Hey guys. I finally finished the chapter! Yeah! This is my last-day-of-summer gift. Though I think a lot of you are already in school. Oops! Anyway, I start school tomorrow so expect updates to be very slow. Wah! I don't have the time to correct any mistakes right now (that seems to be happening a lot now) so sorry for the horrible grammar and spelling. Anyway I hope you guys enjoy this.
Oh! And if any of you are Ben 10 fans I just started a new fic in the fandom. I know I should have been workign on this, but it was plot bunny that wouldn't go away.
I don't own Naruto nor am I making money from this. Trust me. I'm broke.
Chapter 10:
MonsterGritting her teeth so hard she could hear them crack, Kushina swung her sword, intercepting the incoming attack with ease. "Tell me you bastard!" Jun sighed and looked at her.
"I have already told you everything I know. It is you who just refuses to believe me." He shoved her next attack away like he would an annoying fly and aimed a thrust at her shoulder. Unable to block in time, she threw herself to the ground and rolled away before he could redirect his attack.
"Shut up! I know you're lying, so just give up the charade! What happened to my friends?" The redhead grunted as she blocked the next attack and parried. "What have you done with them?" Her body instantly went through a sequence of attacks, her rage fueling them. She had the satisfaction of seeing the general's eyes widen before the man controlled his expression.
The last two days had followed the same order: get up, eat, demand Jun tell her what had happened to her companions, fight with the man, have Aiko heal her wounds, go to sleep, repeat. And still, she hadn't learned anything about what Jun's men had found in the forest. The man seemed to be enjoying her anger at being left in the dark, sadistic bastard that he was. There was one good thing about this though. As her anger increased, the faster she learned. The need to kill the man in front of her grew everyday.
She did get some satisfaction out of these fights though. The black-haired man was starting to walk away with rips and tears in his clothing more and more. She had yet to land a hit but she could feel her skill increasing. She was till nowhere near Jun's ability, but she would be able to hold her own now in a normal fight.
Ducking beneath a horizontal swipe, she pushed herself toward her opponent, sword tearing through cloth as she swung. A foot came out of nowhere and slammed into her temple. Biting her lip to keep from crying out, she hit the dirty ground and rolled, blinking to rid her vision of the circles dotting her vision. The sound of a sword hitting ground made her turn faster. Using her momentum, she used her free hand an pushed off the ground. She backpedaled away from Jun until she could regain her balance.
The next attack came fast and hard, her arm shaking from the force. The general twisted his sword into a complex series of moves, shallow cuts appearing almost magically on her bare arms. Thrusting her sword upward, she deflected the attack for her neck and struck out with her fist. The fist brushed against the unblemished skin of his face. Grinning at the frustrated look that flashed across her opponent's face, she crouched and pivoted on her heel.
Jumping over her extended leg, Jun flipped away from her diagonal swing. A grin pulled at her chapped lips. She might not be the best with a sword, but she could take down any sucker with her fists when she got mad enough. "Tell me what your men found out about my friends and the monster before I gut you." A sly smile crossed Jun's face as he walked calmly toward her.
"You're getting better Love. Much better. You might actually beat me in a year or so." Ignoring him, she released a battle cry and slashed at him. Jun easily sidestepped and pulled her sword from her, tripping her in the process. The tip of his landed at her navel, the cool metal sending shivers up her spine. "Kill." He removed the sword point and offered her his hand. Glaring at him, she smacked away the appendage and growled.
"Bastard! I will find them. And when I do, I'll make sure you burn in hell for what you've done." The tall man didn't say anything, but continued to stare at her.
"Is there nothing I can do to make you understand that I am not the one out to hurt you? What can I do to make you believe me?" His grey eyes looked imploringly into hers.
"Tell me the truth. I want to know what really happened to my friends, why you attacked my village, why you killed the council members, why you kept me alive! Tell me that!" He was silent for a moment, watching her carefully as she fumed.
"I have already told you. I will continue to tell you. I thought I might be able to convince you without using drastic measures, but it appears I was wrong. You will not believe me until you see proof will you." The redhead kept quiet, glaring at him with fiery green eyes. "No. I should have known you wouldn't be swayed so easily." Sighing despairingly, he motioned for the two guards at the door to come over. They bowed deeply then straightened, waiting for instructions.
"Please go tell Yamamoto that I will be coming down in a few minutes and I will be bringing a guest." One of the guards nodded and disappeared with a soft popping sound. Jun nodded to the last one who took a pair of handcuffs out of his pouch. Kushina instantly tensed and backed away.
"What are you up to? Whatever it is, I don't want any part in it."
"I know you don't. I personally do not want you to see this either, but if it the only the only way to make you believe me, then I must. Now please don't struggle Love. Until we are sure you won't hurt anyone, we must make sure you are restrained." Scoffing, the redhead glared at the guard who roughly bound her hands behind her, going out of his way to twist her arm more than necessary.
"'Until'? There will never be a time when I won't want to cut your head off." Jun looked at her for a moment, sadness in his eyes before he looked away. "Where are you taking me? What are you going to do you bastard?"
"I'm going to give you proof that what I've been telling you the truth this entire time." A low growl reverberated at the back of her throat.
"I doubt that because they aren't dead."
The corridor was cold and damp.
The group had traveled down several flights of steps, the temperature dropping with each story. If she was correct, they had traveled about five storied beneath the ground. Instead of the lavish and gaudy decorations and furniture that she had come to expect in Jun's house, the walls were rough rock, the chisel marks still visible in the dim light. The only light was the few lanterns along the rocky ground.
It looked and felt like she had jumped into a horror story and was walking to her death. Glaring at the man in flowing robes in front of her, she scowled. Even if this was just a trick so they could lure her away from witnesses and kill her in a secluded spot, she wouldn't go down without a fight. She'd go down kicking and screaming. Maybe she'd even be able to wipe that disgusting smirk off Jun's face. Caught up in her fantasizing, the redhead didn't notice they had turned down an adjacent hallway until she heard the noise.
A horrible whine reverberated throughout the entire hallway. The sound of something scraping against metal made her wince. "Just ignore it Love. It'll be over soon."
"What is that thing?" The general ignored her and continued down the hallway. Her guard pushed her roughly in the small of her back, making her stumble. Growling at him, she moved to hit him but remembered her hands were tied behind her back. Sighing, the kunoichi stomped after her captor. "Of course! Why did I even bother asking?"
"You are far to curious to your own good Love. That curiosity may be the end of you one day." The dark-haired man chuckled and stopped at a metal door. His face instantly became somber as he faced her. "Are you still sure you want to see this my dear? I would much rather you don't."
"That's cause you're lying. Forget it bastard! My friends are alive," she smirked at him, "and I'm sure that is driving you crazy right now. Face it. You love being in charge and knowing exactly what is happening. Is that why you killed the council? Because they wouldn't tell you what they were doing?"
Jun chuckled and shook his head. "You have been like this since the news about your friends came . Why won't you believe me? The council was planing on overthrowing the Tsuchikage. Debiru and his companions wanted to rule the world. They were evil and needed to be destroyed." The look on his face said that she wasn't getting any more information, and he turned to open the door.
A scrawny old, bespeckled man who must be Yamamoto greeted them, bowing respectfully to Jun and scrutinized her appraisingly. A blush rose to her cheeks before she could squash it down. Damn old man was a lecher. He grinned at her and motioned for them to follow him. The old geezer lead them through a labyrinth os passageways, all lined with more metal doors. She soon was lost.
The smell of dead and rotting flesh assailed her nostrils and made her stomach clench. They were definitely in whatever sick morgue Jun had down here. Demanding her stomach to stop trying to reacquaint her with her lunch, she carefully watched the two men in front of her, making sure to check on the guard behind her. If they were planning on killing, this would be the perfect place. The only witnesses were corpses. They could make up some shit about how her death had been an accident, and no one would be the wiser.
"You don't have to be so tense Love. We're not going to do anything to you." She quirked an eyebrow at the man and then looked pointedly at the elder whose hands were twitching in a way that made her question his sanity. Jun noticed her look and chuckled and gave her his charming smile. "You do not need to worry about him. He's harmless."
Yamamoto motioned for them to keep moving and continued to lead them through the maze of hallways. It was a while until he finally opened a door for them. He let them step in first before stepping in himself. Kushina felt her heart.
Before them, on examination tables, three figures were shrouded in white cloths form head to foot. Jun nodded to the guard who took her hands and slowly unlocked the chains around her wrists. Free, she walked to the first table. Hesitantly, she pulled at the cloth. Her breath hitched in her throat.
The face was torn and bloody. The skin was shredded and hanging off the bone in clumps. Muscle, bone, and tissue could be seen through the hole in the skin. The remaining amber eyeball hung uselessly from its socket. The rest of the body was the same, teeth and claw marks tearing the skin. Its bones were broken and mangled. Blood covered what was left of the man's clothes. It was obvious he had not died a peaceful death.
The other two were similar, torn and bloody. However, she could see familiar, defining features on each. A scar over one eye, blond hair, amber eye. Her brain shut down as the implications flooded her mind. Jun muttered something and she faintly heard the door close. Her hand reached out and took Ryou's cold one. A sob ripped out of her throat and she collapsed on the ground.
No. No. No. No. No. No! NO!
She didn't know how much time had passed, her eyes staring blindly at the three figures. There were to many similarities for them to be fakes. She could see the faint scar that Minato had given himself when trying to improve his famous jutsu. There was a fading bruise she had given him during one of their spars. Ryou's body had his birthmark at the nape of his neck that he used to claim looked like Hokage mountain though no one else could see it.
She paused. Something wasn't right. Her eyes widened and she took a closer look at the bodies.
"You seem to able to handle death pretty well girl. We could use someone like you down here." Frowning, Kushina tried to remember when she had heard the door open. Turning to face the old man, she glared.
"I've seen enough death in this damn war to last me a lifetime. I've gotten pretty good at telling when something's dead too." She crossed her arms over her chest and studied the man's face. "These bodies can't be dead because they've never been alive." The twitching man looked at her in surprise then grinned.
"You're very good girl. Not even Master Jun can tell the difference. These are as good as real to him, and he's seen about as much death as you can. I thought these were my best creations yet. Where did I go wrong?" His smile sent chills down her spine, but kept her glare in place.
"The smell. They don't smell because they aren't decaying. If they were out in the forest for as long as you say they were, they'd be starting to reek by now." Yamamoto let loose a howl of laughter and clapped his hands.
"Very good girl. I'm impressed. You're pretty smart." He moved to quickly for her to see. One moment he was across the room, the next her was behind her, holding her arms behind her in a grasp she wouldn't have expected of the old man. "I'd love to see what makes you tick. It's been forever since I've worked on a live specimen that could speak. I miss the begging and screaming." His cold fingers traced a line down her neck. "And you're so pretty too girl. I'd love to take you apart."
A surgical knife appeared in his hand and her dragged it over her skin. The kunoichi gasped at the unexpected pain and struggled to release her arms. The man sliced the knife along her healing shoulder and sighed. 'Your blood is such a lovely shade my dear." He dabbed his finger in the wound and brought it to his mouth, licking it off. "Now hold still girl. It's no fun if the experiment fights back."
Growling in frustration, the redhead kicked back, hitting the man's shin. He howled in pain and released her. Jumping into the air, she twisted and slammed her heel into his temple. Yamamoto crashed int the metal wall and slumped to the ground, blood trickling out of her mouth. "You shouldn't have done that girl. Now I'm mad and I tend to make mistakes when I'm mad." He flung the surgical knife at her and she dropped down to avoid it.
Grabbing the handle to the door, she pushed and flew into the hallway. Slamming the door behind her, Kushina took off running. Her shoulder and neck throbbed and she could feel th blood gush down her arm.
They were still alive! They were alive! If they weren't here than the had escaped. Her soul jumped for joy and she almost forgot about the crazed man chasing her. Now she just had to get out of here so she could find them. She wouldn't have to deal with Jun or his insane henchmen anymore.
Adrenaline pumped through her body and her legs smacked against the floor as she ran. It didn't matter that she had absolutely no idea where she was going. This was her chance to escape and she wasn't about to 'look a gift horse in the mouth' as the saying went. Pounding down the hall she slide around the corner, hitting the wall in the process. Her arm shrieked at the abuse, but she ignored it.
The corridors blurred. She couldn't remember if she had taken a left or a right at this hallway or if she had gone straight. Frustration made her scream in anger. This stupid maze of halls was keeping her from freedom. All she had to do was find the exit and she could navigate the expanse house above her easily.
The sound of footsteps behind her, sent another batch of adrenaline through her veins. No way was she letting that psycho catch her. Ripping open a door, she slipped inside and slammed it behind her. She didn't expect the sudden onslaught of noise. Spinning on her heel, she crouched into a defensive stance.
Hundreds of cages lined the walls. Roars, hisses, screeches, and growls reverberated throughout the small and dimly lit hallway. Glowing and hungry eyes stared out at her, watching her every move. Crouching down by the nearest cage, she looked into it.
The animal was shaped like a monkey, hunched over in the corner of the cage. It noticed her and growled at her. Flinging itself at her, its large hands grabbed at her. Red eyes glared at her. Spines grew out of its vertebrae and were covered with a dripping liquid. It smashed its body against the bars to try and reach her. She flung herself away from it. A grotesque human face screamed at her.
Glancing around her, she backpedaled until she was up against the door. Her heart pounded in her chest as the monkey thing continued to screech. Everything. Everything in here was like something out of a nightmare, all limbs and figures warped. All had crazed faces for a head, just like the Manticore.
Hands and claws reached out for her and she stared at the cages. What kind of people would do this kind of thing? She could hear the footsteps outside the door, and she silently steeled herself. Taking a deep breath, she ran past the cages and around the corner. She skidded to a stop as another cage loomed over her.
The creature inside looked at her with cold eyes. It's large body stretched out over the floor. With a growl, the creature got up and walked over to her. A Manticore. Not the same as the one in the forest, but she would never forget the lithe body and deadly claws. The human face was tortured though. It came up to the bars and looked at her with sad eyes. Black hair fell around the face and a small scar across its cheek seemed white in the light.
No. Staring at the creature, she subconsciously took a step back. No. Her hair twirled around her as she shook her head. No.
"Hideki." The eyes met hers again. She carefully reached out a hand and held his chin in her hand. His eyes snapped from hers and to behind her. A low growl resounded against the metal walls.
"He really is magnificent isn't he? He's by far the smartest of the lot. Your friend seems to have retained a bit of himself during the experiment. It's truly extraordinary." Yamamoto smiled at her. "He's such a good listener too. You want to see?" The grin became wicked and held up a remote control in his hand. "Kill her." Her pressed the button and the doors to the cage swung open.
Turning back to face Hideki, she was greeted by glowing red eyes and a feral snarl.