9crow and tiger
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto (I would love to meet the author but then who wouldn't)
This chapter is in honor of Line
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Recap: Stop reading right now if you have not read the last chapters/ I mean it people/ OK then/ Tanar uses her gift and makes a bird hoarse and passes on some wise words/ The scroll turned out to be a double cross/ She gets caught and poisoned/ Line the tiger is brutally murdered at the hands of her green-eyed employer/ She meets Master Guy and with Kakashi they escape. Did they give Tanar the antidote in time/ When she was liberated did she agree to give up her life only to the hands of the Hokage or has she agreed by escaping the gallows to meet the grim reaper again as the Hokage performs the scrolls technique on her?
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Kakashi had stayed with her the whole time. It was more difficult then first thought. After running all the way with Tanar's limp body and other ninja's hot on their trail they had finally made it back. The Hokage was there to greet them. Kakashi went off to take Tanar to a medical ninja. Guy went off to make the report to the Hokage. The medic ninja had down all that he could. (To Kakashi that was not enough) He spent the rest of the night either trying to stay awake or making sure Tanar was breathing. He was fearful. It wasn't that he thought Tanar was strong enough (Remember she had beaten him several times in tests of speed and skill) Kakashi had not seen what had happened to Line when they had butchered him. He had seen what became of the tiger. He acknowledged the fact that the animal was dead, but Tanar. Tanar he could tell was consumed by Line's death. He had seen the light of hopelessness before. It had been when his friend lay dying in his arms and had given him his own Sharingan Eye. He wondered if Tanar would wake up in the realization that the tiger had been killed. Could she wake up at all? The tiger was too human to be just an animal that obeyed Tanar. It had tried to kill Kakashi on its own will.
He hadn't dozed off at all that night or at dawn. Iruka had rushed in and Kakashi had to have silenced him more forcibly if Iruka had been anything higher then a Chuunin. Iruka had nearly grabbed her while she recovered, but Kakashi was fast enough to stop him with a simple words "Hope for her." He had said. Iruka was nearly overcome. Iruka had taken one glance at Kakashi before he asked if Kakashi had gotten any rest. Those few spoken words passed between them changed who watched over Tanar that day. Iruka skipped the classes he was to teach that day. Kakashi slept even though the sun bid everyone else to stay awake. Weariness made Kakashi sleep more then he should have So Iruka watched through the night as well. He was less vigilant and he dozed off while guarding Tanar. The morning sun brought on the new day and to Tanar physical strength.
Through fighting against the fading poison was a chore in of itself, she breathed more regularly. Kakashi woke Iruka non to gently at dawn the next morning, but with no vocal reprimand Kakashi bid Iruka to attend and teach his classes as if nothing was wrong. Tanar was given water and only water, the Hokage and the medical ninja agreed that food would only make it worse. Tanar breathed easier. Kakashi informed Iruka of this and ordered that they could both sleep that night. Tanar would still have someone to awaken in the room if she needed something. Iruka was sitting in a chair his head rolled back when Tanar first opened her eyes. She had a dream about Line, she was training with him. When she had reached out to rub his fur like she had always done. She felt nothing against her hand and she awoke. Her fingers were not even outstretched in wanting him. She cried silently until she choked on her own tears of lament. Iruka did not even awaken. She slipped back into slumber tears forgotten but the slumber did not rid herself of her own misery of Line.
She awoke next to the sound of an old man's footsteps. A sun gleamed warming her back. Kakashi sitting by the door in shadow. He was painting something, but he put it away when he saw her stir. She sat up. Her right arm cramped in pain. She clutched it with her left hand. Kakashi had walked to her side and supported her. His blue cloth mask was up, but his eyes asked her not to move. She noticed that she felt his hand on the skin of her arm. The touch of exposed skin to her arm was so foreign to her she shrank back from him. She tried to cover her arms with the blanket and tried to pull down the sleeves of her shirt. (She was wearing short sleeved shirt) He backed away from her. The Hokage entered. "Leave master Kakashi" the Hokage demanded. It was the only order Kakashi hesitated on. Tanar didn't want him to hesitate at all. She also commanded "Leave us ninja now." He left, but Tanar could hear and saw him drag his feet on his way out. He would obey the order. The Hokage dragged the seat Kakashi had been sitting on to the head of the bed and sat down.
"So Assassin you are beginning to heal?" asked the Hokage. She nodded "Yes Master Hokage." He didn't smile, but accepted her sudden code of honor. He brought out a wide brimmed painted hat from behind his back. It had the appearance of the Hokage's own headdress. The differences were it was blue where the Hokage's was red, instead of the sign Ho (this stood for fire and each Kage had one of five symbols on this symbol of power) Mizu stood for water. The Hokage passed it to Tanar. She accepted it as he spoke gravely "This is the gratitude that the Mist Village's Mizukage sends you. He has agreed to make you the heir Mizukage after you become a ninja." She was confused, but sneered at the Hokage's own cleverness. He had added the after you become a ninja as if she might or might not have the option. She said deadly quiet "You didn't tell the Mizukage that you were performing the forbidden scrolls secrets on me did you?" The Hokage nodded confirming the information. "What will you tell him after you kill me then?" She asked sincerely curious. "If you are killed in the experiment remains to be seen Blue Wood Assassin but until then you are to recover as if nothing is going on, you will train and regain your strength, you will tell no one, nor may you discuss it with anyone except Master Guy who already knows your fate" She concluded that Kakashi and Iruka were not told what was going to happen to her. She wouldn't tell them, they wouldn't care, and they wouldn't wish to hear her complain, they were ninjas after all. The agreement was silent between the Hokage and the Assassin. The Hokage dismissed himself his head high his face unreadable ever so dignified.
The days of early recovery were the hardest for her. She spoke nothing after her command to make Kakashi leave. She was confined to her bed for another two days under the watchful eyes of Guy, Kakashi, and Iruka. She was fed gruel for her stomach could take nothing else. The silence was peaceful, but tense. The second day she was awake she walked out of the room and into the sunlight. The body she now walked in was not the same as it had been. The antidote had worked from keeping the death waiting, but it left permanent marks. She became a breathing shadow. She could never again be as strong or as fast or as bright as before. Her only source of dull amusement was watching the academy students. She marched aimlessly around the campus until she found a deer trail. With foggy painful memories she walked down the deer trail that led to a predator's den.
She reached Line's old room. The small cave did not show any recent use and had no trace of Line. Yet, she remembered where he had lived. The night darkened and she blindly groped around in the darkness of the cave feeling for Line's comforting body. Of course there was no Line to comfort her. Tanar sat in the dark her arms embraced her knees by her chest. Murmurs of words were uttered unbidden from her lips. The bell of her mind rang mournfully, but her face remained dry. Voice low, smooth, and rippling softly called to the other animals. One by one small clawed or hoofed feet, walked, flew, or slithered to her cold body. Large and small bodies encircled her. They pressed themselves up to her and gave her what little comfort they could. The animals could not understand why One of there own could feel this way. They did not comprehend that she was human. Her voice whispered softly in song. The heads danced in rhythm to her melody. The noise of the lone girl was the only thing that could be heard in the forest that night. Every other feral voice had been silenced. She once again cried herself to sleep in hopelessness with beasts that also slept by her.
Kakashi was not the only one who heard Tanar sing her lament. He was not the only one to know who the voice belonged to. He was the only human to act. On silent feet he followed Tanar's careless trail. The laments spell had broken when Tanar no longer sang. The animals disappeared as silently as they had come. He came upon the cave and with a torch went inside. By firelight he saw Tanar sleeping and shivering. With regret he saw that Tanar had been crying again. He knelt beside her. His soft breath grazed her face and she awoke. Gently Kakashi pulled her into a sitting position next to him. The torch sputtered with flickering life because he had placed it on the ground. He held her silently knowing all to well what it was like to lose a friend when you were hopeless to change the fates. Leaning against a wall he brushed her hair with his finger tips. Her last defense against Kakashi crumbled. He was a ninja, he was a man, he was here for her to comfort her as Line had been. They stayed in the cave that night. Tanar wrapped in Kakashi's brotherly arms. Kakashi fell asleep first, his hand still on her head. She slipped into slumber her head on his chest listening to the steady musical beat of his heart.
Tanar awoke her head still on Kakashi's chest. She quietly scooted away from him. She sat back gingerly against the wall. Her back was sore. She had grime all over her. She tried to wipe tears and dirt from her face. Her dirty hands left more brown streaks on her face. She stared blankly at Kakashi. She was brooding. It had gone too far. She had never been so vulnerable before. Her family had never been this close to her so how could a ninja she had only known for a couple of weeks be this manipulative. She was flattered by his sudden attention. She was now wary. Ninja's were treacherous dogs they were your best friend then they bit your throat. She would have to treat Kakashi more like a wild animal. Outwardly kind, but vigilant for any double cross.
She gently shook him awake. He was startled to see the dirty face so close to him he shot up into a fighting stance. In his rashness he had collided with the ceiling. He grunted and began to rub his head furiously with his hand. She smiled behind her mask. There would be a fairly large bump there later on. She took his hand roughly pulled him out of the cave into the open. Dawn was just beginning to gleam on top of the trees. A new day new problems new questions new answers. She trotted back to the school Kakashi leading the way. She would never let him be at her back any more.
She bathed thoroughly for the first time in days. The ninjas had provided her with everything from soap to towels to new clothes. She first tried to rub of any dirt that could come off before she got in the bath. The room was misted over and the large pool of water was empty. It normally was a public bathing area for the other girls, but it was midday and they were all in class. She had made sure none would see her arms or the rest of her body. She sat by the edge of the warm pool letting her legs be submerged in the warm water. Mist played around her body. She sunk into the bath with a small sigh of contentment as the hot water relaxed the muscles in her tense corpse. Soaking was good to her, but it wasn't long before it was to hot and she climbed back out again. She was dizzy from dehydration. Along the walls were numbers of facets. She clambered to one and drank from it deeply. The cold water gave a start to her warm insides. She flipped her brown hair and with the cold running water she doused her head. Feeling more awake she quickly shuffled back into the hot bath and with soap she scrubbed herself to the creases of her ears. After washing she grabbed the towel and began to dry herself. She sat on the cool stone floor thinking.
She was doing that more often now. She was always a very rash person before hand. That was part of her flare as an Assassin. She was confident always in her ability to beat her opponent. Now she wasn't so sure. She had barely kept up with Kakashi as they had made their way back to the school. Line was her biggest problem. She had felt something die in her in the hours she was not aware of the outside world. It had leaked away. She had tried to keep it with her. Even if she had to have kept the poison in her body she tried to keep that body of water soul in her. But the dam had broken and part of her spirit her being had sluggishly poured out of her. Line's torn and maimed body remained in her minds eye. Searching in her memories she was surprised to find how blurry the image of Line butchered and dead was. She always remembered now in clear sharpness which she had never focused on before. The light smell of decaying leaves and damp stone that always accompanied his fur. She recalled how silent he was on the forest floor. His huge paws that held so much force and power made little noise as they had padded through the wood together. She now acutely aware for the first time how his breathing was so slow and steady. A knock on the door interrupted her.
She realized with stunning abruptness she still had the towel draped over her. She slunk into the corner of the room. She tried to make herself as small as possible. She waited. A pause before another more uncertain knock. She ventured "Who is it?" Another pause. She berated herself silently for being so careless and being so unaware. "It's me Iruka" She breathed a sigh of relief. He was weak he couldn't harm her. "One second Iruka," she breathed. She quickly put on some of those clothes and stepped out. Iruka was sitting on the bench in a waiting room. He was smirking and had his eyes closed. Tanar sat down across from him and waited. She didn't have to wait long. He glanced up and gawked at her. She lifted one eyebrow. "You're wearing a ninja's uniform!" gasped Iruka. (The Hokage had given them to her all she had of her original self was she had on her face mask and her arms were covered) Tanar also for the first time wore the Blue Wood Ninja headband. It held back her hair and she had tied a rough pony-tail. Tanar would now usually and forever wear ninja's clothes. It was her turn to smirk. If she was wearing ninjas clothing she might as well act like one. "Yes" was her somewhat resentful answer. Iruka stopped gaping and handed her two scrolls he had hidden in his pockets. "From the Hokage," he said. Tanar got up and beckoned Iruka to follow. The two walked out and it was Tanar who led them to the Raman shop. She paid for Iruka and her to have some food. She also paid for a beer. She let Iruka have it. She let him have three more before she opened the first scroll he had given her. The day was quietly slipping by unnoticed. She knew he would want to know what they were about, but drunk he wouldn't remember what she said to him that night. Iruka was showing small external signs of drunkenness.
Tanar smelled the warm sent of noodles and booze on Iruka's breath. She scanned the first scroll. It was from the Hokage. The letter was this;
Blue Wood Assassin-
I know you are not accustomed to our ways so I will be plain in my orders. You are to first and foremost to train your body back into it's original shape. I am assigning you under the protection and teacher Kakashi Hatake. You are to attend with him all his missions that are assigned to him and you are to serve him as any Genin level ninja. In addition to these duties you and I are going to spend several hours a day when possible in studying the scroll. The other scroll with this letter is a copy of the forbidden scroll. The scroll when being referred verbally to me or Gai will be the forbidden seed. Like any plant it will grow back, but this scroll is like the seed it is deadly and powerful. When any information is seen by you or you have performed it successfully yourself in-form me at once. You will receive daily notices from me on the progress of decoding every day.
Your first mission under Kakashi takes place in four days ( time enough for you to regain partial strength) you will make a pilgrimage to the MizuKage and guard him.
She let the scroll roll onto itself. So she was now a slave to Kakashi. And the Hokage expected her to hasten in finding the scroll's secrets, secrets that would probably kill her. She glanced at the other scroll. The scroll that was a copy of her death sentence. She heard Iruka belch loudly. He didn't apologize. Briefly she noticed how rude he was for his action, but it seemed the scroll was silently called her. She shook her head. She hadn't remembered having any of Iruka's beer. She grabbed the scroll of the forbidden seed and slowly unraveled it.
A complicated set of designs, cuts, constrictions, plants, herbs, blood debts, greeted her eyes. Tanar's eyes hardened to a crystal ice blue. The bones of a mother, the fire of another human, the blood of life, then the time of day, time of night, the number of days and nights it took to perform, fasting. She quickly picked it up and stuffed the scroll into her vest. Her hands clutched her head. She tried to wipe out the symbols that the scroll required. The bell in her mind clanged violently. She felt a hand on the back of her neck. She grabbed the hand and held onto it for dear life, for her sanity. Slowly the bell rang weaker and weaker. She opened her eyes. Iruka was close to her. His hand on the back of her neck. She let his hand slide to her back. She could see the scar on his nose very clearly. He small frown made him look concerned. The frown disappeared as she relaxed. The goofy grin returned. He padded her back roughly, "Your such a light weight Tanar' can't even handle one cup of beer." She exasperated "Yeah look who is talking you drunken ninja." He got up suddenly and he stumbled, but she was quick and caught him. The scroll forgotten at Iruka's antics. She smiled. And paid for the last of the food and drink. She led Iruka back to the school. The sun was setting. She had spent most of the day taking the bath and staying with Iruka. Swaying a little under Iruka's weight Tanar made it mostly to Iruka's room before Kakashi arrived. With silent pleas from Tanar Kakashi helped her get Iruka settled into his room before Kakashi and her were back outside watching the sun try and stay above the tree line. They both knew Tanar's new position under Kakahsi and their new mission, but Kakashi felt slightly proud of her for finally becoming a ninja.
"I have something to give you," uttered Kakashi with some hesitancy. She ran her hand through her hair. He took out a small white mask. She glanced at it sideways, but she turned to him in astonishment. Small black lines encircled the eyes and lined the jaw, and cheek bones, but broad sweeping orange added more color and depth. She took it slowly from him. Kakashi lifted it carefully to her. She shuffled it in her hands until it was face up and it seemed to be staring back at her with shaded holes. On the flat of the right cheek the white paint was stained with one word in blood red. She rubbed the small character mark with her thumb. It read "Line." Kakashi had painted this for her. In honor of her greatest friend. "Most of the specialized ninjas have masks, it is there trademark." He said more secure. (He was sure she would appreciate his gift to her) He thought he owed to her. Kakashi had disappeared and had forgotten about Line until it was too late for the tiger. He had teamed up with Tanar and Line. Line was his teammate no matter how different he was. Kakashi had made an unspoken vow to always put team members first. She flipped over the mask and with slightly trembling hands she put the cool material against her face. The small black strap she tied onto the back of her head under her hair. Kakashi smiled and squinted his eyes in joy as the tiger like face stared back at him. He was proud also of his sudden artistic flare. He thought that the mask had turned out just the way he envisioned it. It looked slightly like his, but more feminine more feline. Tanar abruptly got up. He opened his eyes and also got up. She turned away and began to walk back to her room inside the school.
Kakashi followed as he had done during her mission. He knew the roles would be switched when he would lead. It would be his mission. He wanted to keep this moment going for as long as he could. "What are you doing?" asked Tanar in biting words. Kakashi stopped. He tried to gaze into the face. The tiger mask hid the blue eyes that he had often studied. For now Tanar had melted away leaving only the painted tiger face in front of him. Puzzled but unwilling to cross her he silently backed away. The tightness in her voice had caught him by surprise. Was it fear, anger, it wasn't gratitude. "Go away ninja" was her command in strained tones. He didn't know what she was trying to do, but in his uncertainty he faltered and did as she commanded. He walked away from her. The mask he had given to her was supposed to connect them, but it was now a barrier he had constructed and she would not pull the barrier back down. She would no longer give him the key into her mind, her soul, or her heart. A stone cold face was behind the tiger mask. She decided then to help the Hokage unravel the secrets of the forbidden scroll. She put every last particle of strength into finding the meaning in the scroll. Her last connection with the Leaf Ninjas either way by death or staying with the Mizukage would be in her drive her valiant attempt to decipher the scroll. Her cheeks were a dry as paper when she should have had tears of gratitude spilling down her face. The mask was her knew strength. She was not human; she was a dead tiger that walked in a human's body.