Chapter sixteen
Training and Snakes and illusions.
"Losing an illusion makes you wiser than finding a truth."
~Ludwig Borne
Forest of death.
Day - unknown.
Team Anko, cell one.
The forest was silent.
Not the natural silence that permeated clearings and lazy afternoons in a grassy glade. No this silence was the type of haunted building and gory murder scenes. The type of quiet and calm that preceded the rising storm or the moment before a trapped animal knew it was dead.
Between the massive roots of the equally massive trees, three shapes flashed like shadows. The flight was fast and sure. This was stealth at its most practiced.
It was nearly five in the morning and all three shadows were tired.
The tallest of the three was a boy, built with corded muscle and a slightly messy bowl cut mop of hair. Clothed in shades of green he almost seemed to shimmer away from the background, like a forest sprite emerging from his secret hideaway. Black eyes gleamed in the false dawn light as he surveyed the spot his team leader had chosen.
Flashback
It was still early in the morning when Anko had thrown in some flash bombs into the genin's rooms.
It was two minutes after that, that her sweet and almost painfully innocent new students managed to crawl out into the cramped hallway before her. she sweat dropped at the crusty eyes and drool stained mouth corners.
Shaking her head she addressed the small group. "slept well, great. Today we have a few things to hash out before I decide to start your training. First things first, we need to decide on a team leader.
Lee and Hinata shared a slight look with each other as Naru crossed her arms together and said, "Team Leader? I thought you were our team leader." she shivered at the sadistic smile on her sensei's face.
"oh but I am…of a sorts that is. See as your new sensei I have a small say in what happens in you daily lives and an even bigger say in you team decisions, but that doesn't make me your leader fully. Every leader has a second in command, and that is what your team leader is. I am here as a sounding board in both training and missions, but most of my job is going to sit back and watch you guys make decisions." she said, looking all of them in the eye.
Hinata raised her hand and said, "Sensei…how are we going to choose between the three of us. It doesn't seem fair."
Anko nodded along with her. It wasn't fair, but then again that's how it was designed. Forcing all of the students to basically argue and fight each other over a small role of authority. The truth was, it wasn't about ones self that mattered here, only the good of the whole team and what was good for the good of everyone.
Lee cleared his throat when Anko looked back at him. "this is majority vote then?" he clenched his hands when she nodded. "In that case I choose Naru."
The sputtered denials and curses vaguely thundered in the hall as Naru immediately denied it. Meanwhile Anko and Hinata watched the older boy in puzzlement. He chuckled mentally at their funny faces before continuing. "Naru stop and listen for once. I think you would make the best choice for team leader. Not only are you smart and resourceful, you also have loyalty and ambition down to boot. You think of solutions to problems outside the box and you push us to be better without resorting to putting others down."
Beside him Hinata nodded before saying, "yes I see your point. Naru what Lee says is true, you have such amazing qualities that truly do make you the best bet for leader."
Tsking her tongue at them she grumbled, "what about you too then huh? Why cant either of you guys be the TL." she looked hotly at her frowning teammates.
Lee sighed, this was getting them nowhere fast. "I'm too emotional to be a great leader. In a leadership position one needs to be capable of being in control at all times. Never showing what doesn't need to be seen but always hinting." he shot a look to the dark haired konoichi at his side, "and Hinata wouldn't be a great choice because she lacks the suave conversational know-how and confidence. Something you have in spades."
Snorting Naru looked at their frowning sensei. What did she make of all of this.
Looking at the expectant faces of her new team Anko nodded seriously. "its true Blondie. Lee is way to emotional to lead a successful mission at this time because he lacks control over those annoying little feelings normal people get. Plus he lacks tact even on a good day, and his wild actions and constant weirdness would cause rifts on too many important decisions." she gleefully ignored the burning glare of said boy.
"as for Hinata…well, she's shy and is very, very emotionally damaged. Meaning she lacks the little voice in her head that says be assertive, confident. That and she has personal shell so wide I could host a Taijustu tournament on it. No offence girl but we need to work on that. I know your clan did a shit ton of damage to you and a all that and a bag of chips but come on already. You need to live a little."
Looking at her blonde menace she grinned evilly, "that leaves you pudding pop. Now I know the academy was a shit hole in a wall and sucked the creativity out of almost all its students but you managed to beat it. You can think outside the box, like Lee said, and you can change plans at the drop of a hat. You don't discriminate or allow you emotions to mostly rule you. Plus, you see thing others wouldn't see. All of these along with others make you the most suited so shut up and accept the position before I become bored."
Seeing her mouth open, no doubt to continue the argument, Anko hurriedly added, "plus, think of this as training for when you compete to be Hokage."
Naru shut her mouth with an audible click. True, she needed the experience when it came time for her to take the hat, but…she was so young right now. She didn't know the first thing about leading a team or healing broken psyches or taking command of a situation. She was already over demanded as it was. But she had no choice.
Steeling her voice as best she could she met the multi-hued orbs of her team and braced herself.
"I'll do it."
Flashback end
Looking at the well hidden glen, the three started on their orders.
Hinata went of to find something to eat, while Naru set up a perimeter and organized the watch schedule for that night.
Shrugging off the slightly ratty pack he was carrying, he set off to find some wood for shelters, maybe even a fire if they all were lucky. Though it was summer in Hi No Kuni, training ground forty-four was always shaded and cold, no light really penetrating the through the thick upper canopy of the great trees. The last few nights had been especially uncomfortable. Besides, fire to warm the food, warmth and light was always appreciated.
Grabbing a few strong looking branches, Lee carefully walked backwards the way he had come, using a smaller branch crowned in waxy green leaves to wipe away his trail. He grinned at the thought of the lean-to he could make with all this debris on the ground. Leaves and some dry moss for cushion and a small roof like structure to ward off the elements.
He was almost back to the glen when he felt a shiver go up his spine. Tensing slightly, he gripped his load loosely, prepared to drop it and move away at a seconds notice. He didn't hear any bug sounds, but farther away was a few birds chatting at each other. He narrowed his eyes. no bug sounds, but I still her bird calls. Hmm, so the animals sense someone is here. Could be…No, we left that behind two days ago, but still…
A twig snapped behind him and he moved into action. A clatter of wood hitting wood echoed unnaturally loud in the still air as he moved like a blur until he was standing behind the assailant, a kunai held tantalizingly close to a tan neck.
"Naru? What the hell, you scared the hell out of me." he yelled, quickly dropping the weapon from his TL's throat. His heart beating so fast he was pretty sure it had stopped.
In front of him Naru gulped in some air. Fuck, they all were tense. This wasn't good, soon they'd be jumping at shadows, next they all would end up attacking each other. Taking a few steps away from the green loving boy, she turned around and made a shushing sign. "what the hell Lee…fuck, you almost slit my throat. What is the point of flaring out my chakra if you aren't going to recognize it."
Equally as quiet Lee whispered back, "sorry, sorry. Last few days have put me on edge. I didn't think to stop and check for familiar or foreign chakra. Honest mistake, I'll fix it and it wont happen again Naru."
Sweat-dropping at the back to cheerful boy before her, she shrugged out some lingering tenseness from her shoulders and motioned him to follow her. Which he did right after getting the wood he had dropped earlier.
"your getting faster ya know. All this running is doing wonders for all of us." she remarked.
Nodding Lee smiled back, "with all this running anyone would get faster. Three days into this forsaken forest dogging kunai and snakes really shakes the youth from ones personality."
Smacking him on the back of the head, Naru smiled back. Her eyes constantly roving their surroundings. She mentally grimaced at the current predicament. Operation get away from Anko-sensei, was for all intents and purposes, successful.
This survival test was a bitch and a half to complete, what beside everything in the fucking forest trying to either kill or eat them, not to mention their insane teacher hunting them down like common game. Not only that, she was also trying to fulfill her newest duty as TL. Setting up patrols, choosing who does what shift at watch, organizing duties when it came time to set up camp, were just some of the things she was now forced to do.
Thankfully their two weeks were almost up. Training with Anko wasn't fun.
She was half-way sadistic and the rest was insanity wrapped homicidal judgment. Still Naru thought she was the coolest teacher ever.
The first week had been hell. Kata differencing, chakra theory, endurance training, teamwork building and agility courses and speed and strength exercises had all been thrown at the mentally unprepared genin like cannonballs. Even though the majority of what they were learning was just an advanced version of the academy curriculum, they still managed to barely crawl into their bunks at the end of the days.
It truly was unsurprising that halfway through their third day of training a problem came up. Seduction missions.
The angry scream that Anko sensei had let loose scared away all the small and big game around the area in a six mile radius. Naru thought it was hilarious, while Hinata had paled so fast she rivaled a ghost under a white bed sheet. Lee just looked on at their sensei, dutifully ignoring the flaming red blush dusting his cheeks.
So led to them having a very long, very awkward talk and then some hands on training that left the three genin unable to look at each other without blushing red for three extra days.
The second week went little better.
Poison and antidote training, the main three shinobi art forms, basic medical training - taught by a jonin so it was more advanced then anything a genin would ever have access too, T&I courses - how to lie, macro-expression reading, tells and how to fix them, basic torture methods, mind games and interrogation techniques including psychology classes, reverse psychology and surprisingly they were taught counseling methods. After that they learned how to do calligraphy, coding, codes, the basics of Fuinjustu and rational and irrational thinking.
On their day of "leisure", they had been suggested to learn everything they could on camp making, patrol forms, hand signals, tracking/evasion, disposal and gathering, and geography, map reading and making, as well as flora and fauna identification. Just to name a few of what they had "chosen" to learn. Still, they all could admit in the privacy of their thoughts that they were damn glad they learned everything they could.
Sure it wasn't the best, not even close but it was saving their skins now when it counted.
Seeing a shock of dark colored hair had Naru speeding up slightly. She didn't want Hinata to wait for their slow asses while they game she had bagged spoiled because they didn't hurry.
"Hinata everything okay?" she asked. The camp looked fine and more importantly, so did the other konoichi. At the others nod, she waved them off to build up a fire and steadily ignored the looks of appreciation they threw at her. Being an orphan and the Kyuubi vessel, she was uncomfortable with such things.
The sharp crackling of the fire drew the others over. Soon square cubes of what Hinata said was boar meat, were sizzling on some sticks next to the flames. The smell was indescribable after eating ration bars and some herbs to keep energy.
Grunting as she sat on a smallish rock, Naru looked over at her two companions. "tonight's watch is going to be Lee on first shift, Hinata on second, with me bring up the rear until dawn. While on watch, look for anything suspicious or out of place and make sure to give as accurate a report to the next person before you get some sleep. We don't know what sensei has planned but knowing her as well as we do - its going to be hell, so don't waste any energy needlessly okay. Also check the perimeter every once in a while, but don't make it routine okay, so change the times and lengths before you walk. This will help to keep anyone who is after us on their toes." she grabbed a boar skewer.
"what will we do if sensei attacks? We all could fight her and still not win, we just don't have the level of training or experience she has. Besides she has a mean streak a mile wide and she's not afraid to use it, especially on us." Lee asked. His round eyes watching the edges of the glen as he chewed on some meat.
Naru swallowed and looked over at the other two. "then we try to distract her." she shrugged. "not much we can do. We just have to keep from getting hurt to badly and fight until we have a window for escape. Once we have that, we run like hell."
Hinata poked her fingers together in thought. True Anko-sensei was a better fighter and stronger than all of them, but Lee and Naru both brought up great points. If they could just keep her on her toes enough then she could be bypassed easily enough. But what if she gave chase. She was also faster then them as well, plus her snake summons could track almost as well as dogs could.
A small hand fell on her shoulder causing Hinata to look up into memorable blue eyes narrowed in sympathy and understanding. "its okay Hinata. We will cross that road when we come to it. Worrying to much about something we cant control is just plain foolish and will waste energy you'll need later on."
Nodding her head she went back to eating, trying to clear her head and get ready for her watch. Naru was right, she was just being a worry-wart.
Looking back into the fire Naru watched the flames spiral in their red and orange dance. The answer was very simple, and very deadly. Anko had way too much on them and the means of an experienced shinobi to use them. If she wanted them gone, she could do it no problem and not even feel tired, but since this was a training exercise she had to settle for making an example. Which meant pain and humiliation. She narrowed her eyes and glared into the fiery depths, willing the flames to instantly freeze with just the power of her mind alone. Somehow the food in her mouth tasted like ash.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
It was a quarter past two when Naru finally sat up in a tree for her watch. So far the only suspicious thing that had been noted was a giant rat-like creature had mysteriously vanished.
She was on edge.
She had a few hours of near complete silence to reflect on her past, new promotion, assignment as TL and now her rise through the ranks of leadership and responsibility. Kami she was bored. It would be easier if she could fight or move around more to help relieve the restlessness in her bones.
First things first though. hey fox…can you hear me?
A soft, almost groggy feeling of alertness resonated deep in the subconscious as a low growl echoed around. what do you want. I don't have time for this shit.
Shaking off the annoyance of basically being called worthless, she persisted. there are some things I want to ask you and before you say you don't have time for this, just know you owe me some answers. Maybe not all of them, but some of them at least. she mentally countered. The blonde could have grinned outright at the blatant feeling of anger of her unwitting partner.
What do you wish to know then kit. he grumbled.
A pause. why did you attack the village all those years ago? What would you have stood to gain? she waited. The feeling of evasiveness and dare she say it rage permeated heavily amidst her thoughts.
A shallow sigh and then the fox spoke a secret as old as the child who contained him. what you need to know Kit, is that I am the Kyuubi, the living chakra embodiment of rage. I live for causing destruction and mayhem, even if that means killing those who oppose my own way of thinking. I hate the leaf for several reasons; being used as their ultimate weapon is one of those. Another is the treatment of yourself.
You are my host, therefore I have more of a say in your life than should be healthy. Everyone fears you because of me and what I could do because of one night I was used for my purpose of being. he paused to collect his thoughts before continuing. it was on the night of October tenth, my current vessel was going through labor at the time, which offered my the perfect opportunity to escape and reek havoc. Normally I would have done just that, if the fourth damned Hokage hadn't stepped in and held up the seal throughout the birth. It was a long and very painful experience for all parties involved, believe me Kit. Anyways, everything went off without a hitch or so we thought. You were being wrapped in a blanket and handed to your mother when those two old midwives of your mothers fell to the floor, kunai and shuriken piercing their bodies. Next thing anyone knew, you were being held by this masked man. I recognized him as being an Uchiha, which one, well I thought he was dead.
I still strained against the seal for the duration of the fight as the fourth saved you instead of you mama. This gave that Uchiha bastard enough time to take her and rip open the seal that contained me. Sometimes I still feel the wind and the smell of the torn up earth as I came too, staring at the form of that masked asshole. He used that thrice be-damned sharrigan to take over my conscience. He used my purpose to his own vision and made me attack the village of Hidden leaves. What happened with you and the Hokage at the time, I do not know. I do know that he managed to destroy the haziness of my mind and this was when he started the sealing process to force me into the prepatory seal on your stomach. Another pause.
I killed your mother and the fourth Hokage before they finished the seal. I stabbed my claw threw their bellies and cursed them. But still I was sealed once more and this time into a infant without the means to protect themselves. I do not regret killing those two or the many villagers and random ninja who fell to my powers. No what I do regret is how I made your life the way it is. The villagers hate me, rightly so infact, but they bypassed me and went after you. That I cannot - will not forgive. If I ever have the chance I will take over and kill all the ones who ruined your childhood. I may hate the Fourth, but he said as his dying words, he wanted you to be seen as a hero for containing the great essence of evil. For that I can give respect.
He stopped talking. This was something he had wanted to tell the poor child when she had gotten older, but as things were now, he felt she should know of some of the truth at least. Dark clouds were forming on the horizons foretelling of war and destruction, those who were weak would die unless the strong were prepared. And by the Kami above and his Fathers memory, his Kit would be ready for anything.
Naru turned over what he had told her. She couldn't remember of what he spoke, most likely because she had been an infant at the time. How did she know he wasn't telling her lies to win some form of sick cooperation from her. Only one way to find out.
Kyuubi…who were my parents?
The feeling of intense shock coursed through her body like electrical currents. How could this have been kept from her. Did the third know…he must of. How, why? every time she had asked him and every time he had denied knowledge. Why? Was it too protect her? To shelter her. Her whole world crumbled like old plaster as the words of a cynical, sadistic centuries old fox monster told her the forbidden truth.
Uzumaki Kushina and the Fourth Hokage of the Hidden leaf village, Namikaze Minato!
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Hidden in the still smoking ruins, a once grand fortress laid bare. The walls held pockets of air while below them crumbled dust and largish bricks sat.
The place gave off billows and clouds of black smoke that smelt of sulfur and hot sand. Underneath that was the stench of decay. In a bloody arena, pile and piles of decomposing bodies sat in the harsh sun of late afternoon. The smell was sickly sweet. The smell of death.
The dead didn't care. Some bodies wore rags, others wore robes of satin and velvet. Several had the armor of warriors and some even wore nothing at all but the dirt of war and defeat. Not a single soul stirred in the hot sun, just the bloated sea of death and all its glory.
In death all are equal, for everyone will die. No one will live forever because forever is a concept the living have no use for. To the mortal eye, forever is nothing but a misguided fantasy better left to the imagination. Unlike the dead.
To those in the other world, forever is the single most truth. Once dead, you don't ever return, for the dead is eternal and that is a very long time.
For if the departed did dream, it was of dreams of mortality and the crippling sense of impending solace that drew them. To walk and talk and breathe, to live amongst family and friends long gone once more. Such a sweet lie.
Like the ruined skeleton of a once impressive fortress, death takes all and makes it coreless. For what is a palace without a king but a fancy home for rich peasants.
And if a set of eyes, blacker than black watched the smoke billow and shiver in the soft breezes that raced through the husk of the fortress, no one said a word.
If a set of eyes blacker than black, with skin of sickly ivory and clothed in tattered robes of rich purple, watched the empty world around him with a burning sense of hatred and madness, no one saw a thing.
An insane cackle split the still air. The shadow was coming for them. And he would rip their insolent tongues from their throats while he cut out and ate their still beating hearts in front of them. He wasn't dead nor was he finished…
He was just getting started!
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Anko watched her sweet little charges. Hardly innocent but not tied to the ground, they worked. She was a field shinobi, always had been even when with Orochimaru. She knew the dangers of their world and even reveled in the sense of excitement and insanity, yet she was at a loss with these three.
When she had graduated the academy and finally made genin she thought it all would get better. The knowledge of her orphan status and the loneliness that came with never truly belonging, but she had been wrong. So very wrong.
She wasn't chosen for a team. didn't have any friends from the academy nor on the civilian sector. Just before she was thrown into the academy reserves, a man came and changed her life forever. Orochimaru, The White Snake of Konoha and one of the three Sannin, had chosen her to be his apprentice, his student. She could still feel the amazement at that tiny decision.
But it was all lies. True he did train her, very well in fact that at genin she rivaled jonin and at chunin she rivaled some of the top shinobi in the elemental countries. She had been to so many places and had taken so many training trips that at times she had felt out of place in the village, but it was all to make her stronger, make her better than she was.
When he had given her the cursed seal and left her to either die or live, she had vowed to become the best, to maybe even kill Orochimaru one day.
She hated and revered him. Her sensei.
Shaking he head out of those depressing memories, Anko smiled. The genin were already showing great promise. Lee was learning how to actively control his very small reserves for chakra and was even practicing on some non-chakra costing exercises. The leaf exercise being the most prevalent. His ability with Taijustu, even for how little he had training with, was beyond both of his other teammates and was just under her own. With just brute force he would be a handful even for her.
Gai seemed to have taken him to task and cleaned up his moves, which was good as it gave her a basis on which to grow from. His strength and speed outmatched and outclassed pretty much everyone in his age group. He was just so dense that it made book learning almost impossible, that and he seemed to like taking orders from only those he respected, which, while not a bad thing - was a nasty habit to break. This she would try to break him out of; because after all, you don't always work with those you can respect nor get respect back from.
Hinata seemed to be taking to Plant studies and showed exceptional talent with medicinal and poisonous plants. This was one of her areas of expertise so after the training was over for the week she planned on teaching her the most advanced things. Sadly Anko noticed how poor the fighting style she used was. It just didn't fit her at all. No, Hinata was too flexible, to small to effectively use the main Hyuuga fighting style, "Gentle Fist". it wasn't her fault, how could it be when genetics were involved. The flexibility and stature though, did make the ex-Hyuuga very suitable for the snake style of fighting. Maybe they could collaborate with Naru - who was developing a habit at making good analytical calls - and mesh some other styles together to find something for the purple loving genin.
She still was shy but at least the stutter was gone. She had a summons partner who was absolutely terrified of her own summons - Snakes - and refused to travel in the direct light, she could see him periodically skulking around the shadows where Hinata was, always watching over her.
Out of all the genin she was the easiest to work with and the one who followed the most orders. Must be from her previous clan training - shut up, stay out of sight, and always do what you're told. Still, the girl had the calmest temper out of the whole team, unfortunately that designated her the mediator and general keep everyone on track person.
Last but not least, Naru. The most unpredictable and frustrating girl Anko had ever had the pleasure of meeting. Hotheaded, stubborn, tricky and defiantly not someone you want pissed off at you. She was now the TL or team leader of cell one, thus her job was to basically be a trainee squad leader. Second in command to herself, she was only authorized to report to the Hokage or the Jonin cell leader, which was her sexy self.
Naru was semi-trained by the current spymaster of Konoha and was herself, training in espionage and stealth associated arts. On top of that, the girl was the best trickster in the whole of the village. The pranks that child could do went beyond imagination, plus they were funny to boot. Anko grinned, the girl could benefit from the trap making courses she knew.
The current vessel for the Kyuubi made her status very valuable to the village. It didn't matter if the majority of the population was scared and hateful to her, Naru was uncontested for this burden, sadly it was a lifetime sentence. Thus it was her job as a sensei to teach all she knew and then some to her bright-eyed and adorable students.
Up in the trees Anko watched the shift change over. She was silently proud and impressed at the three children and resolved to training them as well as she could, and unlike her sensei, she wasn't going to abandon them.
That was her promise.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
It was half-passed three in the morning when the alarm went off in the silent camp.
Hinata was already up and moving, a kunai in her left hand while her right braced a tree. Lavender eyes watched the dark forest in warily silence as she steadied her breathing. On the other side of the clearing, just slight to the right of her, Lee was lowering into a fighting stance. His large round eyes flickered side to side frantically.
Activating her Byakugan, she scanned the now illuminated area. A small sigh of relief escaped her mouth as she saw Naru's chakra signature overhead in the trees.
Down below her Naru watched the others ready themselves. Two kunai sat in the palms of her hands as she took in the dark tree line. Oh she knew who it was and honestly she was tired of the games. Anko-sensei was just toying with them anyways. Moving an purposely destroying traps and the alarm seals that had been planted on the trees.
The blonde haired girl sniffed slightly. mud…water - stagnate, maybe a pond…blood, iron and dango there she is!
Jumping from her perch, she raced along the ground not even turning to look when the tree she had just left from exploded into a violent rain of splintered wood and leaves. Something wet trickled down the back of her neck as she ran. She refused to think of what it was.
A quick turn to the left had Naru wedged between to towering oaks, out of sight from the assailant but still giving a view as to what was happening with her teammates.
To her left was Lee, his hands and face held some minute scratches, most likely from the explosion. To her immediate right was Hinata. The Byakugan was off and her body faced into the trees away from the destruction. That gave Naru all she needed to know.
If Lee was injured then that meant the explosion was large enough to send debris out over fifty meters all around, while the deactivated Byakugan meant that whatever caused the tree to burst into a splintery mess, was very bright and concentrated.
Fox what do you think?
A mumble of complaint issued out from her mind. maybe a flash bomb with a kunai mixed in. kit, be careful! This woman is very good at doing what she does.
The presence faded from her senses as the fox retreated back into the seal. So, what did she do now?
All she knew about Anko was that she loved dango, carried an obscene amount of metal on her person that combated the obscene amount of skin she showed. She had a snake summoning contract and was very sadistic. Honestly she knew very little about the woman who was their sensei and it didn't sit well with her.
Shaking her head she turned to look back at her teammates and stared wide eyed in horror. Blood covered the ground and trees as six huge ass snakes slithered on the ground. Hinata's torn cloak hung from one of the scaly monstrosities fangs as another coiled around the broken and purple body of someone. She couldn't see the build or face really.
Surprisingly on the ground was her sensei. Blood was dripping from her nose and mouth as her tattered clothes fluttered with each wheezing breath. A large collection of bruises and torn flesh hung off of her, in some places Naru could even see the bone. She laid almost in the center of the clearing, like an offering as the monstrous serpents shifted and moved around her. She was just about to run to her broken teacher when the laugh came.
Bloodcurdling and twisted. Like some deranged creature straight out of the depths of hell it came. It sounded like kukukuku, it scared her. She wanted to move, to run away but she couldn't even shift, she could tell no one was behind her and yet she could feel the oily and murderous hatred of a presence everywhere. Then he walked out from the trees and she couldn't even breath, let alone scream.
He was tall, very tall and thin. The skin that she managed to see was ashen and relatively scar free. His hair was oily, straight and midnight black and long. He wore what looked to be a Konoha jonin uniform. But it was his eyes that scared her the most. Golden and slited like a snakes, they were ringed with purple markings. They only had bloodlust, hatred and insanity in those flat depths.
Naru tried to scream as he knelt by her sensei, he petted the ratty ponytail with what looked like resignation, before he shoved his arm threw Anko's chest. The breathy scream echoed unnaturally loud as the man continued to kneel by the dying woman's side, all the while whispering something to her sensei. Blood erupted like a small geyser when the dripping appendage was pulled from the ribcage of her teacher with a wet squelching sound. The smell of iron and released bowels was nauseating.
That unnaturally evil laugh spilt from the man as she watched Anko take one last painful breath. She didn't even have time to mourn before one of those snakes pounced forwards and sunk its smooth, gleaming fangs into the still warm body.
Wet tears dripped from her cerulean eyes as she looked for anyone else. She watched as the man walked away from her towards a large knotted tree. She sniffed in anger and fear…and confusion. That tree looked like the one Anko-sensei had blown up at the start of the fight, but there it was. Where were the kunai marks from when she had been bored on watch. What was going on?
"my student does do such good work wouldn't you say." a silky voice said behind her.
She tried to turn around but found she couldn't move. The puffs of air from the person behind her made the alarm bells ring frantically in her brain, the sense of his chakra was pure oil being poured on her own. "so young was she my student. Sadly she didn't give any of you up, such a shame it had to end this way, wouldn't you say. But as is with all games, it has to end sometime. Goodbye little one."
She mentally screamed and shouted in her mind as a kunai ripped into her flesh, puncturing arteries and organs alike. She smelt blood and other toxic smells as she tried to breathe through the pain. She wanted to look away, all she could see in her darkening vision was that long haired man as he laughed when the metal bit into her body again and again. It felt like years before he moved away and the last vestiges of strength left her. With her last breath she coughed out a lungful of blood and went limp. The last thing she saw was a gaping maw full of razor sharp fangs and a long forked tongue descending towards her. Then it went dark.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Several terrified screams rang around the forest as Anko rubbed the backs of the terrified genin. She winced when she saw Hinata spew the light dinner from her mouth as Lee had a near full blown panic attack. Before her was Naru, tan skin was nearly grey and the whites of her eyes could clearly be seen. She hushed the children as best as she could. It took several hours before they all calmed enough to actually stop flinching a throwing up.
Her dark eyes watched as the three made sure each was alright before the blow up came.
"Anko what the fuck was that about!?" Naru yelled out in anger and fear. Her voice just barely in the limits before insubordination.
She blew out a small breath and said, "that was a high level Genjustu. What you saw was something nobody should have to see. I wont apologize for it though, it is necessary for your trainings." she watched the three carefully.
"who was that man sensei…he…he didn't even have to-to…" Lee mumbled, his panic attack rearing its head again in his fear. A fear she knew all to well of.
"that man you saw was once one of the most respected men in Konoha and the surrounding areas. Orochimaru of the sannin, the white snake of Konoha and an expert on forbidden justu. He was one of the three students of the Sandaime Hokage and has been through two wars." she said.
Hinata raised her hand, ignoring the subtle shaking and asked, "sensei you said he was 'once'…what happened to him?"
Anko looked into a the fire as she said back, "he is a missing-nin and a traitor to the hidden leaf…he was found to be experimenting on the orphan children of the village and fled the land of fire with many secrets and forbidden justu. The scene I showed you was of what happened to a Iwa patrol when they tried to fight Orochimaru. He swiftly killed the first two members - beating one of them and ripping the other apart before feeding them to his snakes summons. The team Leader he toyed with for a few minutes before crushing the heart and several other organs to putty. What he said to the dying leader nobody knows." Anko watched the pale faced genin silently for a few seconds before she continued on. "The last one was only a genin placed with chunin and one jonin. Orochimaru pretended to think she wasn't there and steadily released his KI until the poor girl was frozen in fear before he killed her, stabbing her many time with a serrated kunai before he fed her to his snake." she looked away. This was harder retelling the story then the time when she had witnessed it for herself.
Naru felt sick as more of Orochimaru-teme's twisted deeds came to light. Assassinations, fraud, money laundering, kidnapping, torture, treason, etc…
Hell if there was some form of evil natured, went-against-the-ninja-system, totally sick and perverse way of nature out there that the bastard hadn't tried yet…Naru would eat her right hand. The fact though was that Anko-sensei was being very thorough in retelling the nasty secrets about Konoha's black stain. Not that the blonde blamed her, how could she - it was just slightly suspicious that their new sensei of only two weeks saw it suddenly pertinent to share such high level information with the, basically, dregs of the shinobi hierarchy.
She told such of it to her sensei.
Anko grimaced at the outgoing genin and cursed that self-proclaimed super pervert to the lowest pit of hell to cold for shirtless women. The blonde was, for all intents and purposes, a budding spy which caused the woman grief. The kid seemed to have the uncanny ability to hear and see things that other missed and would now make Anko have to watch what she accidentally said to the others. Especially Naru.
"the Sandaime has issued a warning to all the higher level ninja in the village to be on the lookout for strange people and occurrences…I believe he thinks that the Snake has some hand in this new development and just wants to keep everyone safe for now. I think though, that if Orochimaru is involved, then we need to all get stronger and more resourceful." Anko explained. In an odd way, it felt kind of good to let these brats know some of what she was thinking. Helped to keep her from blowing up into a fury over the little things she supposed.
Lee piped up from his spot, "so basically sensei, we're just covering our bases so to speak." she nodded to him. "yeah, basically."
Practically feeling the question on the blondes lips, Anko shot up from her sitting position and started speaking once again. "alright listen up!" she waited for the three to focus entirely on her before continuing. "training end analysis report…basic three shinobi arts was deemed passable. Hinata you need to work on your stamina. Now I have something for you when we hold training tomorrow. Lee is above average on his stuff for Taijustu, which I knew he would…but there is still way too much room for improvement thus I've asked for some help from Gai. He will also be joining us on some of our trainings when he has the time, so don't be alarmed if he is around a lot." she saw some mumblings that she silenced with a practiced glare.
"Naru you have chakra in spades and the stamina to match it, so why the hell haven't you done any thing to help with your control?!" Anko could almost taste the sudden increase of killing intent the smallest member was throwing at her. It was actually almost decent.
"what the fucks wrong with my control, huh. Nothing, now moving on."
Anko groused in her mind while counting to ten backwards. "girl listen to me. You have the best capacity for chakra that I have seen in a very long time, it is a waste to just focus on one aspect while abandoning another." she swallowed, "besides, I think that your levels and reserves at least mid-chunnin level, which is saying something. Tomorrows training will show us far more than this type of ragtag sport anyways."
"the rest of what you all did was just under the mark for fail. Lee, read more for Kami's sake, just pick up a book on something you think is going to be beneficial for this team in the near to far future." she waited till she got a silent head-bob. "Naru you are the TL, you can't afford to wallow in self doubt. I'm going to instruct you to somebody who can instruct you in leadership courses. don't waste them…Hinata you need the most work I'm afraid. don't look like that kid, its actually a good thing we caught this early on before you had several years of academy numbskullness beat into you. You will have quite a few remedial classes and lessons in the future so clear your calendar."
Hinata quietly nodded. She knew she was behind her other two teammates, she just hadn't realized how far that gap really stretched until that moment.
As the three sat in silence, Anko straightened herself up. She had a meeting with the Hokage after this and had to give her training report for cell one. Grabbing the brats attentions she motioned to the gate in the slightly near distance and beyond that the village. "keep going straight for another hour and you'll see the gate leading out of here. You will need the passcode to unlock it. Lets see, Naru memorize this number, twenty-four, twenty-four, sixteen…got it. Good. Okay everyone, training tomorrow begins an hour after dawn so be ready. If we have a good start we may even get a misson…" looking at the suddenly happier faces made her smile in sadistic glee. D-ranks, this was going to be fun. "dismissed!"
In a flashy poof of smoke she was gone.
The three genin wallowed uncertainly for a few minutes before Naru motioned them to follow her. When they did as she did, she grinned and broke out into a run.
Konoha here they come.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
In a run down village, north-west of the land of Iron, a woman sat at a bar. Voices flittered almost mechanically from each end of the room as a roaring fire blazed a welcome warmth from behind the grating of the fire place. It was snowing outside, which didn't surprise anyone who lived so close to the lands covered in the frosty depths of a seemingly eternal winter. This was the land of the samurai. Deadly swordsman who lived and died by a set code of rules, honor and morals. They detested ninja, and the reverse could be said by ninja themselves and it came to no surprise to find the two fractions stayed as far from each other as was physically possible, lest some battles break out on both sides.
The woman had a pretty feline like face that went well with her voluptuous body. Bright eyes watched the room as well as any animals as she picked up the subtle nuances of the beaten down townspeople. The slipped straight into mugs of ciders, beers and sake and only talked when the deemed it necessary. She took a tiny sip of the heated sake in her dish just as a booming squabble of noise erupted from outside the open doorway.
Twelve guards. Bright and well oiled leather armor glinted in the firelight as the marched into the bar, hands scarred and calloused pushed other civilians to the floor as a few brandished swords. Behind them entered a man as tall and wispy as a willow tree.
His eyes were black and very sharp at the corners. He had a few decent scars on his one visible hand as he walked into the now tense place. Hair that was washed with what smelled like oils, fell down his back and held in a tail at the base of his skull. The mans face looked sallow and mean that matched the long, paper-thin scar on his right cheekbone that curved almost comically to his mouth in a faux grin. On his back hung a type of sword she knew was a saber. A type of sword from the far desert nomads of Suna that had a cylindrical hilt and grip while the blade curved up and out the further from the base.
The man walked like he owned the place, and judging from the way the people acted in his presence, the woman was sure that was true. didn't mean he didn't look like a rooster prancing about. She listened when he started to speak.
"My good people. What a pleasant night for a drink wouldn't you say. I sure do. All this war and destruction and collecting the taxes sure has me up in a thirst. Bar-bitch, your finest sake, and make it quick." he clapped his hands like a noble demanding a servant around as he motioned for a small bar-maid of only seventeen, to fetch his drink of choice.
The woman watched as the swaggering idiot man lurched into a seat by the fire. She reverently prayed to a god she didn't believe in, that his well scented locks would catch from the flames. It didn't.
Once the maid came back with the sake she was forced to pour it and then wait behind the men as they jeered when she was finished. The poor child looked scared. The Idiot slurped the fine white drink as he watched those gathered away from him. "bring in the first one." he said with a mouth full of liquor.
Two armed guards got up from their seats and moved outside. The woman heard some sounds of a struggle before they came back in, a skinny heap of flesh dragging behind them.
He was a older man she saw. Skinny to the point of skeleton, his skin was jaundiced and stretched tight against bone that stood out stark under his yellowed skin. Large blackish-purple rings of exhaustion framed his eyes as the area they laid on sunk into the socket. He smelt too. Piss, manure and decay. The woman looked on in sadness, he was dying, and by the looks of it - he wouldn't last much longer. His clothes were just scraps of faded and stained cloth that floated around the man.
The Idiot pointed his saber at the man on the ground before him, acting for all the bar as a king among rags. "state your name, occupation."
A dry, raspy voice issued forth. "Tanaka Iro…I am - was a farmer." the woman watched in curiosity as the guards and the man they served laughed like what that man said was the funniest thing they had ever heard uttered.
"what are your crimes and sins, you old fossil."
Dark brown eyes glittered angrily at the young upstart idiot. "I have no crimes and though I have sinned before, I need not tell ye anything Boy!" he snapped angry.
The weapon swung with a heavy swoosh at the unprotected neck of Iro, stopping millimeters short of the weakly pumping artery. "confess old man. What have you got left on this plane of existence anyways. Better if I, a benevolent man myself end you here, right now."
Sitting on his knees, the old man lifted his suddenly empty and tired brown eyes at the fool who had imprisoned his people and the whelp he had brought into their world. "you have some right of it you ass. My wife has long since died and taken with her was the souls of our children. You set the fire and took all our money. You killed three innocents for the minted currency we held in a iron lockbox. My boys would be almost ten this year. My wife would have been nagging us for not doing our chores. We could have been happy had you and your father not come along. I go to her now, I wish you days of endless torment in hell should we meet in another life."
The woman looked in awe at the wise and stubborn old man Iro. Defiant until the end.
With a screech of childish rage the saber was swung back and then forwards once more. This time it didn't stop. All that could be heard in the bar was the heavy breathing of the lording idiot and the steady blowing of wind from outside.
Pushing back an errant lock of hair the lordling looked to his men. "bring in the next one." he said quietly. The woman had never seen two men run so fast.
A small bout of shouting, some screams and the sound of a baby crying for attention echoed in the now oppressive bar. a family, the woman thought. She grimaced when they walked in.
It was a large family. Maybe a clan. Almost forty people stood in the space before the scared onlookers. There was maybe seven elders. White and gray hair was soft an fuzzy looking as they were led over to one side near the lord. The next group was comprised of twenty-two adults the youngest of them was about fifteen. The stood on the other side of the man. He ignored how mothers reached out to their children and as men glared death towards his person. The last group was the children of this family. Eleven in all and the youngest was an infant of only a few weeks old while the oldest was barely six or seven.
The woman watched as the man started his rotation again. Gods was he annoying or what. " state your name of this family now."
An elderly woman cupping eighty walked to the front of her people. She had white hair and tanned skin that was as wrinkled as wet laundry. Her eyes were a curious shade of green that reminded her of ferns. Most of the family shared the same traits as the woman. Except for the white hair theirs was a odd bluish silver color. She walked a step forward from where she was and settled her weight against a rough cane. "I speak for this family." he voice was a cackle that sent many with furtive glances towards her and her kin.
The man glared at the old woman but motioned her to continue. "we are clan Kessho. We do not know of any crime so it stands we did no wrong. Let us go."
You could hear a feather doing sign language in the silence after that speech.
The old woman looked slightly pleased to see the idiot man turn red. Such fun was something the old could live a few more decades for. But now was not the time for such play, her clan needed her as matriarch. Kami she hated this job and she hated this town her errant husband said would save them from destruction. She missed the native island home of her people and all the other clans and merchants who had lived there.
The man turned from red to purple as he levered his sword to swing on the old woman…only it never came. A blinding flash of bright purple smoke exploded out from were the man sat as he coughed and groped for one of his militia. What was this it stank, it burned and he couldn't see. What was happening.
Outside the bar people escaped and ran home to hide until the worst of the warlords sons' temper blowed over. A small couple hundred yards or so a large group of people moved through the snow with slight difficulty. Leading them was a woman of great beauty and a white hair old woman.
Green eyes narrowed on the feline warrior woman next to her. "who are ye child. Kessho have never seen such as you before the fall of the island nations many years before."
The woman grinned at the elder beside her good-naturedly as she offered her hand. "we are getting you out of Iron lady elder. We head for a nija village hidden in leaves…I have some friends there who could help." the old woman nodded. She already knew this of course, one didn't live to be her age without learning how to tell of important information.
Green eyes smiled to the other, "I am known as Tsubaki. Who are you child?"
"You can call me Yoh." everyone smiled slightly.