive, even if she should have known better.
"She should have known better," said Ibiki, echoing his thoughts. "You should have taught her better."
Kaito scoffed. "Tell me, how is teaching a stubborn Uzumaki anything work out for you, heh?"
"Stop looking for Kushina in this girl!"
Sudden anger shot through Kaito's body like a lightning bolt, and it took all his self-control to smother it down. "This is not me looking for anyone, I'm saying it as it is. Yahizui is no Kushina, I know that better than most. This girl has bitterness in her the likes that Kushina never had. She looked for that revenge, strived for it with every step she took, although she managed to convince herself otherwise. Kushina didn't have anyone to blame for the fall of her village, but Yahizui does. And when faced with the culprit, any teaching I have instilled in her went out the window." Did Ibiki think he never tried to tone her down? "I tried to teach her patience. I tried to teach her acceptance, but this kid needs to bang her head on the wall before she sees it's there! You can't teach a person something they don't want to learn!" finished Kaito with a shout.
Ibiki's silence told Kaito he had crossed a line. He shouldn't have lost his temper with him. Ibiki was his friend. At least he hoped they were friends after everything they'd been through. But Ibiki was still the T&I chief and reported directly to the Hokage. Kaito schooled the anger from his tone. "I apologize, this is an unprecedented situation."
"It is," said Ibiki with a barely-there incline of his head. "Which is why I will not put your confessed lack of control over your genin kunoichi in the report. Still, care to tell me why you ran off?"
"Call it paranoia, but I am too aware of what Suna does to prisoners. And when it comes to their jinchuuriki, I'm not so sure a fragile alliance will keep them civil."
Kaito couldn't tell whether Ibiki approved of his argument or whether he was about to throw him in prison for instigation. One never knew with him, and that was one of the many things which made Ibiki so good at his job.
"I should have both your asses locked away, and it if were up to me, then I would," said Ibiki without missing a beat. "But, the Hokage, and I am surprised to say, the council, think otherwise."
Surprising indeed. "Not to sound ungrateful, but how come?"
Ibiki leaned against the wall opposite to Kaito and jutted his chin toward Yahizui's bed. "Your girl's little stunt was stupid, but luckily for her, it was well-timed. As you know, Suna has been struggling for some time. More and more missions that should be theirs fall into Konoha's lap."
Kaito nodded. "I know. This exam was supposed to boost their mission count, hence the not so subtle rigged tests in their favor." All jounin teachers saw the blatant unfairness of the tests, but once the exam started, they were officially not allowed to interfere. And, if a foreign team were to pass despite the unbalance, then they would prove themselves twice as valuable. That was all the incentive anyone needed to sit back and watch the scores. "But the exam got canceled. There will be no final trial and no advancements… Because of Suna."
Ibiki clicked his tongue. "Exactly. The Ichibi sudden explosion into the night took everyone by surprise. Also, it was this close to leveling the Suna public hospital." Ibiki indicated the gap with his fingers, his face impassive. "Yahizui's interference gave the Kazekage ample time to get the situation under control. Otherwise... there would probably be another Kazekage at Suna's helm right now."
How… how? "But she didn't… she didn't know that, did she?"
"Unlikely. But that is beside the point."
Kaito's entire body tensed as understanding dawned on him. The truth didn't matter in this. "What's the official story?"
"The only story that will both keep your little student out of prison and benefit Konoha, of course. She sensed the danger, came to the rescue, and gave everything she had to keep the demon at bay."
His jaw clenched. Who was going to believe such a thing? He ran away with her, why would he sweep her off when she'd just saved the village? Which, in hindsight, she might have actually done, but that was beside the point. "And running? How do we explain that?"
"That," said Ibiki as he pushed away from the wall, "is problematic. I expected better judgment coming from you." He pulled what looked like a piece of paper from his sleeve and showed it to Kaito.
"You're joking, right?" he eyed the thin strip of paper.
Ibiki shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Someone has to take the fall, and you, my friend, had an unacceptable lapse of judgment. I'm sorry, but I'll have to take you in."
This was not something he hoped for, although the decision was not so unexpected. With one last look at the chakra sealing tag, Kaito nodded, shuddering as Ibiki placed it on his chest. Once activated the seal spread over his body, entering his system and blocking his brain from gaining access to his chakra network. He was, until the seal was released, a civilian. It felt foreign, wrong. In front of him, Ibiki pulled out a pair of steel shackles. "How long?"
"You will spend a month in Konoha's facility. Then you are out, but the seal stays on."
"How long?" He pressed, raising his voice enough for the doctor entering Yahizui's room to glare at him under his round glasses.
Ibiki looked at the medic through the window for a moment then turned toward him. "A year."
The medic didn't hear Kaito's response as he closed the door and headed toward Yahizui's bed. He checked her vitals, replaced her saline bag, and ran a few routine checks. Her chakra was still close to unexistent, which kept her brain functions to a minimum. Even with her healing and Uzumaki heritage, she was sure to be out for a week, if not more. He noted that in his clipboard and left the room. The two jounin were gone, but the medic didn't pay much attention to that.
He purposefully walked the corridors that all hospital employees had, passing the nurse's booth with a small incline of his head, and heading toward the exit. As he stepped out of the hospital, his appearance changed, and yet if one looked close enough, it was the same. The glasses stayed, but his hair was now brown, cropped close to the head. His face was rounder and his stature was shorter. The man flitted through the crowds, his nondescript civilian attire making him blend in with the general population. He stopped by the market, then the pharmacy and lastly the park. After a good hour spent there, he walked home, stopping here and there along the way, sometimes even turning back and taking another, lengthier street. Three hours had passed between his hospital exit and his arrival in the small, rented apartment. He closed the door, placed his groceries on the floor and turned to the white snake lounging on his couch.
"Tell me," hissed the snake.
"It is confirmed. The Ichibi had been set loose, and the exams are canceled."
The snake lowered its head, pleased. "Excellent Kabuto. But this is not why I sent you there."
Kabuto sighed, his features now back to normal. "The girl lives, but is in a coma."
"Do I need pliers to pull words out of your mouth, boy?" hissed the snake.
Kabuto took a step back. Even talking through a summon, Orochimaru found a way to be imposing. "Forgive me sir, but eavesdropping on the Hokage and Morino Ibiki is not something I expected to do. We— I could be caught."
"Kabuto, Kabuto… my sweet little spy. I have faith that even if I were to plant you under Danzo's nose, he wouldn't notice you; you're that good."
The back of Kabuto's neck flushed, and he fidgeted for a moment. "She restrained the beast with her chains, burned up all her chakra in the process. Still, she managed to keep the beast trapped long enough for the Kazekage to come and force it back into its Jinchuuriki." He paused, watching the snake nod in a gesture that was much too human. "Sir, If I may be so bold as to ask, why bother with Suna? Are we to take their demon beast?"
"Nothing so obvious," hissed the snake languidly. "This whole Bijuu thing is not my thing. No, our plans are much more subtle, and my goal is much, much more personal."
Kabuto still looked unsure. "Then… why manipulate the Suna council?"
"So many questions. I'd like to say that the way things turned out was all part of my plan, but alas, it was a fortuitous twist of fate. The Kazekage remains, but the cost is great and now… Konoha will drive the nail in for me."
Kabuto opened his mouth to ask, then closed it and thought it through. "The Hokage will honor their treaty….but… not without a price."
"Exactly. Then Suna will look for another ally, one that doesn't ask for much in return."
A smirk stretched Kabuto's lips, looking out of place on his youthful features.
"But that is for the future," murmured the snake. Its tail flicked from side to side before it finally settled back on the couch. "A contact of mine in Konoha tells me that Danzo has been getting dangerously close to our pretty little Uzumaki friend. We wouldn't want that."
Kabuto's fists clenched at his sides, his shoulders squaring. "I wasn't aware you had a contact in Konoha."
"Are you jealous, Kabuto?" The snakes' tail began swishing again. "You know such frivolities bore me. Just make sure your former master doesn't get his hands on the girl."
"I could bring her to you," he murmured.
A forked tongue slipped in and out of the snake's mouth. "Have some tact. If the girl were to disappear, then Danzo would immediately point at me. No, this is not the time. I have my hands full with my new friends here, and they are brimming with wonderful jutsu and information. Her time will come later."
-O-
Itachi lingered at the door, unsure whether he should intrude or not. She looked frail, her skin too pale, and her wrists too thin. She was in a coma, said the nurse, and they weren't sure when she would wake up. He stepped in, closing the distance to the bed in a few steps. Flowers, sweets, and various gifts filled her nightstand from corner to corner. On a nearby chair, her neatly folded clothes and headband lay, all waiting for her to wake up. Still, she did not move.
He stepped closer, indulging in his selfish desire to be near her, to hold her. A shiver ran up his spine as his fingers touched her hand. If it weren't for the steady beeping of the monitor, it would have been hard to tell whether she was alive or dead. Her skin had an ashen quality to it, her once vibrant hair dull.
What did she do? How did she manage to deplete her chakra in such a way? In ninety-nine percent of cases, a shinobi shouldn't be able to consume their chakra to the point where they have to tap into their life energy. The body would rebel; try to shut down before that would ever happen. Did someone or something take it from her? Unlikely. He'd spoken to Tojiro as he left the hospital earlier and the boy said she had been well as they went to sleep for the night. Tired from the exam, but okay. So, what happened?
Itachi tensed, his hand slowly retreating from Yahizui's, back straightening. "I was just leaving," he said, then turned to look at Yahizui's second teammate.
"No need," said Hakudoshi.
Itachi glanced at the white-haired boy. Yahizui had spoken a lot about him, usually embellished with different expletives and complaints. Judging by the genuine concern in the boy's face, Itachi guessed they had finally found some common ground. He stepped away from the cot, pushing away the reluctance to leave her. He wasn't supposed to be here, not when he swore to keep his distance.
"She found it..."
Itachi looked at Hakudoshi in confusion, waiting for him to elaborate.
"The monster that killed her family… she found it." There was a faraway look in Hakudoshi's eyes, his tone sounding forcefully controlled.
"I see." So the disturbance that canceled the chuunin exams was, in fact, the Ichibi. It was terrifying how often Suna lost control of their Bijuu and Itachi was sure that if they weren't in the middle of a mostly barren desert, it would be a more significant issue. Alas, no one, not even Suna, seemed to care about it. He looked once more at Yahizui's ashen skin. This explained how she managed to overcome her body's natural instinct to access her life energy. Ugh, this was precisely the stupid, emotional… justified kind of anger she would act upon. His gaze roamed over her face once more, trying to commit it to his memory. A moment later, he stepped away. "I will leave you to your visit," he said, then turned to leave with an incline of his head.
"I don't get why she cares so much about you," hissed the Seiya boy behind him. "You obviously don't."
He was tired, much too tired to face the petty accusations Yahizui's teammate threw at him. Itachi's jaw tightened, his teeth gnashing. And in the end, why should he care? He had sworn to keep away from her anyway so, her friends believing that he didn't give a damn, was in fact, better. His hands twitched. "Obviously, you have it all figured out," he replied and then left the room with soundless steps.
On the hospital bed, Yahizui's finger twitched, but Hakudoshi was too busy glaring at Itachi's back to notice.
Trapped inside her head, Yahizui sighed and slumped back down. Focusing on what was happening outside was exhausting. "He couldn't have meant that…" she mumbled, ignoring Ashina's scoff.
"If you would focus as much on the chakra building exercise I taught you as you focus on the gossip happening outside, you might already be awake by now," snapped Ashina.
Yahizui looked at him with a mutinous pout. "But they were talking about me!" she whined.
A vein popped in the old ghost's forehead. "You are just like Saito. Short-sighted and more interested in the silly things happening on the outside than the important ones on the inside!"
The breath froze in Yahizui's lungs. Could she get to learn more about him? Her voice trembled as she asked, "How well did you know my father?"
"That is not the important thing here," deflected Ashina.
Yahizui's eyes narrowed. Why was he dodging the subject? It was a simple question. She wanted to know more about him, and it sure as hell looked like he knew her father by more than just name. "Yes, it is," she pushed on. "I… I can barely remember his face, his voice! If you know more about him, then I have the right to know! So tell me how well did you know him?"
"Well enough." Ashina paused, his shoulders slumping, all anger drained from him. "He was my youngest son."
The world stood still. "W-what?" her hands trembled, lips forming questions that she couldn't manage to voice. This man before her was...her grandfather? It felt as if a balloon was expanding in her chest, crushing her organs until she wanted to scream. This was her grandfather? The seal on her hand itched, and Yahizui instinctively reached to scratch at it beneath the armguard, then froze. The balloon inside her exploded, filling her with rage. "You knew and you bound my chakra to you anyway?" blood roared in her head, a pounding headache building behind her eyes. "What sort of monster are you? How…how could you?"
"Your father betrayed me," sneered Ashina, his eyes glinting with anger. "When the clan was in danger, he didn't answer the call. When Uzushio fell, he was off gallivanting through the world." His words were dripping with venom and resentment. "I have no need for such a son."
Yahizui was seething. "Well, great! Now he's dead! And you decided to take your revenge on his daughter? What sort of twisted sense does that make?"
"Revenge?" asked Ashina with derision in his voice. "Stupid girl, I saved you. If it weren't for me, you would wander in the dark, not knowing what actually made you an Uzumaki."
"Ha!" she was standing now, nearing Ashina with thunderous steps. "Don't be such a fucking hypocrite!"
"Language!"
"I will speak how I want!" she was burning with fury, beyond any consolation. "You didn't teach me anything! All I get are promises, big words, and snide comments, but you didn't even make an effort to teach me a single Uzumaki sealing technique! What am I saying; you wouldn't even teach me the sealing code used on the island! So stop pretending that you are some grand mentor because so far, I'm the only one that contributed to this deal of ours… grandpa."
"That coding language is only to be used in Uzushio, for members of the—"
"They're all dead!" shouted Yahizui. "They are all long dead, and you are dead, even if you refuse to acknowledge that." Her voice quieted down, the fight leaving her. "Your village, your people, your family… my family... everyone's dead, and still, you cling to the stupid idea of preserving… what? There's nothing more to preserve and I am the only person that you could pass the knowledge onto."
He was living in the past, clinging to it so tightly that it blinded him of…Yahizui's lip trembled. Was she not the same? So many years had passed since her parent's death, yet as soon as she stepped foot in Wind Country, it all came back with stark clarity. She couldn't let go, didn't want to let go. The fire of anger that had been fueling her was starting to dim. "They're not coming back," she muttered.
Denial, Yahizui had noticed, was something Ashina retreated in. Even now, as her words washed over him, the old Uzumaki leader was shaking his head. "There are refugees, I know they are. Some managed to leave. Some escaped. I made sure of it."
"Then I will find them," she blurted out. She hated the man-ghost right now, hated that they were related, that he was so arrogant and closed off. But she could also see that she needed him to teach her more. She couldn't rely on the Adamantine Chains in a battle. They ate too much chakra, and unless she found a way to control them, or quadruple her reserves, she had to learn new things. Seals she was good at, she understood them and they were an Uzumaki's most feared weapon. She had to convince the old man to teach her, truly teach her.
"I will find them and bring them together. I will take them to Uzushio and…" as she spoke the words of her half-lie a sense of purpose-filled Yahizui. "…and I will rebuild the clan." Yes, it was an excuse, a spur of the moment ruse, a reactive comment based on what Ashina said. But inside her words, there was a truth, a goal. She couldn't do it now, but in time she could travel, see if there were others like her, and bring them all together. She could make a patchwork family, a refugee, and a second-generation clan.
Ashina sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "Go through your chakra exercises. I will think about it. And Yahizui… I apologize for not telling you earlier."
His apology made her stomach knot.
-O-
Every muscle in Riruka's body was on fire. Her head felt like it was about to implode and sweat-drenched her back despite the chilly morning air. The road from her house to the hospital was excruciating and if it were for any other reason than this, she wouldn't have moved. But nothing, not even the end of the world, would keep her away from her at a time like this!
A coma… Riruka shuddered, the motion sending searing white pain in her head. She couldn't quite comprehend the fact that Yahizui was in such a state. Frail, small… just lying there. The girl was so full of life and energy that she couldn't imagine her in any other way.
She was about to enter the hospital building when she stopped. This was when he will come for her! This is when he will take her! The thought pierced her like a sharp dagger, making all aches go away. Riruka ran through the halls, knocking over patients and nurses alike in her desperate quest to reach Yahizui's room. She passed by the window, grabbed the door and ripped it open.
Yahizui was there, on the bed, connected to way too many machines and unmoving. But she wasn't alone.
"Who are you, what are you doing here?" she barked, ignoring the white lab coat. One of Danzo's people could have easily stolen one.
The brown-haired medic pushed his round glassed higher over his nose and lifted his hands to show he meant no harm. "You must be Yahizui's guardian, Noshima-san. I am Tobu Kuyashi, one of Yahizui-chan's assigned medics."
Riruka didn't hear the man's words, all she could see was Yahizui's small frame laying on the bed.
I could bring her to him… NO!
"Noshima-san," said the medic with concern, "are you all right?"
The throbbing in her head was reaching a pinnacle, burning red-hot in her brain. Riruka's vision swam, and keeping her eyes open was torture. She heard the medic move next to her, his silent steps much too loud in her ears. As his hands touched her arm, guiding her to take a seat, her skin recoiled at the contact. Everything hurt; her stomach was rolling, the meager meal she'd had before going to bed threatening to spill. Just as she couldn't take it anymore, the pain ceased. Her stomach stopped rolling and the world no longer seemed tilted on its axis.
"What did you do?" asked Riruka as she finally managed to look at the medic.
He smiled, though it did not reach his eyes. "I boosted your system to flush the drug out." The medic's smile fell, his voice lowering. "Noshima-san," he began with concern, "Why did you take that?"
That she couldn't answer. Her mind screamed to spill it all out, to talk about Danzo, but something held her back. The feeling grew, swelling inside her until it agonized her to even think about it. Talking was out of the question. She threw a desperate glance at Yahizui's laying form, and immediately the voice inside her head began whispering suggestions, pushing her to fulfill her purpose.
"I-I must leave," croaked Riruka. "Please, excuse me."
Riruka couldn't bear to look at Yahizui again as she left the room. The pain was gone, the dizziness that made her swoon and sweat in buckets evaporated. But her mind was clear once more, and the voice unrelenting. She had to quiet it, no matter the cost.
-O-
The white haze surrounding her was starting to drive Yahizui insane. In the absence of sound, her mind began conjuring things to distract her, yet after a while, even that became too boring. Gathering chakra and focusing on producing more of it was akin to trying to make your hair grow faster. Maybe Ashina could do it, but Yahizui was sure that it was impossible. Her chakra would return when it returned, and not a moment sooner. As far as she understood, the comatose situation was a matter of time. As soon as her reserves returned to normal, her body would jumpstart and she'd be ready to go.
Who needed meditation when it was going to happen anyway?
Yahizui's attention focused on the other person occupying the white haze: her grandfather. The silence and relative solitude forced her to gain some perspective on the issue. Taking her personal feelings out of the equation helped as well. So what if he was her grandfather? It didn't change a thing! She considered him a bastard even before he lied to her, so why should that change now? In fact, nothing had changed. She still disliked him, and he was still a treasure trove of information that she yearned to know. Yet one thing did change. Ashina was her father's father. He got to know Saito in a way Yahizui could only imagine. Ashina got to teach him all he knew, and saw him as a shinobi, as a member of the clan. It felt as if she was holding an incomplete picture of her father, and Ashina was holding the missing pieces.
Her pride and principles could wait. She needed him.
With a deep breath, Yahizui stood and stepped toward him. He was standing still, his eyes closed in meditation, yet they opened as she started talking.
"Tell me about him."
Ashina lowered his gaze. "It is not something I wish to speak of."
"I don't care," snapped Yahizui with angry sparks in her eyes. "You owe me at least this."
She could see that the memory of his dead son pained him. Good. Ashina finally looked at her, his emotions sealed off. "He was my youngest son. I was about eighty when he came into the world, though by our clan's standard still in my prime. He was my seventh child, and while all others took after their mother, Saito looked just like me. But he was impulsive, rebellious and much too curious for his own good. He excelled at all aspects of physical fighting and was deadly with a sword, but he could never master his chains."
"Why not?"
Annoyance flickered over his features. "I told you that to control the chains, you must be able to use and direct your feelings. Saito was by nature uncontrollable. His emotions would sweep him like a current, overpower him. He felt too much, and often it clouded his judgment."
Yahizui smiled. She recalled him shouting and raging through the house after he stubbed his toe, or laugh until he was suffocating at some silly joke mama said. He was the first one to cry at weddings or funerals and always shouted at their neighbor, only to laugh with him half an hour later. Not to mention his hot rage at their dingy little oven that sometimes refused to start. Her father was full of emotions, and he showed them with abandon. "I don't think it's a bad thing," she said. "It made him a great dad."
"But a lousy shinobi," countered Ashina.
She couldn't argue with that. If the shinobi code was the same everywhere else as it was in Konoha, then her father was likely the worst type of person to become one. "Maybe that's why he left," she mused out loud. "So he could be something he wasn't allowed to be at home." Ashina's silence told her she'd hit a cord. "When did he leave?"
"He was twenty-six when I placed the seal on him and let him go. At first, he wrote back of his travels, but after a few years, the letters stopped. He was in Lightning country last time he wrote. Seven years after Saito left, the village was destroyed."
"What seal?" she asked, curious and a bit terrified to hear his answer.
"No Uzumaki leaving the clan or island could ever reveal the secrets of our sealing techniques to the outside world. They were much too dangerous. For that, they would have a secrecy seal placed on them."
Yahizui's body filled with dread at his words. "What does that mean?"
Ashina's tone was clinical as he spoke. "The knowledge was there, but it could neither be used nor passed on. It's as if you know how to do a jutsu, but can't do it."
A flashing image of Saito running toward the towering demon armed with nothing but his blades filled Yahizui's mind. Her hands trembled. He could've done more, could've…won! "You killed him!" she screamed, throwing herself at Ashina's taller form. "He could've fought back, seal the beast, kill it!" She hit him with her fists, kicked at him with blind rage, yet he did not move. Ashina was an immovable object, rooted to the spot and accepting her anger.
"Why? Why,why,whywhyy? How could you—" A knot in her throat kept the words at bay, locked behind her trembling lips. Her eyes burned, tears streaming down her face until all she could see were blurred lines. He killed him, he killed his own son! Her father, her papa! Hiccups shook her as she sunk down to her knees, wailing until her voice felt raw.
"I'm sorry," she heard him say, and there was real feeling behind those words. "I let my pride and custom dictate how I handled Saito, and I failed him. You're right. I might as well have placed a noose around his neck, and I regret that."
Yahizui looked at him with tear-filled eyes, fighting the impulse to jump him once more. There was remorse in his voice, she could feel it. "What do you want?"
"Allow me to atone my wrongs toward Saito. I will teach you our ways; teach you what it means to be an Uzumaki. No secrets, no stoppers."
The offer was inviting, but it felt cheap. "No. This was part of our deal anyway, so don't try to sell it like some magnanimous gesture."
"Then tell me what you want. Tell me, and I will give it to you. As you said, I owe it to you, and to Saito."
Yahizui's eyes narrowed. She pulled her armguard off, showing off the spiraling seal on it. "Release this," she said. The tremble in her voice was gone, the tears drying on her cheeks.
Ashina's hands twitched. "Releasing that seal would sign my death warrant."
Her head cocked to the side. "Exactly." Her tone was serene, but that one word was charged with all the vindictive feelings in her body. Focus your anger, he said, use it. Yes, she was using it, focusing it. On him. "This will be your payment. This is what will put his soul at peace."
Anger flashed over Ashina's face before his features settled into acceptance. "You are your father's daughter," he said as he lifted one hand to touch her forearm. "But that vicious streak is from someone else."
She looked him straight on, bearing her teeth at him in a predatory grin. "I must have taken that from you."
Yahizui could swear she saw a twinkle in his eye as he flushed chakra through the seal, lighting the space between them. A few seconds later, her forearm was bare of any mark. Energy, raw and bubbling filled her to the brim. If felt good. It felt great! Like something she'd been missing had returned and now she could do anything. "And now?" she blurted to no one in particular as she examined her hands.
"Now, you wake up."
A/N: Ashina, you old bastard! The scenes with the two of them were really hard to write, because on one hand Yahizui shouldn't want to have anything to do with this man/ghost anymore! But on the other hand he is the only information source she has on the Uzumaki. So yeah, problematic is a nice word for their relationship.
And what did you think of the seal placed on each person leaving Uzushio? Of course, I meant here leaving for good and not those gone on missions or fighting. Let me know in a comment ^_^
