Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Note: Yeah, right now I kinda have writer's block. Evil, evil writer's block. It should go burn or something...
Chapter 8
"Kikyo, why are you here…why aren't you back home in Konoha…?" I asked, looking at her miserably. Here was my favorite cousin…sitting in Orochimaru's grasp…
She opened her mouth to say something, but she was smacked down by Kabuto. I instantly found myself pressing his throat to the wall behind him, "You'll shut the hell up if you know what's best for you, you bastard." I tightened by grip.
Orochimaru pulled me to the floor easily. Too easily. I glared at him.
I moved to Kikyo, my favorite cousin, and performed a few hand seals, figuring out the combinations of the chains, they dropped off from her.
Kabuto stared at me in amazement, "Jutsu weren't supposed to affect those…" he whispered.
"Kabuto, take them both up the Kikyo's cell, I'll see them later. Maybe Kirei and I can come to an agreement then."
I struggled as Kabuto dragged us both up to the cell.
He tossed us in, and I grabbed at the bars. "Hey, hey! How is it that I'm so weak! I even know I'm not this weak!"
"It's called the power of the Med Nin. There are many medicines that can affect the way the human body works," he replied as he walked away, swinging the keys around his fingers.
I growled at him. I heard a sniffle and quickly turned around.
Kikyo was crying…
I went and sat next to her, leaning against the concrete wall.
"I'm sorry…" I said solemnly.
She whipped tears off her face, "Why…?" she asked slowly.
"Because…if I hadn't left with Itachi and had just stayed and been killed, your family and your situation wouldn't be so screwed up."
"That's true…"
That wasn't the answer I had expected…I frowned slightly.
"But, it isn't your fault really," she said, "You loved him. You cared about each other very deeply. I think I love somebody, and I end up here."
I was somewhat following, but now I was completely confused…"What do you mean…?" I asked her.
"It was during the Chuunin Exams. I really liked Kabuto-san…and that bastard manipulated me and brought me here!" she screamed, picking a food tray and throwing it at the metal bars across from us.
"If only my power hadn't been limited by him…and I could get out of here so easily…" I sighed.
"This is kinda sad…" Kikyo started, "You are above a S-Class Criminal, and here I am, a few months older than you, and I'm a mere Genin still…"
I smiled at her, "Don't worry about it, I've just had a lot more chances to become strong that you have…"
She smiled back at me.
More footsteps down the hall could be heard.
Kabuto was back.
Kikyo looked away bewildered. I watched Kabuto as he shoved a two trays with food into the cell. He ushered me over to him, and I shook my head.
He shrugged and walked away.
"Tell Orochimaru that he'd better get up here soon! I'm sick of waiting!" I screamed after him.
I sat back down by Kikyo, and smiled at her lightly. "So, why exactly did they bring you here…?" I asked her quietly.
She answered between eating mouth fulls of food. "To make sure that you would cooperate I guess, they've been really determined to get you here, they even hired a women from the Kamizurui Clan to make some poisons and such…"
Footsteps…again. These footsteps were annoying, they were like my sleeping a few days ago. None stop and all the time…
Lucky me, who else stood in front of the door other than Orochimaru! Yay! Cheer! Yeah right…
"So, prison life is good, is it not Kirei?" he asked me.
I didn't smile.
"Fine, have an attitude. We'll get straight to business. What's our deal going to be? Are you and your cousin both going to die, or what?"
"I'll only stay here if you let her go without any harm or any trouble ever again in her life. Oh, and no harm can be done to the Moeru Clan, ever."
Orochimaru thought it over, and nodded slightly, "All right. I accept. You will work hard for me, if you don't, then we will kill all of the Moeru Clan, and we will smother Konoha during the process."
I gulped. Great, I was stuck here, what a deal I had come up with. Death would have probably been better in this case…
"Kabuto! I need the keys."
Kabuto rushed down the hallway, and opened the cell door, letting both of us out. While stepping out, I got a quick glance at Orochimaru's arms…they were unusable.
"Find someone to escort her most of the way home," Orochimaru ordered.
I hugged Kikyo for one last time.
"Thank you…" she mouth at me, followed by an "I love you."
I gave her a half smile, and whipped a tear out of my eye. She turned, and she left, just like that. And I was alone, all over again…
> >
I had to stay in that cell for about another four hours…I could now tell why Kikyo had been so emotional. It was extremely boring, and all it did was make you think about things that you really didn't want to think about. Very annoying.
Finally, Kabuto found his way back, and opened the cell for me.
"That only took you about four hours…" I lectured.
"Yeah, well it is dinner time," he replied shortly.
I rolled my eyes, "Thanks for giving me some."
He smirked at me, and ushered me down the hall. "I'm going to give you the grand tour of the Hidden Sound Headquarters. You'll meet a lot of people here, well, because you will be living in the living quarters."
What was with people and the word "quarters"! Living quarters…headquarters…quarters quarters…
My the time we got to the living quarters, I wanted to sleep. I was still sick, and I still didn't have my powers back.
"When will you give me my cure for my strength…I did agree to stay here didn't I?" I said annoyed.
"Yeah, tomorrow."
I glared at him. I wasn't going to be treated like this, I agreed to something, I wasn't going to be Orochimaru's little toy. I wasn't going to be treated like this.
Kabuto showed me my room, and then he left. My bag was already in there. I sat on the twin size bed and looked cautiously around the room.
Everything was white…and plain. There was a dresser and a bed side table. A desk…and a closet. How they fit all of this into this small room without cluttering it up was beyond me.
I opened up the dresser…all the clothes I had brought with me were already in it…I went to the closet, and my Akatsuki coats were hung up. My small photo album was in the bed side table drawer…
Maybe Orochimaru did know how to treat people well…
I heard a slight tap on my door, I looked at the door curiously. I walked over to it, and pulled it open a bit.
A man stood there, he smiled at me slightly, and held out his hand. I shook it, reluctantly. He took his hand back, and spoke. "I'm Arashi, I'm supposed to show you around the living quarters."
I nodded, confused.
"So," he said, as I stepped out of my room. "How did you end up here?"
"Orochimaru…"
"Well, that is how most of us got here, but," he glanced up at my head protector, "You're a Missing Nin for Konoha?" he asked me.
I smiled, "Yup, but I haven't been there in about four years now…"
He started walked, and I followed down a hallway.
"I wonder why he chose you though…" Arashi said quietly. "Nothing against you, but you don't look all that strong."
"Well, if it counts for anything, I was in Akatsuki."
He laughed, "You? You don't look like you could hurt a fly!"
I glared at him, but changed my expression and shrugged, "Think what you want. How did you end up here?"
"This is the kitchen and that's the dining room, we rarely use it, but it's there," he said pointing them out. "Over there's the living room."
He pointed out other things, and eventually, we made it to his room. "This is my room, just so you know where you can find me if you need me," he said, pushing his door and started going in.
"Hold on!" I said, hurriedly. "You never told me how you ended up here…"
"Right, sorry I forgot," he said, rubbing his head slightly. "I came here on free will, to help my Clan regain it's strength. Let's just say that my plan backfired, and I can't go back there now…Sasame-chan will be so disappointed…"
"Sasame-chan…?"
"Yeah, but little cousin. She was really upset when I left, I didn't tell her. Why don't you come in?" he asked me slightly.
I followed him into his room, and pulled out the chair from his desk.
"What about your family back in Konoha, what did they think when you left?" Arashi asked me.
"Well, my best friend and or boyfriend killed them…and his whole clan as well…"
"Do you mean…you're Moeru Kirei!"
I nodded slightly, "Who did you think I was…"
He closed his eyes, "Sorry, you just don't look like I pictured you to look…"
I smiled at him, "It's okay, I never planned to become a Missing Nin, or join Akatsuki, or end up here, things just happen…"
He grinned at me, "Yeah, I didn't realize that I would end up like this either." We both laughed. It was nice to have a friend…
I was awaken with a shake, it was Kabuto, "Orochimaru-sama wishes to see you."
Sitting up slowly, I looked at the clock on my bed side table, 8:00...great. I wanted to sleep in to, prison cells aren't comfortable places to spend a day. No wonder Kikyo looked so tired.
Surprisingly, I found my way to Orochimaru's chambers. He was sitting in the main room, just relaxing by the looks of it.
"Yeah?" I asked.
He looked at me, "I'm sending you on a mission."
"But I just got here!" I yelled.
He smirked, "But I thought you would enjoy this."
I glared at him… "What is it?"
"You're interested. Well, in a group of ten, you're going to wipe out a village, and bring the last two standing here. We need some more people."
"So, you're telling me that you're going to kill a bunch of innocent people to find the strongest two in the village so you can get stronger subordinates!"
He nodded, "Do you have a problem with that? You and Uchiha Itachi seemed to have fun whipping our villages if I remember correctly."
I scowled.
"I thought so, you'll meet your team in the entrance hall tomorrow morning at nine sharp," he said, smiling.
How nice of him. I had been here, awake for less than 24 hours, and here I was, given a mission. Killing nonetheless. Itachi…
Why am I so alone now?
I started to turn around to leave, when something occurred to me. "How did you know I was in the woods when my group left…?" I asked uncertainly.
He laughed. "It was all a plan. It worked out well, didn't it? I had a women from the Kamizurui send a poisonous mosquito after you."
I felt a stupid mosquito or something bite me arm, I slapped the damn thing. Now my arm was going to itch of the rest of the trip. Geez, I hate mosquitoes…or any blood sucking animals out there. But it wasn't going to ruin my great mission!
"Why…why did you have to take me away from what I loved? Didn't that already happen to me once…?"
He stared at me, "Strength. I need strength and lots of talented jutsu."
"Then why me? I'm probably the weakest in my whole Akatsuki group. If you wanted somebody strong then, actually take somebody who's strong."
I turned to leave.
"Wait."
I faced him once more. "Yes…?"
"Go visit Kabuto for a cure for the poison, we wouldn't want you to be useless on tomorrow's mission."
I walked into the medical center, where I had first woken up, and found Kabuto easily. He smiled at me, and in return, I frowned.
"It's nice to see you to," he said slowly. I didn't reply. "I'm guessing that Orochimaru-sama sent you here for your cure…?" he asked awkwardly.
I nodded.
"Alright, if you sit there," he said, pointing to a doctor's bed, "I'll be right back with the shot."
Shot! Nobody had said anything about a shot! I hated shots…
He came back, shot in hand, and motioned for me to sit down. I did…
"Alright, if you could pull your sleeve up some so I can give you the shot," he said, referring to my vest.
"No," I replied, curtly.
"Why not…?"
"Because I said so."
"Geez, do you want to get better or not? I just need to see your upper arm so I can give you the shot!" he said, irritated.
"No," I repeated.
"Why not?" he asked, "It's not like I'm asking to see your boobs or something. I just need to see your arm to give you the shot."
"Heh, it's not like there's anything to see anyways," I whispered to myself, rolling up my sleeves.
> >
I woke up the next morning, and packed my bag, not that there was much to pack…
I made my way into the entrance hall a half an hour early, only to find that most of my teammates were there already.
When all of the other nine ninjas had appeared, it distressed me to discover that Arashi wasn't here.
The rest of the Ninjas in the group were talking to each other, and I just hung out in the back, they all seemed to know each other, I didn't know any of them.
As I got a good look at them, I had come to realize that in the middle of this group was the only girl, other than me, I had seen in the Hideout.
She is what guys would call "gorgeous". Long shiny blonde hair, bright big blue eyes, a pound of make-up, big chest, skinny, skimpy outfit, the whole nine yards.
She caught sight of me looking at her. Great, just my luck.
She smiled at everyone, and excused herself from the group, and walked straight to me. "Hey, you must be new around here!" she smiled. She looked me up and down, "Akatsuki jacket…Leaf Ninja…Missing Nin…female…You're Moeru Kirei."
I stammered out an "Uh…"
"It's okay," she said, patting my shoulder, "It's kinda awkward if you haven't been here long."
"No, no," I started, "I want to know what you're talking about."
"Oh? Well, I want to say 'Welcome!', but you don't really seem to be too happy to be here…"
"No," I replied, "Not really."
"When I got here, I wasn't too happy either, but everything turns out okay! Trust me," she smiled.
"That's not it…" I muttered.
She looked at me, confused, "What was that…?"
I shook my head, "Nothing…"
"If you say so. By the way, my name's Aikyo! Nice to meet you!"
It only took her two minutes to tell me her name. Wahoo. "So," I said, reluctantly, "Where exactly are we going to this mission?"
"I'm not sure yet, we have to wait to from the Commander. That's that guy over there," she said pointing to a tall, black haired man. "I have to introduce you to everyone! They'll be thrilled that there's finally another girl around!" she lowered her voice to a whisper, "I think it's because they don't like putting up with me, or girl's like Tayuya."
I still had no idea who this "Tayuya" was, but I just played along…
"Hey!" Aikyo screamed, "HEY!"
Everyone else became silent. "We have a new member! Be polite, introduce yourselves!" she pushed me forward slightly. I don't think I like this girl…
Silence.
Aikyo sighed dramatically. "Fine. Fine. Everyone, this is Moeru Kirei. Y'know, the girl from Akatsuki. Kirei, everybody."
I took another step backward, they were all giving me the death glare.
"Geez guys," Aikyo said, "Just because she used to be with Akatsuki doesn't mean anything, she's one of us now. Orochimaru-sama recruited her specially! That has to mean something, right?"
They're faces relaxed slightly. Mine? Mine didn't.
"That's better!" she said, "Now, Kirei, that's…" I wasn't paying attention. She was giving the names of these people, and in all truth, I didn't want to know any of them. I just wanted to go back home…I wanted to find my friends. I used to think that I didn't want becoming an Akatsuki Member to happen…but now I just wanted to go back to them…
The tall guy looked at his watch, and suddenly took control of the group. Everybody looked his way.
"Alright, for those of you who don't know me," he said, glancing at me, "You can just call me Senshi, you can forgot whatever name Aikyo referred to me as. Anyways, this mission is going to be, at the most a week mission, though, I can almost certainly say we will take two days at the most. Well attack a village right inside the Fire Country. Reasons for this: 1) It's a strong village, we don't want to deal with it later, and we'll pick up a few good Ninjas from this. 2) We must hurry because Orochimaru's guest should be arriving soon. Good thing the Sandaime isn't there anymore, he paid good attention to the village we're about to attack. Godaime doesn't."
A shocked look covered my face, and Aikyo obviously noticed it, and thus, asked on it.
"What's wrong with you?"
"What happened to the Sandaime…?" My voice sounded dazed…
Aikyo looked at me shocked. "You didn't know…?" she asked me, amazed. "Orochimaru-sama planned an attack on the village of Konoha a while ago…most of us went along. Orochimaru-sama eventually killed the Hokage, but in replace his arms are unusable…He's rotating into his new container a while ago…since the one he wants isn't going to be here in time."
"Container?"
"Yeah, he plants his soul in another person's body, basically, making him, well…immortal. Which is why he probably looks different than you remember him."
I nodded slowly…this was a surprise…the Sandaime gone…? It didn't make any sense. Konoha in a total mess, I couldn't even imagine what Kikyo had returned home to…
"W-who's the Hokage now?"
She smiled, "Tsunade-sama, one of the three legendary ninjas."
"All out!" Senshi yelled, I raised my eyes slightly, and followed the other nine people out the large doors.
What a weird name for a person to choose for themselves…Senshi…death in action…
Then again, there's a lot of weird things going on. The Sandaime was gone, I never got to tell him why I left. He used to trust me so much, and then, I betrayed him, and began a Missing Nin.
He was gone now, and in his place stood the first female Hokage, Tsunade. A women with super-human strength, able to put crevasses in the ground with just the hit of a single finger. She gambled like there was no tomorrow, and she always lost. She was known as the "Legendary Sucker". So why had they let such a women become Hokage?
How did I even know all this was true? I knew Tsunade from the time I was really little, that's how.