AN: Lmao yes Swiggs, you're sort of right, it does sound like cocaine because I based the 'medicine' off of cocaine! I feel like Orochimaru would be the kind of guy to do some stuff like that for a vessel. I'm also using the 'medicine' as a sort of starting point to the curse marks. Hope you guys like this chapter, I was gonna make it the first chapter I switch the POV from Kasumi to Kakashi or Shisui, but I'm not sure I even want to do that, let me know what you think!
...
Kasumi felt restless. Two months had passed since Obito's death. Since she'd last spoke to Shisui or Kakashi. Since she'd been subjected to Orochimaru's unpleasant presence. He had been right about his concoction, she hadn't had any attacks since she started taking it, but she also hadn't gotten much sleep either, and it was taking a toll on her. Her appetite was almost inexistent, and while her stamina was almost tripled when she was under the substances influence, her bones were starting to protest.
That's how she found herself awake in the middle of the night, a victim to her own aching bones which refused to let her get any sleep. Without giving it a second thought, she slipped out of bed and slipped on a pair of shorts and the jonin shirt Kakashi had gifted her the night he'd been promoted. It was late, and she had nowhere to go, but she could no longer stand being in her home.
Once outside, the cool night air instantly soothed the ache in her bones, and she let out a sigh of relief. Her head was slightly throbbing, and she felt a bit lightheaded, but she still felt better outside her house than in it. She quickly gathered herself, took a step forward towards the worn-out path that led her to the village, and then another, and without thinking she let her feet guide her.
Walking had felt almost like a dream, and part of her felt like she would've been safer staying home, but from the slight ache of her feet she knew she was too far to turn back, and when she ended up at the cemetery, she was less surprised by the fact that she had no clue how she'd gotten there than by Rin's kneeling before Obito's grave. "Kasumi?"
She made her way towards Rin with shaky steps she hadn't taken notice of before, and when she made it to her, she collapsed to her knees, her weight suddenly too heavy to bear. The brown-haired girl looked concerned, and she quickly reached a hand over towards her face. When her palm touched the skin of her cheek, she instantly pulled back. "Kasumi, you're running a fever!"
"I don't want Kakashi and Shisui to hate me, Rin. I already lost Obito, I don't want to lose them too!" Rin instantly scooped her into her arms, and while she didn't make a sound, Kasumi could hear her shallow breathing and feel the cool tears falling on the top of her head.
"That's not going to happen, okay? Shisui doesn't hate you, and I know Kakashi could never hate you." Keeping focus was becoming harder to do, and when Rin loosened her grip and let her go, she managed to keep her balance. Rin's cheeks were tear-stained, the sight of her friend in emotional turmoil did nothing to better mood. "You should spend the night at my house, yours is too far to make it back in your state, and the hospital is too."
"I'm sorry, Rin. Somehow I seem to always find a way to mess things up." It was true. She'd always questioned what her purpose in life was, something a bit cynic for someone so young to be thinking about, but her life so far had been filled with sorrow. It seemed as if everyone she got close to either left her or died, and she seemed to be the only common denominator. As if hit by a sudden epiphany, she flinched away at the soft feel of Rin's hand on her arm. "You should stay away, I seem to bring bad luck to anyone who gets too close, Kakashi and Shisui have probably already caught on…"
"Kasumi that's not true, can't you see? Kakashi has changed since he met you, and in the best way possible…" Rin trailed off for a second, and when their eyes finally met, she could see the honesty and hurt in them. "I can't speak much on Shisui, but I can tell you this, Kakashi has a deep adoration for you that he probably hasn't even admitted to himself yet."
"You're a good person Rin. I see why Obito loved you." They sat in silence after that, the mention of Obito hanging heavy in the air and suddenly putting an end to the aches in her body. "What are you doing so late out here anyway?"
"I couldn't get any sleep; I've been feeling watched lately… I probably sound crazy…" She let out a small awkward laugh, but thoughts of Orochimaru ran through her mind instantly, memories about feeling watched and being right, about slithering snakes and yellow eyes, and a sense of panic set in instantly.
"You don't sound crazy at all; I know the feeling." Rin seemed interested in her reply, and she quickly changed her sitting position, crossing her legs beneath herself more comfortably before speaking.
"Were you right?" Before Kasumi could answer something landed between the two of them, instantly startling them. "What the hell?!"
Smoke instantly cleared both their vision, and out of what she'd learned from both Kakashi and Jiraiya, she instantly covered her mouth and nose with her arm. Rin had less time to react, and when she stumbled forward, Kasumi quickly placed her back towards her, letting the brunette fall perfectly aligned onto her back. Rin was slightly taller than she was, but she managed to hold her weight up, and when a shuriken flew towards her, she countered it quickly with a digital bullet, instantly setting it off its path.
"I thought we were gonna get her once the smaller one left!" A gruff voice reached her, and as the smoke started to lift, she managed to make out five outlines before an eerie mist began to take its place. Her heart was beating erratically, and the adrenaline from the unexpected attack instantly cleared away the headache she'd previously had.
"Do you not recognize the obvious traits on her, idiot! She's from that pesky Kaguya clan!" At the sudden mention of her surname, her blood ran cold, and she quickly made a run for it. Jiraiya had schooled her in the history of her clan, and the fact that random shinobi had attacked and recognized her left a bad taste in her mouth. The Kaguya name was most notably known by Kirigakure, and the mist made it more obvious that the men were from the Bloody Mist.
The thick mist made it hard to see, and the weight of Rin on her back made it even harder to maneuver through, but she continued regardless. But as she continued running, it seemed the mist thickened, and the feeling of being trapped made her feel paranoid, which did nothing to help the situation. "Are you lost little Kaguya?"
Kasumi quickly turned and was met by a masked man standing tall and unbothered, as if it was just a regular night for him. His mask had two lines on the forehead area, and deep blue fangs across each cheek, but what unsettled her more were the slits on the eyes, shaped in an almost jovial way. She slowly stepped back, trying to put as much space as she could between the two of them, but he mimicked her, taking a step forward for every step she took back. "What do you want from us?"
The man tilted his head before letting out a small chuckle that sent a chill down her spine. Her back was beginning to protest Rin's weight, and she inwardly begged herself to hold on for just a bit longer. The man extended his arm and then his index finger, and she quickly followed his movements, but he was merely pointing at Rin. They wanted her, but the thought made no sense in her head, what could they possibly want with the brown eyed girl? "We came for the girl, but I recognized you… anyone worth a cent in Kiri would be able to recognize you, you'd fetch a good bargain girl… either for your kekkei genkai, if you even possess it, or for your limbs!"
The man quickly lunged forward and made a grab at her, and instead of dodging him, she allowed him to lock his hand around her wrist. He instantly let out a cruel laugh, but it quickly turned into a hiss when the bones in her arm quickly ripped through his hand and down his arm. The squelching sound of his flesh tearing apart as he forcefully pulled his arm out of the grasp of her bones made her feel nauseous, but she bit her tongue to distract her mind as he set a string of curses her way. "You fucked up kid!"
Instantly, the figures of the other nin became visible through the thick mist as they made their way towards her, and through her panic, she managed to keep track of one she'd just injured, until she felt a burning sensation on the side of her neck. Rin's weight was suddenly lifted off of her back, but her vision became clouded, and her limbs felt heavy. She forced her hand to touch her neck, and when her fingers closed over the small vial still attached to it, the last thing she saw was the man making his way towards her, bloody arm dangling useless on his side, and Rin on his back. "You better be worth the damage you did."
…
"I'm positive they're trailing us captain."
"That's good, that's what we want, we let them get back the jinchuriki, but we keep the Kaguya, that's my cash calf right there."
"Yes, captain!"
She wasn't sure how long she'd been out, and she was too cautious to take a peek at her surroundings in fear of letting her captors know she was conscious. The conversation she'd managed to hear had left her confused, she knew she was the one who the man she'd injured expected to make money from, but who was the jinchuriki? Jiraiya had taught her of the tailed beasts, and of how Konoha had possession of the nine tailed fox demon, which currently resided in the beautiful Kushina Uzumaki, so nothing made sense. Did they think Rin was Kushina? "I know you're awake."
She ignored the voice, but when she heard the familiar sound of a shuriken coming her way, she quickly maneuvered herself into a crouched stance and countered the incoming weapon with her own arm bones modified as a sword. "Watch it kid, or I'll kill your friend."
Next to the man was Rin, tied up to a post with a thick braided rope. Her eyes were open, but completely glazed over, a clear indicator that she was trapped in a strong genjutsu, and resting at the nape of her neck was the tip of the man's katana, sharp and glistening thanks to the bit of light coming from a single torch perched on the wall of the cave they were in. She instantly dropped her weapon and lifted her hands up, and the man sheathed his sword. "Didn't take long for your scum friends to come for you, they must know what piece they lost on their chessboard when we took you."
Kasumi ignored the man, instead opting to take a seat on the floor, legs crossed beneath her. The man's arm was bandaged messily, and the scent of charred flesh was strong in the air, a clear indicator of the lengths he'd gone to stop the bleeding. When he noticed her glancing, he snarled, making his way towards her in a threatening manner, but she kept still. They were in his turf, the advantage was his, and anything she did would put Rin at risk. "You think this is funny?"
She remained silent, but the silence did little to calm the angry man before her, and when he aimed a kick at her ribs, she let it land, her ribs instantly hardening to soften the blow, but when he noticed, he lifted her by the collar of her shirt until they were eye to eye. "You're lucky I can't cut you up, it lowers the value, you see. But a few bruises shouldn't make much of a difference!"
Kasumi braced herself for a punch in the gut, but he struck her in the face, completely catching her off guard. The stinging in her cheek was excruciating, but she swallowed the whimper that wanted to come out of her mouth and kept a straight face. Before the Kiri nin could follow up with another attack, two other nin joined them, interrupting his onslaught. "We can't get in touch with Squad B, communication has been cut off!"
"I'm gonna check it out, you two keep guard at the entrance. Whatever happens, make sure this one right here doesn't get away." He instantly dropped her on the floor, giving her one last hard kick on her side before heading out of the cave, the two Kiri nin on his trail. She hadn't expected the last attack, therefore her bones had done little to shield her, and the pain on both her face and side was excruciating, but one glance at her friend tied up and dazed made her strengthen her resolve.
Just as she managed to get on her feet and take her first shaky step toward Rin, a loud explosion resonated from outside the cave, and she heard the frantic voices of the men that captured her loudly through the sounds of falling debris. "It's the Leaf! A Leaf shinobi!"
"Kasumi! Rin!" Kakashi's voice was a sure reassurance that they'd be okay, and when he made his way towards her with all eight of his ninja hounds behind him, single eye focused on her injured face and the way she cradled her left side, she shook her head frantically. "I'm sorry, I should've never snapped at you!"
"I'm okay! Rin, I think she's under a genjutsu!" Kakashi nodded his head and instantly made his way to Rin, a worried expression etched on his visible features. He quickly untied her and released the genjutsu, and Kasumi joined him, standing next to him as their friend regained her senses.
"Kakashi! Kasumi!" Hearing Rin's voice was a relief, she'd been worried their abductors had done something to her while she'd been sedated, but she seemed perfectly fine compared to how she herself felt, and she thanked the gods for it.
"Let's get out of here!"
As they made their way through the corridors of the cave, guided by the sharp nose of Kakashi's ninja hounds, the same pair of Kiri nin that the man she'd angered had sent to guard the cave intercepted them. "Get her!"
"Hurry!" Kakashi rushed them out through a makeshift tunnel, one she was sure was probably made by his hounds, and the Kiri nin set on their trail, but before they could enter the tunnel, one of Kakashi's hounds, Bull, let out a loud bark, quickly closing off the tunnel with fallen debris.
They ran fast, and her legs were starting to protest, the pain in her side becoming unbearable, but she wanted to be as far away from that cave as possible, and away from the cruel man who'd hurt her. Once out of the cave, she was relieved to see the light of the golden hour, covering everything in its deep warm glow. The small bit of relief was disrupted by Pakkun's familiar voice, ordering to keep going. "Go! We'll divert the enemy."
"Thanks, I leave it to you."
"Save it. Kasumi owes us all treats, we've decided." She nodded her head, tears blurring her vision before giving Pakkun a quick chin scratch and joining Rin and Kakashi. "If we're driven into a corner, we'll make a run for it too."
"Let's go, Kasumi, Rin." Rin hesitated, and a confused look spread across her features. Something was off, she could feel it overwhelming her senses, more so than the pain from being struck in the side. Part of her knew the feeling was familiar, she had felt it the night before Obito's death, but the other part of her tried to suppress it, scared to have her first panic attack in two months in the middle of escaping Kirigakure ninjas.
"I…feel strange…" Rin's words did little to alleviate the feeling growing in her chest, and she quickly brought a hand to her neck, feeling for the thing she reached for in situations like that, but she found nothing there. The Kiri nin had taken her necklace. Orochimaru's medicine.
"We have to escape first." Kakashi seemed to be addressing them both, and when he took her hand and gave it a soft squeeze, it confirmed it. He'd noticed her jitteriness, clear indicators she was on the way to having a panic attack, but the feel of her hand in his kept the feelings at bay.
"Scatter!" At the sound of Pakkun's voice, Kakashi let go of her hand instantly, and they all did as instructed, the hounds towards the cave and the three of them to the forest.
…
Kasumi had no clue where they were. It was her first time out of Konoha, and not under the circumstances she would've liked. They'd been running for quite a while, and the sun had already set, and while she knew they had to keep quiet, all she wanted to do was talk to her friends, get reassurance that they were near their home.
"I feel it." Rin's voice broke the silence, and her confession alarmed her, but she pleaded with herself to keep her cool. She didn't want to do anything to burden her friends in their effort to get back home safely, so she quickly remembered how comforting Kakashi's hand over hers had been and persevered, but Rin continued. "I feel like there's someone, something else inside me."
The words struck in her mind instantly, putting the pieces together like a puzzle. The conversation she'd heard earlier between the man that had tormented her and one of his underlings finally made sense, the jinchuriki they had been talking about was Rin! Panic set in instantly, but Kakashi spoke before she could say anything herself. "What are you talking about?"
"I don't know." Kasumi tried to find her voice, but the panic was setting in faster. She could still keep up with their speed, but her voice refused to cooperate, and when she let out a small whimper, both Rin and Kakashi turned her way, but the sound of incoming voices disrupted them.
"There they are!"
"Don't let them get away!"
They quickly turned back but were met by three Kiri nin already ahead of them. Kasumi felt pinpricks all over her skin, but the fear of being captured took over her panic, and a rush of adrenaline helped her overcome her sudden anxiety. Kakashi quickly pulled out a kunai, and a look of determination replaced the concern he previously had. "We have to get past them!"
Kasumi nodded in agreement. Two of the Kiri nin went her and Rin's way, the same that had stayed behind in the cave when Bull closed them in, and the fact they were involved in making Rin a jinchuriki strengthened her resolve. "I haven't shown this to anyone before. You should feel honored."
"Don't mock us!"
"Dance of the Willow." The two men lunged at her, and she instantaneously produced long sharpened bones out of both her shoulders, her palms, and her elbows. With eloquent and graceful moves, she dodged her assailant's attacks, instantly perforating them both before they could retreat and retry. The sound of her bones plunging through them like a knife through steak was pleasant, the taste of revenge even sweeter on her tongue. Not even the warm blood that stained her cheeks and arms bothered her.
"Let's go!" Kakashi's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and she quickly followed him, Rin steady beside her. Concern was written all over her face, but they were still being followed, so she kept her thoughts to herself. Rin would be fine, the same way Kushina was okay.
"The Hidden Mist tried to perform some ritual on me. A special ritual. But I lost consciousness and…" Rin's voice was full of terror, and the sudden euphoria she'd felt from disposing of the two Kiri nin vanished, replaced by the slow and agonizing set in of panic.
"You'll be okay, Rin!" Her words didn't match the tone she'd used, and before she could say anything else, a sudden look of horror crossed the brunette's vision, like she'd just seen an apparition, and she audibly gasped. Kasumi wanted to pause, something felt suddenly wrong about the whole scenario, but the Kiri nin pursuing them were closing in. "
"They're persistent!" Kakashi paid no mind to what Rin was saying, too focused on getting them out of danger, but Kasumi was feeling terribly wrong about the way things were going, and when Rin spoke next, it made even less sense.
"I can't return to the Leaf Village!" The words seemed to suddenly hit Kakashi, and the bewildered look on his face made her chest ache. He quickly turned to her, as if looking for an explanation from her, and she felt like a fox caught in a bear trap.
"What is she talking about?" She opened her mouth to attempt to speak, but Rin beat her to it, shocking them both in the process.
"Kakashi, Kasumi, one of you has to kill me now!" Her heart was beating out of her chest, she could feel its pounding in her ears, and her mouth ran dry instantly. Everything was going terribly wrong, and nothing made sense.
"What are you saying, Rin!?" She could hear Kakashi's frantic voice through the pounding in her ears, and she quietly waited for Rin's reply. The Kiri nin were getting even closer, and she wasn't sure she'd be able to ward off another attack.
"They're using me! If I return, Konoha may be attacked!" Rin was pleading at this point, and Kasumi knew that whatever they'd done to her went beyond sealing a tailed beast inside of her, but she refused to raise a hand against her.
"I promised Obito that I would protect you! I can't do such a thing! And you can't ask Kasumi to do that either!" She shook her head in agreement, tears streaming down her face at that Rin had asked of them, before finally finding her voice.
"I heard them mention a jinchuriki, they sealed a tailed beast in you, but if we get you back to Konoha they can help. Kushina is okay, you'll be okay too!" She could hear the Kiri nin, close enough to make out their mocking laughter, and it infuriated her.
"Kasumi is right! I'll get rid of them, now go!" She had faith in Kakashi, so she pushed forward, but Rin resisted, and before she could take a hold of her arm and drag her away, she slipped out of her reach and towards Kakashi and the Kiri nin's direction.
"Rin!" She quickly trailed after her, but the medic nin knew her surroundings, and was able to put a good gap between the two of them. Still, she forced her feet to close the distance, and just as they reached the cliff Kakashi had chosen to lead the Kiri nin to, she lunged towards Rin, hand outstretched and aimed at her wrist. She'd miscalculated the distance. The tips of her fingers barely gracing the skin on the inside of her wrist.
"Take care of him."
Kasumi hit the ground hard. Before she could even get on her two feet, the sound of a thousand agitated birds filled the air, and the palm of Kakashi's hand illuminated the field before her. She tried to scream for him to move, but she could barely hear her own voice through the sound of her beating heart mixed with Kakashi's lightning, and as if time slowed down, the scene before her happened in slow motion. Rin jumped in the way of Kakashi's attack. The loud squelch of his fist ripping through her chest pierced through the noisy battlefield. Everyone paused, almost as if in disbelieve of what had just occurred, and Kakashi's horrified expression gave her the push she needed to finally move her frozen limbs.
She quickly rushed towards him, calling his name as loudly as she could, but he had gone into shock as Rin's lifeless body now laying on the ground before him. Nothing made sense, but before she could reach the still boy, she felt a rough tug at her hair, pulling her back and down to her knees, but she fought back, sharp bones protruding from her body and ripping through the flesh of her attacker. A sickly smell filled the air, and she recognized the man lying behind her instantly, the man who'd captured her and Rin.
Before she could react, a pained yell brought her out of her thoughts, and she quickly turned towards it. A hooded figure with a white mask covering his face stood on the other side of the battlefield, his chest rising and falling in a wild manner that sent fear running through her body. Rods and branches ripped their way out of his right side, and she froze in her spot, captured by the scene before her.
"Who is that guy?"
"Reinforcements, maybe?"
"What a fool! Jumping in alone!" The last Kiri nin to speak launched a barrage of shuriken towards the hooded man, but he remained in place, doing little to dodge the attack. When the shuriken passed through him, Kasumi instantly jumped to her feet, running as fast as her feet could take her to her friends. The man that joined the battlefield was strong, and Kakashi was unconscious. She had failed to stop Rin, now she was the last line of defense between Kakashi and the people around them.
"I won't…accept any of this!" She recognized the voice immediately. The sound of it was the same as it had been the last time they'd spoke, but it was filled with pain and rage.
"Do not mock the Blood Mist Village!" Obito attacked, but Kasumi kept her eyes on Rin and Kakashi, silently praying for the night to be over, for reinforcements to appear. Obito was there, but she could feel the dark aura radiating off of him in waves. This wasn't the same Obito she'd known. She wasn't sure she could trust him.
She could hear the sounds of flesh tearing, organs being pierced. The metallic scent of blood permeated the air, and every breath she took filled her lungs with the pungent scent, but she didn't dare to look back at the carnage, too afraid of what she'd see. Rain began to fall from the sky, pouring down as if against the actions happening below, drenching her small frame.
"At least grab the girl!" The familiar voice of the man who she thought she'd gotten rid of rang in her ears, and she felt the eyes of every remaining Kiri nin on her, spotting her through the foliage of what she was sure was ripped apart bodies and blood. "Don't hand the Kaguya over to the enemy!"
Kasumi finally turned back, forced her body to react until her bones plunged out from under her skin, ready for the incoming men, but Obito was faster, instantly stopping their attack. She tried to look away, but her eyes remained glued to the way he disposed of them, the branches piercing through the bodies of the assailants in a disturbing way. This couldn't be Obito. This person possessed the coveted Wood Style, that much she knew. It sounded like Obito, but it couldn't be.
When he finally noticed her standing guard over Kakashi and Rin, he made his way towards them slowly, as if to not frighten her, but it did little to comfort her. The closer he got, the stronger her need to protect Kakashi and Rin's body from whoever it was under the mask, and when he finally stood about a foot from them, every bone in her body had extracted itself from under her flesh, ready for any attack.
"I'm sorry, angel-girl." Faster than she could fin the words to come up with a reply, Obito was before her, red eye glowing and spinning furiously. The last thing she saw was his face as he laid her down next to Kakashi. Everything went black after that.
…
I'm pretty sure this is my longest chapter in anything ever. Maybe. I'm proud of it, I feel like I did an okay job integrating Kasumi in a good way into the scene of Rin's death. The Kiri nin who recognized her wanted to try and make some money by selling her as a weapon or selling her for her body parts to be used in rituals. I got the idea from reading about the persecution of people with albinism in Sub-Saharan African communities and then reading about how Kirigakure treated those with Kekkei Genkai after their efficiency during times of war. I feel like the 'Bloody Mist' wouldn't be above rituals using people with special abilities. This chapter is also the first time Kasumi has had to kill, so we'll see how she reacts to it in the next chapter when she has time to process what has happened to her, as well as Rin's death. At the end, Obito puts her in a strong genjutsu, what do you think that was for? Do you think she'll remember seeing him at all? We'll see! Hope you guys enjoyed it!