Standard Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Glee. So early post today, since tomorrow is Christmas. So Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, or you know, just enjoy your Thursday/Friday if you aren't inclined to celebrate ;-) Anyways, hope you all enjoy this chapter.
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xXx-Chapter 8-xXx
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It had been three long days since her nightmare and no matter how hard she tried she just couldn't seem to shake it off. It had struck her at her very core, hitting every anxiety, every fear she had. And if that wasn't bad enough, the red-eyed figure in the black flames continued to haunt her dreams. She had sensed that chakra once before. On the night of the Kyuubi's attack, she had felt it. A chakra so vile that it had taken an honest to God demon to overcome it.
She knew her family was worried about her and she tried to put on a brave front, but she was well aware that she wasn't fooling anyone. But it wasn't like she could talk to anyone about it either. She could tell them about what she dreamed, about the figure and how everyone was better off without her, and they could try to comfort her, tell her that the figure was just her imagination, how they loved her, except… The figure was real. She could feel it in her bones, she had sensed its chakra twice now. Once was a coincidence, but twice was too much to ignore.
And no matter how much she wanted to she couldn't fully accept their words on how much they loved her either… they didn't know her, not really. They knew Rin Yamanaka, they didn't know Quinn Fabray. Rin Yamanaka was a member of their family, Rin was a sister and a daughter and a friend who was well loved, but Quinn… Quinn was poison to everything she touched and Quinn was who she was at her core. Quinn wanted and craved the love that Rin received but would never get and she knew that she didn't deserve it either.
She had decided to go for a walk around the Yamanaka clan's land. It wasn't the largest part of Konoha but Quinn had always thought it pretty and peaceful. It certainly wasn't as big as the Uchiha compound or the Hyuuga compound and it was only about a third of the size of the Nara's lands. It was just a couple of acres of forested area with meadows scattered within and a small stream that ran through it.
The Yamanaka's weren't a huge clan either, not anymore, their numbers having been starting to dwindle a bit over the last few generations, so it was quite easy to find yourself alone out here. When she finally reaches the stream she sits down on a large rock that Quinn figured had been put there for just that reason. It was just so out of place that she had a hard time imagining it being there naturally.
This was her training area. A couple meters away was her poor old tree that was just starting to recover from her efforts to learn tree climbing, and the ground near the edge of the stream was scorched from all of her fire ninjutsu training. Her father had brought her some chakra affinity paper and she had learned that fire was her natural affinity which meant fire jutsu were the easiest type of ninjutsu for her to learn. Plus, and if she was being completely honest, she really thought they were kind of cool too.
Normally she would start training as soon as she got here, either going through different Taijutsu katas that she had learned or practicing her ninjutsu or chakra control or something along those lines. But today she just didn't have it in her. She needed to clear her head so she gets into a meditation position and closes her eyes.
Back in her old world she had thought the concept of meditation to be a little hokey. Having never tried it back then she couldn't say if she was right or not but here in this world it definitely had its merits. When she was old enough and her parents really started teaching her how to suppress her chakra and her sensory abilities, for the longest time, meditation was the only way for her to successfully do it.
She had learned a couple of ways to go about it and had heard many suggestions on how to get into a meditative state. People here talked about meditation like they did flu remedies or getting rid of the hiccups. Everybody had a technique that they swore up and down was the best. The one that she used was the one that her mother had taught her, you imagined yourself sitting on top of a crystal clear lake. The sky dark and full of stars but it's still as bright as day. The world is completely silent. Once your world is constructed, you begin to breathe in slowly and deeply and with every exhale you imagine a drop of water hitting the lake right in front of you. The sound of the drop hitting the lake echoes all around you. You then allow the sound to pull you into a meditative state.
Her father's method involved just clearing his mind of all thoughts and not allowing himself to focus on anything. He had the self-control to be able to do that but her mind always felt like it was in a whirlwind. Ino pictured herself in a field of yellow flowers with one purple one growing right in front of her, she then focused on the purple flower to the exclusion of everything else. Both great techniques, neither of them worked for her.
It always took her a while to reach that meditative state, she didn't meditate nearly as much as she should so she was a bit out of practice and with everything going on in her head right now it would have been difficult anyway. But eventually the chirping of the nearby birds disappears and the bubbling of the stream as it courses along fades away and soon all there is, is herself and the steady rhythm of the water droplets. Her mind is quiet for the first time in days.
This was it, this was the peace and quiet that she needed to get herself put back together. It was just a dream… only a dream. She lets out a sigh of relief, finally feeling a semblance of peace as she loses herself into her meditation. Time loses all meaning and she allows herself to get lost in the stillness that meditation provides.
Just as she thinks that she is in the clear she feels something dark and sinister creeping up in the back of her mind. The stars in her mind begin to dim and disappear, the light around her going out as black flames begin to rise up from the water which begins to boil. The evil presence of that chakra returns.
"Don't you dare call me that, I am not your father!"
Quinn flinches but doesn't break her concentration. Trying to regain control of her mind.
"What kind of sick and twisted person does that?"
Her mother's voice echoes around her. She tries to douse the flames in the water, but it does no good, somehow the black flame devours the water as well.
"Did you ever really care about me?"
The fire begins to race towards her, she raises a wall of the already boiling water to surround her and protect herself but it's instantly dispersed by the flames which then charge at her, taking the form of various beasts and monsters. She can feel her body heating up as the flames reach her.
"Hey Rin."
Quinn jerks awake, sitting up startled as her heart is racing. Had she fallen asleep? It was something that could occur when you meditated… still it was a little embarrassing. She looks around and sees a smiling Sakura coming over to her.
"Hey Rin, we've missed you the past couple of days." Sakura says as she jumps up onto the rock and sits next to her.
"Hey Sakura." Quinn says smiling weakly, rather grateful that the girl showed up when she did. At least it broke her from that nightmare.
"Are you okay, you're looking a little red there, did you fall asleep out in the sun?" Sakura asks.
"What?" Quinn pauses for a second and realizes that she does in fact feel a little warm and her body slightly aches, but she is already starting to cool down. "Oh, yeah… must have, but I'm fine."
"I'm glad."
"So how are things at the academy?" Quinn asks, trying to make small talk and get the focus off of herself.
"It was fine, Sasuke came back today." Sakura says with a slight frown. "He's so different now… well duh, after what happened why wouldn't he be… it was just hard to see. I feel so sad for him."
Quinn nods her head in agreement. Ino had filled her in on what had happened, apparently Sasuke's brother had killed his entire clan. She couldn't imagine going through something like that. "Yeah…"
The two of them sit in silence for a couple of minutes before Sakura speaks up again. "So how are you feeling? You're looking good, are you finally getting over your cold?"
Quinn's parents had allowed her stay home for the rest of the week, her reaction to her nightmare having scared them too. A mental health holiday they had called it, using a cold as an excuse. Her scores were more than high enough that she could afford to take some time off. "Yeah I'm feeling much better, thank you for asking."
"I'm glad, school's not quite the same without you." Sakura says softly.
"Really?"
"Yeah, it's weird but it's like… I don't know, I just like it when we're all together. You, Ino, me, and Naruto, we're all friends. It just feels weird when one of us is gone."
Quinn smiles and gently bumps her shoulder to Sakura's in gratitude. "I've missed you guys too."
"Plus with you gone it's just me versus Naruto and Ino and while I love them both to death… they're both so loud."
Quinn laughs, "Yeah, I guess they can get a little rowdy at times."
Sakura smiles, "Exactly, but you and me, we're a little more quiet. It balances out."
"So where are Ino and Naruto?" Quinn asks curiously.
Sakura laughs, "Naruto convinced us to help him pull a prank in the teacher's lounge. I got out clean but Ino and Naruto got caught."
Quinn snorts, "Really, how'd he manage to do that?"
"He guilted us into it, he said that you would've helped him, but that with you gone he was all alone."
Quinn rolls her eyes because no she wouldn't have. "That boy." She says fondly.
"Yeah, Ino and I didn't buy it for a moment either but he's been really down since you've been out sick so we wanted to cheer him up."
"Plus you like a good prank too, admit it." Quinn teases.
Sakura just giggles in response.
"So what did you guys do?"
"We put black dye in the coffee turning anyone who drank its teeth black. Completely harmless and hey its good training too, I mean what if we had been assassins with poison. Really if they got hit then they deserve it, they should have been more diligent." Sakura says with a smirk, playfully justifying their actions.
"Who did you get?" Quinn asks laughing.
"Iruka-sensei, Mizuki-sensei, and Suzumi-sensei. Mizuki-sensei had a good laugh about it, said it was pretty clever but Iruka-sensei and Suzumi-sensei were pissed."
"Well Iruka-sensei is in charge of the class and has to put up with these kinds of things the most so it's understandable, plus it's his coffee and I think there's almost something sacrilegious about messing with someone's coffee. And Suzumi-sensei has never had much of a sense of humor." Quinn says. "So how did those two get caught but not you?"
Sakura rolls her eyes, "They forgot to wear gloves so they had dye all over their hands, I didn't forget, thus here I am. I was going to turn myself in too, you know, it didn't seem fair for them to get in trouble but not me since I did help them but none of us wanted you to be alone so they covered for me and I came here instead."
"Well since you're here, do you want to get some training in?" Quinn asks, grateful for the other girl's company.
Sakura hesitates. "I don't know… are you up for it, you are just getting over a cold."
Quinn stands up and offers her hand to Sakura helping her stand. "I think a little training is just the thing to get me going."
Sakura can feel her face heat up when she takes Rin's hand. She always got butterflies in her stomach when she thought of the other girl. It was strange and she didn't quite understand it, it was the same feeling she got when she used think of Sasuke, which was really weird because it wasn't like she had these same feelings around Ino, but there was just something about Rin. "Alright, but don't expect me to go easy on you."
Quinn smirks and the two girls jump down from the rock across from each other. Both of them taking a fighting stance. Quinn takes a moment and releases the careful hold she usually keeps on her sensor abilities. In a fight it made her near impossible to sneak up on so it was good to practice using it while in a combat situation. It also had the added benefit of forcing her friends to get clever when facing her, because none of them were capable of sneaking up on her with it released. However when she releases it she pauses, a powerful chakra signature was on their way to her house, as vast and as deep as an ocean and completely serene. She gets out of her fighting stance and stares in the direction it is coming from.
"Rin, what's up, aren't we going to spar?" Sakura questions.
"Someone is coming."
"Who?" Sakura asks.
"I don't know, but they're strong… stronger than even my parents."
Quinn hears Sakura gulp nervously and she chuckles lightly while giving Sakura a reassuring smile. "Sorry, that came out much more ominous than I meant it too. They're not coming to hurt us, I don't sense any malice from them. They're just strong, that's all."
"What should we do?" Sakura asks.
"Nothing, they've stopped at the house, my mom is there and so is dad. Mom is a little surprised and a little nervous but dad is pretty calm. Everything seems okay, it's probably just something work related, dad gets visitors all of the time."
"Wow…" Sakura mutters. She knew that Rin was a sensor-nin, and a powerful one at that, but to be able to sense something from that far away and to be able to pick up their emotions was incredible.
"So, shall we get started?" Quinn asks getting back into her fighting stance.
"Sure." She chirps, getting back into her own stance. The two girls stare each other down, looking for an opening and with a shout Sakura charges in.
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xXx-Scene Break-xXx
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Sakura was breathing heavily, feeling exhausted but still smiling having spent the last half an hour facing off against the other girl. The fact of the matter was that she never felt more alive than when she was sparring with Rin. It always pushed her to the limit and it forced her to be better. It wasn't like when she sparred with Ino who was not only her best friend but her rival, facing against Ino was all about seeing how far she had come, but with Rin it was like facing off against a mentor. Someone who only wanted for her to be as strong as she could possibly be. When she had first started in the academy she was strictly a middle of the pack kunoichi. She excelled in the mental and theoretical aspects of being a ninja but her capabilities in the practical and physical side left much to be desired.
That was changing though. Because of her continual efforts in training with Rin, Ino, and Naruto over the past couple of years she was now fifth in her class. Only Rin, Sasuke, Shino, and Ino were ranked higher and in that order and she was only getting better. What really truly held her back was her small chakra reserves. She had near perfect chakra control to help make up for it but it didn't change the fact that her reserves were almost laughably low.
But she made do with what she had and did the best that she could and it was definitely paying off. She still couldn't get Sasuke to notice her, but considering all he was going through that didn't seem like it was going to happen anyway. Though the thought didn't bother her as much as it might once have, because it wasn't just about him, not anymore at least, she wanted her friends to be proud of her as well, she wanted to be able to keep up with them.
"I'm always so amazed by how much you improve every time we face off, and your Taijutsu forms are flawless." Rin praises her.
Sakura blushes, feeling her heart swell at Rin's praise. "Thanks…"
Rin gets out of her fighting stance indicating that they're finished and so Sakura does the same. "I'll never understand why you don't focus in that area. You're so good at it and you seem to enjoy it a lot."
Sakura looks down. "Well… it's just that… all of our teachers say that I have such great chakra control you know, so they always suggest Genjutsu or Fuinjutsu… I mean I do enjoy Taijutsu, I love it actually but… I don't know, I'm not very strong or fast, at least not enough to really go anywhere with it. So I just do what I need to in order to get by."
"Do you like Genjutsu or Fuinjutsu?" Rin asks her and Sakura takes a moment to consider the question. "They're useful."
"Yeah but do you enjoy them."
"They're what I'm good at, at least according to our instructors, I'm not like you, I can't just pick something up and do it. I have to stick to my strengths." Sakura says with a shrug.
"You could get stronger and faster though, just because you're not there now doesn't mean you couldn't be. I mean just think about how much you've improved since we all first started training together. You could do it if you wanted to and I think that if you're going to pursue something then it should be something you love you know. You're eyes just seem to light up whenever we spar and you always seem to pay such close attention during Taijutsu lessons, I just always figured that was where your passion lay."
"She has a point you know." A gentle, elderly man's voice calls out. Both she and Rin look over and walking towards them with a genial smile on his face is Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage. Both she and Rin bow respectfully.
"If you can forgive me for intruding on your conversation, but Miss Yamanaka has a point. While there is certainly ample reason to play to your strengths it's been my personal experience that the ninjas who thrive are the ones who follow their passions. If Taijutsu is where that lies then you should pursue it with everything you have and that is how you will become strong. If it isn't where your strength currently lies…" The Hokage pauses in front of them before placing a hand on her shoulder, gazing into her eyes, "Then work on it until it does."
"Do you really think I could do it? Be a Taijutsu master I mean." Sakura asks, very much in awe. She had only ever seen the Sandaime up close once before and that was during their initiation into the academy.
"Oh- ho," He chuckles, "Does it really matter what I think, I want to know, what do you think?"
She pauses, could she do it? She had always been labeled as only just adequate in that area. That her strengths as a ninja were not going to be in the physical arts but in other areas. But… to be honest, she didn't have the patience for Fuinjutsu and she thought Genjutsu was kind of boring. She didn't have the chakra reserves for heavy Ninjutsu either, but she was okay with that. And there had always been something about Taijutsu that spoke to her, the way a person who was really truly talented at it could make their bodies do amazing things, the grace, agility, the power. Could she do it, could she become a Taijutsu master in-spite of others saying she couldn't or shouldn't?
Looking into the kind and confident eyes of the Sandaime she had her answer. "Yes, definitely. I'll be the best this village has ever seen, just watch me." She says, not sure where this sudden surge of confidence was coming from but she can feel it grow and swell within her.
The Hokage hums to himself as if he's pleased with her answer. "Then I have no doubt in my mind that you will achieve your goal. But now that you've told me this I plan to keep an eye out on you Sakura Haruno, so work hard."
"Yes sir, I will. Believe it!" Her eyes widen in horror as she realizes she'd just used Naruto's catch phrase, and she can hear Rin start to giggle almost uncontrollably beside her while the Hokage laughs as well.
"Hmmm, I can see it in your eyes Miss Haruno, a burning passion, a desire to improve and to grow. A willingness to work hard and never give up. You have the will of fire within you and such a thing must be cultivated wouldn't you agree Miss Yamanaka?" He asks Rin, an amused glint in his eyes, he was also quite familiar with Naruto's phrase.
Rin looks a little startled at being addressed for a second before she looks at her. The look on her face and in her eyes saying that she has all of the confidence in the world for her friend. "Definitely."
Sakura smiles brightly at that. The Third Hokage believed in her, but not only that, Rin believed in her. It never crossed her mind to consider why that one meant so much more to her than the other, all she could focus on was that the strongest ninja in the village and someone that she really truly admired believed in her. She wouldn't let them down.
"Well then Miss Haruno, I would like to help you take the first step in your endeavors to reach your goal. There is someone I would like to introduce you to, he's out on a mission currently and he's taken on another student already but I'm sure if I ask him to he'll be more than happy to give you a few pointers. He should be back sometime this week, I'll be sure to have him get in contact with you. He's a little… eccentric, but he really knows his stuff so pay attention to what he has to say. Until then do what you can on your own and don't give up."
Sakura feels her heart skip a beat. "Ah- I mean of course I won't and that- that would be wonderful Lord Hokage, I… I don't know what to say, thank you. Thank you so much."
"It's my pleasure. As the Hokage it is my duty and my honor to help strengthen the next generation of ninja, and I'll tell you now, I see big things in your future."
She blinks back the tears as she's feeling a little overly emotional right now. "Thank you Lord Hokage." She says bowing. "I won't let you down."
"I'm sorry to ask this Lord Hokage… and please forgive my rudeness but why are you here?" Rin asks curiously.
"Oh right!" The Sandaime snaps his fingers as if just remembering. "Miss Yamanaka, I was wondering if I might have a word with you in private."
Rin pales considerably and Sakura is flooded with worry. "She's not in trouble is she?" Sakura asks anxiously. After all why would the Hokage come here to visit Rin?
"No, of course not, but the topic is a bit sensitive in nature, however after we've finished if she wishes to share what we talked about with her friends and family then it is certainly fine with me." The Third says reassuringly.
"I-" Rin hesitates, "Of course Lord Hokage." Rin turns to her and smiles, and once again the familiar butterflies flit about Sakura's stomach. "Sorry to cut this short Sakura, but I really am glad you came. I'll try to be at school tomorrow with Ino okay?"
"Alright, um well then, I'll just head out and I'll see you tomorrow okay Rin." Sakura then steps forward and hugs her friend before turning to the Hokage and bowing. "It was a pleasure to see you as well Lord Hokage and thank you once again."
"The pleasure was all mine dear girl and remember, I'm expecting great things from you."
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xXx-Scene Break-xXx
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Once Sakura is out of sight Quinn turns to the Sandaime. "Thank you for your words of kindness, Sakura sometimes lacks confidence in herself, your words meant a lot to her."
The third smiles as he stares in the direction that Sakura had left in. "I meant every word I said. Miss Haruno's rate of progress has been quite fast for someone still in the academy. To jump from fifteenth in her class to fifth is almost unheard of. She has a lot of potential. So do a couple of other students I could name." He says with a smile as he turns to look at her.
"I keep a close eye on the students of the academy, one day they will be under my command and it is important that I know how they are progressing. One Naruto Uzumaki, for example, has gone from the dead last in the class to number twelve and your sister has gotten into the top five as well, fourth in her class and showing no sign of slowing down. That kind of progress deserves special attention as well as careful guidance."
Quinn smiles as she thinks about the progress her sister and her friends have made. She wanted them to be strong, truly strong. If they weren't going to quit this life then she wanted them to be the best, stronger than her or anyone else. "They're amazing, they really are." Quinn says.
"But they aren't the only ones, I've heard a great deal about you Miss Yamanaka and I must confess that I've been hoping to speak with you for some time now."
"Me?" Quinn asks shocked.
"Yes, your father has mentioned your nightmare to me, and considering the timing and its contents I figured now would be as good a time as any to speak to you."
"My nightmare?" Quinn asks confused and nervous. "Why do you want to know about that, it was just a bad dream?" She didn't buy that for a moment, a dream shouldn't be causing her to react the way she did, and from the look he gave her the Sandaime didn't believe it either. It would be nice to figure out what the dream was about and the black fire but she was afraid that if she talked too much then someone would figure out who and what she really was.
"Please Miss Yamanaka, you don't believe that any more than I do. I only wish to help, scan me if you wish, I'm told that your ability allows you to not only locate someone but also to read their emotions."
Quinn shakes her head. "I sensed you when you were at my house, I didn't feel anything wrong with you, I just… I don't really want to talk about it. It wasn't all that pleasant."
"I understand, but I heard something that made me a bit curious and I may be able to help." He offers.
Quinn thinks about it for a moment, it would be nice to get some answers, figure out who the man with the vile chakra was, and maybe find a way to stop this from happening again. And the Third Hokage was a powerful and wise ninja, known throughout the nations by many different monikers including the Professor and the God of all Shinobi, due to his prowess in battle as well as his knowledge and so being very careful not to give anything away that might hint at her being from another world she tells him her dream.
"The figure in black, you say he had one single red eye and was surrounded by black flames?" He asks after she had finished, sounding both troubled and intrigued.
"Yes sir."
"Hmmm… and have you ever sensed this chakra before?" He asks her. Quinn does her best not to flinch or give away any reaction at that, because she has felt it before, back when the Kyuubi attacked, but she shouldn't know that or be able to remember it.
"No sir." She lies, telling the truth would only lead to some incredibly uncomfortable questions that she didn't want to have to answer.
"Hmmm, I see…" He trails off lost in thought.
"Lord Hokage, sir… do you know what's going on with me?"
The Hokage looks at her appraisingly, studying her, as if sizing her up for something. "What I am about to share with you is to be kept a secret between you and I. Consider it classified at level S, and that you are not to share what I am about to tell you with anyone, even your family, am I understood? If this is too much, just tell me and I'll stop here." He says to her very seriously.
Quinn gulps, her head screaming at her to refuse. That if it was this huge that he would order her to silence then she didn't need to know, but her desire for answers overwhelmed her common sense. "No, I understand. Please continue"
"Tell me, what do you know of Madara Uchiha?"
Quinn has to take a moment to think about it, thinking back to her early history lessons. "I believe he helped Hashirama Senju found Konoha, didn't he?"
"Yes, but there was more to it than that, he was one of the most powerful Shinobi to have ever lived, his strength was great enough that he could take on whole armies single-handedly. I knew him when I was a boy, well I had met him I should say as it's more accurate. His chakra was overwhelming to say the least, the only person who could match him and defeat him was the First Hokage. The two of them joined forces to found Konoha, but when Hashirama was made the First Hokage, Madara began to grow jealous of him and his spirit began to fill with bitterness and hate.
One day, he betrayed the village that he helped found. The First Hokage chased him down to try and convince him to come back and they fought. It was a battle between two titans the likes of which are unlikely to ever be seen again. It altered the very landscape on which it took place. When it was finally over the First Hokage was victorious and Madara Uchiha was dead… or so we believed."
"What do you mean?"
"Before he died, the Fourth Hokage was able to share with me that there was a person who was responsible for unleashing the Nine-Tailed Fox on the village twelve years ago, a person who claimed to be him."
Quinn's eyes widen in shock, "But that's… how is that possible?"
"How indeed, most would think to just dismiss his words as nothing but a lie, or the ravings of a madman, however only two people have ever been able to fully control the beast to my knowledge. The first being Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage who is long dead and the second person being Madara Uchiha. Whether the man was telling the truth or not I am uncertain, but the fact that he not only controlled the fox and forced it to attack the village, but also survived a fight with the Fourth Hokage certainly lends credence to his claims. Your description of the figure in the black fire with the vile chakra sounds like him as well."
"I was there the night he defected, I remember how dark his chakra felt as he and the first fought, even all the way back here at the village we could sense the two chakras clashing. The red eye could be only an aesthetic or it could be anyone one of a couple of doujutsus that cause the eye to turn red, but the black fire of your dream that seems to affect you even in the real world can only be one thing."
"What?" Quinn asks.
"Amaterasu, the ultimate fire release technique and only usable by the most powerful of members of the Uchiha clan. Legend has it that they stole the black fire from the very goddess of the sun herself and that nothing can quench its hunger, even if you were to drop it into the ocean it will continue to burn on for seven days and seven nights. The fact that it's affecting you from inside your dreams tells me that I am right about this."
"So what do I do?" Quinn asks softly, "Why is this happening to me?"
"If I had to guess I would say that the reason this is happening to you is because of your abilities as a sensor, not only are you able to detect people from great distances but you are also able to detect their emotions, correct?"
"Yes… but, how do you know all of this?"
"I told you, I keep an eye on the up and coming ninja in my village, also your father has spoken to me about it a bit as well?"
"Really?" Quinn asks nervously.
"Yes, he worries for you greatly, he worries that your ability may overwhelm you and that he'll be unable to protect you. He's asked for my advice on the matter a couple of times." The Hokage says with a reassuring smile. "He loves you dearly. You and your sister."
Quinn smiles at that, but it's a sad smile. She didn't deserve it.
"So my sensor abilities are why he's affecting me, does that mean he was in the village when the Uchiha clan was killed?" Quinn asks.
"The evidence certainly seems to point that way doesn't it and it makes much more sense than Itachi killing them all by himself. He is a very skilled and powerful shinobi without a doubt, but even he would have had trouble doing it all on his own and without alerting anyone, but if he had help from someone as powerful as Madara Uchiha was… well then, that makes a bit more sense. Not that this is a comforting thought mind you."
Quinn runs a hand through her hair. "Alright, well I guess that makes sense that I would detect him even when my ability is suppressed, especially if he's as powerful as you say but what about this black fire, Amaterasu, what about it? I've never actually seen the man and he's never used the jutsu on me so why am I dreaming about it?"
"Because of how the technique works and your ability to detect emotions. I don't think you quite comprehend just how unique your ability is. There are plenty of sensor types but the fact that you can pick up on emotions just by reading their chakra, and do so accurately is all but unheard of and your ability has only continued to grow. The Amaterasu is a technique that calls upon anger and hatred to use, and not just any kind of anger and hatred, it's the anger and hatred of a goddess who was robbed and is seeking retribution. When the technique was cast you picked up on the emotions involved and it infected you."
Quinn's head was spinning as she tried to make sense of everything she had just learned. It was just so much to take in that she didn't even know where to start. No, that wasn't true, she knew exactly where to start. "How do I make it stop?" She asks him.
He smiles at her, "By becoming stronger and by filling yourself with good emotions to counter balance the negative ones inside of you. The Amaterasu will feed off of the darkness inside of you and it will grow stronger and it will consume you if you let it, but if you fill your life with other things, things like love, hope, forgiveness, the Amaterasu cannot feed from those things and will instead burn itself out given time."
Quinn nods her head, easier said than done, she was well aware that she was a walking ball of negativity and self-doubt, but at least it was a start. "Thank you for telling me all of this Lord Hokage."
"I'm sorry that I had to, I know it's a lot to take in, but if it helps you then I'm glad. Actually, I would like to make you an offer, if you're willing to hear me out that is?"
"Of course Lord Hokage, what is it?"
"As I said before, I believe that it is the duty of the Hokage to help cultivate and improve the younger generation. I've heard great things about you from both your teachers as well as your father. He's quite proud of you as well."
Quinn is blushing. "I'm sure they're exaggerating…" she mumbles softly.
"Maybe… but I doubt it." He smiles warmly at her. "Your sister and your friends have improved dramatically and they have you to thank for it, you have gone out of your way to try and improve those around you and make them stronger, it seems only fitting that I do the same."
"Lord Hokage…?"
"How would you feel about once a week picking up an extra bit of training from me?"
Quinn's eyes widen in shock, there was no way in hell the Hokage had just said what she thought he did. Training with the Hokage, it was an opportunity that many people would pay anything for, do anything for, even kill for. There was no way that he was just offering this to her. He had to have some kind of ulterior motive for it, she was a nothing, a nobody. There had to be hundreds of other people more worthy of this opportunity than she was. She uses her ability to try and get a read on him and is shocked to discover that he is genuine. She could feel it radiating from him, a desire to see her get stronger. It just didn't make sense.
Quinn is brought back to reality by the sound of the Hokage's laughter, the mirth literally radiating off of him. "I can understand you being a little bit skeptical, I'm not exactly a spring chicken, but you still might be able to pick up a trick or two and I promise you that despite my age I'm still fairly competent." He says with a chuckle, mistaking her shock and silence, for skepticism.
"Oh! No! I mean, yes, I… it would be an honor sir, I just… I don't understand… why me?" It was an impertinent question she knew, but she couldn't help it.
However the Hokage doesn't seem offended, if anything he's even more amused. "The fact that you would think to even ask is a good place to start. Why you… well I would say because I think there is something special about you and I want to see what it is you can truly do."
s
xXx-Scene Break-xXx
s
"Sweetheart, are you okay?" Megumi asks worriedly as she watches Rin come walking slowly up to the house lost in thought. When she looks up at the sound of Megumi's voice she seemed to be in a bit of a daze.
"Mom?"
Megumi rushes over to her daughter. She knew it was a bad idea to let the Sandaime talk to Rin, she knew they should have kept things in house. But when she gets to her daughter she can see that Rin is looking at her and smiling, it's kind of broken but it's also the first real smile she's seen in three days. "Baby?"
Rin moves into her arms and hugs her. "Thank you, thank you for everything… I… I'm going to be okay, I promise." She says, her voice soft and tight.
"I know that, you're so strong." Megumi says encouragingly.
Rin steps back and looks up at her, shaking her head. "No, no I'm not, not yet anyway, but please… be patient with me. I have a lot of things I need to work through… but, I promise, I'll get better and that I'll be worthy of you."
Megumi could feel her heart break at that statement. "Sweetheart, why would you ever think you aren't worthy of me? You are my daughter, my love isn't something you have to earn or be "worthy of," it's yours freely."
Rin just smiles at her but she doesn't say anything, instead just stepping back into hug her and burying her face into her chest. "Sweetheart, you're scaring me, where is all of this coming from?"
"I'm sorry mom, I'm sorry. I don't… I can't explain it, I want to, I want to so much, but I just can't. But what I can tell you is that I feel broken and poisonous inside and I need to work on that… can you please be patient with me?"
Megumi strokes her daughter's hair. She should tell her, she should tell her the truth of what they know about her origins. Tell her that she isn't broken or poisonous, she was just a little different, that's all. It's on the tip of her tongue when Rin looks up at her with the most hopeful expression that she had ever seen on her daughter's face. Inoichi was right, telling her the truth, it looked like it would break her.
"My brave girl." She says cupping her daughter's face in her hands. "You are not broken, you are not poisonous, but if you need time to discover that for yourself then you have all the time that you need. And I'll be right here waiting for you, ready and willing to tell you how truly special you are. I love you."
