Chapter 23 "I Want to See Why You Hurt"

Author Note: As always, sorry about the delayed chapter updates. I hope this longer chapter makes up for the wait.

I am going to be making an attempt to remove all grammar and spelling mistakes from past chapters by the way. I know they are in bad shape. It shocks me that people can read my story as it is now.

Thank you all so much for reading. It means a lot to me.

Outside the Last Millennium Zeppelin, on a Nearby Roof

My eyes widened as I saw Schrodinger was once again unharmed after I attacked—no, killed him. I felt the resistance of his flesh against my blade as it glided its razor-sharp edge through skin and muscle. I knew I finished him with a clean slice through the throat after he took multiple shuriken to the torso, puncturing vital organs. I saw blood dye his olive uniform shirt red as the interior of his throat that was perfectly visible.

But somehow Schrodinger was now beside me, defiling my ear with his voice that felt like a warm embrace from a perverse stranger, with his dagger impaling me. I felt my whole body tense, causing the blade to hurt even more, as he spoke once again, "Did you like killing me? You attack like an animal; murder is second nature to you." He insisted. I swallowed hard as I turned to look at him with my yellow eyes, I felt the blade twist slightly, and I nearly recoiled in pain. But I was taught long ago that just taking pain isn't the way to make it stop. I let out a sharp hiss before I struck once again, faster than even Kiri could see without the aid of his Sharingan.

For a split-second, I considered going for his neck with my fangs or claws because it is my second nature to kill. I wasn't destined to be a killer at birth, but I was altered so that it was my instinct. Humans are omnivores; we are meant to eat more vegetation than flesh, though. But I am more serpent than woman now, I have the body of an animal, but my mind is partially human. That means I'm smart enough not to make the same mistake more than once…usually. I slammed my elbow into Schrodinger's cheek to rob him of a clear view of my next action. I then delivered a quick punch to the boy's side, targeting the floating rib. Finally, I got free by grabbing Schrodinger's wrist of the arm wielding the knife and ripped the blade out of me and toward the boy. I then leaped back to a safe distance. "I don't like killing. I just do it when I need to, and you definitely need to die for pissing me off." I said as I looked at my wound, focusing nature energy into the wound, so it started to heal. Unfortunately, I was in my humanoid form with a transformation Jutsu on so I'd look like a real human. I didn't think to recast the transformation, so the wound closed up with white scales-my true "skin."

I was unsure if he could see from this far away in the dark, but one of the boy's cat-like ears twitched when I observed my closed wound. "I am one of the experiments of the good doctor we have at Millennium. An experiment that played with the fabric of reality and the line between man and beast!" He stated as he rubbed his side, no doubt he had internal damage. I blinked, and he was now sitting on an air conditioning unit to my left. "Is it a genjutsu of sorts? ...I don't feel uneasy like my chakra flow is erratic from being under such a spell. It could be like a space-time Jutsu. Like the Lord Fourth's Hiraishin or the one that summoned Kiri here." I thought.

"Oh…so you aren't from this reality, Kat-chan?" Said a voice with no sound, a voice from within my head. "No…you can't be here, you little shit!" I exclaimed as I look around, desperate to see that Schrodinger appeared somewhere else.

"Shush, Kat-chan. I won't tear your cute little head apart. I just want to know more, more about—you. Because I smelled the scent of chemicals, blood, a snake and a female on you from the moment I laid eyes on you. Our scents are similar." He explained with as soothing a tone he could use; His efforts were a massive failure, though. I didn't trust this cat shit at all. But it's hard to resist this sort of attack, so I had to play along.

"Fine. But I am not going to enjoy this, the thought of you worming around inside my head makes me want to vomit, Warrant Officer." I spat out with venom.

A Few Blocks Away from the Last Millennium Zeppelin, on the Ground

My legs ended up taking the brunt of my fall off the building. I had attempted to fall in a manner to kick to the werewolf as I fell, making him take our combined weight when we hit the pavement.

Instead, I ended up landing on my feet, standing upright and only feeling a bit of pressure on my ankles for a moment. I had many moments where it became clear that I wasn't human any longer weeks ago when I was just turned, and it shook me to my core. But now, I felt more than human. I looked to where the vulpine and canine fell and realized they landed on top of the other.

Miso had fallen on top of the Captain and was trying to rip out the larger beast's throat with his teeth. Unfortunately, the wolf's hide seemed to be too tough for Miso to do any real damage while the fox had to dodge the wolf's retaliatory attacks. As the fox would nip at the canine's haunches, chest or neck, the wolf would snake his massive head around to catch the fox up in his jaws. As the wolf wriggled around, I noticed he had mud coating one side of his body; it seems that Miso managed to wrestle in mid-air and make the Captain break his fall. I was thankful that the werewolf was distracted for now.

I reached for the center button of my freshly dyed Hellsing uniform shirt. The once yellow fabric was tainted deep red from the blood I absorbed from Pip and his fallen comrades. I dug my hand into my shirt and unclipped the band restraining my nickel-finished P226 handgun I carried during my days as an officer.

Weeks Before the Millennium Attack

Kiri looked at me with a devious smile, nodding in agreement. He had decided that it would probably be a good idea for me to carry a concealed secondary weapon for emergencies. "I know you detained a vampire when those Valentines attacked the manor but it's not a sound plan to just go ape shit every time you lose your rifle." He explained, which did make sense, so I agreed to look into concealed weapons with him. After hearing about different types of weapons, people carried in his world. I decided to carry a handgun concealed on my person after Kiri told me that he used to keep a snub-nosed revolver in his boot back home.

"That's brilliant, Seras!" Kiri started as he looked at the holster I selected—a chest holster. It was basically a hip holster that had straps designed to wrap around your back, so the gun sits on your chest. Kiri stood still for a second staring at the chest holster lost in thought before continuing, "Anyone you face, be they male or female, straight or otherwise, can't help but just see your sweater puppies when they look at your chest. No one would ever notice the edges of the gun!" He declared as he paced the room with his arms crossed and a contemplative expression on his face. I choked back a laugh as I felt a small amount of heat coat my cheeks. "You notice my breasts often?" I asked softly, fighting the urge to laugh.

Kiri's pale skin turned ridiculously red, and his eye's turned light orange. I wondered what it meant for his eyes to become orange if his eyes only turned red when he was angry beforehand. He went rigid in place and stuttered out, "I-I-I ain't saying that I like stare all the time or anything! I just…um noticed them because they are like unique and stuff. I am not the type of perv to think bigger b-breasts are like sexier or something. I-I'm impartial…to size. Like I am into both genders, but I do like um…um…" Kiri said before his voice got so high that his voice cracked and he just went silent. I wanted to spare the poor boy and bust out laughing, but I had to finish off the teasing.

I averted my gaze as my blush deepened before looking Kiri in the eye. "But you are saying I'm attractive, right?" I asked softly. Kiri replied with, "um…" I crossed my arms and didn't even feel like laughing anymore. I looked at the ground, and my smile lessened slightly. I really never dealt with anything like this before. Back home, back in the orphanage—nobody liked me. So…the thought that somebody thought I was attractive, not in a perverse way as well, was comforting. I looked at Kiri. "I think that's okay, I've never met anyone who said that so…nicely," I admitted. Kiri grabbed one of his arms and looked away in response. He nervously rubbed the side of his bicep, as if tracing some hidden blemish.

"I-I'm sorry for saying it. Nothing good will come of it…forget I said anything." He suggested with a small smile with his eyes closed. I felt that his smile was partly genuine but carried no joy. I wasn't one for joy either but I felt bad for teasing him. I reached for his hand, but he recoiled from my touch. "Um…list which holsters you like, and we can go over them later. The guards here have to have a couple we could borrow for measurements." He said with a forcefully positive tone before he started to turn to leave.

I grabbed his shoulder, and he flinched violently as if his first instinct was to run, but past experiences made him stay in place. He blushed, embarrassed. I smiled and gave him a light pat on his messy hair. "I know all too well why you react like that, Kiri. Don't feel like you got to go but if you do, then it's okay." I murmured before letting him go. His blush deepened, and a small playful pout appeared. "I'm not a dog, Seras." He said as he messed with his hair. "I know…" I said before I grinned before I gently poked the tip of his nose. "…you're a cute little fox." I finished before I grabbed his wrist and led him to the barracks. I was happy for some reason because he didn't flinch at all after that.

The Modern Day

I drew my P226 and fired some of the silver 9mm Heavy Explosive rounds at the large wolf. The werewolf immediately stopped trying to attack Miso the moment my finger starting pulling the trigger. Though, even with my enhanced vision, the first round didn't hit the wolf. "He must've heard it." I thought as I fired an additional two shots as the werewolf sprinted down the street to get to safety. I grit my teeth as I saw that I still couldn't hit the Captain and used my "third eye" ability to focus entirely on my target. For a moment I swore I could hear his heart beating quickly, or was it my own?

I fired with a quick exhale. The bullet hit the wolf along the curvature of his spine, and he fell limply to the ground, skidding until he was a meter away from an alleyway. I rushed forward with Miso, intent on killing the mutt before he could recover, but the werewolf managed to crawl into the alley. Not wanting to give the wolf an advantage, I motioned for Miso to stop before I did as well.

The entire altercation must've taken place in less than five seconds. I walked over to Miso and gently stroked him behind the ears. He leaned into my touch and yipped cheerfully. "This is ironic. The fox is helping the hunter track a hound." I thought to myself. I only had eight rounds of the twelve round magazine left. "Then I suggest you save them for when you can hit the bastard." Pip Bernadotte said. My eyes widened, and I turned, looking for the origin of the voice. "Christ, get your ass down, Seras!" Cursed the Frenchman before my shadow arm twisted around and slammed me into the pavement. The sound of stone cracking followed, and I looked up to see the Captain had altered his form once more.

The Captain now was in a form that was truly half-man and half-wolf, he looked like something out of a movie. His already towering height probably surpassed Alucard at this point, and his muscles were even larger. I stood up feet with my gun at the ready and a determined glint in my eyes. "Voices and a real werewolf. I really fell into the deep end of weird shit didn't I?" I asked myself before leaping to the brick wall the werewolf had clung to and charged him. I could now move so fast that I could reach the fucker before I started to fall off the wall. I delivered a quick series of kicks and punches with my good arm before I landed a sidekick to the Captain's knee. He buckled, giving me the time to fire at his midsection, but he managed to dive towards the ground to safety. I looked at him with hate in my eyes.

"Calm yourself, Seras." Pip insisted. "Pip…is it really you?" I asked back in my mind. I could feel him smile and nod. "Before you start thinking of other things again, look at his throat," Pip asked, I narrowed my eyes to focus and noticed that some collar-like object was secured to the werewolf's neck—under the skin. It moved as he heaved deep breaths from the strain of combat. "So he may be fighting against his will…that makes things even more complicated. How am I supposed to deal with that?" I started with a tired expression. Pip laughed. "The same way we always do! Push on and fuck shit up. Though, don't get a big head. This Nazi shit is testing you, not fighting you." He pointed out. I nodded. "I noticed this as well but thought I was just seeing things," I answered before looking at the werewolf.

I jumped down to the pavement and motioned for Miso to stand back. He let out a small whine but followed my orders. The werewolf looked at this with confusion evident on his face. "I can tell you're not exactly all in on this fight, so I'll do my best not to kill you but no promises, Captain," I stated simply as I reloaded my gun with a fresh magazine, keeping the slightly used one in my back pocket. He nodded before charging forward, and I did the same.

Hellsing Estate Greenhouse

I had finally come face to face with one of the dark beings that had been hounding me since the battle for London began and asked her why she drew me all the way out to a back room of the manor. Apparently, there had been an old greenhouse by the servant's quarters that I'd never seen before.

"I doubt that. There's no more furniture for you to scurry under." I said with some cockiness in my voice as I answered the creature's attempt of a threat. I then summoned my sheathed ninjatō from an arm seal. I had sealed away the weapon earlier when I made my stupid trek through the marsh outside. Feeling the damned thing against my sweaty back was torture so I was willing to fight without the weapon for the sake of my sanity.

Throwing reflection aside, I drew the ninjatō's black blade from its sheath before gently setting the wood polypropylene-coated scabbard on a table nearby. I observed the woman with my Sharingan in the hope that it could help me predict her movements. The being's features seemed closer to someone of Nara clan back home than Seras' people. Her eyes were pure black and bore into me. I felt hidden pupils track me as I paced around her.

"What do you want?" I asked as I flicked my wrist to loosen up my arm muscles. My usual pillow talk would've been wittier but spending a whole night fighting vampires was grating; having to slay the monsters with such a small chakra pool was worse.

The black-eyed woman gave me a quizzical look, "I am Munin. We have no name for ourselves." She answered with a tone resembling an adult simplifying basic concepts for a child. Irritation crept up my spine, "Alright then, Munin." I said, practically sighing the word. "What do you want? Why are you here? There's a lot of things going on so you guys fucking off would be great." I asked with a sense of urgency.

Munin scowled as if she smelled something foul, "I've been left here to test your abilities and kill the vampires. They weren't supposed to be able to slaughter freely, gorging in sin. Though, that seems to be the nature of your kind isn't it?" Munin said in a sickly sweet voice.

"I understand. It's the nature of all life to cause pain." I laughed. "For instance, you are causing my blood to boil with your high and mighty schtick. Anyway, you can take the other vampires, but I can't allow you to hurt Seras and Alucard." I explained. Maybe Munin would accept my request and leave. She seemed to have a good head on her shoulders and should know that sparing only a few vampires would make little difference. Though, the feeling of uneasiness—the anxiety constricting my lungs—didn't make me confident.

Suddenly, that feeling of apprehension became fear that caused me to shiver as I felt a light, cold breath against the back of my neck. I fought the desire to allow my body to shake violently as Munin rested her hand against my cheek. She then roughly grabbed my chin and made me look her in the eye, "do you understand? The others think you will, but I think you're blind as the other mortals…" She spat out. Memories of the last time another's scent filled my nostrils made me go blind in a haze of burning hatred. "Stop," I growled, elbowing the creature in the throat before I kicked her shin to throw off her balance.

Munin merely laughed at my strike since I was so shaken up that I didn't use senjutsu to enhance my physical strength. "I'm worse than them because I know how awful we are," I said with a dark look and a sneer. I started to wipe at my chin, trying in vain to rid it of the sensation of being touched. Munin looked at me with an inscrutable expression, "Interesting. Show me more." She asked with her pure black eyes focused on me and fear filled my being once again.

"You can sense it can't you? Our power. We come from other worlds like you. We are omnipotent—gods." She said, a sinister but subtle smile forming on her face. I just stood still for a moment to collect for nature energy for nature chakra. "I think I can hurt you. I was able to make the mindless ones retreat." I said, wanting to knock the bitch down a few inches. "True. We can be harmed, the Masses can be hurt, but you can't kill me. I am one of the few Individuals, ones that still know their self and recognize their existence." Munin stated matter-of-factly.

"Beings from my world that could create new life could die. I think a mold that festers in the darkness shouldn't be too hard to kill." I said with a cocky smirk before shifting into a nintaijutsu stance that was perfect for both swordplay and Jutsu use. "I won't let you hurt Seras," I said with a sense of finality, focusing all the chakra in my core, so it became a flame-like dark green aura that formed around my body. "Hm…you think you can beat me, Uzumaki?" Munin said with a slight…pouting expression? It was hard to tell what she felt, but then again I didn't exactly care about her feelings. All I knew was that Munin was leaving herself open to attack and I was going to take advantage of her blunder.

I took a step forward and delivered a snap kick to the air with a quick exhale. A moment before my leg fully extended I made the unique crossed finger seal for the Kage Bunshin Jutsu, the Shadow Clone technique, and spawned a single clone that was also in Sage Mode. The clone did a back flip as soon as he appeared in a puff of smoke and threw his feet out to meet my kick. He channeled chakra into his feet that was more condensed than the amount I put behind my kick and the two resonating chakra sources combined to create a concussive force. The clone rocketed toward Munin at blinding speed.

The moment my clone got close enough, he slugged Munin across the cheek with a senjutsu-enhanced fist. Munin must've assumed that the hit would've been as ineffective as last time as she didn't even try to block the punch. The moment the clone's fist connected it caused Munin's head to rock to the side with tremendous force, and some dark fluid hit the ground. Munin managed to stay on her feet but remained motionless. I then let the clone disappear, so I was able to reabsorb the chakra I used on it. Next, I used that chakra to perform a Shunshin, a Jutsu that allowed the user to travel a distance, though, most users could only make long distance journeys.

In less than a second, I appeared to the right of Munin with my ninjatō covered in wind senjutsu chakra. I pivoted and slashed twice at Munin. She looked up at me before large gashes appeared in her collarbone and her abdomen. A sound similar to steel being put under an immense amount of force filled the air. "You're just another bitch abusing her power." I muttered as more of the dark fluid stained my cheek when the roar of shearing metal sounded.

Munin responded by seizing my face with one hand in response, lifting me in the air, and whispering, "Bala." The feeling of my flesh burning nearly overwhelmed me. I cursed internally for my recklessness before I twisted my free hand up and over Munin's arm before I snapped her elbow with a chop. Munin let out a small cry of surprise.

I continued my assault by roughly twisting my head out of the Munin's grasp and planned to push off her leg joint to get some distance. Munin interrupted my plans by backhanding me across the face hard enough to crack a bone. I flew across the room and out of the greenhouse…through the wall.

I sat up a second after, coughing up a bit of glass particulate, "fuck…she's strong. I need more…Kurama, can you…?" I thought as I tried to feel for the bone that had been broken from Munin's punch but felt no jutting bone fragments under my skin. "Probably healed." I thought before I stood and looked to the greenhouse only to see Munin hadn't left it yet. She may have needed the time to regenerate as well. "Kurama. I know it is hard for you to hear me, especially around this thing, but I need your chakra. Just a bit more and I should have enough chakra to use stronger Jutsu." I asked internally.

Jinchūriki spoke to Bijū, the tailed beasts, using the chakra passed through the seal that contained the Bijū. So I should never have a problem talking to Kurama. Munin suddenly appeared in the hole my body created in the greenhouse wall. I sighed, hoping that she may have been bluffing about being strong enough to be considered immortal. I slowed my breathing, trying to preserve my energy. "Hello there, I was kind of hoping you were dead." I quipped. Munin had a faraway expression on her face as she looked at me. "You can make me bleed." She said. I raised an eyebrow at the response.

"So her bleeding is unusual? Those mindless ones I fought earlier didn't bleed when I hit them with a Ōdama Rasengan. Maybe the wind chakra did it. Well, senjutsu-enhanced wind ninjutsu to be exact." I guessed. "Wait. Only one other thing is immune to all but senjutsu…Yin-Yang chakra users. Father spoke about how the Ten-tails Jinchūriki could only be hurt by Grandpa Naruto's senjutsu and Sasuke's Yin Jutsu." I thought with trepidation in my gut.

Yin-Yang Jutsu were the first techniques using chakra ever made, they were powerful enough to alter reality and could harm anything. Yin and Yang are the most basic form of Jutsu that regular Shinobi could use. With Yin and Yang chakra things that existed could be shaped, and things without form could be created. Senjutsu used nature energy which was made by the world itself. If this woman could only be harmed by something as old as nature energy…she could be as strong as a god.

"If you can hurt me then you are worth taking. All the vampires are going to die without my interference anyway so I can focus on you." Munin said abruptly as she straightened her bangs with her hand. "She can sense them from this far away? Kurama! Wake up you fuzzy fuck!" I yelled internally, feeling a bit of sweat collect on my forehead. I was nowhere near strong enough to deal with Munin at the moment, hell, even at my strongest I doubted I could face her. I needed brother…

"Who are you yelling at?" Munin asked quietly, suddenly right in front of me with her arms on my shoulders. I trembled. "H-How did you hear me…?" I asked, my voice trailing off as I tried to still myself. I struggled to wrench myself out of Munin's grasp, but her grip held. "Let me go. Now." I ordered. Munin merely smiled before she bit into my neck. The pain was immense as I felt it become harder and harder to feel my chakra. My senses soon dulled as well. As she pulled her teeth from my flesh, I felt her let her lips linger on my skin for a moment. "Stop…touching me…" I asked, to me I sounded as weak and afraid as the last time I was so helpless.

Munin placed a hand on my lower back and moved her other hand to my cheek as she lowered me until I was kneeling. My body started to slump over, but she grabbed my shirt and adjusted my body so I would lean against her. She placed my forehead against hers. I shivered, I was thinking of her again. The feeling of being held reminded me of Asu-chan. I hated to think of her. "You're hurting." Munin suddenly said, pulling me out of my thoughts. "I want to see why you hurt," Munin ordered, and I felt the energy she forced into me respond to her words. Her sinister energy coaxed me into nodding with a smile. Smiling felt so wrong. "I will…but after…I'll kill you," I said, starting to speak with a sweet voice before my anger broke through the haze for a moment.

Munin looked at me, searching my face for something, I couldn't tell what. I felt my Sage Mode deactivate as I ran out of nature chakra or Munin's energy forced it from my system. My chakra control was so erratic that my Sharingan deactivated as well. "Don't be scared, Kirisuto." She insisted before she placed a hand on both of my temples.

I felt my eyes fill with chakra without my consent and my Mangekyō Sharingan manifested. A few painful images of the day I felt the pain that gave me the eye filled my vision, bringing my spirits down further. "I will go with you. I can feel that your eyes make you never to forget some things…I want to see what you remember."Munin explained as she closed her eyes and the diamond-like pattern of my Mangekyō began to spin.

I woke up in bed back in the Land of Fire. I looked to my side and saw I was in the command tent of the front line. Hanging in a wardrobe nearby was my ANBU General uniform. My service katana and snub-nosed black revolver laid on a table at the foot of my bed. There was only one other thing I needed to see to confirm I was where I thought I was; I pressed a button on the side of my bed frame. In a second an ANBU agent appeared in my tent crouched. She looked up at me, her blizzard blue eyes shining through her raccoon ANBU mask. "Asuka?" I asked, my voice sounding a fair bit higher pitched as I was a late bloomer at sixteen. Raccoon cocked her head to the side, "I thought you said we aren't supposed to use real names, Kiri-kun."

Chapter End