Article 15 - Chapter 12 - Experimental Distraction

Warnings: I do not own Naruto, it's intellectual property is owned by none other than Masashi Kishimoto. I own the OC's that I've added to the story and nothing more.

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(Over 1 Year Later - Age: 6 Years 1 Month. )

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I can feel madness enveloping my mind. As soon as I leave the compound I am followed. The surveillance has never stopped. No amount of dedication and acting seems to appease them.

Perhaps somehow I was caught putting the documents into the medical library... but If they had proof surely they wouldn't just watch, they'd ask some kind of questions… maybe they found them and Kakashi reported that he saw me leaving the hospital?

The migraine behind my eyes seared. Burning like a constant reminder of my curse seal.

I hadn't dared even return to the record archives in the Medical Library. It was too risky. One mistake could label me a traitor or worse monster for life.

I could see it now. They would call me the fem-Orochimaru.

My teeth gnashed together.

I always have to be on my toes, and the mask I carry has only become a greater burden. My defenses can never be let down. Unlike the prosecution who need to get lucky once, the defendant has to constantly work to not be caught. I can't ever have a moment to myself.

Either likely one of the Hokage's dogs follow me around, or the all seeing eyes of the Byakugan are all around me.

Screw this village! It's the worst damn one I could have been born into. I could exceed in anything with enough dedication and it seems the whole world wants to shackle me down.

NO! I REFUSE. I OBJECT!

Today, I have a plan to be able to slip my observer. Work could finally get done. Today I could actually make progress!

Progress on the plan crawled to a screeching halt since 5 months ago. There is no more that can be learned by simply re-reading the copies of Orochimaru's notes that I still have stashed in the underground lab.

I built a false wall to enclose the lab back up so that it would be much harder to find if anyone comes snooping.

I only managed to return to the lab 3 times in this past year. Saying that, "my time windows of unadulterated freedom are obnoxiously narrow" would be an understatement.

What had I ever done to deserve this treatment?

Nothing yet— but I'll give them a reason to fear me.

I felt suffocated. Like walls were closing in on me and there was no escape. Like the world suddenly had less oxygen available for me and I would die choking for breath.

This past year has certainly been a trying time. Today I would rise out of this fog, and arrive past the clouds.

Over the past year inside the hospital I had managed to steal some basic medical tools, learn how to make all different types of tranquilizers, and had managed to snag various medical ingredients from the rooms of hospice patients.

Hospice patients get prescribed fast release heavy sedatives, ideal for a tranquilizer's base. Also, who's going to complain or ask questions about a dying man taking too much sedatives?

I had everything already stored into my bag. A year full of small steps of preparation... for today.

Today would be the day I wriggle out from my observers thumb and fall off the map temporarily.

It wasn't anywhere close to foolproof or perfect, but it didn't have to be. I've been a good little girl this year without slipping this watchdog that hounds me relentlessly.

It shouldn't be out of the realm of possibility that a prodigy from the hyuga clan caught on that she had someone stalking her and she managed to give them the slip. The only real problem would be that this person was very likely to be from anbu.

This problem of course only was a problem if I was caught. If I could be quick enough, there was a chance I could go completely unnoticed...

I've been running out of time. I need to discover the full process to convert someone into a human puppet.

The way I remember Sasori describing it seemed so obscenely simple, yet there had to be a reason that he was the inventor and nearly the only user of the technique.

There was no way he was the first to think of the technique, he was just the first to succeed.

The human body is an intricate machine. Too much tampering and it became useless, but not enough tampering and the body would continue its slow breakdown until it became useless.

Unacceptable… That would be completely unacceptable.

I only had one true shot at obtaining my sharingan puppet that I've been working towards for the last 3 years. I wouldn't accept failure. No, I literally can't. I was sure if I didn't take this opportunity, that Being-X would make me regret it for the rest of my life — no matter how short.

No, I needed to be over prepared.

It would become my greatest trump card in the battle between life and death. I will have those damn eyes. Best of all, I wouldn't take the constant chakra drain penalty from the inability to switch them off, like if they were transplanted into myself (Which I couldn't anyways… unless I could escape the village, but I wouldn't want to if they would eventually blind me one day.)

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Click, click, click. My footsteps rung out through the hallway on my way to the library. I was approaching the intensive care facilities, I bottled all my chakra into my body. I strained against the grain of my chakras flow trying to keep it as still as possible. If none escaped from my body, then it would take absurd skill to continue to track me.

I ducked past a 'restricted, authorized personnel only' door and carefully snuck my way into the storage closet.

I had noticed this some time ago, but underneath the hospital was a tunnel connecting to 'Hokage Rock.'

I put my gloves on and activate the byakugan. I quickly bent down fumbling my hand behind a shelf trying to pull the drawstring without disturbing anything. The floor spread apart revealing the mouth of the tunnel, and after taking a few steps down I grabbed each side of the floor and slid them back together to seal the entrance.

I desperately ran while not letting my chakra flare the whole time. My body had gotten pretty good about being able to exert myself without using chakra.

I had a 5 minute mile time without the use of chakra so the run took no time at all to complete. The tunnels started branching off and I took one that took me in the opposite direction of my true directive. Right before arriving at the surface, I used the opportunity to change clothes, and squirt myself with a mist of 'desensitizer spray'. It kills odors and masks smells. I had to be absolutely sure nothing could give me away, then I proceeded to use the transformation jutsu to take the form of a standard traveling merchant.

I hurried along a route of trails to walk the outskirts of the village far past the walls. Whenever I saw or sensed someone, I took my time to quietly hide until they left. Slowly but surely, I arrived at a different sewer gate than my practical entry.

I didn't want to 'shit where I ate', per-say, so I decided to take a sewer entry as far as possible from Orochimaru's hidden lab that I discovered. The putrid smell never got better. Each and every time I came into these 'filth tunnels' I nearly found myself gagging. I tried my best focusing on breathing through only my mouth, but in a drippy pipe opening your mouth presented a worse problem.

I arrived underneath a destination that I needed to stop at. It was a common area for those who are part of the genin core. These sad saps wouldn't have a jonin instructor assigned to them and would instead be under the advisory of a chunin and this is where most of the fresh graduates end up.

The Manhole was so perfectly constructed over a narrow walkway which cut visibility and increased traffic over it. Whoever constructed it this way might have been a nefarious genius. Who better to abduct but ninja who have chakra but barely any technique or power. I swear to god, I might be standing in some kind of hotspot for abducting children at one point.

With my byakugan I patiently watched and waited. I would find someone secluded and make sure that no one was around to notice them disappear. Groups and potential marks passed by in like but there wasn't a good opportunity to just make one vanish yet. I needed to make sure this wouldn't fail, and that I wouldn't be exposed.

I waited… and waited… and damn was I kept waiting - until a lone boy started making his way towards me. The kid couldn't have been older than ehh… 12 or 13.

Boo'd Up.

He kept walking my way, and soon he would walk right across the manhole cover. I tugged on a piece of wire tied to the manhole cover to make sure it's connection was still tight.

I cocked my elbow back and waited… patiently.

-and… POP, my palm shot out, striking the corner of the cover closest to the approaching boy. The lip popped up and I wrapped his ankle with my bones. I jumped from the latter dragging the boy with me and causing the manhole cover to snap back into place.

I covered his mouth and injected him with the homemade tranquilizer. I held his mouth and nose shut for about 45 seconds until I was sure he was out cold, then slung him onto my shoulder.

I have to say, Neji is truly impressive. I had tried making additional arms with my transformations but they were so incredibly wonky to control and materialize then keep material that it felt completely impractical to even use it. Neji must have trained very hard to be able to pull that off in live combat with me.

I hurried along the pipes without the need of my byakugan anymore. I didn't want to radiate anymore chakra then necessary to not call attention to myself. A hyuga village watchmen could potentially spot me underground but it was unlikely, but if they did they would see some 30 odd year old looking man taking the kid and not me.

I snaked my way around quickly slinking into different pipes and passageways. It would be a decent journey to get to the labs because of the twisting nature of the sewers. They were a labyrinth which is why I was fortunate to already have a map drawn out to help me navigate to the destination.

...

The kid was sprawled out over the operating table restrained as I set up all of the tools I'd need to use. A faint but constant drip echoed in the room. I washed my hands and was preparing psychologically for the operation taking deep breaths.

"... muuueh?" I heard from next to me jolting me to alertness.

I looked over and saw the patient with his eyes open starting to weakly fidget with his restrains.

"Aargh… huh?" He let out now noticing me. His eyes were open wide and so big. They were full of confusion and fear. "Wha.. happened?"

I reached for the syringe and was forced to load it with more sedatives.

"Wha-what's happening? Please… I-I-I don't w-want this? Can you let me go p-please?" He let out desperately as tears started flowing down his cheeks.

My heart palpitated but I continued filling the syringe and looked over to him. "I'm… sorry." I let out with a surprisingly struggled breath.

"W-wait! What's happening? I-I gotta git back home, I just got mom a present for her birthday… and I can't miss it."

My heart jumped -Boo'd Up.

I finished filling the syringe turning around and making my way towards him. "Sorry," I whispered.

"STOP! W-wait… I just got strong enough to fight off the bullies for my little brother, and-and-and there's this girl I like … well she doesn't even know I exist but I haven't been able to tell her anything yet. Please!"

Boo'd Up. Boo'd Up.

He was making this difficult, the faster I can get him sedated the sooner I don't have to listen to his pleads. I can't have him dredging up any of my shreds of humanity that remained.

"It's going to be okay, just relax." I lied.

I took another step forward. Boo'd Up.

"Stooophh! Iiii'm sorry, I didn't mean to pee in Kouharu's boots, Well-well, I-I did b-but I'm re-really sorry. Promise I'll never do something soo stupid again. Right? Really - I swear! This is all some big scare? I-I learned my lesson and 'mmh real sorry! -Please!" He said even more desperately as I drew near.

Boo'd Up. Boo'd Up.

His eye's gushed tears and he fought against his constraints. "mh-Ma-MOSTERRRR! AAUURRRGHHHHH!" He screamed. It was a deep blood curdling scream, the like born of hope and despair intermingled.

I instantly reached out covering his mouth with my hand. He tried to bite down on my hand but I had already made an exoskeleton. A pained look shot through his face as he kept trying to bite at my hand, teeth snapping from his jaw, both falling out and popping, some being flung across the room.

Boo'd Up. Boo'd Up. Boo'd Up.

I quickly stuck him with the needle and pushed 10cc's of the sedative into his carotid artery. He fought hard but his fight slowly eased until he was unconscious again.

Boo'd Up. Boo'd Up. My heart was racing. My breath felt trapped in my lungs. Goosebumps already swept over my body. I had a knot in my throat.

The kid layed there, peaceful, sprawled out and restrained to the metal table.

My knees felt weak as I stared at his face that no longer showed any signs of the terror he had just experienced. Now he was at peace.

The syringe fell to the floor. Ktshhht! More shattered glass spread across the floor in a wave.

I'm a monster? I thought while staring at the hand which dropped the syringe; It was twitching.

I was in a weakened state. What was I doing… It all sounds plausible to go through with it until you realize they're just people too…

I pulled my face up from the floor and a outline of shimmering light caught my eye. It was in the outline of a person.

A draft swept through the room and wind sailed past my ear. "I- I wanted to be able to love you… but I couldn't"

Impossible… my… birth mother? I rubbed my eyes ferociously and when I opened them the apparition that I had seen was nowhere to be found.

I fell to my knees. The floodgates opened. A stream leaked from my face dripping onto the floor. Dumb, stupid!

It was like I was trying to cry a river and I just couldn't stop myself. I cried and cried. My knees were being cut by the glass shards on the ground but I just didn't care. I continued to weep uncontrollably.

It was official. I was a monster… There is no redemption, and I am already too deep… There was nothing that could be done.

Boo'd Up.

My hand clenched at my chest and my breaths fell out ragged. A tooth sunk into my lip splitting it and causing blood to spill down my chin in trickles.

I bent over clutching at my hair. I pulled and the pain helped drown out the misery. I looked down and strands of the ethereal white locks remained in my hands.

For some reason, I thought back to one of the first thing's Ayasha-san said to me after becoming my guardian. "Go make yourself some friends or you'll be lonely."

I shrieked and groaned. Monsters don't get to have friends.

Something must have snapped in me. Suddenly, I was able to reign in my emotions and my lip curled into a jaded grin.

"This is all your fault Being-X!"

I slapped my face with as much strength as I could muster. The pulsating heat I felt afterward was a warm welcome. Anything to chase away those icy chills. Slap! Slap! Slap!

"Yeeeesss!" I cried in ecstasy. More, more, I need more! I thought to myself

Slap! Slap!

I was breathing hard… panting even — but I felt so much better... incredible actually.

It was time to get to work. I stood to my feet, smile widening.

"You will be my first. The first of many who has to die thanks to being nothing but a plaything to a divine being. We are all playthings… disposable. Become my strength, become my knowledge. You will live on forever! Be brave, you will be a step of my legacy!"

I grabbed a scalpel and split the chest cavity open, peeling back the skin. I had since long forgotten of the gloves that were but feet from me.

"Byakugan!"

…

The operation was a failure. The body died before I could preserve the soul, and no matter what I did I couldn't manage to keep the Chakra pathways stable. They kept breaking down regardless of all the methods I tried. Not only was preserving the soul an utter failure, but just the basic version of the human puppet was currently beyond me. How?! How do I do it?!

I sat in dark and silence for a while. I felt defeated. I had taken an extreme risk doing this, and the operation took much longer than expected. I wanted to slip back into the library, but now that I took so long and was a bit battered up that would no longer be an option.

"How long had I even been gone?" I thought standing up to retrieve my bag. I whipped out the timepiece I kept inside and… It had been 30 hours. 30 hours since I came here… I felt weak and tired.

What was I going to do…

My weakened mind struggled for an answer, but instead there was silence.

I stood over to the lifeless kid poking at a cheek. "Your death will not be in vein. I will make something of it, I promise." I whispered under my breath.

-When it came to me… I had been abducted. Yes, somehow I was taken and snuck from the library. How would I make this believable?

I paused, resting a finger on my chin. Hmmmm…

-and it hit me.

…

After cleanup, I ran deeper into the forest beyond Konoha's walls, far from the sewer grate I had left from. I came across an ideal location that had a small pond. I Started shooting out bone fragments everywhere. I destroyed ground, knocked down and skewered trees. I jumped into the water and shot bone bullets out in every direction and I spun around. I made sure to spend a lot of time in the water so the smell of the sewers would get drowned out by the stagnant water.

I pulled myself out and flung myself into ferns, bushes, and leaves. I needed to look as tragic as possible while eliminating any odors that could give me away. I had a single chance to stage and play this off as a kidnapping, so there was no room for half-measures.

After being caked in green stains and mud, I began sprinting to Konoha's gates at top speed. I arrived within 40 minutes and my body had never felt more useless and battered in my entire life. I had no rest physically in two days, and I had long since exhausted my chakra.

I must have looked atrocious because the instant the gate's guards saw me they came running. I was asked several questions but I couldn't exactly make out their words. The pumping in my ears had nearly made me deaf to the outside world.

"I-I… Kidnapped… and I… escaped." I managed before falling limp. I was so dazed that I had surprised myself. I felt myself being scooped up in someone's arms but I didn't know which one. My conscious was slipping away and I couldn't hold on. mmmmhhhh...

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Authors Notes: Zemptai-sama again,still trying to at least pump out a chapter a day. I've been posting these chapters the same day I wrote them, but like I said when I have a bit more content I'm going to be going back and editing/revising as much as I can at once. If anyone wants to assist me by being a beta reader that would be awesome and I could get a few chapters ahead so you can read it before it's released.

Thanks so much for sticking with my story this far! It means a lot to me. SERIOUSLY! I appreciate every reader and expect a much more smooth, polished story when I finally get to revisions!

Enjoy the story and I earnestly ask anyone who is willing to, to write me a review. I will cherish each and every one of them and respond as best as I can. I write so I can share with you guys, and it warms my heart to hear your opinions and interact with the readers.

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**SPECIAL THANKS to the great people below who left me a review, It means a lot!**

-Irina Akashira

-CorruptedDrake - "Thanks for pointing out a flaw in my timeline. I'll have to adjust my future head canon, as well as go back and change those parts. Expect that to be done within the next few days."