"You wanna go?"
That curled fist shook with determination as the two academy cadets squared off, surrounded by their peers. Misha glared at Kari, wanting nothing more than to yank that ugly blonde hair from that witch's head. She could still hear Karin behind her, hiccupping every so often, a result of her tears. She knew she wasn't a match for Kari who was already using her chakra combatively. The teachers saw great things in her future. Misha just saw a black eye. She hoped not for her. Her chakra use was pathetic and that was putting it nicely. And Karin, well, she'd already proven that she wouldn't fight her comrades. Misha almost thought about strangling her. At least it would be a fight she'd win. Kari grinned down at Misha, curse her abnormal-for-her-age height!
"You really think you can beat me?"
'No,' Misha wanted to admit.
Instead, she attacked, getting in the first punch.
Misha got in the first punch. She also managed to dodge Ariha's responding blow, ducking into the sand. The force behind her duck brought water to her eyes but she wiped it away roughly, dodging as Ariha punched the ground with Tsunade strength at her back.
"Guys!" Taykoe cried. "Stop!"
She didn't want to fight Ariha anymore than Misha did. But looking at her friend, at the eerie resemblance she'd adopted to Orochimaru, Misha felt the urge to do nothing more than punch the crazy right out of her best friend. But she'd seen Ariha pull out her Ace far too many times.
"Maru!" Misha yelled, appealing to the wolf inside her friend.
A wolf that had lived inside Misha for half a year once. She knew most of what went on in the beast's mind.
"You can't want this! Orochimaru may not want to hurt Ariha but what if you're forced to leave her again?"
Ariha paused midstep, listening to her inner voice, no doubt conversing with Maru. Which meant Misha had gotten to her.
"Last time, you had me! I was right there! And as long as you're in Ariha, you're safe. But how long before Orochimaru starts wanting to dissect you?"
Ariha let out a screech, arms wrapping around her midsection, probably as Maru raged within her, demanding answers, reassurances, to the questions Misha was raising.
"Taykoe," Misha whispered.
Taykoe tore her horrified gaze away from Ariha to look at Misha.
"If we're gonna knock her out, now's our chance. It's the only way we're getting her anywhere."
Taykoe nodded, determination crossing her brow. She and Misha timed it right, leaping into action and surging towards Ariha, who'd fallen to her knees, trying to hold Maru back. Taykoe, the speed of the team, reached Ariha first, leaping, fist drawn back. As she closed in, Ariha's head surged upwards, her hand lashing out like a whip, catching Taykoe's wrist. She threw it aside, throwing off Taykoe's balance, grabbing the fabric of Taykoe's shirt with both hands. With her Tsunade like strength, she threw the girl aside and Misha watched in horror as Taykoe actually got some distance before she hit a tree just shy of the forest that connected with the beach.
"Fool."
Ariha appeared right in front of Misha, sweeping her legs out from under her. Misha hit the sand but was in motion before Ariha could almost decapitate her with a leg slam. The burnt orange tint to Ariha's eyes let Misha know she was dealing with Maru somewhat. Those deadly claws were out and Misha reached for Hidan's scythe. He'd given it to her before they'd left, ordering her to use it if such a thing happened. After all, Hidan's scythe could hack away at the power that Maru contained. But it was a risk to use it on her friend who was practically intertwined with Maru at this point.
"This is my life!" Ariha hissed. "I have every right to do with it as I please."
Misha didn't say anything to that. Instead, she leapt forward, spinning the scythe above her head. Ariha leapt to join her, waves of dark energy gathering in her hand. She thrust them forward right as Misha brought the scythe down, cutting easily through all that dark energy. Ariha didn't look surprised. Why should she? She knew what Hidan's scythe could do. She was the reason it could do this. She'd made it as a contingency in case she ever lost it. Misha assumed this counted as she tried again to hack at her best friend. Ariha dodged, landing in the sand, fingers dragging in the grainy surface. Claws still buried in the grains, Ariha surged forward, zipping straight towards Misha. Misha swung the scythe where she knew Ariha would be, honestly surprised when one clawed hand swatted away the blades. The other moved even faster, bringing a handful of sand right into Misha's eyes. Hissing, she stumbled back, dropping Hidan's scythe, knowing she had to put distance between Ariha and herself while her vision cleared. Something slammed into her, knocking her back and she landed on her butt in the water, the cold shooting straight up her spine. Misha hissed but used the opportunity to splash the cold water on her face, washing out most of the sand. She wiped the salty water away with the dry part of her sweatshirt, rising again. Ariha smirked at her from across the beach, twirling Hidan's scythe like it was a baton.
"Put that down!" Misha ordered.
Ariha smirked at the order, giving the scythe one final twirl before she flung it far down the beach.
"Go home, Misha," Ariha commanded. "You are beaten."
Misha's hands curled into fists.
"You're one of my best friends!" she yelled. "Come home!"
Ariha said nothing to that but she sighed.
"You don't understand."
"I totally do!" Misha objected. "I understand that you're my friend and you want your father to be part of your life but he's a total bad guy. He's hurt people, killed them, he attacked the Leaf and killed the Hokage. And you're throwing your life away and being a total…"
Misha struggled for something to call her.
"You're being a total fart biscuit!" she decided on.
Ariha gave her an odd look, clearly holding in laughter.
"A fart biscuit?"
"You try being freaky freaky fresh," Misha snapped.
Ariha granted her a weak smile at that, her eyes returning to normal. Apparently, Maru's thirst for violence was sated for now.
"God, what happened to us?" Ariha asked.
She flopped into the sand as Misha joined her, plopping down beside her as the first rays of dawn started streaking across the sky.
"Well, Taykoe and I came to bring you back and you freaked," Misha playfully accused.
"Speaking of Taykoe," Taykoe quipped, joining them.
She was rubbing her butt even as she sat in the sand as well.
"I see we're friends again," she remarked coolly, wary about being thrown again.
Her cat reflexes had saved her from too serious an injury.
"We never stopped being friends," Ariha assured her.
"Does that mean you're coming home?" Misha asked.
She perked up pretty fast. Taykoe wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth just yet.
"Home?" Ariha repeated.
She smiled, almost fondly.
"God, I miss Konoha," she sighed.
She looked at them both.
"Think they'll let me come home?"
"Lord Orochimaru?"
He held up his hand to silence Kabuto. It didn't stop the almost taunting voices in his head, the ones that just kept talking, kept telling him that he may have beaten the nine tailed child and established his power stance but he'd lost Ariha. She'd left him and he couldn't fully wrap his brain around it. Hadn't she been happy at his side? Did he do something wrong? He couldn't stand it anymore, raking a hand through his hair. How could she be gone? Meanwhile, Kabuto watched him, realizing that his lord was officially caught off guard. He was so distracted that any move made against him probably would go unnoticed until it was too late.
"Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto began again.
He was once again ignored, which was really starting to irritate him.
"So she's gone," Sasuke said, the master of tact. "So what?"
Orochimaru visibly tensed. Great, now his guard was up.
"I suggest you remain silent," Orochimaru advised. "If you are fond of talking, boy."
Kabuto almost laughed. He also almost turned and smacked Sasuke. As if Orochimaru wasn't in a foul mood as it was. Even Kabuto was feeling the lack of Ariha's presence like having a blanket ripped off in the middle of a cold night when you'd just gotten warm.
"Why's everyone seem so down?"
Kabuto turned to Ariha, the very person in question, resigned.
"You ran off," was his reply.
He turned back before realizing who he'd just spoken to but Orochimaru had already reacted, seizing the girl in an almost violent but desperate hug. Listening closer, Kabuto could make out that unfamiliar tongue, the one the two spoke to in rarely, if ever. While it normally sounded like such a harsh language, somehow Orochimaru managed to make it sound so gentle.
"I hate to break up this touching reunion," Sasuke said in a way that said he didn't care. "But what happened to your friends."
"They won't come after us," Ariha assured him, glaring at Sasuke from her safe place in Orochimaru's arms.
Kabuto was almost afraid he wouldn't let go and they'd be caught in the rain by such a slow pace. Even now, storm clouds gathered overhead.
"Let's keep moving," he called over his shoulder. "It'll rain soon."
It was the rain that woke her. It fell softly, true, but she felt super aware, as if her every sense was intensified. Opening her red eyes, she let her gaze fall on Taykoe who lay next to her, waking up as well.
"Its raining," was the first thing she said.
Taykoe agreed.
"She's gone, isn't she?" Misha asked.
Taykoe didn't respond. Didn't have to. By now, Ariha was long gone, her trail erased by the rain as it fell. It had taken literal years to find them the first time. Years! And now, it would be even harder. They'd be even more careful. Misha slowly pushed herself up, fists tightening.
"Think they'll let me come home?" she recalled Ariha saying.
She recalled the smile on that stupid face, hating herself for falling for such an obvious ploy. Taykoe still hadn't moved, as if her sadness weighed her down too much. Misha's, though, was turning into rage. She looked to the sky, staring into the rain, remembering her friend, who'd always had her back, wondering when that friend had been the one stabbing her in it. And she roared, lightning blending with the sound, seeming to amplify it as the sky became tinged with red.