The Archangel of the Hidden Leaf

Chapter 8:

Turmoil

Tsunade sat at her desk, having pushed aside the insurmountable stacks of paper surrounding her so she could focus only on Sakura's report. It was thicker than she was anticipating; each day had a page dedicated to notes. Yesterday, the last page of notes, was the only part of the report that stood out. Instead of a single page, there were multiple. The first was the same as the other days – while the patient remained unconscious, Sakura performed her daily tasks to keep her stable and noted things like the state of her vitals. The second page and beyond was deeper information about the patient provided for when she regained consciousness.

The most intriguing section of the report in Tsunade's opinion was the attached x-rays of the patient's head. Her skull possessed an odd shape due to enlarged orbital sockets. The bitewing x-rays showed the inside of the mouth and an unexpected jumble of needle-like structures inside. Despite having the structures crowding her teeth by residing in between each one's roots, her teeth remained relatively straight. The second bitewing x-ray showed the structures protruding from the gums in a confusing yet particular cluster.

The fifth Hokage studied the photos, headshots, and x-rays taken. This creature was able to transform to a small extent, and it was willingly. And according to Sakura's notes, her abilities had power. Although she had not witnessed the murders, she had to assume that this was cold-blooded. The only way to confirm it, however, was by the Analysis Team's investigation.

But there were still many questions raised about her abilities. The one answer she could find was one she came to fear. "It's a kekkei genkai," she declared aloud, hearing the door to her office open. "But I'm unfamiliar with it."

The pink-haired apprentice remained still in front of the desk. It had been a while since she encountered someone with a kekkei genkai or even thought about the term. But she had immediately thought about the Hyuga Clan and Uchiha Clan when she originally saw Dolia, so she was also not surprised that a bloodline limit was what composed her very being.

"What's going to happen to her?" she questioned her master.

Slightly humming in thought, Tsunade put down the papers and interlocked her fingers. Shizune placed a steaming cup of tea on the desk just as her elbows dug into the wood. Sakura remained within her boundaries in asking the creature's fate. Imprisoning her was always going to be her destination, but there would have to be some kind of special accommodation or restraint required. Kekkei genkai or not, that was not changing. However, a rare kekkei genkai as this one had to be researched and recorded. Ignoring such a duty was both irresponsible and a threat to the village. Another accident had to be prevented at all costs. Hiashi Hyuga had to respect that aspect of the incarceration.

"She is going to be imprisoned within the village and have research conducted on her," Tsunade answered. "As for you, I'm switching your duties to the autopsies of Toneri Hyuga and Kata Yuri. Since you've examined the suspect closely, I'm sure you can give us an idea of how exactly she killed them."

Momentarily avoiding her gaze, Sakura felt a wave of worry wash ashore her heart. Dolia was practically used for breeding in the past. The idea of scientists poking and prodding her did not sit well with her. But what unexpectedly hurt the most was that today she had to say goodbye.

Dolia quietly sat cross-legged on the hospital bed, wearing the clothing Sakura brought her. There was no more needle in her wrist, too. This day was very different from the previous one already.

Sakura was combing her hair for her but instructing her how to do it for herself. Leaving a small section, she offered the comb to her patient so she could give it a try. She took it and proceeded to hold the section of hair to prevent her scalp from being tugged by the teeth of the comb grazing through a couple of tangles. Although it was a minuscule thing, it still pleased her to witness. Becoming independent for her was a big step that required baby steps to accomplish.

When the comb was able to smoothly travel down without interruption, she put it down. "Am I leaving the hospital today?" she whispered.

"Yes," Sakura breathed, picking up a pair of blue sandals that she wore when she was still a genin fresh from the academy. "Someone else is going to look after you."

A pang of fear rushed through her, making her body stiffen. "You're not coming with me?"

"I can't. I have to stay here. You'll be safe, though," she apologetically reasoned while coming around the bed. "Here. Try these."

Dolia glanced at the sandals, knowing they were meant to be worn on her feet, so she extended her legs. Sakura slipped them on to find they were shorter than what would be deemed a good enough fit, but they could at least be used for now. When she noticed Dolia studying them, she could not help but feel slightly amused. "How does your first pair of shoes feel?" she regaled.

The sensation of something comfortable but protective wrapping around her bony feet was brand new to her. She wiggled her toes since they remained exposed. "Weird," she admitted sheepishly.

She giggled lightly and took a step back. "Walk around a little bit. You'll get used to it."

Feeling a little embarrassed, she slipped off the bed and stood. For once, her soles were not cold. The arches were slightly supported by the design despite being worn down. Sakura observed her take steps in a straight line like a child trying to keep her balance on a short ledge. The innocence from lack of experience of things usually taken for granted radiated from her and has been since she initially woke up yesterday.

Just as Dolia was turning around to make a lap, the door to the room opened. The appearance of Ibiki Morino, a stocky jonin clad in a dark trench coat and with distinct scars on his face, filled Sakura with dread. He was more than likely sent because of how dangerous Dolia was perceived to be, but how arduous of a man he was gave her a bad feeling and a head filling with worst-case scenarios.

Dolia gazed back at him as he stepped into the room. The sight of her blank face did not faze him in the slightest. He towered over her menacingly, filling her with terror that blocked out her instinct to run away. "You're coming with me," he bluntly stated, holding up a pair of handcuffs.

Sakura quickly came closer as her wrist was grabbed and cuffed. "You'll be okay," she reassured the terrified girl. "Just do what they say."

Her eyes were stretched wide to reveal a couple of blood vessels and her breaths lightly came out rapidly. Memories from her past were suddenly flooding back to her, especially when the muzzle was forced over her mouth. To her, this was not good at all. Did Sakura lie to her? The impression of being in danger under the arrest of this man was more than real to her, but there were no tears to accompany her current emotions.

Ibiki tied a rope to the handcuffs and pulled her out of the room in his wake. Sakura watched as she desperately looked back at her with a look that screamed "save me."

Inoichi Yamanaka entered the room with Ibiki. Lady Tsunade had instructed the Analysis Team to go ahead with the unrolling of the suspect's mind and bypass interrogation. He knew that this was the monster who killed those two chunins, and he had heard rumors floating around the village. Luckily, his daughter had interacted with it just yesterday and was able to tell him some things about what to expect.

"Her name is Dolia," she had informed him. "She's quiet and looks like she has no face. And…she's gentle."

"Gentle? I thought this was some kind of monster," he debated, much to his surprise. After all, since when were murderers gentle?

"I don't know why, Dad. Just take it easy on her, please. She's probably had a rough life."

As true as it might be, he still had to treat her like everyone else who comes through for an Analysis Team investigation. He would use a mind jutsu to reach into her mind and see her memories. He was going to see for himself the chunins' deaths as well as any secrets or information she could be carrying. There was no harsh treatment in the interrogation room this time around, but he still heeded Ino's warning about the possibility of a rough life. He trusted her word.

As he approached her, he could easily see how pronounced her cheekbones were from starvation. Only her head was showing as the rest of her body was restrained under what looked like a concrete mound. The black markings encircling her was a sealing to keep her from attempting to escape. Her dark curls fanned all around her, and the pure white eyes that lacked any detail were left unblinking. She was trapped in a genjutsu.

Inoichi did not waste any time. He placed his palm against the very top of her head, and steam began to sizzle from the contact as he instantly entered her subconscious. The brain came into his view. It loomed over him. Reaching forward, he summoned a scroll to emerge from the convolutions. Almost as if gravity was working heavily, the scroll unrolled fleetingly, sending the never-ending paper down into the dark cavity below. As the paper moved, Inoichi dove into her psyche, seeing her life through her perspective.

Walking down a dim and cold corridor, Dolia stayed close to the side of someone who was holding her hand. Footsteps echoed around them. She was a young child during this time; the door they approached stood tall, and she only reached just shy of the height halfway. The grip on her hand tightened as if it was tense from what was on the other side.

"This is where the child will remain," a husky voice declared as soon as the footsteps stopped.

The person holding Dolia's hand turned around, so she did as well. Although the dimness masked details, she recognized one of the men since he possessed no face. He was the one who she knew as her father, who protected her and eased her to sleep at night. There was an apprehensive ambiance hanging above his head, especially when this message was conveyed. "You're separating us?" he asked in disbelief.

"That is what Lord Orochimaru wants. It is out of my hands," the other man insisted.

Inoichi opened his eyes and glanced back at Ibiki, who had been standing behind him in silence. The familiar and dreaded name instantly broke him from the trance. "This is a test subject of Orochimaru's," he told him. "This might take a while."

Ibiki nodded once in understanding, so Inoichi focused his attention back to where he left off.

"But that wasn't part of the deal," Dolia's father contended angrily.

"So, are you backing out of the experiment? Don't forget, here you're safe. Anywhere else, you're imperiling," the man reminded.

"I alone am responsible for the protection of my daughter. She is just a child. I will not be separated from her." He turned his attention to Dolia and took a step toward her to take her out of wherever they were, but the sound of a sword being unsheathed echoed from the shadows. Dolia reached for her father to be held by him, but before he could react, he was struck down. She screamed. The person who had guided her to the door quickly opened the door and pushed her through it. Her father looked up at her from the ground and reached out. "No!" he exclaimed.

The door was shut, but the person who did it – a woman – gave Dolia an apologetic look. She rushed back to the door and banged her fists against its metal. "Father!" she called. "Father!"

When there was no response, she panted and turned around to see where she was. Dolia stood in a dome. The ground was flat, but solid dirt. The concrete walls encasing her forced an echo with whatever she did. One source of light was a single hole at the top. She walked over to it until the single sunbeam shared its warmth with her snow-white skin. To her surprise, she saw someone appear in the hole, disrupting the light's path. She distinguished his straight, long hair and beady yellow eyes, but did not recognize him. "Hello, child," he greeted, his voice swirling sinisterly. "I apologize for the change in plans."

"Where is my father?" she asked him, trying not to cry.

"He's being taken to his own seclusion. You will see him again after the experiment. But for now, you'll stay here."

"But why?"

"You're special. Something as special as you and your father need to be protected at all costs. You are the only ones that remain."

The door was reopened behind her. She reverted around hastily to find the same woman who closed it enter the dome. Her round face was solemn as if she was disappointed.

"I brought your mother here, however. She will be the one who takes care of you," the man in the hold informed her.

The statement did not bring comfort to Dolia. In fact, she did not identify the woman as her mother at all. But she got turned around by her and felt her hands go under her shirt to rest on her back. Something inside her shifted, causing her to gasp in surprise, and then she was released. The woman backed away to the door and left once more, locking her inside.

"Just try to be quiet. It sure is echoey in there," the man teased, pulling away from the hole. "Goodbye, child."

The memory shifted into a blur as the day proceeded. The beam of light traveled across the ground as the position of the sun shifted. When night came, it was pitch black. All sense of sight was gone until dawn returned. She was stuck with nothing, left to time. The only event to occur daily was a basket of food delivered. One significant memory slowed the blur.

She stood in the sunbeam, looking up in waiting. Branches of leaves swayed every so often on the surface. It had been some time since she saw an entire tree. What she could peek at through the hole was all she had to observe of the outside world. Nobody entered the dome, ever. She was by herself, left to try peering outside for something like a bird flying in the blue sky. It was a lonely, dull existence.

Eventually, the outline of a person appeared in the hole. It was the woman who had put her in here with regret. Her straight hair strayed over one shoulder. Dolia grew happy when she recognized her. "Mother!" she belted, creating a loud echo.

"Shh," the woman sounded, pressing a finger to her lips to signal silence. "Be calm, my darling."

Without saying anything else, Dolia eagerly reached above her head. The woman revealed a full basket and began to lower it down to her with a rope tied around the handle. "Remember to save some for later, darling," she gently pressed.

"Yes, Mother," she replied obediently, taking the basket, and emptying its contents. There were small loaves of bread inside along with some apples. Much to her surprise, there was even a wrapped piece of cooked beef. Such a special gift was hard to come by for her, but it was the one food that tasted the best. "Are you going to bring meat to Father, too?" she asked hopefully, walking away from the sunbeam to store away her rations for the day. It had been so long since she saw her father. She could not wait to reunite with him someday.

"Yes, of course," she promised, pulling the basket up. "I'll be back tomorrow, sweet child. Remember to be quiet and behave."

Dolia covered the food so bugs would not get in it. When she looked back up the hole, the woman was gone.

Inoichi read the scrolls further, wanting a glimpse of Orochimaru's experiment on Dolia, but the following years' worth of memories were all the same routine. She stayed in the dome all alone and was visited by her mother for food. There was no personal visit by the former Hidden Leaf shinobi again, but her memories soon revealed more troubling experiences.

Dolia was awakened one chilly night by the sound of the metal door opening for the first time since she was placed in the dome. It startled her from how loud the echoes reverberated against the concrete walls. She sat up from her lone blanket in the dark to be greeted by a soft orange light emitted from a lantern. It showed the person holding it was a man, but she could not see his face. Regardless, she felt threatened by his presence.

"It's time for you to fulfill your purpose," he stated plainly, beginning to walk the perimeter of the dome so he could find her.

The voice she heard brought chills down her back. It was not that of the man who she spoke with through the hole all those years ago, but a husky one. She immediately associated it with danger since her father was struck down by a man with the same voice. But oddly enough, she did not move or try to escape. She was petrified.

The orange hue illuminated her once he approached close enough. "There you are," he said to himself, squatting down to be eye level with her.

"Am I going to see Father?" she pleaded.

"Your father? He's dead."

The words made her breath get caught in her throat.

"He simply would not cooperate, but you will," he avowed, setting the lantern down.

Inoichi opened his eyes again to stop the jutsu. He was disturbed.

"What is it now?" Ibiki questioned impatiently.

"I think I just found out what this 'experiment' was all about," he disclaimed, closing his eyes once more.

Dolia sat in the shadows as the sunbeam faded with a violet sunset. She hummed to herself but could still hear the concrete walls absorb the sound and resonate it back to her ears. When she gazed down, she laid eyes on her swollen abdomen. The birth was approaching sooner rather than later at this point. She spent months fighting nausea and feeling the fetus inside shift every now and then. Even though she was going to be alone during it, she was keen to have her baby. No longer would she be by herself every day.

When contractions soon ravaged her body, she tried to remain as quiet as possible to lessen the number of echoes leaving the dome. But it was nearly impossible. She wailed in agony until all the pressure in her pelvis was relieved with the last push.

She reached down to hold onto her baby but was greeted by weak cries that showed the new little life would not be staying in the outside world for long. Dolia's newfound motherly instincts told her she did not have long with her newborn son. For a few hours in the dark, she cradled him to keep him warm. He made a noise every once in a while, that signaled his life remained.

But the noises seeped away, and his small body grew cold in her arms. Dawn's new light brought a new day in the dome. Dolia saw her son's featureless face for the first time with it. He looked very peaceful with his eyes closed, but she knew he was not asleep. The unknown feeling of grief filled her inner being. She stroked his cheek and watched as a tear dripped down. Was this what her existence came to? Giving birth to offspring that would not survive outside her womb?

For a few hours, she dug a hole against the wall with her bare hands just big enough to fit his body. Her fingers became raw and bled from damaged nails. Carefully, almost as if he were still breathing, she rested her son inside the hole. It was the last time she would see him. Handful by handful, she pooled the loose dirt over his body so he could begin his eternal slumber.

Soon after, her mother returned to bring the basket of food. "Darling?" she called, lowering the basket down the hole. "How are you feeling today?"

"…He's dead," Dolia numbly shared, not going to retrieve the basket. She had no appetite.

"What?" she gasped in disbelief. "You gave birth?"

Instead of replying, all of the welled-up emotion inside her erupted in a series of sobs that filled the dome with as much ruckus as when she was in labor during the night. Her mother pleaded with her to calm down, but she was inconsolable. All she wanted was a reason to live, but it was snatched away from her.

"Darling, it's okay," her mother comforted from a distance. "There will be others."

"No there won't!" she sobbed.

"Yes…There will be. I'm sorry it has to be this way, but we have no other choice."

As Inoichi continued to unroll the scroll of memories, he was met by more turmoil…another conception. His face visibly grimaced with sympathy for the amount of pain this creature endured for the sake of an experiment. No…not an experiment. This was cold-hearted breeding. Orochimaru was harvesting specimens who possessed this kekkei genkai!

Giving birth a second time, Dolia was more vulnerable to the hope inside her that this child would cry strongly once out of the womb. She pushed with every contraction, releasing a painful yelp every time. From the hole, her mother tried using words to soothe her, but it did not help much.

She moaned at the familiar sensation of the pressure leaving her pelvis again and instantly reached for her baby. To her horror, there were no sounds to indicate life instilled in her daughter. She poked a finger in her mouth to try clearing the airway, but it did not change anything. The stillborn did not react to any stimulus.

"No!" Dolia cried, snuggling the baby into her chest desperately.

"What is it?" her mother worriedly asked from the surface of the dome.

"She's dead, too!"

An audible sigh sounded the hole, and instead of comforting Dolia for the loss, there was no more noise from the surface.

It took a few minutes for Dolia to realize her mother had stopped speaking to her. "Mother?" Dolia wept, shakily getting to her feet with her daughter still in her arms. She went to the beam of light to look up to what she could see of the surface. Her mother's silhouette was nowhere to be seen. Little did she know, that would be the last time she ever encountered her mother entirely.

She later buried her daughter next to her son and waited for her mother to return with rations of food. The day reeled by, transforming into night and back into dawn. Dolia waited in grief and mourning for what she lost once again, losing track of time. A basket never lowered into the dome for the rest of the time she was trapped inside.

Another blur of memories passed by Inoichi, but he watched precariously for anything else. He knew at some point, this creature had to get out of that hole somehow. It would happen soon enough. Days passed through the blur. Dolia longingly waited for the return of her mother as the lack of food began impacting her health. A growling stomach became fatigue. Fatigue became weight loss. The only thing keeping her alive during this time was a crack in the concrete that secreted a steady flow of groundwater into a shallow pool.

One hot summer day slumped with starvation in the bottom of the dome without a sound, Dolia heard a distinct thump! against the ground inside. When she lifted her head, she was met with a furry creature that was flopping around from a broken limb. It was right below where the hole to the surface was, which indicated it had fallen inside accidentally.

Shifting to her hands and knees, the weak girl went to investigate the critter. It was a gray rabbit with white ears and feet. One back foot was twisted awkwardly with a broken bone protruding from the skin with blood oozing out. It was a sad sight, but something stirred inside Dolia. She could not remember the last time she consumed meat. Now that it was right in front of her, just begging to be put out of its misery, she could not resist the temptation fueled by profound hunger.

Watery saliva drooled from her bottom lip. A surge inside of her body caused her heart to pump a single violent beat that shot straight to her face. Teeth exploded from her mouth and her sight intensified until there were minute details visible and colors brighter than ever before. Without thinking, she wedged her jaws open and began to devour the rabbit into a bloody mess full of small bones.

Witnessing it made Inoichi sick to his stomach. It was ruthless and gory. The way pieces of flesh and meat were shredded so effortlessly was much different than cutting a person with a kunai knife. Inoichi had seen bloodshed since he was a ninja, but the ability of this girl made him rethink his experiences. Was he weak if the memory of her first kill made him uneasy? If this was how the creature murdered small animals out of survival, he dreaded to see her memory of murdering the two chunins. But he still had to watch what happened in her life before that event.

More small animals ended up finding their way down the hole for months. She learned that remaining silent in the dome attracted organisms on the surface, thus bringing more victims. Each one eaten extended her survival a little longer, but her body continued deteriorating with malnourishment. Any muscle tone she once possessed was lost to emaciation. The surges became more powerful and violent as well. Whenever she was finished feeding, it did not go away, so she was left in a frenzy. Erratic behavior ensued. The echoes of hissing, screeching, and snarling filled the forest surround the hole. It would subside after some time, but it was increasingly becoming more difficult to stop.

She was trapped in that cycle underground. Insanity almost gripped her mind many times while in a hunger-fueled frenzy. Having lost all hope of her mother coming back, she had no choice but to accept she was forgotten about. Whether by accident or on purpose, the pain in her heart numbed her. When she was her normal self, she wept and cried out desperately for somebody to hear her. She was told to be quiet her whole life, and for what? She now understood that it was to keep her existence a secret from the surface world.

Dolia drank from the small pool of groundwater. Lifting her face away to swallow, she encountered herself. Even though she could see, her reflection tried telling the lie that there were no eyes at all. It was just a blank reflection to her, and it made her wonder what the point was in keeping her here. Why was she left by herself even when her mother came every day? Why was she forced to have children?

Anger caused a small surge to take her body. She hissed, feeling an ache in her skull. When she opened her eyes, she stared back down into her reflection. But the image was replaced by a monstrous demon's face. Black eyeballs and hideous teeth. She yelped in fright and backed away, only to see the demon did, too. When she saw it, she realized it was just herself.

She went back to the reflection and intently stared at it. This was the answer to her questions. She was a monster that had to be kept from the rest of the world. Thinking back to the man who fathered her children, he told her that her purpose for being here in the first place was to have children. But they both died. Was that why she was abandoned? Because she failed in her purpose?

The thought upset her. Something was wrong with her. She deserved to be here, forgotten, and forlorn, if she was too weak to carry out her duty. But…she did not want to suffer such a fate. Loosening the surge's hold on her, she watched as her teeth retracted back into her mouth and her eyes rolled back to their white state. She looked back at the hole. Dusk was quickly approaching, but she had to do anything she could to escape, so she began to call for help from the surface.

Night arrived, but she kept calling for help. The sounds were filling the forest like those from her frenzies. If anybody were around, they would hear her desperate shouting. She was too hungry to fail. Sunlight began to penetrate the dome. By now, Dolia's throat throbbed, but the determination to continue refused to ebb away. The beam of light traveled across the dirt floor with the sun's change in position in the sky. Her crackling voice echoed pitifully. Drinking water did not help much anymore. Being enshrouded by nighttime's darkness again made her dizzy with fatigue. It was like seeing her chance of survival dwindling right in front of her.

Until a long-awaited response was called back to her.

"Hello?" somebody from the surface nervously said.

The sound scared her at first. She gasped loudly, sucking in the air past her sore pharynx. "Help me!" she pleaded hoarsely. "Please!"

The person peered down the hole with an unfamiliar silhouette. It was a man with short, dark hair. She could not see his face, but she did not care. This was her savior. "How on earth did you get down there?" he exclaimed, causing a loud echo to repeat his question back to him. He yelped a little at the sound, not expecting it to be so callous.

"There's a door…but I can't open it," she explained.

"I think we have a rope," he indicated, glancing behind himself. "Just wait a minute. We'll get you out of there in no time!" He disappeared from the hole momentarily, making Dolia's heartbeat quicken with anxiousness. It nauseated her to think she was found, only to be abandoned again. This was possibly her only chance to get out of here.

But a rope was indeed lowered down into the hole. A wave of refreshing relief washed out of her lungs with a sigh. When it got into arm's reach, she grabbed onto it. "Tie it around your feet o-or something," he suggested. "I'll pull you up."

She nodded and pulled the rope down to her feet and sat down so she could tie it around them as a holster. "I'm ready," she signaled, standing back up with the rope in her hands firmly.

The man tugged hard, straining audibly from above. Dolia was exceptionally light in weight considering how much she had lost but using a rope to lift her was still taxing. She was nervous that she would fall back to the ground and end up like the injured rabbits and squirrels she ate. Her sight stayed locked on the growing hole, praying she would make it to freedom.

When it got close enough, Dolia used one hand to hold the edge of the hole. Her skin touched lush grass for the first time in years. The man pulled more but offered a gloved hand for her to take instead. She snatched it as quickly as possible, and finally, was pulled onto solid ground. She collapsed onto the ground, panting. She never dreamed she would ever come out from the dome. Now that it was actually happening, she was terrified that she would awaken from the dream.

"That was a close one!" the man bellowed. "How long were you stuck down there?"

Catching her breath, she gazed up from the ground as she picked herself up. To her surprise, instead of coming face to face with him, she was instead greeted by an orange mask that had a swirl pattern around a single peephole. His body was mostly concealed by a black cloak with blood-red clouds on it.

"Akatsuki," Inoichi voiced in astonishment.

"What?" Ibiki asked. "She's been with Orochimaru and the Akatsuki? But Orochimaru left the Akatsuki ten years ago."

"I don't know if they're related in this situation. It may be just a coincidence."

"I still don't like the sound of it."

"Ah!" he yelped in surprise, backing away from her. He was caught off guard by her exotic face.

"M-My whole life," she answered, trying to sound non-threatening for him.

An unexpected rustle in some bushes made Dolia go on the defensive. She returned to her feet in a hurry that tired her out easily. The masked man glanced over to the source of the sound but did not seem startled at all. That was when she saw another individual with the same cloudy cloak on. The moonlight showed his long blonde hair covering one eye and partially his annoyed facial expression. "Tobi–" he started, pausing when he saw her.

"I told you I heard something, Deidara!" Tobi cheered. "She was down in that hole over there. Pretty weird, huh?"

"You…You found her," Deidara exhaled in disbelief.

"Huh?"

Dolia was filled with fear suddenly. She was sought after. Unsure but established on the notion that she was never going to be held prisoner again, she ran in the opposite direction from them. This situation was worse than being in the dome. She had to get away at all costs if she was going to gain her freedom.

"Hey!" Deidara shouted, digging his hands in pockets of clay.

A bright yellow light flashed behind her along with a deafening explosion. Dolia felt her body launch forward from the blast as splinters from tree trunks scattered in all directions and the flames burn her skin. She screamed out, feeling her exhausted vocal cords limit her volume.

"Aw, Deidara!" Tobi complained. "That was a little harsh, don't you think?"

His response was muddled by Dolia's failing consciousness. Her sight swayed into a blurry daze. She was so fatigued from lack of sleep and malnutrition already, but now she had nerves firing in her body that were telling her she was feeling pain. It was too much for her to handle all at once, so she passed out.

When she regained consciousness, she was met by more light, which made her flinch because she remembered the explosion. Moving exacerbated the raw burns on her arms, which were forced behind her back and bound together by the wrists. She moaned faintly from the pain.

Tobi gasped aloud nearby. "Heyyy! She's alive!... Is that good or bad?" he asked Deidara.

"Doesn't matter to me. She'll be dead soon anyway."

She moaned again. Her knee dug into the ground as she tried to quickly think of a way to get away. "Where do you think you're goinggg?" Tobi inquired her in his goofy manner, his footsteps getting close to her. "Dinner is almost ready! You're probably starving!"

"Who said we were feeding her?" Deidara protested angrily.

"Oh, she can just have my portion. I mean look at her–" He knelt next to her and lifted her from the ground so she could sit "–She's so thin, so bony!" He then wrapped his arm around her while his other hand held the bottom of her jaw, feeling the unhealthy scrawniness to her facial structure. It was uncomfortable to be touched like this. It frustrated her that the people who saved her life were making her their captive now.

Tobi's finger stroked her chin repetitively. She wondered if he was paying close attention to her. Deidara was sitting in front of a campfire, busy cooking something in a pan. He was obviously distracted. So, if she wanted to make a getaway, she had to act now. Leaning her head down in a flash, she chomped down on Tobi's finger.

"AHHH!" Tobi shrieked loudly. Dolia shut her eyes tightly as he thrashed his hand around, trying to free himself. "SHE'S BITING ME! SHE'S BITING MEEEE!"

Despite nearly getting her teeth ripped from her gums as her head was jerked side to side, she persistently stayed attached to his finger. Some blood drooled onto her lip and tongue, giving her the luscious iron taste she had almost forgotten about. It took her back to the dome, eating animals alive with their blood splattering everywhere.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Deidara yelled.

She suddenly released Tobi's finger while he was thrashing, and he ended up thrusting his body weight to the side as a result. She was free! In the blink of an eye, she rolled over, found her feet, and made a run for it under the conceal of the trees. It hurt to exert so much of herself, but she did not care. Her only priority was to separate herself as far away as possible.

Inoichi noticed that the scroll of the creature's mind was thinning out. What he was looking for the most was now here. He prepared himself for the worst. The bodies were not visible to the public, so he was not aware of how grotesque their fatal injuries were, but after seeing how the creature killed live animals, he expected a similar event inflicted on his comrades.

Dolia ran throughout the entire night, too worried about who might be following her to stop. The rope around her wrists was gone from being tugged at for so long. When morning came, she did not slow down. But exhaustion was making itself known with the distorted colors clouding her vision. She was pushing herself to the very edge.

She only halted when she smelled something. Whatever it was, it ignited the surge within her. She doubled over in pain. Teeth erupted from her mouth and her eyeballs rolled to their black state. Saliva dribbled onto the soft grass. Resisting the gnawing pit of hunger in her stomach was not an option right now. Gazing around with a new set of eyes that made everything around her beautiful, she spotted the hooves of a lifeless deer and got up to stumble over to it.

It was beginning to decompose, but she did not care. She threw herself onto it and began to tear it apart. The blackening blood was thrown in all directions as she chewed on the rancid meat. There was no stopping her from having a full meal for the first time in a long time.

But she was disturbed. A hand rested on her shoulder. The feeling not only startled her, but also agitated her uncontrollable frenzy.

Deidara and Tobi found her?! No! Not again! She was going to be free!

She did not think to comprehend the situation once. The creature just reverted around with a ghastly screech and lunged for the chunins.

Her first victim was Kata. He never saw it coming, but she latched her teeth into his shoulder and instantly shredded a chunk of him off, flak jacket and all. He barely had time to react before she chomped down again where she left an indentation in his body. A pair of hands grabbed her, trying to pry her away while yelling. She released Kata to twist her neck and sink her teeth into Toneri's throat. His yell gurgled as hot blood from his mutilated carotid arteries sprayed. The cartilage in his trachea crunched in her jaws, and she shoved him off. Both chunins fell to the ground with thuds. A beat from Toneri's heart made another hard spurt of oxygenated blood emit from his arteries, but he found it in himself to scream out in both terror and agony. Dolia went back to Kata and proceeded to engulf him until he died.

It only stopped when wires flew from out of her peripheral and wrapped around her limbs to pull her away and suspend her in the air. But her frenzy continued despite being separated from her food. Covered in bright red blood, she thrashed around and snarled with teeth bared as a petrified crowd gathered beneath her. She was a prisoner once again.

Inoichi lowered his arms from the scroll, allowing it to sink back into her mind. He removed his palm from Dolia's head, stopping the steam from rising into the air.

"Well?" Ibiki sounded.

The head of the Yamanaka Clan turned around. His green gaze was grim. It was much worse than he was anticipating.