Kakashi turned, surprised as he sensed the charka of two genin approaching the scene. Speeding forwards he managed to catch Sakura and Ino as they reached edge of the small clearing. He'd been concentrating too hard on the scene, Sharingan straining to pick up lingering details of the mess.
"Sakura, Ino. What are you doing here?"
His interest sharpened as Sakura tried to peek around him. Ino sidestepping so she too could see the scene. Quickly he examined their faces, waiting for disgust and even sickness to send them both reeling into the bushes. Instead both of them were intently studying the carnage, analyzing the scene.
There were traces of nausea in his student's face, but it was far outweighed by solid rational thoughts. Sakura was calculating something, he'd seen that same expression when she masterminded difficult plans during missions. His eyes narrowed. Something was up.
"Kakashi-sensei, what Jutsu did that…?"
Wrong answer.
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Insistently he ushered the two of them away from the scene. "We're not sure it was a jutsu." This prompted a suspicious exchange of glances between the two. Something was most definitely up.
"Was it an advanced technique then, it looked too cleanly cut."
"He, Sakura. He was a person, and now he's dead. Never forget that those we kill are still people." He corrected. "He was sliced with infinite precision. We're assuming it was a jutsu because the probability that it could be done with a weapon by a human is infinitesimal."
"Infinitesimal…" Ino whispered under her breath. He didn't miss it though.
"I'm sorry, sensei. You're right of course, his wounds though…if it was a jutsu it would have a charka trace right?"
"That is correct Sakura. It may be too minimal for us to trace though…"
"Or too different in technique to recognize."
"Or too different, or there might not even be one. Yes, we're not sure. Now, why don't the two of you enjoy your day, unless you've come to me for extra training of course…" He smiled happily, eye winking into a half circle.
"No, thank you sensei."
The two ran off…west. Both of them lived south. He frowned. Something was entirely too suspicious about that. Turning back to the scene he pinned two ANBU with his gaze and twitched his head. "Follow them."
"Hai."
"Hai."
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Zuki smiled and thrust a fist into the air. Everything was perfectly prepared. Those girls were about to get the show of a lifetime. Lucky little kids.
Stretching out an arm he manipulated the charka ringing the clearing, thickening the jutsu to blur the edges of the forest. Once they passed the tree line the inside of the clearing would seem so sharp and real it would be difficult to disbelief what they saw despite all of that scientific nonsense that new hokage had fed them.
Unfortunately he wasn't good enough to actually walk on air. He could do the next best thing though. He could make it seem like he was walking on air. At 100 feet they wouldn't know the difference.
Gathering charka to his feet he drew water from the air, created thin soles of water extending small columns down to the ground. It was easy to swirl the top few inches of the pillars adding a minute bit of charka to give it that lightning effect as the water refracted and reflected the small bit of light.
Shrouding himself with the look of a new aged ninja he was ready. It would seem a little suspicious if that same person from so long ago still wore the same armbands so he settled for a loose vest with 'Nari' emblazoned across the back in long sharp strokes. Straps with groups of shuriken every few inches stretched from his knees to his waist and disappeared into the joint where the front and back parts of his 'skirt' met.
It was a Chinese styled skirt, like the one the pink haired girl wore, only without the connecting top. Instead his persona had a midriff baring strapless wrap that completely defied the laws of gravity. He was the ultimate powerful sexy ninja that every kunochi dreamed of becoming.
He flicked back his long hair and turned towards the east. Here came the audience now! Oh no, two extra guests were trailing them. ANBU. That wouldn't work at all.
Smiling grimly he sped through a series of hand seals, raising a thick fog just behind the two girls. It should hold them just long enough. He frowned when they stopped just short of his jutsu. Well, perhaps they wouldn't be running around in circles for a few hours. Instead they ran back the way they came. Wimps. That was just as good.
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Two hours leisurely walk north-west of the west gate. That meant one hour straight running, and half an hour by ninja speedy leaps. He checked his watch and then pushed it under a bladed wrist guard. The typical water proof digital did not belong on his dream kunochi. No, she could tell time by just looking at the sun.
Personally, he'd never been able to make out the numbers…but no matter.
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Sakura burst into the meadow and immediately saw the female ninja. She was beautiful. Ino burst out of the forest behind her and stopped as well.
She could see the swirls of charka at the woman's feet, mini cyclones at the soles of her ninja sandals. It was amazing. She couldn't sense any genjutsu within the clearing either. It was incredible. Then suddenly her attention snapped away from the woman, towards the squad of sound ninjas that burst through the other side of the clearing.
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"Kakashi-sama. We couldn't follow them, a charka induced fog arose. It was beyond our ability to penetrate."
"Kuso! Inform the Hokage!"
"Kakashi-sama what are you going to do?"
"What you didn't. Now Go!"
"Hai!"
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The sound ninja were quick to surround the kunochi, but a few had seen them as well and were closing in. Ino gritted her teeth as she drew a handful of shinai, matching Sakura's stance as they faced off against four of the invading nin.
The first was an easy hit, a quick displacement and then a sharp knock to the back of the neck. Instant unconsciousness. Sakura had also taken one down with a kick to the side of the head, that left only two left. Before she could react the two charged in on opposite sides. Too fast!
She threw up a guard, hoping to soften some of the blow, only to have the sound ninja crash into her head on. She was flattened to the ground under their weight. They weren't moving though. Shoving the ninja off her, she got her first good look at why.
Both her nin and the one that Sakura was quickly backing away from had gaping holes through their chests. It was then she realized that her shirt and skirt were sodden with blood. In a daze she glanced up to where the sounds of battle still rang.
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Sakura watched in amazement as the kunochi seemed to fall sideways only to slide at an insanely high speed towards the sound nin, veritably flying across the tops of the grass. She had a sword in her hand. Extended out to the side as she charged a group of three nin, pausing in the triangle of their formation to pivot and spin, sword out.
Her eyes widened in amazement as she watched the spin, the sword slicing cleanly through the three over and over, steadily falling until blood leaked from the circumference of their ankles. And they toppled. Like dolls. Or perhaps blocks would be a better analogy. Blood and organs sloshing out of the cross sections as they slid apart while falling.
She fell to her knees, and emptied her stomach on the ground, again and again even after it had nothing to give. With the back of her hand she wiped the lingering spit from her mouth, bracing herself as her stomach retched emptily again. Her hands were shaking.
Timidly she raised her head to the kunochi again, watching in trance as the woman formed seals. Horse, dog, dragon, dog, boar, hare, rat. Blood had slicked back her hair into a crimson tinted sheen.
The ground trembled and as she watched the bodies sunk into the dirt, grass rippling over the disturbed earth as soon as it was flat again.
Then across the tips of the grass those bloodstained sandals turned her way. She froze, even her stomach seemed to die. Maybe if she stayed still enough the tall grass would hide her. Please don't let them have seen her…please…
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"Sakura!"
"Kakashi sensei…?" she responded instinctively, a plea. Then his hands were tilting up her chin, the sharingan sweeping briskly over her pink hair that was now matted with blood. Her face that was ashen and streaked with red where she'd tried to get the thick liquid off her. Her red dress that no longer had white lining…
She followed his gaze to Ino who was shivering as she frantically undid her binds, peeling the dripping red bandages away from her waist with frantic jerks. The blond was hyperventilating. The sandals were coming closer.
In a snap of air, they were fighting. Kakashi and the Kunochi, moving too fast for her eyes to follow as they streaked across the clearing, hands a blur. Flame would burst and rocks shattered with deafening cracks. Mindlessly she crawled to Ino, forcing the other girl down to the ground as the action came their way again.
The Kunochi was after them. They'd offended her, and now they were going to die. Tears leaked out of her eyes as the battle shifted directly over them. Kakashi's feet braced on either side of their huddled forms. Impacts sounded like explosions, the wind of the strikes seeming like lashes on her skin as the kicks barely missed her face, arms, and torso.
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Then Kakashi and the kunochi were gone, and the clearing was as it was before. And there was only her and Ino, covered in blood and surrounded by trampled grass.
Then Tsunade was there, cupping her face and speaking to her. But she couldn't hear the words. All she could do was shake her head and cry and cling to the most powerful ninja from the village and hope that the Kunochi wouldn't return. And pray, pray for Kakashi.
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"I do believe that since Zuki was the propagator of this incident that he should shoulder the full blame and consequences of his actions. Don't you agree?"
"This is not the first time someone's screwed up or been caught doing it, but yes."
"In favor."
"got my vote."
"Man eat man world kiddo."
Zuki was looking pretty nervous at this point, the rest of us were looking either pretty bored or pretty amused. Life was like that. As far as the clan could see it was his fault, he screwed up he took the fall. Life went on like normal. The guilty suffer the innocent…well uninvolved went free. Regardless of how all the mistakes up to this point had made the entire thing possible, the one who was seen was the one who suffered for it.
What had we to worry about not our problem.
"I'll fight you over it."
Ah damn now we had reason to worry. All the guys automatically perked up, a legal reason to fight they were already gung ho for that idea.
The rest of us sighed, win or admit defeat and began to file towards the basement. Zuki had named the one possible window of escape for himself and the one possible course of condemnation for the rest of us.
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It was very carefully planned, actually it was haphazardly thrown together. But looking at the time the info had come in, the distance he had to cover, and the fact that if he didn't act now all might be lost concerning that particular hint, it was a brilliant plan. In any other situation Kakashi would have given himself a gold star, and treated himself to an extra hour of pleasurable reading.
It just hadn't crossed his mind that he was up against a group of ninjas taught at a brilliant level, high enough that even his praised skills wouldn't pass the notice of the weakest member. Everyone made mistakes though, and this one wasn't that bad…after all he was still alive and that said something for how it was going when the nari clan was concerned.
"I think we should mount his head on a stake, that would stop the search."
"That might intensify it too the new hokage is something of a reckless fighter."
"There aint no way she's going to let us butcher a ninja publicly and do nothing about it."
"There isn't much she can do though."
"Maybe we should just kill her and get rid of it."
"Shut up you dumbass crossdresser, you got us into this."
"Go to your room Zuki, this doesn't concern you."
"Get out."
"Leave."
"Well let's just kill him and get rid of it, the sooner the better."
"Shut up, we all know the statistics."
"Well you know what's going to happen then when they figure out who he was following."
"Shut up again, don't state the obvious."
"Hell anyone that stupid would be sitting in the hot chair, and the only one I see is that dumb ninja."
"Let's just get rid of him, no body no evidence. Hint hint."
"Yeah, too much thought for one man."
"No, that means they'll keep pursuing."
"List him as a missing ninja."
"Too risky."
"Too dangerous."
"Too stupid. They'll never believe it."
"Nah…we need a puppeteer."
"Yeah, just long enough for a balancing ritual to be developed."
"Actually, why don't we just go."
"…"
"…"
"…"
"Hell yeah, I'm tired of Konoha."
"yeah."
"yeah."
"I nominate Tsuya!"
"Seconded."
"Third."
"Fourth."
"What the hell, don't I get a say in this?"
"No."
"No."
"Shut up and bind the man already."
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It was like a dream come true, well almost. It would have been nice to get close to him some normal way, like through work, or a similar interest, but this worked. He was sitting in the hot chair, the loose term that referred to one of the clan's wild and singular inventions. It was more or less as single chair that on it's own looked perfectly innocent, but had the ability to completely paralyze a person through their charka field when they were forced into the cushioned seat, it made a most unpleasant surprise to sit in it accidentally.
So it was going to be up to me to make him lie and act convincingly enough that the hokage wouldn't figure out that the 'Rani' family wasn't actually the book obsessed group of eggheads that we'd pretended to be for the last seventeen generations. Half of the family worked in the public library for heavens sake!
We owned every other bookstore in Konoha, who would suspect little old us. A third of the family wore glasses. Not necessarily helpful ones, but we definitely didn't fit the ninja appearance.
Anyway, onto the present task at hand. Puppeteers were just slang for the one in control of an insanely detailed manipulation jutsu.
If you know much about the various jutsus it's an intensely advanced form of the Yanamaka clan's mind control mixed with Sand's notable puppets. Basically you nudge them towards whatever conclusion you want. When people think about acting there are always decisions, multiple choices. You just impress your will on them to go towards the preferred direction and they act the way they normally would as if that was their actual intention.
If you really get the timing for the jutsu just right they can't even tell that you're influencing their decisions, that's the scary part.
Of course if you're paralyzed in a chair listening in as people go explaining this right in front of your eyes, you're gonna know what's going on. The nice part is you can't do anything about it though. Ha ha!
So the subliminal controlling is just for the victim's feelings in the long run. It's a nice thought, but not essential.
I was the best at it out of all the clan. Why else would they nominate me?
Of course what I wasn't going to tell them was that I was feeling a little sick, and that I might not be able to hold him for all eternity. No, that would promote too much rivalry amongst lots of people I didn't feel like taking on. So I'll just pretend I'm as strong as ever and pray that they don't need him for more than a week.
Peachy.
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I stalked around behind him, trying to avoid the glare I know he was trying to aim in my direction. It's kinda hard to glare when you can't move, but he was doing a pretty good job. The hatred really comes across well when you're eyes are different colors.
It's not like it was my fault he got into this situation though. That was because of Zuki's perverse tendencies and the idiotic clan pride that's browbeaten into us from the instant we're conceived. I swear I've seen the mothers whisper to their unborn children, 'you're being born into the greatest clan ever!' and 'all other ninja will tremble at your name!' Then again I've also heard them say 'you're daddy's going to flip when he you surpass him in a few years'.
And they do, which is why it's really funny.
People wonder why geniuses suddenly pop up out of nowhere. Usually it's because mummy or daddy had a few…extra lessons when they were actively nonexistent ninjas. Doesn't that sound logical.
I placed my hands at his temples, sliding off the forehead guard. Kinky…wouldn't it just be grand if I could continue along that idea. But no, Tsuya will be a good girl. At least while the whole damn clan is watching.
Flexing my charka a smidgen I let it seep through my fingers into his head, forming a fine web of lace over and through his mind. Chakra sank into all those little synapses and neurons and wedged itself between the 'I think I'll do this' and the 'do this'. I sunk my consciousness into his mind and then taking the reins for the entire operation and fixed it to the hairpins holding back my beautiful brown locks.
Of course no one else knew I wasn't directly controlling him, and the trick to not keeping a direct link meant you could save huge amounts of power and effort. It also meant I had a secure escape route should Kakashi suddenly find a way to reverse the jutsu. Take out the hair sticks!
I don't tell anyone this though. Maybe my kid someday. Then people will hail her as a genius or something…but until then…
It was oh so tempting to run my hands through that silver hair as I moved away from him. But hell, that wouldn't be cool. Some people don't know what free will is. I do, it's what makes them want to come back after the first time.
"All done."
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Sateshi, Teshisa, and Shitesa. Triplets, who had the misfortune to be named by an unoriginal mother, walked forwards and tilted the chair, lifting it off the ground in the process. Gravity defies all jutsus.
Kakashi in his infinite coolness though, landed on his feet looking quiet miffed and angry and vengeful but completely unable to do anything about it. That had to suck.
That was why I didn't disown myself from this raggedy bunch as soon as I was able to understand the difference between self defense and murder. Now I had enough power to do whatever I wanted, regardless of anyone else's wants. Even the other clan members would have trouble discouraging me from an ultimate goal.
We can get real nasty when it comes down to getting what we want. Enough that it'd put caution even into each other if it came down to a fight.
"Why?" That was Kakashi again, at Zuki who was still dressed like a whore. His definition of sexy ninja girl was one without modesty or comfortable clothing.
Zuki shrugged. "They laughed at the world's greatest ninja clan. Called us a rumor. For all we've done over the years there should be at least some respect. You forget all we've done for you. Konoha is graced by our presence."
He certainly was an eloquent jerk.
Kakashi was tense with rage, and I could tell that Zuki was itching to finish the fight that had been taken from him. Kakashi was woefully over powered, unfortunately he saw Zuki's face, and with that eye he could see through practically every genjutsu we could throw at him. So when backup had come barreling into the equation Zuki had no choice but to drag the copy ninja with him.
Of course as soon as he stepped into the compound it was now the clan's business. Poor little Zuki.
There was of course, no way I could let Kakashi hit him though. The difference was he wasn't part of the clan. That would be like epic betrayal on my part. Either that or radical weakness.
Whatever happened the clan stuck together against all non-clan. That was the way we were born, lived, died. I would never let an outsider strike Zuki in any way if I could prevent it. Kakashi was completely under my control, there would be no excuse.
However…
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I walked level with Kakashi who was facing off with Zuki, both with clenched fists. They wanted to fight. But I couldn't allow that and Zuki wouldn't dare strike Kakashi while he was under my influence. That would be like breaking someone's prized katana. Kakashi was now my tool. A very…attractive tool, but a useful and necessary one no less.
It made this insanely easy on my part. Shaking out the muscles in my arm I flat-palmed Zuki hard, right on his breast bone. The power sent him back a dozen feet, the abruptness left him breathless.
"Jerk, because of your screw up I can't spend these last few days shopping. If I see one hair before the tenth, I'll be puppetting you for a week, and you're gonna find me everything I missed. Even if it takes you a year."
It was a valid, supportable, and fair threat. I spun on my heel, every inch the one in control of the situation and strode straight out of the room. Kakashi followed on my heels, and I didn't even have to nudge him to. A good catch is one who knows how to walk away.
I led him up through the main house, taking care to keep inside just in case some random passerby noticed the ninja who was supposed to be missing in action. Somewhere just off center of the main building we have this awesome little trap door thing that leads to the caves beneath Konoha.
Yeah caves. Bet you didn't know about those.
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They serve as our access in and out of the surrounding countryside. They let us disappear and reappear seemingly by magic miles away. They let us travel the breadth of the village unseen, unheard, unsensed. We can sneak behind any enemy line that's surrounding the village, and then make amazing time from one battle field to another. Sneaky huh?
They also make a great retreat when the village gets stinking hot in the summer. Grab a book go down to the caves.
If you're really pissed at someone throw them into one of the underground lakes. Works like a charm, they'll never do it again.
If you want to chill wine to just the right temperature in the summer, put it in the caves.
Want to meditate, go to the caves.
Want to procrastinate from meditating, go down to the caves.
Want to piss everyone off, get lost down there.
They're very handy.
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Even the trap door is sneakily hidden…well sorta. It's disguised, as a pit toilet. How's that for camouflage. It's actually a natural air shaft, but the limestone layers in that funky dark beige color…you don't need genjutsu to make it look realistic. It is one of two doors off of the main tatami room. You wouldn't know that that panel moves unless we told you, and right next to it is a real pit toilet!
If you ever try to infiltrate the caves and pick the wrong door, we'll be able to identify you by smell! How's that for passive security!
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I didn't need light to navigate the caves, so I didn't provide any. And Kakashi following right behind me didn't trip or run into anything either because…well because whenever he was about to I was there in his mind saying, 'perhaps a little to the right' or 'wait she's going that way' and he would miss it. If he tried really hard he could probably sense me intercepting and revising his decisions. Except he was too busy trying to get his bearings, and I was blocking those too.
In fact, when it came time to go topside, I even pulled his funny headband down over both eyes so he couldn't see where we came up. Then I blocked his attempts to memorize the area and led him a ways away before I let him push the headband up.
"Sorry, protocol you know." I told him mildly.
Sure I liked the guy, that wasn't any reason to get all soft around him though. Hell, if he couldn't deal with a strong woman I was wrong in my judgment of his character.
"You're going to go back to Konoha, no names, no locations. You can tell them all about the fight, you can tell them it was actually a guy. No names, no locations."
I didn't have to tell him this, he wouldn't be able to even if I hadn't. It gave the impression that I wasn't monitoring at the level I actually was though. He probably thought I had command of his physical actions, speech, and the like. Not actually privy to his thoughts, musings, rage, and an insatiable thirst for revenge.
I could help with that though. His fury was for his student and her friend, being scared beyond what is considered healthy. That hokage could dull the edges, but it would all be simpler if he enlightened them on one little thing.
"You'll go and perform a clearing jutsu on those two girls, it will clean their memories and make obvious the genjutsus used on them."
Clearing jutsus basically took your memories and revealed to you what your senses actually were telling you, not what the charka affecting your mind led you to believe. It would give them double memories and leave them in awe and probably still afraid of the Nari clan. Their perceptions would just shift towards the 'amazingly intellectual and powerful ninja' impression rather than the 'psychopathic killers' one.
It was a good compromise, plus it was an added bit of revenge against Zuki for me.
"Go."
I used the jutsu now, forcing his feet to turn away and run back to the village. It was more humane than standing there and smiling while he tried to demand answers of me, yet couldn't get the thoughts to form coherently in his own mind. That really scares them.
When you can't concentrate, can't form thoughts. I could even take his identity from him if I wanted to merely block those desperate snatches at his memory. Every time he had to remember a move that wasn't instinctual…nothingness.
I'm one hell of a bad ass at Genjutsu. It's great.
