They say that lightning never strikes twice, the woman said with a wry smile on her face. She absentmindedly polished a glass.
And yet, here you are.
Here I am?
I would know that eye anywhere. She refilled his drink.
Oh.
So should we do this now or later? She asked him, tilting her head slightly.
That depends on what we're doing, I suppose, the man answered.
She barked out a laugh, golden eyes glittering with an emotion that could have been love or hate- it was too dark to tell.
You don't remember me?
Should I?
She laughed again. No, I suppose not.
I'm terribly sorry, I must be going. He stood up.
So soon?
The man turned sharply at the sound of the glass shattering, the woman holding a shard like a weapon.
A Storm of Their Own
Chapter One
"To earn your name, Little Girl, you will intercept the Daimyo's messenger on its way to the Village Hidden in the Grass. Burn the scroll, kill any possible witnesses,"
"Daitan," Little Girl started, panic written all over her face. "Kill?"
"Yes, kill," the tall woman snarled, baring down at her with ice cold eyes. "You've come of age,"
Little Girl looked around wildly, searching for her sister's face. There! Tatsuo stepped forward so her sister could see her, giving the girl a reassuring smile. She had earned her name two years prior, assassinating a high-ranking Hidden Rain samurai during the Great War. Daitan had praised Girl for her patience and ruthlessness, naming her 'Tatsuo' for the tiger-like way she stalked her prey. She had then been adopted as a full member of Daitan's onna-bugeisha mercenary clan the Gozen, and had no time left over for Little Girl after her duties.
"I'll be waiting," Daitan purred, leaving the young girl to be dragged from the room by two older women. She felt absolutely paralyzed, like she had no control over her body. One of the warriors threw her outside onto the dirt, where she landed face down with a heavy thud.
"Good luck, little rat," the other said, closing the door behind her.
Little Girl's chest heaved and burned, leaving her choking on the dirt and grass in her mouth. She scrambled to her feet, trying to remember all of the details she had been given on her mission. From now on, she was fully on her own. Should she fail, she would not be welcome back. The idea of being torn from her sister brought her to tears, and she started to sniffle as she started her journey away from the hideout. Equipped with nothing but a kunai and her wits, Little Girl saw no other option than to do as Daitan had said. The man she had been hired to kill would be passing through a nearby village within the next few hours. He has been spotted with a single bodyguard, a mercenary by the name of Kuzon. Two people whose lives she would have to end. Little Girl swallowed, furiously wiping away her tears. Death was no stranger to her. Growing up during the war she had witnessed the deaths of men, women and children alike. Still, she didn't know what it was like to kill someone herself. The idea made her shiver.
She walked until her feet ached, finally coming upon the village Daitan had told her about. Nobody looked at Little Girl as she traveled the streets, though it was very late outside. Street rats tend to blend in to their surroundings, after all. She followed the road out of town, finding a quiet area to wait in ambush. She climbed a tree and perched herself on a branch, waiting for the man to cross her ill-fated path. The back of her neck prickled as though she were being watched; paranoia causing her to look to the woods behind her, but no one was there. Her focus returned to her mission when she heard the man chatting amiably with his guard as they traveled along the road. Little Girl's heart began to pound. She trailed them from the tops of the trees, waiting until she had the perfect shot at the messenger. She was rewarded a few moments later, enough space grew between the two men that she could she her target's throat clearly. Her mouth grew very dry, and her hands began to shake as she clutched the kunai. Like she had practiced a thousand times by now, she closed her eyes and focused on the weight of the blade as she prepared to throw it. She willed herself to send him to his death with a simple flick of her wrist, but she could not do it.
Her opportunity was seconds away from evaporating when she lost her balance and fell out of the tree. She winced at the second wave of scuffs and scratches, but pulled herself to her feet quickly. It was no use, however. The guard Kuzon was upon her immediately. His sword was drawn and raised for the kill stroke, and Little Girl's short life flashed before her eyes. Thinking of her sister, she closed her eyes and prayed for a miracle.
The gods decided to give her one.
Kuzon looked down at where he was sure had struck the young assassin, but she was nowhere to be found. He looked around wildly, but was facing the wrong direction when she reappeared behind him. Face terrified, she lashed at out him viciously with her kunai. He whirled around, his katana zipping through the air. Something came over Little Girl, and she dodged it without even trying. It was like her luck had suddenly turned for the better, and every step she took was another one of his missed attacks. She began to see openings in his movements, sneaking in short little stabs and slashes till he fell to his knees. Defeated, he defiantly looked up at her and raised his sword one last time. Eyes wide, the girl backhanded him with blade in hand, leaving a wide gash in his throat. His blood splattered all over Little Girl, causing her to yelp and flinch away. Mouth open in abject horror, she watched his eyes turn into dull black marbles as his light faded away. She trembled for a moment, and thought that she might be sick. The messenger knocked her out of her trance, screaming in terror upon seeing the scene. She whirled around, locking eyes with the man who stared at her in dread and disgust. She began to advance upon him, the shock from her last kill numbing her for her next. He fell as he scrambled to get away from her, tears falling from his eyes as she stood above him. Traumatized, Little Girl raised her blade again and-
"Wake up, Tati! It's time to go," Tatsuo snapped, awaking Tatsumaki from her familiar dream. Though she had completed her naming ceremony almost six years ago now, the events still haunted her like they had taken place yesterday. 'No kill ever disturbs you as much as your first,' the other women told her afterwards, though it had been a small comfort. She never slept well again, plagued at night by images of her own eyes going dull and lifeless. Her sister grabbed her by the shoulder and jostled her violently, effectively bringing Tatsumaki fully into the world of the living. She blinked owlishly at her sister, who complained about running late and stomped out of the room.
Tatsumaki dragged herself off of the stone slab she called a bed with a groan, her back cracking loudly as she stretched. Last night, Daitan had asked Tatsumaki personally to carry out a contract worth more money than any of them had seen offered since the war. The Gozen had been approached by a man indistinguishable by any other feature than his grooved, vibrant orange mask. He had offered them a lump sum to sabotage a bridge often used to deliver supply to the Village Hidden in the Leaves. He mentioned that it was under the protection of a team of Anbu agents from the same village, and listed a hefty bonus for their annihilation as well. It was considered taboo to place a bounty on any shinobi's head if you weren't shinobi yourself, completely unheard of for a mercenary to accept a job against their special forces. They lived in a different league from the rest of the world. Tatsumaki had stared at her leader, finding it unbelievable that the woman who practically raised her would send her so readily to her death. 'You've been given a gift and you will use it!' The woman had growled at her. With no one else brave or capable enough to step up, Tatsumaki thought she was going to have to face it alone. Tatsuo, however, came to her rescue (as always) and volunteered to be her partner.
After a brief shower, Tatsumaki sighed upon looking at her closet. She had a gut feeling to wear one of her more armored outfits, choosing a solid black kikko gane do. A (not so) small part of her couldn't help but feel like she was grooming herself for her own slaughter; a pit hardened in her stomach. She looked at herself in the dirty bathroom mirror, tapping her cheeks in the hopes it might bring some life back to them. Her hair was drawn back in a tight braid, her forehead taut with worry. She quickly pulled on her namanari mask to save herself from her reflection, preferring its fanged scowl to her own face. She grabbed her hat and naginata on her way out of her room, knowing her tardiness was probably causing her sister unnecessary stress. A few friends were waiting to see them off, their faces grave and weary. Daitan was absent from the small gathering, angering Tatsumaki deeply.
She felt far away as her comrades bid her farewell, the weight of the death sentence she hadn't earned resting heavily on her shoulders. Her sister was in much higher spirits, flipping a senbon between her fingers like a baton. A brief flash of annoyance passed over her, wondering if Tatsuo realized that they were doomed.
"We should just cut our losses and run," the younger sister said hotly, glaring at her companion.
"Don't say that, Tati," she scolded, frowning at the girl. "Daitan sent us because she believes what I believe: that you're going to change the world someday!"
Tatsuo's face was hidden underneath her own mask, but Tatsumaki could tell she was smiling just from her voice. She rolled her eyes, having heard it a million times over already.
After she had returned home from killing the messenger and his guard, covered in blood and shaking like a leaf, she was met with overwhelming praise. The women greeted her like she was a hero, having sent two elders to watch her fight. They told the story of how Tatsumaki should have died, but didn't. How she seemed to simply disappear into thin air, only to gain the advantage over her foe and triumph over the terrible odds she faced. Daitan named her a child of destiny, taking Tatsumaki's training into her own hands. Everything after that was a dark smudge in Tatsumaki's memory. At some point, the ruthless training had stopped, and Daitan named gave her the title Storm of the Gozen. She was their most elite member, and had carried out probably a hundred different assassinations since then. Most believed that she was the most coldhearted killer among them, but truly Tatsumaki remembered every person's eyes as they died, and it weighed crushingly upon her shoulders.
She was a wanted criminal in all five nations, and though she had never been caught, she wasn't eager to test her luck against the shinobi. She had encountered Anbu forces once before, and had run as fast as she could without looking back. That was a long time ago now, but thinking about it she felt like a little girl again. Everything in her screamed to turn around.
"Seriously, Tatsuo," she pleaded, grabbing her sister's arm. With an uncharacteristically harsh face, Tatsuo ripped her arm out of her sister's grasp.
"Seriously nothing! Daitan will have us killed for deserting as certainly as she will for us failing. You might as well grow a better attitude now, or it's going to be a long journey to Kusagakure!"
Tatsumaki rarely saw Tatsuo so agitated, and didn't know how to react. She never dealt with hopeless situations well.
"I could deal with anyone that she sends," Tatsumaki responded quietly.
"Do you think I could?" Tatsuo asked, turning to glare at her sister. Her question effectively shut Tatsumaki up. Both of them knew the older sister wasn't as strong of a fighter as the younger. Tatsuo had to work a lot harder to be noticed by Daitan, and that attention still paled in comparison to the way she lauded over Tatsumaki. If Daitan sent her best remaining assassins after Tatsuo's head, it would only be a matter of time before she fell. The thought made Tatsumaki feel physically sick, though it seemed she got the attitude adjustment she needed. She tried to drown out her despair with determination, realizing the only option that left both sisters with their lives was victory against the shinobi. She frowned, feeling small underneath the pressure. She hadn't lost a fight since she was a small child, but that was another feat she attributed to her minimal exposure to ninja.
The weather seemed to feel like rivaling her mood, managing to be remarkably unpleasant on the quiet summer night. The humidity was hot and unbearably thick, clinging to the lungs of anyone unfortunate enough to be outside. Mayflies buzzed and hung in clouds, creating a hostile buzz in the near-abandoned street. The sisters at last reached the bridge the mask man had described. He had supplied them with his own explosive tags, which Tatsuo pulled tenderly from her traveling pack. Time seemed to be ticking by unnaturally slow, as if it had somehow stopped and was hanging onto the air itself to keep from passing. It was only the beads of sweat pooling on her forehead and running down her face that reminded Tatsumaki she was indeed alive and breathing.
In the dead of the night, they placed two tags each when Tatsumaki's life as she knew it ended.
Tatsuo yelped as an animated wooden tendril shot out of the ground at her feet. It grew into a vast wooden cage, erupting from the ground around them like an unholy forest. The sisters, effectively locked in the middle of the street, drew their weapons. Tatsumaki could hear nothing but the blood roaring through her ears, fear searing her lungs and making it hard to breathe. She carefully scanned the area, looking for any movement or change in the wind that would alert her to danger. A shadow flashed in the corner of her eye and her breath hitched. She strained her ears and closed her eyes, Daitan's voice floating through her memories.
'Put it on,' the harsh woman said, handing the girl now named Tatsumaki a beautiful silk blindfold worth more than her life. With bloodstained hands, the girl reached out and took it, her fingertips tracing the precious threads. Little did she know, it would be the last thing she saw for the next three years.
Her heart throbbed painfully in her chest as her adrenaline peaked, then she sensed someone suddenly appear to her left and attempt to strike. She evaded it easily, eyes opening as she took a step back. Tatsumaki carried her weight through, spinning to face her opponent, using her momentum to slice down powerfully at the ninja with her sword-staff. The shinobi was forced to back up as she began to advance on him, moving with the grace and ferocity of a vengeful spirit. Wasting no time, she jabbed violently into one of the shinobi's vital points, causing them to cry out. Her blade had been treated with a sinister poison that thins the blood and causes excessive bleeding, and she knew they would no longer be an issue.
Faster than her eye could see, another ninja attacked her. This time, she barely dodged the blade being launched at her, seeing it pass by the tip of her nose in slow motion. By the time she blinked, Tatsuo was in front of her, deflecting a shuriken that certainly would have been her end. Her sister winked at her, taking a costly moment to smile at her younger sister. Tatsumaki's neck prickled and she exhaled sharply, spinning on her heel. She had realized all too late that their flank was open to attack. Sure enough, there was yet another shinobi, but this one stopped Tatsumaki dead in her tracks. He was somehow different from the others. Though she couldn't see his face behind the hound mask, she could feel the hatred radiating off of him. He made her blood feel like ice, and her hands grew numb from gripping her naginata harder than she needed to. Her eyes widened in terror upon seeing the kunai in the ninja's hand begin to crackle with electricity, and she could see a malignant red eye watching her from beneath the mask. He seemed to stare straight into her soul with it, and she froze in place, mesmerized by its glow. She watched the shinobi begin to charge at her and closed her eyes. However, instead of certain death, Tatsumaki felt her sister's strong hands shove her violently out of the way, and upon opening her eyes saw Tatsuo crumple to the ground. The shinobi stood a few feet in front of her body, lightning-charged blade bloodied. Her sister lay with a hole punched straight through her chest, once vibrant green eyes flat and faded, looking up to the sky. Unable to believe the scene before her, Tatsumaki's chest began to heave and her vision blur. She felt the blood in her throat when she screamed, her voice going hoarse as bile scorched her esophagus. Enraged and devastated, she felt a great power grow within her and she turned to the Hound.
He met her gaze evenly, as if daring her to attack. She glanced at her surroundings, counting three more shinobi besides him cornering her. Part of her wanted to give up now, die like her sister and be done with it all. Then she remembered Tatsuo's beaming face: you're going to change the world someday. She looked in anguish at her sister's broken body, then in fury at the ninja that dared touch her. I might not win this battle, Tatsumaki thought to herself, but I can at least kill that bastard.
She had never let herself down before.
She pulled out the smoke bomb she kept in her cleavage for emergencies, thick, chalky smoke erupting around them. Shuriken in between each of her fingers, she waited for them to attack her on her turf. It didn't take long for their patience to run out, an unnaturally strong gust of wind clearing the air. They had advanced on her, and playing right into the trap she had set. As they pounced on her, she let her muscle memory and instincts take over. Her body felt suspended when she fought, as if she was in water instead of on the ground. Tatsumaki was fluid herself, the shinobi finding her impossibly untouchable. She was certainly landing more attacks than they were, possessing lethal aim with each blade she utilized. She was a blur of metal, using her naginata to deflect their attacks and her shuriken to retaliate. With her deadly dance, she began luring them into the explosive seals she had placed earlier. It only worked on one of them; the other three disappeared in the smoke, leaving only leaves and twigs behind.
The remaining shinobi redoubled their efforts, and a massive wooden arm finally was able to grab her. Cursing herself for failing so soon, she avidly tried to break its grasp to no avail. She squinted her eyes shut, energy beginning to burn and bubble up in her chest. Without realizing what she had done, she had scorched the shinobi's wooden tendril with her chakra and escaped. She fell back to the ground, panting softly. They seemed to be growing frustrated, and she was getting tired.
"What poison is on your blade?" One of them asked her. She saw that the three left standing were all bleeding rather heavily from scratches they normally wouldn't even notice.
"That seems like the type of information I should probably keep to myself," Tatsumaki replied, effortlessly sidestepping out of their attempt to corner her.
"Tell us," A new voice spoke out; she felt the cold, sharp sting of a blade to her back.
So this is it then, she thought. She inhaled slowly, allowing her senses to wash over her. Time slowed down. Her eyes closed. She heard the lightning crackle on his blade. She felt the Hound tense for the kill stroke, and she knew this was her only chance. She opened her eyes and spun around faster than light, just barely catching his attack before it ended her life. As their blades crashed midair, Tatsumaki opened her eyes and was stunned to see her naginata burning with brilliant purple flames. She imagined that was shock written all over his face, not expecting to have his most powerful attack so easily matched by this girl. She grinned like a shark, throwing the rest of her weight into her weapon to throw him off balance. He disappeared before she could counterattack with a pop, leaving a small log behind. She redirected her deadly attention to the other two shinobi still standing. Both seemed to be at a loss, staring at her without making any moves themselves. Bloodthirsty, Tatsumaki felt herself begin to laugh savagely.
Instead of trying to defend themselves, the group of ninja gathered their wounded and disappeared into the rooftops. She stared up expectantly, waiting for hell to rain on her- but it never came. Once she felt like they were safely out of the area, she found her sister's body and fell down in the dirt next to it. Tatsuo was long gone, body cold and stiff already. She couldn't stop the tears from boiling over, spilling down her face like a dam had broke. With wobbly hands, she pulled off her sister's mask and closed her eyes for her. Tatsumaki willed herself to wake up from this nightmare, and begged the universe to give her back, crying uncontrollably.
She couldn't remember a life without her sister. Though she wasn't certain they were related, they had been found living on the streets of Aiko together. When they were children, they were seen as little more than mice running through the streets. They slept in an alleyway, begging and stealing to get by, but one was never without the other. One night they had made the mistake of stealing from Daitan, not knowing who she was. She hunted them down with her mercenaries, but found the girls to be remarkably intelligent and slippery. She took them home with her instead, something the girls had viewed as an opportunity for a better life. For it to end here was too much for Tatsumaki to handle.
Shaking violently, she realized she was going to have to leave her sister's body behind. The idea disgusted her, but she had a feeling it wouldn't be long before the shinobi returned to finish their job. She sniffled and took Tatsuo's mask and her katana, not allowing herself to look back again as she started her escape. Already exhausted, she felt her ankles and lungs ache from the strain. She ran for a long time anyways, her desire to survive once again taking over. After awhile, she registered that she had traveled a long way with no destination in mind. It occurred to her that she might want to stop for a moment and decide her next course of action. Her adrenaline was beginning to dry up, too. Still, as she slowed down, fear and paranoia began to eat at her, so she refused to stop for the night.
She wanted to curse and scream and break things; she had plenty of objects to aim her anger at. She could return to the Gozen and kill Daitan, she was pretty sure that would make her feel better. She was also pretty sure she'd have another chance to finish off the Hound. She thought about doing something else entirely. She had traveled the five nations extensively, competing in underground duels when she wasn't on a job. Currently, she held the title of 'Crane', signified by a matching tattoo on her wrist. She was the undefeated champ, and there were people that would welcome her with open arms because of it. Sadly, they were the same people that would likely use the opportunity to kill her in her sleep. She also had a risk of being imprisoned in all of the nations, due to the unfortunate nature of her career. She kept searching her memory banks for somewhere to go, but nothing would come to mind.
Since she was still wearing a full set of armor, she hadn't been difficult for Kakashi Hatake to continue tracking. The girl had somehow been able to incapacitate nearly half of his team, something that should have been impossible. He had been given intelligence on the two women hired to carry out the attack, but never had he imagined that a couple of low-class mercenaries from the Gozen could put up such a fight. She was rumored to be an expert in hand-to-hand combat, but no one had ever met his lightning blade like that. Not only was it much too fast to block without possessing a sharingan, but his chakra should have sliced clean through the girl and her naginata. Instead, she seemed to channel her chakra into her own weapon with enough ferocity and balance to match him. Only seasoned masters should be able to have that much control, but she seemed to do it subconsciously. Instinctually. It also hadn't gotten past him that she should absolutely be dead; none of the shinobi on his team, including himself, ever missed. She resisted both his and Itachi's visual prowess jutsus, which was also unexpected. Instead they weren't even able to touch her until she was exhausted, and she did it without using any kind of jutsu or chakra transformation that Kakashi could see. Until today, he would have written off the whole situation as impossible, but she had somehow bested him at every turn.
Even now, he felt a begrudging admiration for the girl as she continued to travel at a brisk pace, able to keep moving out of stubbornness alone. Due to the critical injuries two of his shinobi had suffered, he had sent the rest of Team Ro back to the Village Hidden in the Leaves. They required immediate medical attention, a squad needed to be dispatched to dispose of the other mercenary's body, and he also felt certain that the Lord Third and Lord Danzo would be interested to hear about the surviving girl's stunning abilities. Itachi and Tenzo, both being familiar with the Foundation, agreed. Therefore, they set off for home to report to the Hokage, and Kakashi began to stalk his prey. Though much could be learned by studying her corpse, he knew it would be more beneficial to capture her alive. However, without knowing the extent of her capabilities, Kakashi was hesitant to confront her directly again. For now, it was safer to keep an eye on her while he awaited his next orders.
He had noticed a few different things about her so far: her chakra lines seemed to be inverted from the norm, and looked like a stream of inky purple instead of blue electricity; her evasion skills were somewhat inhuman, rivaling those of the Legendary Sannin Tsunade and the Hidden Cloud Village's Killer B; and she had unnatural amounts of stamina as well. Other than that, he couldn't tell much about her. She had yet to remove her mask or her hat, looking like a demon skulking through the underbrush of the forest. She kept looking behind her, as if she knew he was there but she couldn't see him.
She couldn't shake her tail, continuing to wander around the forest for hours hopelessly, haunted by the feeling of being watched. She eventually seemed to give up, sighing deeply and slowing to a halt. She was swaying slightly, as if she was about to pass out. However, her resolve carried her forward a few more steps to rest herself against a tree, where she finally lost consciousness. Kakashi studied her sleeping frame, wondering if he should attack now or wait, when she suddenly jolted herself awake. The young woman finally pulled off her spirit mask, revealing a tragically beautiful face. Her skin was fair and smooth, with a youthful radiance and a dusting of freckles across her button nose. She must have been his age or perhaps younger. Her eyes were a sultry, molten gold, but the deep bruises under her eyes betrayed her fatigue. A ringlet of silky black hair had escaped from its place in her braid, and was tenderly framing her face. She would have looked quite pretty had her appearance not been marred by guilt and grief. He was all too familiar with the pain she was expressing, and it made him feel vulnerable for a moment, as if he was looking at his own face instead of hers. He buried the feelings promptly, reminding himself that she was nothing but a petty criminal.
She was able to keep herself up through the entire night, nodding off occasionally only to jerk awake as soon as Kakashi was prepared to move. He was growing frustrated, not anticipating this mission to be such a pain. He watched over her diligently, wondering if someone would return to him soon and tell him what to do. Their original orders were to leave no survivors, but Kakashi had a gut feeling that her skills could be important to the Hidden Leaf. He had never seen anyone like Tatsumaki, Storm of the Gozen before.
At dawn, she miraculously pulled herself into a standing position, leaning heavily on a tree beside her. During the night, she had come up with a relatively solid plan. She remembered an elder of the clan telling her about the 'old' hideout; a grotto hidden on the border of the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass. It had been abandoned in the early stages of the war due to heavy shinobi presence. Tatsumaki reckoned she would come across it eventually, and was hoping for a change of clothes and a good night's sleep. She couldn't be too far away, she would just have to make sure she was searching thoroughly. She was familiar with Daitan's tricks, though, so she felt like it was an achievable goal.
Kakashi followed after her, surprised to see her determination the following morning. As she walked, she would carve a small symbol into every few trees to keep track of where she had been. She circled and looped back a few times, clearly on the search for something specific. She was taking a short break when a crow started singing nearby. Kakashi looked up, familiar with a certain young Uchiha's fascination with the animal. Sure enough, the creature was looking straight at him, as if beckoning him closer. He obeyed the animal's call, relieved to see Itachi's shadow clone had finally come.
"Lord Hiruzen has asked that you continue surveillance on the girl, to see how she moves forward. I'll return every three days for an update. Good luck, Captain Kakashi," The boy obviously hadn't had a lot of time to spare, disappearing immediately after the orders were given. Kakashi sighed, not receiving the news he wanted. At least it was easy enough. The girl seemed to be carrying on out of sheer spite, spending the better part of the day going in circles. Eventually, the two came upon a peaceful clearing with mossy stones and a dribbling brook. The weight of the world seemed to be lifted off of her shoulders, and he swore he heard her laugh briefly.
She followed the little stream for about half a mile, stopping when it widened into more of a lake. She paced back and forth on the bank, staring hard into the water. After a moment, she seemed to find what she had in mind. She began stripping off her armor, beginning with her weapons and then undoing her armored kimono. Kakashi thought he felt a blush coming on. Left in just her undergarments, his mind went slightly blank when he saw the tattoos covering almost every inch of her body. He shivered, wishing for a moment that he wasn't a teenage boy. His jaw dropped when she dove into the water, disappearing underneath its inky surface and leaving her belongings on the shore. For a few minutes, he waited with baited breath for her to return to the surface. When she didn't, he thought she might have drowned. Nearly half an hour later though, like a woman back from the dead, she appeared on the shore to retrieve her things. Dumbfounded, he used an earth style jutsu to sense a massive cavern underneath his feet. Now he just had to figure out how to get inside without her knowing.
He traveled outwards until he could no longer sense hollow ground, then burrowed straight down into the dirt. He began to forge tunnels around the lake. On the off chance that this would be a long-term assignment, he didn't mind doing a little extra work now to make his life easier later. Kakashi made his way around the entire cave system, creating his own paths to observe the girl with. He found that he could hear quite well though the walls. The girl was singing softly, her mournful tune echoing throughout the structure like a ghost drifting through its halls. When she quieted, he could hear her breathing slow down to signify she had finally fallen asleep.
He settled down, feeling exhausted himself. At this point, the mud and stone was starting to feel like a mattress fit for a king. He popped a few food pills and pulled out his book, using a flame on the tip of his finger to read the words in the dark cave. It wasn't long before he was nodding off to sleep, tormented by dreams of the girl's flaming purple blade defeating his teammates one by one.
Tatsumaki was thankful for the stroke of good fortune, though it was a small mercy considering her situation at the moment. The area had look exactly as she had pictured it from her clanmate's fireside story. Daitan's clan sigil was carved into the moss on a stone by the stream, tipping her off to the pond nearby. She looked for where the water deepened unexpectedly, taking a swandive of faith into the underwater tunnels. She only had to swim for a couple of minutes before she could surface, but it was still quite the workout for her lungs. She was breathing hard upon pulling herself onto the floor of the grotto. Once she recovered, she lost her breath again upon taking in her surroundings. Her heart ached for Tatsuo, who would have thought it was beautiful. The lake was disguising a massive, echoing cavern with a shining waterfall in the center. Vivid green moss hung from the ceiling and ivy had somehow traveled down the walls. Sunlight was shining through a break in the ceiling. It looked like a scene out of a fairytale. The stone had been carved into various pieces of furniture, though it was largely in disrepair. She felt slightly awestruck, fingertips tracing her clan's history. She could see where they held their meetings and their feasts, where the youngest girls slept, Daitan's master bedroom, their sparring circle. She wondered what tragic event had occurred that caused them to abandon this refuge for the other hideout. It was certainly much nicer than what she had grown up with, and would be more than sufficient as her temporary asylum.
She took up residence in the old master bedroom. Upon exploring, she realized the Gozen must have left this place in quite the hurry. A few kimonos still hung in the closet, seemingly unaffected by the time that had passed. She searched all the drawers and cabinets, scavenging pockets and crevices for spare change. She found enough for a small meal, brightening her mood considerably. Tatsumaki eventually clambered into the bed, her limbs each heavy as lead. Staring up at the roof of the cave, she realized that she was truly, completely alone. Too drained to cry anymore, Tatsumaki quietly sang to herself the lullaby her sister had used to help her sleep. She couldn't keep her voice from breaking, and racked with grief, let darkness consume her.
Little Girl thought about her new name: Tatsumaki. The tornado. It made her feel powerful, almost powerful enough to forget the look on the messenger's face when she killed him. But not quite. She hadn't been able to fall asleep yet. Her naming ceremony had ended in feasting and festivities, and at the end, Daitan had announced that she was going to be her new sensei personally. The woman had given her a blindfold meant for royalty, and upon Tatsumaki putting it on, said:
"This darkness will be a part of you for the next five years of your life,"
"Daitan? I don't understand," her voice was meek.
"You must never take off this blindfold, never ever, unless I tell you to," she grabbed the child with her claw-like hands and dragged her close. "If you do, then I'll be forced to throw burning oil in your face, just like the real One Hundred Eyes,"
Terrified, lying in bed awake, Tatsumaki kept her eyes covered. Her heart began to pound as she heard footsteps in the hall down from her room, and she swallowed tightly after hearing the door creak open. She counted three sets of footsteps approaching her, and yelped when they snatched her out of bed.
"What's happening? What are you going to do to me?" The girl cried out, struggling against them as they dragged her through the dank halls.
"Shut up, little rat," one of the elders huffed, grabbing her by her hair and throwing her into the pit. Realizing they meant to fight her, Tatsumaki began to panic. They placed a weapon into her hands. "This is a naginata. On one end it is like a staff, on the other lays a curved blade. Daitan would like you to use it,"
"O-okay,"
"Defend yourself!" one of the women warned, and Tatsumaki felt a bo staff crack diagonally across her back. She yelped and fell to the dirt, the blow stinging from the weight put behind it.
Blind, she did not yet know how to protect herself. One of the women smacked her across the face, splitting her lip open.
"Get up, child! You must try to defend yourself!"
She felt another strike to her ribs, knocking the air out of her lungs. She withstood the beatdown, forcing herself to her feet each time after they knocked her to the ground.
"Stop! That's enough for tonight!" Tatsuo's voice was the last thing she heard before losing her consciousness completely.
After many hours, Tatsumaki woke up to a new day. It took her only a second to remember where she was and why she was here. Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach, coming to terms with the fact that her sister was truly gone, and that wasn't something that was going to change. The world felt entirely different, and for the first time, Tatsumaki was on her own. She had spent her entire childhood fighting for survival on the streets of Aiko, and lived under Daitan's crippling thumb as an adult. She didn't have the faintest clue of what a normal life looked like, but she knew she didn't want to fight anymore. She wondered what people did for money if they weren't assassins or thieves.
She had expected the shinobi to find her long before she found the hideout, but since they hadn't, she figured now was her chance to start over. They didn't know what she looked like, so she decided it wasn't impossible. Since she had found civilian clothing, the idea occurred to her to walk to the nearest town and see what she could do there.
Her grief kept her in the bed for awhile, though, as she hugged herself tightly. She was finding it difficult to confront her first day on this earth without Tatsuo, thinking it might be easier to die right here in this bed than live without her. Tatsumaki's chest ached as if she had forgotten how to take a full breath of air, the overwhelming sense of loss was suffocating. The hunger pains were nothing compared to the weight crushing her right now. Every time she closed her eyes she saw the gaping hole where Tatsuo's heart should have been, and the Hound's menacing scarlet eye.
She sniffled pitifully and tried to imagine what wisdom her sister would have to offer her. You've never failed at anything in your life, she could hear her scold. What are you in bed feeling sorry for yourself for? You're the one that's alive right now, and you have to get up and do something about it! Tatsumaki nearly laughed, thinking about the way Tatsuo would throw her hands up in the air and glare at her when she was mad. Her older sister's emerald green eyes were overly expressive, betraying any emotion she felt no matter how serious she steeled her face. She always praised Tatsumaki for her notorious poker face, claiming the girl had a gift for Shogi. They had spent many nights hustling the game. Since Tatsuo's eyes betrayed every move she made, anyone could beat her easily. Then they'd rematch, this time with Tatsumaki calling the shots, and lose every penny they brought with them. It was one of their favorite ways to spend their nights off. The memories seemed more precious to her than gold, suddenly. Besides Tatsuo's mask and sword, it was all she had of her sister. The thought depressed her, but she heeded the imaginary advice and forced herself to get up.
Kakashi, ever the light sleeper, awoke as soon as she did. Upon listening for a moment, he discovered she was crying softly. Her sadness made him uncomfortable. Mostly because he hated having to bear witness to other people's emotions, but also because he caused the pain she was crying over. He sighed and tried to block out the noise, returning his attention to his novel, which he had fallen asleep with open in his lap. Since they were underground, it was hard to tell what time it was. Frankly, he wasn't in the mood to go outside and check either. As long as she stayed in the hideout, he could have a nice, relaxing day.
Unfortunately, she couldn't even manage to do that. He looked up in annoyance to hear her begin to move around, humming to herself as she moseyed about. He followed her along the tunnels he had dug parallel to the structure, surprised when she took a turn that he didn't have access to. He could hardly dig a tunnel with her being right there, she would certainly be alerted to his presence. Instead, he waited a few minutes, and then dug straight up. He popped up somewhere indistinguishable in the forest, the girl nowhere to be seen. He huffed and jumped into the trees, sniffing the wind for her scent (white pear and lotus). To his relief, it drifted gently into his nostrils from the north, and he set off to find her. She hadn't made it far by the time he had her safely within his sight.
She was dressed in civilian clothing: a simply designed turquoise kimono that fit her well enough, but clearly did not belong to her. Her hair was down, a shimmering curtain of onyx that cascaded in gentle waves down her back. She was slight in frame, but neither short nor tall. There was something willowy about her figure; she looked as though she could blow away in the most forgiving summer breeze, but she carried herself with the certainty of a much older woman. She was, in fact, quite beautiful- extraordinarily so. For a moment, he wondered if she was some type of god or demon, trapped within a mortal body. Kakashi shook his head, the very thought was preposterous. Although, it wasn't like he had any better ideas at the moment. She was no shinobi, more of a freeform fighter than a samurai, and her powers were unlike anything he had ever seen. She seemed to glitch through existence, dodging blades that were sure to hit their mark. She moved like more of a vengeful spirit than a human, and he had never seen anyone move as fast as she did before. Not even Minato-sensei with his teleportation jutsu.
They traveled deeper into the Land of Fire, Tatsumaki leading them to the tiny Tonika Village. He continued to follow her, observing as she peered into windows and chatted with a few passersby. She dropped a few coins on the counter at a street vendor, grinning brightly at the man when he gave her a small order of dumplings. Kakashi raised an eyebrow as she leaned on the counter, the kimono slipping off one of her shoulders. She was batting her eyes and smiling serenely when he gave her a second order for free. She leaned forward and gave the man a kiss on the cheek, walking away from him with a smirk. He stared after her, slack jawed.
She ate alarmingly fast, like she had already been hungry days ago and now was literally starving. Even the extra order didn't seem to be enough for her, and she frowned when she ran out of food. Kakashi took note of the way he could see the shadow of her ribs underneath her collarbones, even from a distance.
She eventually came upon a couple of old men playing Shogi, and asked if she could cut in. They allowed her to sit, and she folded her hands together and studied the board. She moved decisively, watching her opponent's reaction carefully. In a few more minutes, the game was over. Kakashi could read her lips to see her say she had put the poor man in check, and from his face he couldn't escape. They all laughed about it though, and she helped reset the board for their next game. She seemed to be asking them something along the lines of 'if you had nowhere to go, where is a good place to be?'. After an animated conversation, she thanked them and they pointed her in the right direction.
Her destination ended up being a man driving a small cart of goods who was getting ready to hit the road. Kakashi's brow furrowed as she seemed offer up herself as physical labor if the man let her hitch a ride to whatever town he was heading to. From what he knew of the trade routes in the Land of Fire, Kakashi assumed the man would be taking his goods on a two-day journey to Shukuba town. According to Jiraiya-sensei, Shukuba was where Konoha hid its most beautiful women, and she was certainly pretty enough to blend in with the locals. The man gave her two hours to gather all of her things and hop aboard.
She quickly led Kakashi back to the secret entrance she had used to exit the hideout earlier. He watched her dip down in a patch of bushes and disappear. She spent less than ten minutes in the hideout, before turning her back on it for what she assumed would be forever. Kakashi face palmed at the effort he had put into surveilling the location, having assumed the girl would lay low for awhile. She was wasting no time moving forward, seemingly want to evacuate the area quickly. He presumed she probably believed she was still in immediate danger. She set off on her new path, two namanari masks tied to her belt alongside her partner's katana and her naginata cross-strapped to her back. Hair blowing in the wind, she looked like a painting of legendary Onna-bugeisha Tomoe Gozen herself come to life.
The road to Shukuba town had been largely uneventful. Kakashi noticed that Tatsumaki was friendly with the driver, and she often made him laugh. They encountered no danger on their journey; stopping at sunset each night, when the older man would cook them dinner and they'd set up camp. Kakashi watched from the shadows, feeling nothing as he munched on food pills and crouched in the upper branches of a tree. This was incredibly dull work, even by his standards. At sunrise, they'd set off again on a slow, but diligent pace. On the third morning, they rolled into Shukuba-machi, which was already bustling with life even at this early hour.
Kakashi followed her from the rooftops. He noticed that she worked very hard to unload the man's goods, harder than she needed to. She finished early, beaming when he was able to beat his rivals to opening. He thanked her profusely, shoving a small coin purse into her hands. Though she tried to refuse it, he insisted, closing her hands around it. She bowed to him, and set off down the road. For awhile, Kakashi thought she was wandering aimlessly, but then he realized she was asking all the shopkeepers for work. He raised an eyebrow, wondering how his superiors would respond when they found out. She was still a wanted criminal, after all. Regardless of her fate, he hoped it would lead to him being able to do something more interesting soon. He had done little so far but stare at her and be alone with his thoughts, and it was beginning to wear on his mood.
Tatsumaki ambled down the road, eventually ending up in the East District with its bars and taverns. She grinned, grateful to have finally found her people. Instinctually, she turned to her side to make a comment to Tatsuo, and her heart dropped when her familiar face wasn't there. Mood temporarily dampened, she straightened her face and swallowed tightly. She passed a window, pausing to look at her reflection. You look like a little girl wearing her mother's clothes, she thought to herself dryly. She adjusted the kimono to show a little more cleavage, tightening the material around her waist so it was more formfitting than something she would normally wear. She nodded in approval, feeling more like an adult than the child she truly was. She jangled the coins in the purse the kind man Sun had given her. Might as well have a drink and see if anyone wants to play Shogi, she decided.
Kakashi frowned and was about to follow her into the dive bar she ducked into, but the sweet cawing of a crow distracted him. Sure enough, one of the creature's had found him again. He followed it to the quiet roof of an abandoned building, where he found one of Itachi's shadow clones waiting for him. The young Uchiha smiled at him slightly.
"You were closer to home than I anticipated," he said casually.
"Yes, she rode here on a farmer's cart," Kakashi responded cordially.
"What is she doing here?"
"She appears to be looking for a job, although I last saw her go into a bar so it's a little early to tell. Upon fleeing the Land of Grass, she stayed in a hideout underground on the border. I left a marker to follow up. She traveled to Tonika Village, where she was able to find a ride here,"
"What do you know about her so far?"
"No new information to report," Kakashi said firmly, but then raised an eyebrow at his teammate. "Off the record though- total babe," he deadpanned. The boy did not react except for a miniscule twitch at the corner of his mouth.
"Very well. Wait here," he replied, looking at his captain. "I'm with the Hokage and Lord Danzo now,"
Kakashi winced as the shadow clone evaporated into a murder of crows, knowing that nothing had been off the record at all. Half an hour later, the birds returned and rematerialized into Itachi.
"These orders are straight from the Hokage:
Hound, you are to go undercover to continue to monitor the girl. Befriend her, then learn everything about her. Your objective is to confirm if she possesses the ancient rift-style Kekkai Genkai, and if she does, train her to use it. Once she has full control over her powers, you are to bring her back to Konahagakure for further study.
I brought you civilian clothing that I hope you'll find acceptable," Itachi continued, handing Kakashi a deceptively heavy pack. "You'll also find special contacts that will disguise your sharingan, ample funds to stay here in town, and a few other things I thought would be useful. Since you're so close to the Hidden Leaf, the Hokage said you may return home to report to him in person every two weeks. Until next time, captain," he bowed and was gone in an instant.
His mind was left reeling. He had thought rift-style was made up, a power dying out even in the times of Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju. He would have to his fair share of research. He couldn't help but smile to himself under his mask a moment later when digging through his new supplies. It seemed like Itachi had already gotten him the books he needed, due to the weight of the bag and the child's love of history. He made a mental note to thank him later. For now, he needed to change clothes and catch up with the girl.