"I think he's warming up to me," Ariha bragged, sitting on Kabuto's examination table, looking over some research notes.
Kabuto, meanwhile, was washing his scalpels.
"Does that mean you're warming up to him?" Kabuto asked.
"Ha! No," Ariha chuckled. "He's an Uchiha."
"I will never understand your or Lord Orochimaru's shared dislike of them," Kabuto admitted.
Ariha almost jokingly said, "Like father, like daughter," but remembered that Kabuto didn't know that bit of information.
"Only one Uchiha has earned my respect!" Ariha declared.
Her thoughts drifted to Itachi Uchiha and her first sight of him, that billowing cloak symbolizing the very thing that had both saved her life and dragged her back to her mother. When Ariha behaved, the Akatsuki were free to pursue their own goals. When Ariha ran away, they were dispatched to drag her back, with force if necessary. Hidan would, despite Kakuzu's protests, chain her and drag her back. But Itachi was something else entirely. He made sure she was comfortable and wouldn't make her walk in the dead of night. If he thought she needed to rest, he'd book a hotel and leave her in the room alone. It was this display of trust that kept her from slipping out of the room and running again while he and Kisame slept.
"But why do you hate them?" Kabuto inquired.
Ariha shrugged.
"They just give me this uncomfortable feeling," she admitted.
Briefly and only once, she'd met Fugaku Uchiha, Itachi's father and the man her grandmamma had continually urged her mother to marry. She was a little girl but the man made her uncomfortable. When she heard he was dead, she was glad. Though she'd felt bad for Itachi, given that she knew why he'd killed his entire clan. Kabuto shook his head, smirking a bit.
"Is that why you're so difficult with Caleb?" he asked.
"Yep," Ariha replied.
She squinted at the notes before her before snapping her fingers.
"Glasses please," she requested.
Kabuto pushed himself over, reluctantly offering her his glasses, which she slid on, staring at the page.
"Find something?" Kabuto asked.
Ariha slid his glasses off, handing them back.
"No," she replied, face twisting into a pout. "Nothing."
Kabuto returned to his scalpels, confident in his assumption that there was nothing to be found while Ariha felt a small triumph, having found something from nothing.
Karasu lit another cigarette, watching Orochimaru's hideout. He never would have found it had Ariha not been standing outside it, though he did wonder why she'd willingly taken so many hits from such an inferior opponent. Was it training? No, he'd sensed a malice in that man that he didn't like. But Ariha was not his to command. She was not a vampire and he had no power over her. The approaching sound of footsteps alerted him to Ariha as she approached, holding a blood bag.
"Oh, you brought me dinner. I must be in your good graces again," he mused.
He leapt out of his tree, landing directly in front of him. Ariha handed him the blood bag, waiting for him to place his hand on it before she spoke.
"One thing," she said and he paused. "I need some venom."
Karasu's eyebrow rose.
"Mine?" he asked.
Ariha nodded, watching those usually playful eyes darken.
"For him?" he snapped.
"No. I've started my experiments again and I have an idea," she replied.
Karasu sighed, opening his mouth and revealing his fangs. Ariha withdrew a syringe from her bag, stabbing the needle into the strong ivory. Karasu flinched a bit but managed to stay still long enough for Ariha to extract enough venom from his fang. Once she drew back, he ran his tongue over said fang, flexing his mouth.
"What kind of experiment?" he asked.
Ariha smiled.
"It's a secret," she replied.
Karasu shrugged, ripping open the blood bag with his teeth and sipping from it.
"Don't let it absorb your every waking moment," he said.
"I am no stranger to obsession," Ariha pointed out.
She grinned a bit.
"I was obsessed with you, once upon a time."
"Today I turn 17," Ariha wrote.
She was aware of the cold in the air. She'd spent everyday in it, experimenting and bribing Karasu for venom. She was almost afraid to go outside today though. He was a centuries old vampire who joked that he was too old for birthdays. Yet he always encouraged those around him, those still considered alive, to celebrate theirs. Staring down at her paper, Ariha was unsure what else to write and so she closed the book, setting her pen beside it and pushing off her bed. A knock on her door announced Caleb before he stepped in, his face grim.
"Let's get moving," he commanded. "Your experiments aren't an acceptable excuse today."
He sounded mad. Ariha just smiled.
"Whatever you say," she said, her words a clear taunt.
He hated her; it was clear with every glare he cast her way. But at the same time, he was intrigued by her, by the things she could do. She trudged along behind him, for once wearing pants. Finally, Kabuto had stopped eyeing the clothes she wore, obviously disapproving the amount of skin she showed. It was a good thing because she hated the cold and would rather have stayed curled up in her bed for the entire winter. At least it was warm. But Caleb, he wasn't done with her yet. As soon as they were outside, the crisp air biting at her neck, blowing her hair in her face, Karasu dropped from a tree, crossing his arms and leaning against a nearby tree, his black eyes zoned in on Caleb. Ariha rolled her eyes, turning to Caleb.
"What are we starting with today?"
Caleb was watching Karasu as he spoke.
"A game of tag," he replied. "And hide and seek."
Karasu snorted, earning a dirty look from Ariha. He smirked her way, pushing off his tree.
"I suppose Ariha shall be frolicking through these fair woods and she'll have to avoid you," he guessed.
From Caleb's face, he was spot on.
"Excellent!" Karasu decided.
He caught Ariha's waist, twirling her around.
"Lead the way."
Ariha rolled her eyes again but picked a direction and began walking, Karasu right on her heels. Caleb watched them go, gritting his teeth, mashing them together until he tasted blood. He couldn't hurt her, couldn't force the power to rise with that damn vampire. He needed to find a way to separate them.
"Happy birthday."
His voice was a husky whisper and Ariha turned, meeting his eyes. He wrapped a surprisingly warm jacket around her, pulling it closed. The chill she felt vanished instantly and she was surprised to find she had been cold.
"Thanks."
She snuggled deeply into the coat, one Karasu wore only in the coldest weather. She knew why too. He couldn't feel cold but he knew she could. The hood was lined with fur and it held in heat which was lifesaving.
"You're not my boyfriend," she pointed out, blushing slightly.
Karasu smiled.
"But I could have been," he remarked.
Ariha said nothing, breathing in the musky fur. He was right. She'd known him since she'd been a child, only able to stand beside him, hugging his long leg, her head at his knee. For awhile, he'd been a father figure and then, she'd grown to have a crush on him. A crush she wasn't entirely sure had gone away.
"We better keep walking," she suggested turning away from him and crunching along.
He followed, his steps silent as was he. It only made the entire thing awkward.
Orochimaru observed the jacket that Ariha was peeling off her when she and Caleb entered the kitchen. She smiled her greeting and accepted the offered cup of tea. She spoke in that language again, her words simple. Ones Orochimaru hadn't forgotten. Just a simple thank you. Orochimaru smiled in response, sipping at his own tea. Caleb shook his head, face contorted, slipping out.
"The jacket," Orochimaru began.
Ariha paused, tea at her lips.
"Where did you get it?"
Ariha smiled.
"That's something a father would ask," she remarked. "As I recall, my father only shows up behind closed doors."
Orochimaru's eyes hardened.
"Don't sass me," he scolded.
Ariha grinned, hiding it behind her cup.
"If you must know, it came from a friend," she answered finally, without the sass.
"What kind of friend?" Orochimaru asked, suspicious.
Ariha's grin was mischievous.
"What kind indeed?"
Caleb glanced over his shoulder once before reaching for the book. It was ridiculous but he needed it. The one Ariha consulted daily before she trudged outside. To her vampire. The one obstacle that Caleb had to eliminate. And what better way then to use his captors? Opening the book, he tried to decode the messily neat handwriting, squinting in the dim light. No wonder Kabuto wore glasses. He heard the shuffling of feet and ducked under the desk. A soft humming told him it was Ariha. But what was she humming.
"Happy birthday dear Ariha," she sang softly. "Happy birthday to you."
She let out a low sigh.
"Who am I kidding?" she mumbled.
As if in response, her power flared and then air warmed.
"Ease up, Maru," Ariha whispered.
Peeking around the desk, Caleb could make out the shape of a wolf, composed of twisting black shadows, its body wrapped around Ariha like a scarf. Absentmindedly, she stroked that mist, as if it were her pet. Caleb ducked behind the desk again, shocked at what he had witnessed. At what stood feet from him. This power, she acted like it was a pet! What a foolish girl! But that only meant it would be harder to separate her from it. But he had to try.
"You have found my daughter!"
She was accusing him, her face harsh though she was clearly relieved and worried. Lilith II was thinner, the dark bags beneath her eyes more pronounced, especially against her deathly pale skin. Karasu sat, though she didn't offer him a seat.
"Lilith," he began.
"Where is she?"
He flinched, remembering that this was the woman who had held bound him in servitude and she sounded hysterical. Just like a mother.
"She's with him," Karasu assured her.
The next words were a lie.
"She's safe."
Because she wasn't. He had a bad feeling whenever he was around that Uchiha fellow. But Lilith did not need to hear that. Finally, she sat, allowing her weakness to show, the room empty except for her and Karasu.
"Please, bring her home. Please. Before he does something to her."
"Lilith, give her more time," Karasu insisted.
There was no mistaking the fear in her eyes. She was afraid of Orochimaru, a human with only few subordinates compared to her sprawling kingdom of demons and all manner of creatures. And he terrified her. Karasu reached over, seizing her hands.
"I will protect her, as best I can. But allow her to stay, to let her see her errors and then, she'll come willingly."
Lilith met his eyes, red lasers piercing into him.
"Very well," she finally relented.
Karasu smiled, releasing her hands and standing. Ariha owed him big.
"Karasu!" Lilith called before he swept out of the room.
He turned back.
"Keep her safe," she requested.
Karasu was deathly serious in his reply.
"Always."
He was deep in thought. Kabuto sat beside Ariha who was reading a book, uninterested in what the subject was that had Lord Orochimaru so bothered. It was never a good idea to be unconcerned.
"My lord?" Kabuto prompted.
Those gold eyes flashed to him, annoyed.
"What?"
Kabuto bit his lip, lowering his head. It was then Orochimaru realized his tone. He glanced Ariha's way. She was watching him evenly, pretending to read a book. Her lips lifted in a slight smirk but she said nothing.
"This body," Orochimaru said to Kabuto. "It won't last much longer. We must move forward our plans to prepare Sasuke."
Ariha made a face but said nothing, raising her book to hide her face. Kabuto, meanwhile, smirked. So that was what had his lord so troubled.
"As you wish, Lord Orochimaru," he said. "I will acquire a team."
Without a word, Ariha rose, grabbing her new mysteriously acquired jacket and made for the door.
"Ariha," Orochimaru prompted, making her pause.
She glanced over her shoulder at him, not even bothering to turn all the way around.
"I want you to be a part of that team."
Ariha made a noise of disgust, as if readying to say no. Or Hell no in her case.
"I'm asking as your father," Orochimaru added.
This surprised both Kabuto and Ariha. Kabuto's jaw dropped and Ariha merely turned around to face him, gold eyes wide. Orochimaru stared back at her, completely serious.
"Please, do this for me."
A slow smile stretched across her face.
"Alright," she agreed. "I'll do it."
Orochimaru finally broke into a smile.
"Thank you."
His daughter. Kabuto was freaking inside, remembering every word he ever said about Ariha. She strolled along behind him, her heels clicking against the floor.
"They're my lord's personal bodyguards," Kabuto burst out. "They'll be assisting you in retrieving Sasuke Uchiha."
Ariha made a small sound, to inform him that she had heard. Otherwise, she was deathly silent. Shadows stretched across the hall, ghostly shapes that tried to strangle the light they used to highlight their path to the chambers occupied by the Sound Four. Kabuto reached out with one hand, the door to one room creaking open. It was empty, save for a few spider webs. Kabuto stepped aside and Ariha stepped fully in the room.
"Its empty," she observed.
"Are you sure?" Kabuto asked, a sinister glint to his glasses.
Ariha studied him a minute before her nose twitched, sniffing the room. Kabuto watched, curiously. He hadn't exactly been able to watch Ariha so he had no clue how much she'd progressed from the annoying genin that he use to know. Her gold eyes snapped upwards and she leapt back, twisting to avoid some of the webs, as Kidomaru dropped from the ceiling. He landed where she'd been standing, grinning at her.
"Impressive," he complimented.
Ariha rose, slowly, cracking her neck.
"A spider, huh?" she chuckled.
She shrugged.
"I'm not a fan. I tend to crush your kind."
"Ariha will be leading this project," Kabuto hurried to say before Kidomaru could open his mouth again.
"But she's not one of us."
This came from Tayuya who had appeared in the doorway. She was glaring at Ariha, arms crossed. Kabuto could understand her disposition. Being the only girl on the team, she was use to being the dominant female. Unfortunately, Ariha was a very dominant person as well. Sensing a challenge, Ariha placed her hand on her hip, a smirk coming to her lips.
"No, I'm so much better than you."
Kabuto held back a smirk of his own. Tayuya's eyes flashed.
"What did you say?" she demanded.
"That sounds like a challenge," Sakon observed, appearing behind Tayuya.
He was grinning a bit.
"Don't you agree, Jirobo?"
"So be it," Ariha said. "We'll fight. If I win, you all shut it and we go drag that pesky Uchiha brat back here. Otherwise, I'll stay at home like a good girl."
Sakon snorted.
"Please little girl, we'll rip you apart."
"And there will be nothing left," Tayuya added.
"You're going through with this?"
Ariha ignored Caleb, stretching until her back cracked. Then she sighed in relief.
"You imbecile. These four are the elite. They guard your father for a reason!" Caleb scolded.
Ariha turned to him, smiling, while tugging her hair into a ponytail.
"Why, Uchiha-sensei, from the way you're talking, it sounds like you're worried about me."
Her teasing earned her a glare and Ariha laughed.
"Don't worry. I never pick fights I can't win," she declared.
With that, she stepped into the arena, the one underground, meant usually for the prisoners to come in a slaughter each other. Today, the Sound Four awaited her, eager to attempt to tear her limb from limb. Ariha kept a steady pace, head facing them though her eyes scanned the stands. Despite the presence of the prisoners, they were eerily silent. It was unnerving, to say the least. Orochimaru and Kabuto stood amongst them, faces grim.
"Begin," Kabuto said.
And just like that, the four attacked. Ariha was a bit stunned by their speed, leaping back to avoid Sakon, realizing last second that he had herded her into Tayuya. She barely had time to duck, the corner of her shirt all that was sliced by Tayuya's kunai. Ariha pulled out her own kunai, preparing her defense. Until she figured out a way to fight four enemies at once, especially ones with this level of skills, she had to remain on the defensive.
"Fool!" Tayuya spat.
She charged Ariha again. Ariha reacted, cartwheeling out of her path, her leg encased in a sticky substance as soon as she landed. Ariha's eyes went to it, discovering the web like substance that had decorated Kidomaru 's room. She tested it, tugging her leg. It refused to budge.
"Damn," Ariha growled.
It wasn't the ideal place for a final stand. But it would have to do. She adjusted her grip on her kunai, altering her stance. She wasn't inexperienced enough to call on the teachings of a former teacher, smirking at the image of Hiashi Hyuuga in her mind.
"Balance, Ariha," he had coached, showing her the proper footwork.
"Balance," Ariha repeated.
First, came Tayuya, her strike accompanied by a whisper of wind. Ariha ducked to the side, dropping to the floor, letting Tayuya falter over her. Without any warning, she struck, slamming her head into Tayuya's chin. There was the click of teeth snapping together and the smell of blood as Tayuya bit through her own tongue. Ariha withheld a smile, slamming her open palm into Tayuya's chest, pushing with inhuman strength, sending the girl skidding back, the wind knocked from her. Vibrations that stretched across the ground warned Ariha of Jirobo's approach. She grinned, eager now. This was her stage.
"Now shine, my cub."
The voice came from inside her, egged her on and her golden eyes snapped to Jirobo as his raised fists sped towards her. She caught them easily, much to his surprise, guiding his bulk to the side, using his own force against him. He crashed into Kidomaru, who let out a angered cry as he was crushed by Jirobo's full weight.
"Very good," that inner voice praised, swelled with pride and satisfaction. "Now be free."
Wisps of violet chakra surrounded Ariha, focusing on the once gooey now hardened web that encased her leg. With only a little prodding, the cocoon shattered, freeing her leg.
"Impressive," Sakon observed.
Ariha smirked his way, matching her carefree stance. Sakon grinned even more.
"Maybe Tayuya was right. But you haven't beaten us all," he declared.
"Yet," Ariha chuckled.
With that, she charged, speeding forward. Sakon made one move and suddenly, there were two of him.
"A shadow clone," her inner voice brushed off as she charged into the clone.
Said clone wrapped a hand around the kunai she, holding her back effortlessly. She swallowed her surprise, twisting enough that she broke the hold on her kunai, leaping back a few feet.
"Not a shadow clone," she reprimanded her inner voice.
"Then what?"
The reply distracted her from the second Sakon and he easily slammed into her gut, knocking her back. She managed to regain some awareness, landing on her feet and rubbing her stomach. She glared at Sakon 2, noticing then that the original Sakon had vanished.
"Where-" she began, right before he hit her from behind.
This time, she hit the ground, the air leaving her lungs. She lay in the dirt, gasping in air.
"Say the word, girl, and I shall take over."
Ariha ignored Maru at first but could feel the wolf stirring, restless.
"Five " she began.
"Minutes?" Maru questioned, to be sure.
"Less if possible," Ariha said. "Just finish them off."
She could see the wolfish grin stretch across Maru's face, the black fur rustling.
"As you wish."
Sakon closed in on the girl. She hadn't moved since she'd gone down. Maybe she wasn't as quick to recover as he'd initially been led to believe. Suddenly, her fingers twitched. Sakon shrugged it off. Not like she was getting back up. Ukon had delivered one hit, to wind her, and he'd delivered the finishing blow. They'd been ordered not to kill her by Lord Orochimaru and knocking her down was the only thing they could do. Without warning, she vanished, a swirl of dirt in her place. It tickled Sakon's nose but he twisted around, looking for her.
"Ukon," he began.
He didn't get another word out. Black tendrils wrapped around his throat, arms circling his middle as a body pressed against his backside.
"Hello, Sakon."
It was a lover's embrace, over in mere seconds as the pressure began. Sakon cried out in pain, feeling something inside of him burst. Intense pain, like a fire in his belly, tore through him and when she let go, her dropped to the ground, curling up in a ball.
"Sakon!" he heard Ukon cry.
He realized that mad woman would go after his brother next.
"Ukon!" he gasped, painfully.
Too late. He heard a gurgled cry, eyes finding Ariha, her hand wrapped around his brother's neck, lifting him into the air with ease. She said something, in a language Sakon had never heard before. She seemed to sense his stare and looked over his shoulder, a smile gracing her features.
" I think," she said, dropping Ukon. "I win."
Maru's control bled away, the wolf's word ever solid. Ariha resurfaced, still standing in the arena, the Sound Four sprawled around her. Adrenaline rushed out of her, leaving her relaxed. It was then she became aware of the sounds around her. Applause rained down upon her from the once deathly silent audience. Grinning, Ariha turned her attention to Orochimaru. His expression made her smile drop. His face was a mix of disbelief and actual fear. Before she could stop herself, Ariha turned, bolting from the small arena. In her hurry, she passed Caleb who seemed highly amused by her action, a smug smile in place.
Orochimaru didn't seek her out at first. He returned to that room, the one that held everything and anything to do with Lilith. And when he finally went looking, her found her outside, huddled in her jacket, tucked amongst the roots of a tree. He almost smiled as he approached but kept his face completely blank. She looked up as his feet entered her line of vision, though he was sure she'd heard him as soon as he emerged. He sat beside her.
"What did your mother do to you?" he asked.
Ariha let the silence echo between them.
"Nothing. This is all grandmother's doing," she replied.
"Explain," Orochimaru urged, trying not to clench his jaw too much.
He was not frustrated with his daughter. It was Lilith the first, her grandmother that he despised. She'd never liked him and had driven a wedge between him and her daughter for years.
"Places like Hell and Heaven, they exist because of an equal force. Hell rests on the existence of Maru. Her real name I can't hope to remember so when she began talking to me, I started calling her Maru. She's lived inside of me for my entire life," Ariha explained. "By all rights, I am a Jinchuuriki without the bad side, I suppose. Maru cannot be extracted from me. And we're so use to each other that she asks before she takes over."
Ariha shrugged, trailing off. Beside her, Orochimaru trembled with barely contained rage, looking at the daughter so denied to him. She looked at him.
"I'm not a monster," she assured him. "There's no need to be afraid of me."
Her pleading tone mixed with the cautious look on her face made him embrace her, unable to avoid it. What had she seen? What horrors had presented themselves to her? Bullies? Enemies who would only use her? She was an icicle against him and even he shivered, holding her out at arm's length.
"You're freezing!" he observed.
Ariha grinned.
"Benefit of living in Hell. Always hot. Never really gave me the chance to adjust to the cold."
Orochimaru laughed and stood, helping her up.
"Inside we go, then."
Karasu watched the two of them head back inside, perfectly hidden from view from his perch in the tree. He was perfectly still, ruining the illusion with a single breath. He was sure that Orochimaru would have sensed him if he had moved. Of course, the shinobi could have just looked up and spotted him. Either way, Karasu would remain a secret. He faded into the woods, rethinking his evaluation of Orochimaru a bit after the display of fatherly affections. Perhaps Ariha was safe here.