Chapter 5 Rabbit and Wolf
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
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Last time:
She meets the Hokage/ Iruka shows her the town and she dresses like a real girl/ She meets Naruto at age six (three cheers)/ she literally runs into Kakashi at a bookstore/ She buys a book for Kakashi as a hidden apology/ She books a lunch for her and Kakashi the next day
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It was a dark blue forest. Her home. The bark of the trees shed their old bark like a snake. In the fall whole plates of the tree could be torn off. The bark itself was a silver blue. She only visited this place unknowingly in her mind, but it was her home. She was hiding from him. She thought he was her friend but like any cat they were fickle. Line was tracking her. Thankfully the blue wood contrasted sharply with his orange and black fur. She could spot him anywhere. Someone else was tracking her but she wouldn't blow her cover until the last moment.
Now many things were tracking her. Beasts of the forest, Humans from her family, Demons from her nightmares they were all intent on capturing her. A feral voice screamed "There she is!" She could not run from them. She kept running anyway. She was running faster then she ever had before. A huge paw struck her down. Her body was thrown against a nearby tree. Like a broken brittle twig her body dropped onto the ground. The same red-brown mutated claw turned her on her back. She tried to struggle but the paw pinned her to the ground. She looked up the paw into a fox demons face. The infamous nine-tailed fox demon that ruined the Hidden-leaf villages lives. He opened his maw to reveal giant bloody sharp teeth. She could smell decaying flesh on his breath. She was not afraid yet. "What do you want?"
The demon fox answered in that same feral voice she heard earlier. "We animals are all trapped inside this village. You are running from your own power your own blood, release us." Then the fox morphed into Line her only friend. She got up and wrapped her arms around him. Line said "Release your power, release us." He opened his mouth and savagely bit her arms. She screamed in pain. Then Line made copies of himself "the art of the doppelganger." Hundreds of Line tigers made a circle around her. Then different Lines began to transform into different beasts. Hawks began to swirl around her, rabbits scurried under her feet, wolves howled in fury. They chirped, squeaked, and barked at her "Release us, discover your power" She wrung her hands in the air and shouted into the sky "I WILL NOT!" The animals all stopped. They didn't even breathe; the only sound was her own body. They all tensed their own muscles. Every feather, hair, scale was tense. They sprang at her defeated small form.
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She opened her eyes and sat up. "Dam it" They knew. This was her problem. She had a gift with feral beings. Feral monsters were everywhere she went. They usually didn't find her until they caught her sent. Her gift was what made her an assassin. Her gift was what made her lethal. Her gift came from her family of ninjas that she forsaken made her what she was. She was a monster. A monster that animals pined after. An animal that looked human that was their goddess. She couldn't accept her family. She couldn't accept her gift. She couldn't accept animals. She had to leave the village. The local animals knew she was here and knew what she was. It wasn't always the same dream but it always had the same meaning. She would have to leave immediately. Iruka would worry maybe. She shook her head. No he was a ninja he wouldn't worry. In fact Kakashi probably wouldn't even know she left. Then she remembered her lunch date. She punched her pillow. She would have to find him and tell him, but she would be dressed as a boy. She had to leave. That would leave Kakashi with questions but he was only a ninja and she was not a part of his plans and he was not a part of hers.
She quickly put on her clothes followed by her mask and bandanna. She put her weapons and money in her belt. But she had an extra set of clothes. She stole a backpack. She stole it from the guy that roomed next to her. While he slept she took in his face to remember. It wasn't to hard. He had the biggest Eyebrows anyone has ever seen. A huge Tortoise was there as well. Unfortunately she didn't notice him until he chomped down on her leg. His huge mouth was sharp and drew blood from her hamstring. She didn't cry out. "You are here" it said. Now she was having delusions of talking animals. She grabbed it's extended neck. It turned out to be a battle between who had who. Finally the reptile couldn't get enough air and fell unconscious. The iron grip of its mouth slipped and she pulled her leg out. She left the room with the backpack never making any noise.
She packed all her things quickly and hurried to Kakashi's room. His room was cold. She sensed a feeling of loss and suffering. Now she knew she had to get out of this village her gift was emerging in more then one way. For know though it was a perfect tracking devise. She had to tell someone she was leaving. (Who better then some-one who reeked of honor?) She jumped out of the window. She quickly passed between two dozing guards and entered the room of the Hokage. She passed an object she could not resist. A crystal ball stood on a red velvet cushion. She recalled what they could do. She sat behind it. She wondered and she began to will the ball to life. She poured her energy into it. An image began to swirl in the relic. Iruka was snoring loudly; his arms and legs sprawled out on the bed. She let a smile pass behind her mask. She would miss this ninja. She sent out a silent goodbye and changed the image. She thought of Kakashi and the image swirled again. He was standing in a fog by the forest. He was standing by stones. Stones that gave away the stench of death. She knew that place she could find him and tell him she was leaving. She was fleeing from them. From the school, from the ninja's, from Iruka, from Kakashi, from her friends. Where was she fleeing to? Her mission was the only thing left.
She thought of the Chakra that she had sent. Again her hand rested on the hole in her side. "Show me the object" it was a command and the crystal ball obeyed. The object lay in a clearing in the forest nearby. The Chakra had returned to the original orders were given. All she had to do was return the object to its new owner. It was on the way to Kakashi. She felt an old hand on her shoulder. She tensed fearing for her life. No one had ever snuck up to her before.
The gentle old voice of the Hokage relaxed her "You wanted to see me?" She bowed her head and got up. "I'm leaving" she bowed and continued "Thank you." The change in tone from final to gentle was difficult for her. (She was not accustomed to thanking ninjas for anything.) They had only caused her pain before now. The Hokage turned away from her and looked out of the window. "I'm not sure why you hate us so, but Kakashi will be in a delicate state of mind when you tell him goodbye" She let him continue. He turned back toward her with his knowing eyes. "Kakashi had his best friends killed by the nine-tailed demon fox. One of his friends was from the Uchiha clan. His grave is the one that he stood by just know." (Remember that the Uchiha clan was known for having a special gift called the Sharingan Copy eye) she scoffed at him "I do not care for tragic ninja's" He nodded his head. She couldn't leave on a bad note. "I won't forget you" she tentatively said. He shrugged "What is the word of an assassin to me." She spoke more loudly "As long as a ninja wears the Hidden Leaf brand I will not raise my arm and strike them to their death." Tanar took of her bandana and let her hair fall down.
She took out a knife and cut a piece of her brown hair. The Hokage watched her with a raised eyebrow. She raised the knife and cut away some cloth that was stuck to her hamstring. (The same leg that was bitten by the tortoise earlier) She rubbed her hair across the wound and the dried blood rubbed onto the hair. She took a piece of clean blue cloth and wrapped the lock of hair in it. She presented the gift to the Hokage "I give you my word as a woman and I give you my blood as proof." He took it and nodded solemnly, "Blue Wood Assassin may you live as long as you wish." She smiled and put the bandana back on. She jumped onto a window. She gave him a thumb up and with dramatic flare leaped out of the window. She headed off toward Kakashi and the stolen object.
The clearing was there and the sun was just beginning to rise. A beam of sunlight streamed in a golden cylinder into the middle of the clearing. Off to the side was Line her beloved friend. In between his front paws was the object. The tiny scroll held a secret. She didn't know what it was. (The tiny scroll would destroy her then save her) She walked up to Line and gently began to scratch his head. He woke up and lifted his majestic head. "Will you release us" said Line. She took the scroll from him and placed it in her bag. "I do not have the power to control it, but for you I will try to learn how." He consented and also got up. "I will follow" he demanded. She did not want to argue but she didn't want him to hold her back "As you wish." The Blue wood assassin and the tiger Line walked together to Tanar's next target.
Kakashi was standing right near the stone. His mask was down was the first thing she noticed. She also noticed from the bushes that he looked like he was ready to go on a journey. His hand was placed on the stone. His hair was wet from the fog. She told Line to stay hidden and walked out into the open. She hoped for dear life that Kakashi didn't want to kill her anymore. "I have a message from the girl you met in the village yesterday." Kakashi continued to ignore her, but she knew he heard her. She continued "She is leaving and won't make it to lunch." From his apparent lack of interest she guessed that he didn't care. Feeling slightly irritated "She told me you wouldn't care ninja." He whispered so softly that she asked him to say it again "You don't understand." Suddenly she didn't feel so angry at him. His friend's grave stood before her and both of these ninjas were trying so hard to keep each other alive. (at one time) "ninjas die Kakashi it is what you do for a living." It was like she set off a bomb. He swirled around and began frantically to stab at her with his bare hands.
He would punch and she would block. Right hand, left hand then he tried to kick her. She dodged low and Kakashi rolled over her back. He was weak and he had just recovered from her last fight with him. "Stop this you will hurt yourself" she almost pleaded at the raving ninja "I was holding back before SHARINGAN Eye!" She stopped altogether. (The Hokage had told her that his friend was from Uchiha Clan not that his friend had as his dying wish given Kakashi his sharingan eye.) Her arms dropped in disbelief. Now she truly wondered which one of them was the monster. Kakashi was lightning fast. He used his chakra to perform his most deadly attack. "Lightning Blade!" He boiled all of his sudden rage into this attack. His fist struck her where her wound on her side from the primitive Chakra had just begun to heal. His Sharingan Eye gleamed red while his other eye danced in red rage.
She was torn backward from the attack. She was happy. The new judgment on Kakashi was this: He was a monster with dark secrets, just like her. The ninja was like her. In way he was different from her. Kakashi was a tool to use in what ever way someone pleased. She was a monster that allowed people to buy and sell her and her services to anyone who had enough money. She flinched in unbearable pain.
The blade of energy reopened her wound. Her gaping hole from before now turned into a bloody mass of dead skin and mutilated muscle. She opened her mouth to scream but she split her upper lip wide open. She got a mouth-full of metallic tasting blood. She fell with a heavy thud onto the ground. She crawled onto her stomach. He couldn't kill her. (He never would be able to) He would never be truly strong enough to annihilate her. Tanar gripped the ground in a fist. She locked her arm straight and tried to lift herself into a kneeling position. She spit out her mouth full of blood onto the grass nearby. She smiled at Kakashi.
Kakashi's POV
He was like a mad dog. He swore that he was even foaming at the mouth. The boy dared to belittle his friend. He knew that his friend died like any other ninja. He knew that his friend fulfilled the ninja's philosophy to be used as a tool and weapon. He also knew that his friend was dead. He knew that he shouldn't be reacting this badly. He had never had reacted this badly to anything ever before. He knew that as a ninja he was to be a weapon and a tool. He had never had problems embracing this creed. Except now and when he had watched his friend die in his arms. The boy was smiling at him. His strength evaporated
The boy was smiling at him. One hand was bracing against the ground the other was wrapped around his side where his lightning blade had sliced right through the boy's small body. "Let us see where your future lays Sharingan EYE!" He saw a body face up on stone steps. A bandanna was clutched in the boy's hands. He only saw the boy for a second. The vision began to blur into a haze of red. A red mist began to swirl and morph blocking Kakashi's view of the boy's future. A head took form, a red tiger with black eyes. Then a hawk's face melted into existence next to the tiger. A wolf was next, followed by a cougar, then duck, a goat, a deer's, fox, frog, eagle. Each head had formed from the red mist. Then the tiger spoke in a strangely human voice "You will not harm our child any more." The red mist was pushed away with a wind. A blue wind then replaced Kakashi's vision. The new blue wind changed into a set of eyes, blue clear water, they hardened into a blue gray flint. The wind spoke in the boy's voice only softer younger "You will learn no secrets from me while I am weak, FEEL PAIN ninja" The blue wind rushed at him. He was surrounded by thousands of blue knives. They all slammed into his Sharingan Eye.
He threw his hands in front of his face. He was in pain terrible pain. He writhed on his feet. He was grabbing his face with his fingers. He jerked his headband down over his eye. He stood there his hands applying pressure to his head as if it would save his life. A steady throbbing headache began to subside
Out of Kakashi's POV
She stopped smiling as Kakashi began to show his discomfort. She didn't even feel him try and use his Sharingan eye on her. She felt Line appear by her side. Hackles raised and his eyes glaring at Kakashi. She whispered "Line don't" and she placed her hand on Line's neck and gripped hard. Line stopped and Kakashi stopped as well. She watched in silence as Kakashi struggled against something that was caused by her mind. Finally she relocated her liquid eyes onto the ground. She could hear herself and Kakashi breathing heavily. Finally she heard Kakashi fall into a kneeling position on the soft earth. "What are you?" he finally asked. He wasn't scared he just wanted to know why his eye back fired. "Let me heal you first ninja" she said as she ignored her own wound and walked steadily to Kakashi.
She kneeled by him. She did not make signs of ninjitsu but Kakashi remembered what being healed by Chakra felt like. He closed his eyes and let the boy's hands on his shoulders heal him. Tanar then healed herself. She had exhausted almost all her energy. "I'm the Blue Wood Assassin. You owe me now" She got up she wondered if Kakashi was playing ignorant or he really didn't know who she was or Who the Blue Wood Assassin was. She spoke "Your friend was a good man I have no doubt, but would you accept having me as a traveling partner" She held out her hand. She pretended not to notice how Line's hackles rose again. Kakashi looked up at the boy's hand. He took it and she hauled him up. "Where are we going?" he wondered. She smiled behind her mask at him. She took the little scroll from her backpack. Kakashi looked at the ninjitsu scroll. She tossed it into the air and caught it "I'm not sure how many people I killed for this, but if it is a scroll of some forbidden technique then I'll bet word will have gotten out" She tossed it to Kakashi who pocketed it in his backpack.
She continued "I could use someone who knows at least a little about being discreet and speed" She beckoned with one finger and walked South "Line, you, and me have to get this scroll first to a town at least two days from here. Then we follow for a weeks more" He was not confused by the sudden mission; he expected that much from one of the most famous Assassin. He was confused on something and he voiced his confusion "Who's Line?" The boy pointed his finger near his friend's stone grave. A tiger growled in defiance and followed Tanar into the forest. Kakashi caught up with them and pondered what new mission this would bring.