Chapter 30
* Recap *
Feeling my blade plunge into the ninja's shoulder I smile satisfied until his eyes narrow into a glare at me. Threatening to send shivers down my spine. The slight hesitation it caused allowed him to grab a hold of me tightly. Ramming his fist into my stomach knocking the wind out of me, and kept me in place before it felt like a cement wall met with my face. Blurring my vision so I couldn't see the kick in order to block it. Before I felt as if a semi-truck had hit me and I was flying through the air. Pressure against my back keeping me from catching my breath sent my world to spinning. Landing on a branch I close my eyes trying to fight against the depths of unconsciousness. He's... so.. strong...
...
Familiar light brown well-kept hair, his brilliant calculating auburn eyes. The white long sleeve button-up shirt he was wearing had some wrinkles in the fabric leading down to a pair of tan pants. His right hand in his pants pocket posing himself with self-assurance, and pride. The very sight of him had my eyes widening with a gasp escaping from me. Tears brimming my gaze as both pain and happiness spread through me. How is this? Am I dead? "What are you doing, Kira?" His smooth voice flowed around me. Wrapping around my body as if it were a loving caress. Light. I all but whimper mournfully in my head.
"What do you mean, Light?" I question gazing up into the eyes in front of me. Spellbound by their warmth.
"This isn't like you. Second-guessing yourself, allowing fear to hinder your thoughts. Letting someone beat you. I've never known you to be so weak." His eyes narrow upon me briefly before his features relax once more. As if he was truly trying to understand what is going on with me but at the same time it upsets him.
"But.. Light." I felt my tears finally break free and roll down my left cheek. My hand automatically went to my chest to grasp the moon pendant from the pain his words brought to my heart. Yet, all I found was the fabric of my top.
"Have you forgotten?" He suddenly questions as he watches me closely.
"Forgotten what?"
"Yourself. The Kira I know holds her head up high, never lets anything get to her. She is smart and cunning. Using her head against her opponents. She would never find herself in a situation without a contingency in place. Not the scared pathetic little girl in front of me." Looking down I felt as if my world was crashing around me. My image of Light changing from a happy memory to one more of pain. Pain. There is so much pain. I've disappointed him. I've let him down. "Get up, Kira." Huh? Looking up I see him hold out his hand for me to take. "Get up and be the woman I fell in love with."
"The woman… I don't know if I can."
"Yes, you can. Or we'll never be together again." My eyes widen at his words. If I don't get up. I'll never become stronger. I'll never find a way to turn him. We'll never be able to spend eternity together. The girl I have become... He would have used me and tossed me aside like Misa Amane. He would have had no use for me. I need to get my head in the game. Everyone around me is below me. This Ninja is nothing compared to me. Smiling I reach up and take his hand allowing him to pull me from where I had been setting. "Now, no more hiding. Show them. Show them what happens when they cross the path of my Goddess." Closing my eyes I find myself in darkness. Light's hand still in my own. Warmth suddenly erupts around me causing me to look ahead. Bright blue flames were dancing through shadows erupting towards me as if to take me whole. "Accept them." That is all I heard over the rumbling fire.
Raising my arms just as I feel the searing heat of the fire. Scorch me, burn me alive if you want. I thought but the flames did not hurt. They flowed around me as if a lover's warmth. Held close to me as if a protective arm. It was then I realized. The burning in my body, all the times my throat has been on fire. It was these flames. Angered by my defiance.
"Sasuke!" Sakura's gleeful yell reaches my ears. Opening my eyes I take in the red haze of my gaze. Hearing her running egged me forward as the image of the anime flowed into my mind of Sasuke's dragon flame jutsu. For once the image came in crystal clear. The humming in my veins roaring to life as if they themselves were nothing but pure fire. Pushing to my feet I smile inwardly. As I shove my chakra to the bottoms of my feet. Throwing myself into the air towards Sasuke and Sakura. Closing my eyes I take in the cool air moments before flipping in the air causing my scarf to flap uncontrollably behind me. Landing on the bark in front of Sakura and Sasuke I pay them no mind. Though their beating hearts began to echo in my ears.
"You're a true Uchiha, after all." I heard Orochimaru's voice finally show through his disguise. It was then I realize how much their hearts had actually blocked my hearing. Narrowing my eyes upon his form I couldn't help but smile even as I hear Sasuke scream. "My, I thought you were going to stay down." He says to me as I just roll my shoulders. Loosening the kinks from the abuse I had taken earlier.
"You don't know me very well, Orochimaru. I'm too good to stay down." Smirking I drop down at the ready. One of my blades are laying somewhere on the forest floor. So I have one blade. Plenty of Kunai and shuriken. Ninja wire, rope, paper bombs, and smoke bombs. He is strong and fast but… I can be faster.
"Oh really?" Closing my eyes I reach into my pouch retrieving my kunai and wire. Stringing them up behind me. I smirk.
"At least I'm not toying with those weaker than I am. As if they are mere toys. Or even lab rats." I pause imagining my next moves and how they should play out. "Instead. I'll bite." Opening my eyes I take in his visage as he notices my crimson red eyes. Neither Sharingan nor even animal-like. The red swirls purely a predator. I could feel my muscles shifting beneath my skin. Making my skin feel uncomfortable and tight.
"I see, you aren't like the others are you." He then smiles and licks his lips. "Then come play with me."
*Sasuke*
I was already weakened by using so much chakra. Breathing heavily I found it difficult to remain standing. I got him. I thought to myself silently thinking about Sakura, Naruto, and… Kira. I managed to stop this guy. "Sasuke!" Hearing running I try to stand up straight to look at her as Sakura came running up to me. "You did it!" That's it standing up is too hard I realize as I double over with my hands on my knees when breathing became almost too difficult. The places where I had taken blows were excruciatingly painful but, my entire body is in pain. "Are you okay?" She questions softly. "Don't worry, it's all over."
A sudden wave of killer intent nearly dropped me to my knees. The same feeling as what I had felt when we first encountered this grass ninja. It became everything I could do just to remain standing. "No, impossible." I managed to say as I squeeze my eyes open to look towards the grass ninja.
"Such mastery of the Sharingan at so young an age." Her voice deepened sounding more masculine than before. The word, age rolled off this guy's tongue creepily. "You're a true Uchiha, after all." He speaks as he runs a hand along his forehead protector that has now changed in symbol. The mixture of pain, weakness and outright aggravation with myself from not being able to take him down caused me to scream. "My, I thought you were going to stay down." He says causing me to finally notice someone in front of us. Her long black hair is pulled up into a ponytail. Her scarf moving around in an unknown breeze.
"You don't know me very well, Orochimaru. I'm too good to stay down." Her silk-like voice rang out just before she prepared herself for both defense and attack. It was then my legs gave out and I landed on my knees. Unable to even make myself stand back up again.
"Oh really?" Is he just toying with her? Or is he genuinely curious? Why am I even trying to understand what's going through that guy's messed up mind? I could watch her reach behind her and string her wire and kunai up. What is she thinking? This isn't like her. She usually relies on instinct... Is she actually planning?
"At least I'm not toying with those weaker than I am. As if they are mere toys. Or even lab rats." Toying? She was out cold how did she know? Or does she know exactly how strong this guy is? "Instead. I'll bite." Wait, what? It was then I could see the bruises covering her body from her last confrontation with this guy when she had been trying to get Naruto out of his grip disappearing from her body. What is going on?!
"I see, you aren't like the others are you?" He then smiles as he licks his lips. "Then come play with me."
It was then I heard her laughing. In such a way I had never heard her laugh before. Even with the way she was standing. Holding herself with a self-assurance she had never shown before. Her breathing was shallow enough I could barely tell she had even taken a breath. Is this her when she's serious? Has she just been toying with us this entire time? Her chakra rose just then as if she was trying to challenge him on strength alone. The weight of this power... This feeling. Reminded me of when Kakashi turned to face off with Zabuza.
A sudden explosion occurred moments before she had disappeared into the smoke. My eyes widened at her speed. With my chakra depleted like it is I couldn't even activate my Sharingan. The same speeds that I had just been following were now invisible to me, yet she was matching his speed step for step. Millisecond for millisecond. It was then I saw a tan streak fly out of the latest explosion into a tree followed by a blue streak chasing right after it.
"Sasuke.." Sakura whispers next to me drawing my attention right before another explosion sent me from my knees to my butt and sending her skidding back.
"These two really aren't messing around." I mutter trying to make it to Sakura to double-check she was alright.
"Sasuke.." She whispers again finally pushing herself up just enough to look at me. "What has gotten into Kira? This feeling…"
"Yeah.." I respond understanding what she is getting at. This wasn't the Kira I have ever seen before. Not even in practice with Aphrodite was she ever like this... This personality.. is different. It was then we heard her call out in pain just before she came sliding up towards us. Looking at her my eyes widened in shock. She was covered in blood. The blue of her clothing looking more black from blood rather than its usual color.
"Kira!" Sakura yells seeing her unmoving form.
"My, aren't you both prizes ripe for the picking." The mere sound of his voice sends chills down my spine.
"Who are you?! What do you want?!" I question trying to make sense out of why he would be doing this. He then chuckles and tosses up our heaven scroll that he must have snatched from Kira in their fight, before catching it on the palm of his hand holding it out towards us.
"My name is Orochimaru. But as to what I want, that will have to wait until we meet again. Which won't happen until you finish this test with the best score of all."
"The scroll!" Sakura exclaims as it begins to burn and melt away.
"First, you'll have to defeat the hidden sound ninja who serve me."
"I have no idea what you're talking about but if you're finished then just beat it. If we ever meet again it will be too soon!" Sakura calls out as she manages to get back onto all fours. I need to get to Kira. That is all I could think as I fought to stand again. She is bleeding badly. Enough so she'll be lucky to survive.
"Oh, he and I will meet again." Orochimaru says quietly just before making a hand sign. It was then Kira finally moved and shoved herself over me. Looking up at her face I could see her long black hair has come out of the ponytail now flowing around us like a curtain. Blocking everything else from view, she looked beyond exhausted. As if it was just a chore to have knelt over me like she is. Yes, she was covered in blood but… It was then her bright red eyes squeezed shut as she called out in pain before collapsing to the right side of me.
"Kira!" Sakura and I yell at the same time, yet as I look at her I couldn't see any wounds that had caused such a mess of blood on her.
"Interesting!" Orochimaru calls out as he too notices this. "After all that. Even taking her kunai to her. There isn't a mark on her! So very… Interesting. Now it's your turn Uchiha." His voice became vicious causing me to look at him as his neck elongated and comes rushing towards me. Move. Move. I have to Mo… It was too late. His face passes mine as I felt a piercing pain shoot through my neck.
"Sasuke, No!" Sakura yells uselessly next to me as a fire sets into my body from whatever he had just done. Shooting through every inch of me as if I would go insane. Even as Orochimaru's head left my neck it seems to only intensify the pain. I couldn't help but place my hand over the spot on my neck. Writhing in agony. "You! What have you done to Sasuke?!" Sakura yells. "And Kira!" She adds in as if it were just an afterthought.
"I just gave them a little parting gift." I couldn't do it anymore. I drop to my side as the pain forces away what strength I had managed to dig up. The pain intensifies as my vision begins to darken and blur. "Very soon, they will seek me out and desire my power. In the meantime. I enjoyed the demonstrations of the power you already possess." It was then I couldn't hold it in any longer. The sound echoing through the trees. That pitiful painfilled scream. Was coming from me.
