The seductive Kunoichi Fuuka is back from the dead! She wants to take revenge on the blond-haired brat who dared to expose her best-kept secret and defeat her in battle years ago. Much has happened since then but the story of the attractive woman, whose beguiling charm had brought many strong opponents to their knees, also continues...
Fuuka's Last Kiss
Chapter XX - Night - Part II
"Hmpf - just as stubborn as I expected." - Fuuka
Fuuka and Hisame were on a rooftop atop one of Konoha's many buildings, some of which were several storeys high. In recent years, the village seemed not only to have grown significantly larger, but also to have grown in height, but the style of architecture did not seem to have changed much. As for the aesthetics of the village, things seemed to want to stay the same as before for the most part.
A quick, cold breeze caused Fuuka's long hair to vibrate, losing some of its color in the darkness of the night. Fuuka turned her gaze upwards. The night sky was darker than it had been fifteen years ago. But the moon shone all the brighter; it was a clear full moon night.
"Hahaha - long time no see, little boy."
Fuuka's body materialised in front of Naruto, stopping the future Hokage from chasing after Sora, who rushed to Kazuma - just as it had been planned. She had been watching the two brawlers for some time without either of them taking any notice of her presence. Her 'Hidden in Stone' Jutsu effectively hid the Kunoichi from her enemies. It allowed her to become one with her surroundings, to shelter herself in walls or other structures from prying eyes. It took extraordinary sensory skills or effective reconnaissance techniques to be able to detect the user using this camouflage Jutsu.
"Not you again!"
Naruto seemed anything but pleased to meet the teasing Kunoichi again. Fuuka seemed to care little for the boy's distaste for her.
"It is time to finish this once and for all."
She put her finger on her lips and gave Naruto a seductive smile, clearly expressing her excitement regarding the upcoming fight between them.
"Hehehe, those lips of yours will be mine – this time I'll make sure of it!"
In the same village, on a rooftop like this one, where the two Kunoichi now found themselves, Fuuka had confronted Naruto the second time then, having failed in her first attempt to usurp his body. The demonic essence of the fox spirit denied her the opportunity to add another extraordinary body to her collection. Fuuka swallowed.
This beast inside the boy, this Kyubi... Such a vile, unnatural force.
There was a certain irony in that thought, considering who, or rather what, Fuuka herself was - an irony that she herself did not notice. Fuuka was aware even then that there was something special in him. A hidden power that was more frightening and terrifying than anything she had seen or felt before - even in her almost hundred years of existence in this world. Despite the fact that Kazuma, after her first encounter with the boy, denied any connection to Sora when asked directly, Fuuka was sure that there had to be a parallel - which made her want the boy's body all the more. A suspicion that was confirmed and proved to be true by now.
But Fuuka did not think it possible that the confrontation with Naruto would take such a turn as it did in the end. Her greed for his power and for his vast reserves of Chakra led her to become careless and underestimate him.
"Tzz."
Fuuka gritted her teeth in annoyance.
No matter where one was in the village; the famous rock heads of Konoha were easy to spot from almost anywhere; the current, as well as the previous leaders of the village, always watched over all the current and future inhabitants of the village - the emblematic landmark of Konoha. Fuuka's angry gaze ate into the face that had been carved into the barren rock last. She had the feeling that this symbolic image of him would want to speak directly to her, and mock her - had her long hair not been lying in the dirt at the time, after Naruto had found out about her secret and defeated her in a duel, it would never have come to this. It would never have come to this, that the boy's face would grace the village today. Partly Fuuka blamed herself for her own recklessness, as she often suggested during their two fights that her hair was very important to her, which led Naruto to the idea that there might be something special about it in the first place.
I promised you a kiss, didn't I? A woman keeps her promises. I am a woman of my word.
The large Hokage mansion they were targeting was also clearly visible from their position, even if the red building was still several blocks away. Inside was the presumably unconscious Naruto - prepared and ready by Fuen's toxin for her. His body was just waiting to be absorbed by the Kunoichi.
The mansion was right under the large stone heads of the Hokage. Fuuka's gaze fell on the large red symbol under the roof that was attached to the building. She could still remember how much this upset Kazuma back then. He was furious that Konoha boasted about this symbol. For Kazuma, it was a pure mockery, a presumption and an insult. To Fuuka, it meant nothing besides fire.
Fire...
Wh - What is this Chakra? Such evil!
"Argh!"
Fuuka squeezed her eyes shut and grabbed the pit of her stomach as the mere idea of the orange Kyubi Chakra entering her body caused a burning pain in her stomach.
"Hey!"
Hisame turned her head towards her and looked at her sweaty comrade with concern.
"What's wrong? Are you all right?"
Fuuka lifted her head and looked into Hisame's black eyes. For a brief moment, she thought she was looking into Sai's. Sai and Hisame both had pitch-black, pupil-less eyes, but Sai's eyes were larger in comparison. There was something special, memorable about his gaze.
"It's nothing."
"I hope so. Your part is crucial for the suc-"
Suddenly they heard voices from the darkness - growing louder. Someone was approaching.
"There they are!"
Hisame ventured a glance over the edge of the roof.
"The first patrol. When that one passes, we'll have approximately two minutes to get to the next position."
Fuuka also felt the need to glance down. Two guards were walking down an alley - their watchful eyes scanning the surroundings while one of them held his lantern in such a way that even the darkest corners on their patrol route revealed their secrets. When they were right below the two, both Kunoichi instinctively pulled their heads back, even though it wasn't necessary. They were several metres above them and it was not actually customary for guard patrols to also focus on the space above. A circumstance that was taken into account in the plan, of course - Fuen's plans had always been well thought out. Fuuka drew her eyebrows together.
"Only two minutes? That seems like a rather short period of time."
"The security measures in the village have been tightened further. That includes the patrolling of the guards. There are many more guards on patrol than usual. Apart from that..."
Hisame again pulled her head forward and pointed at the two Shinobi from Konoha who had just passed them.
"Look at them."
Fuuka also ventured forward again, watching the yellow light of the lantern grow more distant.
"What do you mean?"
"They're lighting up every little nook and cranny. It's very unusual."
"How would you know? You're not even from here."
Hisame looked annoyed at Fuuka.
"That is irrelevant. Shinobi who are assigned to guard duty usually just do their time because they assume that nothing happens in peacetime anyway. Whether in Konoha or in the Hidden Rain, it's the same everywhere. Believe me; I have more than enough experience when it comes to that."
Her annoyance gave way to an arrogant expression, while her red lips curled into a smile.
"That should be enough for both of us."
She broke eye contact with Fuuka, but maintained her smug smile, as if deliberately trying to give the impression that she didn't care about her reaction to her remark in order to irritate her a little more. With success.
"Tzz - do you think I don't?"
"Well, I was under the impression you were more one of those who would rush straight in without thinking much. Infiltrations and reconnaissance missions were not your thing. I think that's also one of the reasons why I'm here."
"What? What do you mean!?"
"To stop you from hasty actions. Fuen told me you were very careless at times. You would easily get distracted and waste time unnecessarily. As you yourself should know, you are essential for the successful outcome of the operation. Not that we would risk the whole operation because of your carelessness. Fuen also said it wasn't unusual with you guys."
"With you guys?"
"They were all kind of temperamental, she said. Even though, as far as that goes, you're supposed to stand out even among those Uzumakis."
Fuuka looked at her in wonder.
What is she talking about? Uzumakis?
Fuuka thought back to the conversation she had had with Fuen in her lab when she had explained to her the specifics of her poison that she had developed and made especially for Naruto:
"What do you mean?"
"I mean your unique Jutsu, of course. Through your Reaper kiss you not only appropriate your opponent's Chakra, but their body as well. The fourth Hokage was not only kind enough to imprison the Kyubi in his own son's body. He sealed him into his son using a powerful Jutsu, a sealing technique, as I found out from Danzō's records. Fortunately for us, the old fool kept meticulous records."
"So you mean that not only this fox monster but also the seal that keeps it under control will be transferred to me?"
"Yes, exactly. Besides, we are very lucky with you. You are one of the few descendants still alive to whom this particular seal is even applicable."
Fuuka's youth was a long time ago. The only things left of that time were fleeting impressions and vague scraps of memory. It was as if a misty veil lay over her past - the more she tried to think about it, the denser and more opaque this fog seemed to become. Fuuka didn't care who she had been; what mattered was who she was now; a powerful Kunoichi who taught fear to those who opposed her and also brought great joy to those who willingly submitted to her - at least for a brief moment, before she stole their souls and took their bodies to become even stronger. She was even unsure if what she was able to remember represented her own memories. Occasionally, she had the feeling that she would meet faces in her dreams that seemed completely foreign to her - if she ever dreamed in her sleep, which hardly ever happened, which is why her intense nightmare of the other night had made such an impression on her. She had always dismissed it as trivial and never really thought about it, but there was a distinct possibility that it was not her own impressions but the memories of her victims that crept into her subconscious.
The almost hundred-year-old woman had more than enough time to improve her special technique. The Reaper kiss, which Fuuka developed and was the only one to master, enabled her to absorb the Chakra of her enemies. But with this process alone, Fuuka had neither been able to slow down the aging process of her own body, nor to apply the Jutsus of those victims who corresponded to a different Chakra nature than earth - her own, personal element.
In order to access their bodies, which she needed in order to be able to use their Jutsus, she developed the Reaper transfer - a technique that allowed Fuuka to preserve and store the physical bodies of her victims in scrolls for later use in battle. The interaction of these two Jutsus made it possible for Fuuka to make use of all five Chakra elements and access a whole arsenal of different Nin-Jutsu. But this gain in power exposed a disadvantage that was to prove a sensitive weak point; in order to make the various bodies usable, it seemed that a receptacle for the souls of their victims was needed in which they could be collected. This spiritual link had to be a component of herself, for otherwise the other souls would run the risk of entering into a competitive relationship with her own soul and, in the worst case, pushing her own psyche and personality away from her mind.
By transferring and binding her own soul, as well as those of others, into her own hair, Fuuka secured supremacy and dominance over it - but at a high price; even the slightest damage to her hair was enough to forfeit control over an entire body. The body would immediately reject the hair and subsequently crumble to dust. Should the hair sustain too much damage, all the souls would simultaneously seize the opportunity to break free from this kind of mental bondage. But there was another price - a price that was insignificant to Fuuka, at least until now; apparently, another consequence was that the memories and experiences of her victims would be mixed with her own, and Fuuka would therefore no longer be able to distinguish the different impressions from her own memories and to tell them apart.
Fuuka would have to reacquaint herself with large parts of her past and sort them out in order to understand what Fuen's insinuations were all about. She would probably not be able to do that without help. But now was not the time to worry about that.
"Whatever. It doesn't matter now - in any case, we weren't sent off together to have someone to talk to so we wouldn't get bored on the way to the Hokage's estate."
Hisame nodded.
"Hmph - I agree."
As the guard's lantern light went out, they saw the sign the two had been waiting for. Two white-masked figures then appeared beside them as if on cue. Fuuka paid no attention to the Anbu. She did not hesitate another second.
"Earth-Style: Hidden in Stone Jutsu!"
44 years earlier...
"Leave her alone."
The man with the white turban on his head drew his eyebrows together resolutely.
"Leave her alone - do you hear me!"
A Kunoichi lay on the ground in front of the figure - apparently wounded but still conscious, yet unable to move. The man turned to the person confronting him.
"You... You are..."
He looked at his opponent with wide eyes as he showed him his face.
"You are the White Fang of the Leaf, aren't you? I've heard of you."
The man with the long white hair looked at him motionlessly.
"But I don't care. I don't care how strong you are. I won't let you hurt her!"
He formed finger signs.
„Wind-Style: Scattering Flower Dance!"
A swirl of wind, concealing sharp, pink-coloured petals, came flying towards the Shinobi. But he did not only dodge the attack; before the young man could react or realise what was happening, his opponent was suddenly, in one instant, standing next to him. The attacker did not even have time to blink. He rested his right hand on his left shoulder. Even the wind didn't seem to be able to keep up with the enormous speed with which he had moved across the room towards him - it arrived much later. At least that's how it felt to the Suna-Nin. Time practically stood still at that moment and he couldn't help thinking of his son, whom he had left behind in the village. He was safe there, and in the care of his Grandma - Chiyo - who would look after him, but the sadening thought of Sasori having to grow up without his parents...
"Get out of here."
The young man's eyes widened, as did his mouth. His breath hitched. But by the time he realised what had just happened, the white-haired man had disappeared. He rushed to the Kunoichi and bent down to help her up. The young woman needed to be supported by him. She put her arm around his neck and the two slowly made their way towards the exit.
"Hahahaha - Earth-Style: Hidden in Stone Jutsu!"
Just before they could get outside, a woman suddenly blocked their way.
"Ah, manual labor... not really my thing. The Leaf-dudes were supposed to do the work for me. I guess I have no choice. I have to get my hands dirty after all - that can't be helped. Some guys are just too soft-hearted. Women despise men who lack the guts in their bones. What a wimp!"
She lowered her head.
"Let's make it a quicky, shall we?"
"Who are you?"
The woman stroked a hand through her long, red hair.
„Hehehe – so you're one of the rare few with Wind-based Chakra. There aren't many people who possess that element... I might as well stack up."
She slowly ran her tongue over her red lips and smiled.
Sorry for keep you waiting guys. I was distracted with IRL stuff but I didn't forget you - or this project. I try to increase the speed for the future - I don't want to keep you (or myself) waiting too long. But I will keep this finale in slow pace in a narrative sense although I have other project-ideas in mind (want to spend time and ressources into the Yuki-Story again too - it's on ice for nearly a year which is kinda ironic and funny because the Land of Snow is full of it LOL but we will learn more about Fubuki Kakuyoku and Nadare Roga soon enough if you're interested) because first of all I think the story deserves that and second I still want to show more parts of Fuuka's past and which role she played on certain events we're kinda familiar with but know little to nothing about before I get to the end here. Regarding this chap; I never understood how Kakashi's father was supposed to be responsible for the death of Sasori's parents. He seemed to be such a nice guy. Well, it was war-time and he was a Shinobi but still... I thought it would make sense to include Fuuka here - and also increase the impact of her and her actions a bit without disturbing the Canon storyline, just fleshing it out on this particular way, in a way that maked sense. The fate of Sasori's parents is a huge event which influences a lot and is also an interesting scenario overall, but don't worry; I'm not done with Sakumo - he's such a mysterious character and I love the idea to integrate Fuuka somehow in his journey. Always with the intention that you can watch the Anime without feeling this story here would intervene in a negative sense - or contradict it. I would be very glad listening to your opinions on this (and doing this kind of allusions in general because I made them before with Uchiha Kagami for example) and would also read whether you like or despise my story and my style so far generally with great interest. So what can I change? Or maybe I'm already handling things quite well? Is the story interesting so far? Are things feeling repetitive or incoherent? So please, leave a review if you can. It would really help me out - and, most importantly, motivate me even more.
Stay safe!
