Arrival Chapter 2, a naruto fanfic

Alright, so just to clarify: If I do NOT specify the time/place after a line break, assume that it is the same time period and the same general location as the previous section. I'm only going to label significant changes in time and location. So like, I'm not gonna say "a few hours later" and stuff. This isn't spongebob. Also, the seal will get an actual explanation at the end of the next chapter. Don't worry.

"When we think of time frozen we visualize it as everything in the universe being still, in a state of stasis- the cessation of entropy."

Chapter 2: Flex Seal no Jutsu

Aratashiki, Tsunade, Kakashi, Neji, and the leader of the Hyuga clan- Hiashi Hyuga- sat around the low, wooden table. The large pile of bowls had been cleared away, and a bitter green tea was served to each of them atop the now-clean piece of furniture. The others listened intently while Aratashiki told them of the clansmen she sought after and of the creed her people lived by.

"Until recently, the Sage of Six Paths was thought to be a mere legend. With your appearance now, we can be certain it is not," Hiashi stated.

"Kaguya was sent to harvest a chakra fruit and bring it back to my father. She abandoned the mission and, from what I gather, procreated with a human. I do know that Hagoromo had a brother named Hamura who lived on your moon. I met his descendant, Toneri, there." Aratashiki told them.

'Met' was a generous way to describe the encounter. As for what had actually happened - Aratashiki simply held him by the throat while asking all of the wrong questions. She asked who he was, then she asked who Hamura was, and then she asked where Kaguya was. Toneri claimed ignorance, so she told him to 'describe humans in three sentences or less', and then left. His response: tan, idealistic, heterogenous. So far he had been correct, especially about the 'tan' bit.

Tsunade sipped her tea thoughtfully, if such a thing was possible. "So there are more like you, here on earth?"

"Only myself and Kaguya, as far as I know. There was supposed to be another accompanying her, but he apparently vanished long ago - before even Kaguya began her work."

Isshiki, her eldest sibling, was an arrogant coward. What a relief it was for her to find no sign of that jackass. Aratashiki wasn't sure she had the mental or emotional capacity to deal with both him and Kaguya at once. She would go insane, trying to process their betrayals simultaneously.

"And what of this chakra fruit?" Hiashi asked.

"Well, assuming she ate the fruit, she would have become extremely powerful. On par with the main branch and myself. I am surprised you have not heard much of her, as she is not the type to sit back quietly. There must be something I am missing."

"She's a dramatic cunt" was what Aratashiki wanted to say. Spending so much time with Aratashiki's most despised sibling - who shall not be named, because she refused to show so much respect as to give him such dignity - Kaguya had unfortunately picked up some of his melodramatic tendencies.

Hiashi hummed in agreement, his gaze momentarily flickering towards Neji. "There is very little written about her; a singular mention of her name in my own family's records, citing her as a common ancestor with several other clans. It seems there is a great deal else that we do not know."

In reality, Tsunade and Kakashi were the only ones among the gathering who had heard all of this before. It lined up exactly with what Madara Uchiha had told Kakashi and the other Kage during their summit, which Kakashi had relayed to her upon waking from her coma. At the time the plan sounded ludicrous, and none of them believed the man. They knew of other realms, of course, as witnessed by the homes of various summoning creatures; but the idea of an alien from another planet was scarcely thought about, and never discussed except among kooks and the odd artist or fiction author. Now, her and Kakashi were starting to have doubts. However, Tsunade wasn't going to mention any of that to their new visitor until she was absolutely certain the young woman could be trusted. If said trust came to a state of confirmation, then Tsuande would have her witness to the other Kage when the time was right. Ideally at the next possible chance to do so.

ooooooo

"I'm not running away, so no need to act all gangster. You're just slow." The woman rolled her eyes and continued moving.

"You don't even know where the village is," Neji reminded her, jogging to catch up and seizing her bound arms once again. He pressed the sharp edge of a kunai against the skin at the base of her spine as a meek deterrent of further dissent.

"And? I'm a sensor, it can't be too hard to find."

"Then by all means, lead the way. The village we are heading for is called Konohagakure; the largest in the Land of Fire."

"Wow, what a creative name for a village. Only a genius could come up with such an incredible reference to a place surrounded by kilometres of forest." Her voice was thick with sarcasm as she rambled on. "And for a supposed land of fire, it sure is pretty wet; the name seems more fitting for a desert. Oh-ho-ho, I'd bet my third eyeball that you have a desert village 'hidden by the sand' as well. Or a mountain society 'hidden by clouds'."

She began to laugh at the idea, and Neji spoke nothing of her correctness, irritated by her trivialization of the great shinobi villages.

The events of the past few hours replayed themselves on a loop in Neji's mind as he struggled to come to grips with reality. An extraterrestrial, a being from a different planet, perhaps even a different galaxy - were there other galaxies? - he had never considered such an idea except to make fun of those who did, and certainly he had never entertained the notion that he would meet one personally. Terror had never gripped him so tightly as it did when he first stumbled upon that earlier scene, drawn to the area by the sounds of a mighty beast rampaging through the forest:

A demon, a harbinger of death hovered above the trees. He watched alongside his comrades, awestruck and petrified, as they witnessed its gruesome transformation come to completion. They continued to watch as it commanded the storm; the earth shaking in fear, the forest stricken and desperate to escape its wrath. They watched still as the creature changed and was replaced by an angry woman, who looked to be around the same age as himself, began stomping around and vowing to seek vengeance against those who had hurt her.

She was mesmerizing; she also had an obnoxious personality, and had teased him the entire way back to the village. Neji had never guessed himself to be drawn to someone so...boisterous. A beautiful nightmare.

"How do we know we can trust you?" Tsunade asked, pulling his thoughts back to the present.

"I haven't killed you yet," Aratashiki responded, like it was the most rational answer to give.

"Okay... yet . What's stopping you from killing us as soon as I finish this sentence? Or conclude this meeting?"

"You'll just have to take my word for it, I guess." She shrugged, unsure of what else to tell them.

"That isn't worth much," Kakashi interjected. He feigned disinterest to everyone else, but his judgemental attitude was less-thoroughly obscured from an empath. So far, he was the third human she'd met who actively suppressed their emotions - aside from Neji and Hiashi - and the most successful.

"Well, forgive me," Aratashiki retorted. "But I can't offer anything else because I don't know what I need to do for you to trust me. I'm not familiar with your customs."

Thinking once again of their first encounter, Neji remembered the immense chakra he had sensed from her, and the destructive powers she wielded with his entire team as witnesses. They'd been on autopilot from there on out; she confronted them, and he responded the same way he would to any other hostile trespasser. He had to apprehend her, and then they would all return to the village to have the authorities deal with it. Neji had been shocked when she agreed, requesting that they take her to their leader. When he bound her with threads of his own chakra she offered no resistance, remaining peaceful - although a bit sardonic - for the duration of their return trip.

"I know you all can feel her power. She could have killed us out in the forest. Demolished the woodlands, my team, and ran away afterwards. You all would be none the wiser, left to wonder what had happened, what our fate had been. But she didn't. Kilometres of our territory had been annihilated - but she exhausted herself to repair all of it, and not a trace of damage remains. When we confronted her she didn't try to escape, and willingly returned here with us."

Neji spoke quietly - but with a great deal of sincerity - from his seat between herself and Hiashi. Aratashiki turned her head towards the shinobi, clearly perplexed as to why he would actually back her up, and briefly met his eyes. He could see her thanks, her gratitude mixed in with her surprise. A spark of electricity shot up his spine and they both looked away quickly, having both grown uncomfortable due to the extended eye-contact..

"As I said, I come in peace. I do not enjoy killing, nor do I enjoy subjugation; I rebelled against my father and clan by coming here. I was even friends with Kaguya once, but he took that from me along with the past eight years of my life; not that she wasn't complicit in it all. He almost took my sanity, too. This is what he does; Ju-ni-chi-ro, 'he who takes'. I refuse to submit to his tyranny, and I will not return to it."

Watching her discreetly as she spoke, Neji noticed for the first time the profound sadness behind her striking eyes. She almost seemed unaware of it, though, which he thought was odd. Much to his confoundment, he actually felt a sense of solidarity with this strange being; both seemingly bound to a fate they did not choose, both seeking to escape from their oppressors; perhaps to even turn the tide against them as well. It made Neji wonder if he had acted this passionately around others after breaking free from his own vice. The conviction with which she spoke stirred up emotions inside of his chest, things he'd never particularly cared to feel, and he found himself starting to blush; due to what, he couldn't be sure. Dismissing his thoughts, Neji fought back the urge for any further adulation. He was never the romantic type, anyways - not that praise was inherently romantic.

The room plunged into silence, the poignancy of her words affecting each of the others just as it had himself.

"That is a noble disposition, Aratashiki-san. However, due to the apparent power and unknown abilities you possess, we must regard you as a potentially lethal entity."

Aratashiki stared at her lap, thinking. "I can offer you a compromise, then. My father - I mean, Junichiro - developed a certain sealing technique. It is used to subjugate clan members who defect, or who threaten his power."

All heads were turned towards her, listening expectantly. Her voice shook, unable to mask the emotion she felt. "You must understand, before I go on, the gravity of what I am offering."

ooooooo

One Year Ago - Unknown Dimension

White, blinding light. It stretched on for eternity, the silence never-ending, the solitude overwhelming. Alone as a god, alone as a mortal. Trapped in a dimension constructed by her father, waiting for the day of her release that never would come.

Touching the skin on her back, she traced the lines of an invisible seal; the terms of her imprisonment. With approximately ninety percent of her chakra locked behind a series of inner gates, most of her abilities were useless. Not even her rinnegan could offer an escape from the dimension she is in - she did not know where this place was, so trying to leave would kill her due to overexertion. She lacked the chakra required to find her way back home.

Home.

No, she had no home. That place, Ordinance, the first planet of her civilization, was not her home. Those people were not her family. She had no one. This is the way it was, the way it always would be.

The Six Elements Sefirot Prison. A torture device invented by her father, a way for him to ensure that none surpassed his authority. The nature of the fuinjutsu was such that only the caster could release the seal. Until he decided to do so, she was helpless. Bound forever. The worst part of it all was that he'd made sure she couldn't die, either.

Main branch Otsutsuki possessed an oversoul, a mirror of their spirit and consciousness. It was a repository of sorts, stored within Ainsov - the Infinite, a place beyond reality - where it was untouchable by all known entities save for two: her father, and herself. Her mother as well, but she was long dead. The rest of their people had mortal physical bodies that lived long lives but eventually succumbed to age.

When their physical bodies died, they remained spiritually immortal, and could inhabit a new physical body after their death if their will was strong enough to overpower that of the target vessel's. This type of possession had only ever allowed control over the mind, though; the Otsutsuki would not have access to their previous chakra, and were limited to the abilities of the body they operated within.

However, should one be killed before their time, the oversoul could grant them physical immortality through the use of Kāma - Karma - and they could continue to live and use their own chakra. This sealing technique was invented by emperor Junichiro, and is only taught to the strongest main-branch clansmen whom he deems worthy.

Unfortunately, this included her brothers.

Karma is a curse mark bestowed upon a living organism after they have killed an Otsutsuki. The mark was not a guarantee, though, and only appeared if the dying Otsutsuki wished it to be so. Hence the name, Karma: the spiritual principle of cause and effect where intent and actions of an individual influence the future of that individual. This mark allows the user to wield and master the Otsutsuki's chakra and abilities, at the cost of their own individuality.

The Karma will slowly dissipate throughout the body and overwrite the individual's DNA with that of the Otsutsuki who bestowed the mark. If said person's body is strong enough, then once the process completes they will become a perfect vessel; a perfect Otsutsuki. However, such a thing is very difficult, and as of yet no lifeforms have been found that were able to survive the full powers of a resurrected Otsutsuki. The chakra was too immense and the toll on the body from its use too great, so the vessels eventually succumbed to fatal wounds and tissue damage. Since Karma's inception - which occurred during Aratashiki's early childhood - no Otsutsuki has achieved perfection.

Immortality is synonymous with perfection in the eyes of their people. This was the promise of Karma. A chance to join their Emperor and High Priestess as both physical and spiritual immortals.

The seal she bore was the antithesis to her nature. By tethering her oversoul to her physical body, to reality, she became mortal. For this reason, she failed to comprehend why Junichiro was doing this to her. Why make her suffer when he could just as easily grant her a final death?

Death became her only salvation, an end to this torture - and she longed for it every day.

Yet a small flicker of hope burned in her mind that refused her such an indulgence; if there was even a chance of her escaping, then to commit suicide would be a fool's errand. Here, in this prison, she would not die of natural causes. Time did not exist here - she had an infinite window of opportunity to find a way out. For a while her body had aged, but stopped once she reached maturity and adulthood. She was never hungry, never thirsty, never sick, never tired. The nature of her paracausal ability was such that she could dip in and out of the river of time, bending its current to her will, but in a place where time didn't exist this power could not be exercised. Her remaining chakra could be used in this dimension, and she did train the few jutsu she could still perform, but none were useful for an escape.

Nothing. There was nothing. Only herself, her thoughts, and the perpetual white light.

ooooooo

Present - Konohagakure

"It is called the Six Elements Sefirot Prison. It seals away ninety percent of the receiver's chakra. For most users, it render's all abilities other than their primary kekkei-genkai useless, as they lack the chakra required to wield them properly. If the recipient dies, the caster retains a small portion of the sealed chakra. The seal can only be broken by the caster."

"Six elements...what is the sixth element?" This time it was Kakashi who asked the question. He thought she could mean Yin and Yang chakra, but there was no telling with a supposed extraterrestrial.

Aratashiki took another breath before elaborating. "Main branch Otsutsuki possess what we call an 'oversoul'. Think of it as a repository, or a backup, of your spirit and consciousness. The oversouls exist as forms outside of reality; don't bother trying to imagine this, it's literally impossible. We call this place 'Ainsov', the Infinite. So long as our oversoul remains in Ainsov we are spiritually immortal. However, only two members of the main branch - my father and myself - have physically immortal bodies as well. The biology of said characteristic is a complex subject, and unfortunately I have very little knowledge about it."

She took a breath before continuing. "The Six Elements seal connects the recipient's oversoul directly to the fabric of reality, and their physical body."

Cursing her honestly, she wondered why she wasn't born a 'snake bitch' like Isshiki, but then retracted the wish upon reminding herself that he was a horrible person . Besides, she was technically withholding information about the necklace she wore.

"And what does that mean for you, for your power?" Tsunade asked, straining to hold back the barrage of questions she wanted to hail upon the young woman.

"Well, it means I would have as much as or slightly less chakra than one of your 'Jinchuriki'-"

No one bothered asking, but she had gathered that tidbit of information from observing the incident with Pain.

"That is still too much. Imagine another Kyuubi; it's a liability," Hiashi said, cutting her off.

"Let her finish before we cast judgement," Tsunade said, gesturing for Aratashiki to continue.

"With my oversoul exposed, and despite my immortality as a pure Otsutsuki, I will become effectively mortal. I will still heal and recover at an accelerated rate, but I could die a final death if I were fatally wounded more than once. It means that I am entrusting you with my life."

Tsunade regarded her pensively. "Why are you willing to do this?"

Aratashiki swallowed, shrugging her shoulders. Now was not the time to spew her actual manifesto. "Hell if I know. All I do know is that I feel compelled to earn your trust. I can see the destruction Kaguya's actions have caused, and I desire to do anything I can to rectify it while I am here. That bitch needs to be put in her place, you know, and I intend on doing so - even if it fucking kills me."

She shook her fist and let out a determined huff as she finished. The others appeared both surprised and amused by her crude outburst.

"I'm not sure if we can handle another Naruto or Sasuke," Tsunade mumbled.

"Careful, if you start acting like Hidan I'll have to kill you," Kakashi joked quietly.

As to whether those were insults or compliments, she had no idea. Aratashiki wondered who 'Hidan', 'Naruto' - which did sound familiar - and 'Sasuke' were, but didn't pry further because she had a gut feeling that doing so wouldn't result in any answers.

"There's just one thing that doesn't add up," Kakashi said. "If you really are as powerful as we've been led to believe...if you can literally bend space-time, why haven't you found Kaguya yet? Why not just force her out of hiding?"

Aratashiki smiled to herself. The douche-canoe, as she's so graciously nick-named him, had a brain after-all.

"Even the Otsutsuki have their limits. And certain abilities come at a cost, with a great degree of risk. Besides," she smirked at the masked ninja, "we're trained from a young age to conceal those kinds of things. I'm also...interested in this place. And your creatures are so cute ." She patted her flushed cheeks, watching the small pink animal sniff the floor as it ambled around the room. This planet was wonderfully entertaining.

"Tonton, get out of here!" The pig squealed and ran towards the door; Aratashiki felt bad for it. Tsunade sighed after admonishing the piglet and sat up straight, meeting Aratashiki's eyes. "Anyways. What do you want in return? I'm sure there's something we can offer you."

She hadn't quite gotten that far yet. "Well, since I will be mortal. Food, water, shelter-"

"Without a doubt," Tsunade interjected. "All necessities can be provided."

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama. Then...I would like to live among your people while I wait for Kaguya to make an appearance. Back on our planet, I didn't get to experience much culture, everyday life, or hobbies, and after being imprisoned it was just nothingness. I don't know what else to call it. Like, literally a dimension of nothing, with a brief respite in hell every once in a while. Anyways, after the sealing I will still have my dojutsu. My Tenseigan and Byakugan for sure. The others are a toss up." She laughed nervously, before taking on a more serious tone to continue.

"I also overheard something about a war, and I'm willing to provide any aid or information I can. So I suppose I could become a…" she trailed off, glancing at Neji's hitai-ate.

Tsunade smiled in understanding. "A kunoichi. Of course. That could be arranged, in some time. We would have to assess your abilities. After the sealing, I mean."

"Yes, I will demonstrate my capabilities once I get a feel for my remaining chakra," Aratashiki agreed.

Hiashi, who had been silent since her initial outburst, finally spoke up. "I must admit, my reservations will remain until I have seen this seal for myself. However," he turned to look Aratashiki in the eyes, "should everything go as planned, I would like to offer you the protection of the Hyuga clan. If you wish, you can stay within the compound. At the very least, we can offer you training in our style of ninjutsu. I can sense that your tenseigan is similar to the byakugan."

"Thank you, I am very lacking in experience when it comes to actual combat. Your jutsu appear similar to our own chakra-welding techniques. Except for my eyes - the Tenseigan - which are an evolved form of the Byakugan that can only be possessed by an Otsutsuki, or a very close descendant of one. Theoretically." Aratashiki found herself feeling excited to show off her abilities and exchange cultural ideas.

"Interesting, and what does it-"

Tsunade cleared her throat loudly. "I, too, am interested in your abilities. We will have plenty of time to study and to ask questions. Later. First, we need to sort out the matter of this seal."

Aratashiki was hit with a fresh wave of anxiety. Despite her reservations, though, she knew what she had to do. "I can teach someone the technique. It requires a great deal of chakra, but not an inhuman amount, from what I can tell."

"Very well. We should also discuss the terms of its release."

"Oh, right. I forgot about that part. Should Kaguya make an appearance of any kind or attack, it must be released. She is, how do I put it...incompatible with your continued existence."

She only hoped that she would, in such an event, either be able to refrain from breaking out herself, or have immediate access to the caster. This was an exercise of trust, after all, and it went both ways. If she wanted to make up even a little bit for the hypocrisy of withholding her ability to destroy the seal, she would have to live as if it weren't a possibility at all.

Tsunade nodded. "That seems reasonable."

"And," she added, "if ever a threat arises that I believe you...cannot defeat, I am willing to aid you with my full power."

"You are promising a lot with very little to gain by comparison, it seems. This almost sounds too good to be true, if I'm being honest," Kakashi said, ever the dampener.

"Hmm, I suppose it may seem that way to you. However, my mission to find Kaguya is still of incredible importance. Time is not an issue, but it must be done eventually. And…" she trailed off, thinking of the life she could have if this all worked out. Normalcy, friends, freedom from her insane fucking family. An opportunity to repair the spirit her family had nearly broken. A chance at achieving her dream, at maybe even being able to save these people from her clan. Her voice wavered faintly once she spoke again.

"You are helping me more than you know."

"Well then, that begs the question - who should perform the seal?"

Aratashiki's mind flashed back to the events of that afternoon "Wait," she said. "There is one more thing. Before we seal my chakra, I can alter my appearance. I can't imagine walking around in my... alien form is going to sit well with your denizens."

Tsunade smacked herself on the forehead. "Of course, how could I forget. No, we certainly can't have that. In fact, all of this must remain classified. We can't have anyone hear of this just yet."

"Tenten and Lee," Neji interjected. "All three of us saw her in the forest. It's possible they have told others about it by now. With Lee, especially so."

"Dammit," Tsunade cursed.

"I can erase their memories," Aratashiki stated nonchalantly.

"You mean, with a genjutsu?" Kakashi asked. "That can be broken. Not by everyone, but by enough people that it wouldn't last."

"No, not a genjutsu. I mean I can erase their memories. Permanently."

"How? Won't it leave a memory gap?"

Aratashiki shook her head. "No. I can replace the memories by pulling from a version of them living a timeline in which our encounter never happened. It is a delicate process, however, as even small events tend to have a crescendo effect. That said, with such a short period of time, it should not be too difficult to find a congruent timeline."

Tsunade, Kakashi, Hiashi, and Neji gazed at her with uncertainty. She knew exactly what they were thinking.

"Such a feat requires a huge amount of my chakra, and will incapacitate me for the equivalent amount of time that was altered. In this case, several hours. I promise I have not tampered with any of your memories."

They all seemed to relax a little, and the room became noticeably less tense. Aratashiki could sense the incessant flow of questions consuming each individual's mind, causing a small smile to form on her lips. From what she could gather, humanity had very little knowledge of astrophysics, metaphysics, and the machinations of space-time. Compared to her, at least, as it was her only area of pseudo-expertise. This civilization was certainly still in its infancy; she wondered how they might react if she were to reveal any of their technology.

The Hokage's voice pulled her from her thoughts. "Alright. I suppose we should go ahead and get this over with so we can proceed with the sealing."

"Hn." Stretching her arms out in front of her, she turned her palms skyward, revealing the rinnegan in each hand. Tsunade, who had just taken a sip from her fresh cup of tea, promptly spat it back out.

"What the hell are those?"

"I was wondering the same thing," Kakashi said.

Hiashi grunted, and Neji said nothing, staring at her hands with that familiar expression of confusion and disgust. Aratashiki cocked an eyebrow at the group, giggling at their reactions.

"Don't worry, I'll wear gloves later on." Not wanting to be stalled any longer, she began gathering her chakra in each rinnegan.

The group watched in awe as the eyes on her face began to turn a milky white, her body levitating slightly off of the ground. Aratashiki became unnaturally still, save for the swirling of the tomoe in each rinnegan. Her body began to flicker as if phasing in and out of reality, and an impermeable barrier of silence overtook the room. The work was over almost as soon as it began, and her small body collapsed into an unconscious heap on the floor.

ooooooo

Aratashiki woke up several hours later. The broken table had been cleared from the room and her body was lying in its place, wrapped in a warm blanket. A soft pillow had been placed behind her head, and she shifted uncomfortably as her braid dug into her shoulder blade. Letting out a soft whimper, she slowly opened her sensitive eyes, gradually adjusting to the dim light.

A warm hand brushed against her forehead, and when her eyes opened fully she was met with Lady Tsunade's concerned gaze.

"Ah, you're finally awake. To be honest, I didn't quite believe you about the effects at first. I apologize for doubting your word."

Aratashiki smiled, responding in a hoarse whisper. "No worries, you are already forgiven."

Neji, who had recently returned from a D-rank water-fetching mission, watched their exchange with curiosity. It was the first time he had witnessed such open gentleness and vulnerability from the mysterious woman. Unconsciously staring at her lips as she whispered, his trance was broken by Tsunade's irritated grunt.

"Neji. Water her!"

"Right," he muttered, hesitantly settling down beside her and bringing the water skin to her lips, while Tsunade yelled at Shizune to fetch the others. Aratashiki grabbed the container from his hands, startling him, and loudly gulped its contents down before letting out a loud 'ah-h'.

"Water her," she giggled, quoting Tsunade. "I'm not a damn plant, you know."

The older woman laughed. "To be fair, we aren't totally sure what you are."

"Hn." Aratashiki grunted, sitting up fully and rubbing her back where the braid had dug in. "Well I'm a hominid just the same as you."

Neji and Tsunade looked at her in confusion. She was such an odd character; Neji couldn't understand the inspiration behind half of the things she said.

"Like, the homo- genus. I'm homo insidiosus. Bah, nevermind." Aratashiki studied her palms, suddenly remembering something. "Before we get started, I'm going to alter my body."

Tsunade nodded. "Right. Would you like privacy while you do so?"

Shaking her head, Aratashiki replied. "No, thank you, that isn't necessary."

They watched as her white, alien skin began to take on a rosier, more human-like tint. The small horns on her head retracted into her skull, and black pigment spread from the roots of her hair down through her braid until it reached the ends. In less than a minute, Neji and Tsunade found themselves gazing at a very beautiful, very human looking young woman.

"Incredible. You could even pass for a Hyuga," Tsunade commented. "I might have to ask you for pointers some time."

"I'm glad my visage is satisfactory," Aratashiki smiled, looking over at Neji and winking. "Well? How hot am I, on a scale of one to ten?"

"W-what?" Neji stammered, averting his gaze as his face grew hot with embarrassment. Why the hell had she decided to tease him? She'd been antagonizing since they met in the forest, but this was the first time her behavior had been...flirtatious, if that was the intention. It unnerved him.

Tsunade let loose another raucous laugh while Aratashiki started giggling like mad. Her excitement regarding the future was making her feel rather bold; or maybe she was just delirious with anxiety.

"I've never seen this much of a reaction from that kid," Tsunade said, referring to the usually stoic Hyuga who sat across from her.

Hiashi and Kakashi re-entered the room to find poor Neji on the verge of puking from embarrassment, surrounded by the two near-hysterical women. Kakashi observed the scene and Aratashiki's new appearance with disinterest while Hiashi wondered if he should fetch his nephew a bucket. Kakashi decided to instigate the conversation once again, interrupting their gleeful laughter with his clear voice.

"We've decided that Neji will act as your seal caster. For one, he is already in the know. Secondly, he possesses the required chakra. And lastly, since he will be your peer, he is the most likely of us four to be near you should the need arise for the seal to be released."

Aratashiki smirked at Neji, surprised that he had agreed to have anything to do with her. Even though he probably wasn't given much of a choice. "I appreciate you appointing me such a handsome guardian."

Tsunade erupted into another fit of giggles, while Kakashi and Hiashi stared at them both, unimpressed and wondering if Tsunade had busted out a bottle of sake while they were gone. In fact, it would be more surprising if the Hokage had not started drinking yet than if she had, given the events of the past few hours.

Neji turned his face away from them all, covering his mouth with a fist. He was on the verge of becoming completely irate; something about Aratashiki's comments really grated on his nerves.

"I'm starting to like this one!" Tsunade exclaimed, jerking her thumb towards Aratashiki. A few moments later she was finally regaining her composure, and a serious expression washed over her features. "Aratashiki - when you're ready, walk us through the process."

Shivering, Aratashiki gulped nervously. She willed her hands to stop shaking while she started to unwrap her kimono. Noticing their bewildered stares as she slid it over her shoulders, she laughed nervously. "Relax, I'm not giving you a free show. The seal goes on my back. Neji, sit behind me, please."

He shifted behind her, his face once again betraying nothing; beyond a sheen of sweat covering his skin, there was no outward indication of nervousness. She could feel his apprehension, though - amplified by their close proximity - and was torn between trying to comfort him or just ignoring it and letting him be. Neji probably would have been more humiliated by than grateful for her reassurances, so she opted to press on without saying anything.

Aratashiki balled her left hand into a fist, moving it behind her to rest at the small of her back, splaying the right across her sternum. She noticed that Hiashi and Kakashi were inspecting her chakra flow with their respective dojutsu.

"Ok, don't freak out," she said to no-one in particular. Aratashiki's neck began to pulse, and the tip of a bone pushed out of the base. "Grab the bone and pull it out."

"What?" Neji asked, disgust evident in his tone.

"I know it's gross, but please just do it. I need you to make a superficial cut down the center of my back."

"Can I not just use a kunai?"

Oh. Oh. She really hadn't thought of that. Thank the fucking stars that Neji had, she thought, otherwise he would be saying good-bye to a few fingers. That's what she gets for trying to be resourceful; how mortifying. Apparently her curse of stupidity had not lifted since its earlier activation. Aratashiki sucked that bone back in real fast. "Yeah! Yes, yes - my bad. Do that instead."

How could she forget that her bones would react to foreign chakra? She could've shredded Neji's hand and caused a fucking war with these people.

Without further comment he pulled a kunai out of his weapons pouch, applying light pressure as he dragged it along the skin covering her spine. Neji stiffened, watching as the blood seeping out of the cut began to spread across her skin. It branched out in six directions, each line forming a chain of foreign script; thin black bands appeared around her wrists, ankles, and neck. The centerpoint of the seal morphed into a ring of ten concentric circles, stacked together like the cross-section of a tree.

"I need you to place your left hand over my fist, and your right palm at the base of my neck." When he obeyed, she continued, trying to ignore the jarring sensation of his warm hands on her cold skin. "Ok, please begin infusing as much of your chakra as you can into your hands."

She could sense the flow of his chakra altering in accordance with her directions, pooling into each palm. Once he had gathered the necessary amount, she stopped him.

"That's enough. Any more and you might harm yourself." Aratashiki took a deep breath. "Alright. I am going to do most of the work, but I need you to cast as soon as I tell you. No matter what happens, you must not hesitate or pull away. Ok?"

"What do I say?" Neji asked.

Rather than relying on his memory, Aratashiki planted the knowledge directly into his mind using their connected chakras. There wasn't technically a need to say anything, only the intent to activate the seal, so she just made up a bullshit phrase to appease him. "Got it?" she asked.

"Y-yes," Neji stammered, unsure of what had just happened, but not exactly wanting to know the answer either.

Without hesitation, Aratashiki initiated the sealing process. The marks on her body began to glow red as they seared into her skin, prompting her to grit her teeth in response to the intense burning sensation. Her breaths became increasingly ragged while the marks brightened even further. After a few more painful moments, she locked eyes with Kakashi and let out a strangled groan from the painful searing sensation on her back. A silent conversation passed between the two.

Ichidai Kesshin.

"Now!"

Ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku , he counted to six in his head first, and then recited the phrase that followed.

Forcing the chakra he had gathered in his hands into the seal, a blinding light filled the room and Aratashiki screamed in agony. Tsunade, Hiashi, and Kakashi shut their eyes and covered their ears to combat the high-pitched ringing assaulting their eardrums. It rapidly increased in frequency, drowning out all noise other than Aratashiki's cries of pain as her soul connection was essentially cauterized.

They were beginning to fear that their heads might explode when the ringing and the light vanished simultaneously. Upon opening their eyes, they saw Aratashiki hunched over and shivering in front of them as she struggled to breath. When she raised her head, the blood seeping from her eyes started to pool beneath her lower lashes. The blood receded into her skin, leaving behind two symmetrical crimson-bands extending out from her tear ducts and stopping just past the outer crests of her eye sockets, mirroring the marks that were initially on her skin before she masked her appearance.

Tsunade looked to Hiashi and Kakashi, who had been studying the movements of both Neji and Aratashiki's chakra during the whole process. "Well?" she asked.

"She was telling the truth, it seems. Her chakra is... significantly diminished. In fact, it's almost identical to Naruto's in terms of quantity." Kakashi's voice betrayed a hint of astonishment.

Hiashi nodded in agreement. "I have not witnessed such a powerful seal since Lord Fourth sealed away the Kyuubi."

"Fuck, that really hurt," Aratashiki whimpered.

Removing his hands from Aratashiki's back, Neji stared wide-eyed at the exposed flesh that was now devoid of any evidence of the seal. The whole ordeal had him feeling a bit shell-shocked, body swaying back and forth slightly. He fell backwards and caught himself on his hands, looking up for a moment before slumping, unconscious, against the wall.