A/N - Sorry it took me so long to get this chappy up… I was brain-dead for ideas after the tie was broken.
WARNING: There is one part in the flashback where the scene gets rather gory and more violent than what I normally have, just so you all know.
A BIG thank you to animeficfan for breaking the tie! Kakashi is the winner!
Also thank you to Little Red Riding Hood for helping me with this chapter and most of the previous ones.
P.S. - Little Red Riding Hood is my darling little sister's penname, but she doesn't write except when she helps me.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. The only character I own is Kyiara.
"Kakashi will be going with you two, not only as a senior ranking ninja but in case you run into any Sound nins before you reach your destination, and it is vital that both you and Naruto reach Orochimaru's lair." Tsunade replied. "As I have told both of you before, each of you have certain people you will be fighting."
Kyiara nodded, eyes growing dark as she thought about what lay ahead.
"Hokage-sama, what about the three of us?" Kiba motioned to himself and his teammates. "Will we have any part in this . . .mission?"
Tsunade nodded. "Yes. I am going to have Neji and Hinata working together as scouts in front of a small team who will attack the place from the rear. That group will be made up of you two, the rest of Team Gai and Team 10." She paused briefly. "Tomorrow there will be a meeting of everyone who is going in my office; with the help of my scouts who have just returned I will give you all the details then. For now, I recommend getting some rest."
Kiba scowled when he heard where Hinata would be. His reaction did not go unnoticed by Tsunade. "Neji seems to have repented for his actions the day before, Kiba." Tsunade told him, though she looked like she didn't believe it herself. "There is no need to worry about Hinata."
Though Kiba looked like he didn't believe her words he nodded, his eyes remaining angry and a look that said, 'I'll believe it when I see it'.
As the four genin turned away, she said, "Wait a moment."
They stopped and turned back to look at her. She continued; "I would like the four of you to rest at the Hokage Tower tonight to ensure you each get a good nights' rest tonight and are not up at all hours practicing. Kiba, Hinata and Shino, I will have messages sent to your parents explaining where you are and why."
Hinata blushed and bowed her head, knowing that Tsunade's comment was directed at her father. She knew it was shameful to even think such a thing, but she would be thankful for the rest she would get, without having to worry about walking into the Hyuuga compound and be forced to participate in a vigorous and lengthy training session.
Silently, the four followed Tsunade to the Hokage Tower.
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Hinata and Kyiara were shown into one room while Shino and Kiba were taken into the one next to it; they were connected by a single door. Another door in each room led to a shared small balcony. Each room held two twin beds and a good supply of blankets. Each room also had its own bathroom, complete with a shower, sink, towels and personal hygiene items, such as shampoo and toothbrushes.
Right away Hinata washed up and laid down; she as asleep almost instantly. Meanwhile Kyiara sat out on the balcony, her legs crossed and hands on her knees as she tried to fight back the darkness in her mind that represented the curse seal.
Every time she excessively used one of the 'active' powers Orochimaru had given her, the evil in the curse seal got stronger. Sometimes she could stop the advancement of the evil, maybe even push it back a little, but most times she couldn't.
Behind her Kyiara heard one of the boys come out onto the balcony with her.
"It's hard to control, isn't it?" Shino asked. "The power of the curse seal?"
Kyiara bit her lip. "It's not so much the power of the curse seal but the evil that came with it and each of the powers Orochimaru grafted into me. Every time I use one of the powers that isn't either Byakugan or Sharingan for an extended amount of time the evil of the curse seal gets a better grip on me. Sometimes I can push it back; sometimes I can't." She looked back and up at him. "Why do you ask?"
Shino didn't answer at first, but leaned against the railing. "Hinata-san likes you a lot." He began. "And if she trusts you, then there is something very special about you. Hinata believes in many people, but she's isn't one to let others into her heart. Because she trusts you so much, so do I. And if I can help you, I will."
Kyiara couldn't help it; she stared at the bug-user. That was the longest she had ever heard him speak, so at first she didn't comprehend what he was saying. Then his words began to sink in. "Hinata has faith in people, even if they've hurt her she still cares about them; look at her cousin. She is a very special person, anyone but the members of her clan can see that. They just see her as what the have painted her to be; but she is changing, and changing for the better."
Suddenly Kyiara winced. She had lost her concentration on shoving the evil out of her mind and it charged back at the barrier she had managed to build up. The curse seal pulsed dangerously. Unconsciously she gripped her left shoulder where the curse seal was burned into her skin.
Shino knelt down next to Kyiara. "The curse seal is made up of evil chakra, right?" He peeled her hand off of the mark and cupped his hand over it. "Some of my bugs should be able to draw at least some of the chakra out of it without tapping into your own chakra."
Kyiara glanced back at him. "Wouldn't that hurt or kill your bugs?"
Shino nodded. "It would kill them, yes. But depending on how much chakra the curse seal holds I should be able to drain most of the chakra out of the seal with minimal losses to my colony."
Kyiara got to her feet and stood at the railing of the balcony. "Why are you offering to do this for me, Shino-kun? Why destroy part of your colony just for me?"
Shino didn't seem offended that she had brushed off his hand. He got to his feet and joined Kyiara at the rail. "You are loyal to Konoha. But you are willing go to any lengths to protect your precious people, like you did with the three of us when Neji attacked Hinata. And you need to be able to concentrate on fighting your brother, not worrying about the curse seal."
Kyiara hesitated; the only probable way for Shino to draw off the bad chakra was for her to activate it and go into Stage One. "Will I have to open the curse seal for your bugs to be able to draw off the chakra?"
Shino nodded. "It would be much easier for them if you did. But if it hurts you to open it, then don't."
"It doesn't hurt," Kyiara whispered. Unless Orochimaru opens it, or he or one of his people is near me, then it does. She added silently.
Shino motioned for her to sit down. She did, and he knelt behind her. "Whenever you're ready, open it."
Taking a deep breath, Kyiara released it. Immediately black vines rapidly grew over her skin. Shino's bugs swarmed over the seal on her neck.
Kyiara bit her lip until it bled; she hadn't thought it would hurt. But what came next she was totally unprepared for. Her physical vision went black, but a memory played itself in her mind; one she had never wanted to face again.
FLASHBACK
"Where on earth is Genma-sensei?" Oria demanded agitatedly. "He's late again."
The two girls shook their heads. "Oria-kun, relax, will you? Genma-sensei will get here as soon as he can." Luna told him.
"Yeah, Oria-kun. Maybe he had to go and see Hokage-sama." Kyiara said.
Oria shrugged and smiled at his two teammates. "Whatever, Luna-chan,
Kyiara-chan."
Both girls raised their eyebrows at him. "Chan, Oria-kun? Why do you keep calling us that?" Luna asked.
Oria grinned sheepishly at them. "Because you're my friends, that's why."
"But - " Kyiara started, but broke off as all three of them felt a presence enter the training area that wasn't Genma or any other Konoha ninja.
"Well, well. Three young genin just standing here. I wonder why that is." A voice that was so flat it almost sounded dead spoke to their left; the three turned swiftly to face the voice. A man with a snake-like face and skin so pale it looked unhealthy was standing between the three genin and the single path leading out of the training area.
"We're waiting for Genma-sensei." Oria stated boldly. "And who the heck are you?"
The snake man chuckled. "I am just a fellow ninja who can show you something incredible." His eyes traveled over Oria, Luna and came to rest on Kyiara and her silver hair.
Oria eyed him suspiciously. "You aren't from Konoha, are you? You don't even have a hitai-ate. What village are you from?"
He chuckled again, slowly walking towards them. Instead he asked, "What are your names?"
"We asked you first, mister!" Luna said brashly.
"You tell us your name and where you're from, and then we'll tell you our names." Kyiara added. "And why are you here?"
"Such insolence, you three. But I guess I can tell you. My name is Orochimaru; I was once a ninja of Konoha, now I am from Sound. I am here to take Yakushi Kyiara with me. I will spare you two if you just walk away." he motioned to Luna and Oria. "I already know which one of you is Yakushi Kyiara."
Oria and Luna growled and reached for their weapons. "You can't have her!" Oria shouted.
"You'll have to get through us first!" Luna yelled.
Panic filled Kyiara's eyes. "Forget it, you two! Just get out of here! Go back to the village and tell them Orochimaru is here! Go!"
"Not without you, Kyiara we're not -" Luna started, but Kyiara interrupted her. "I don't want to lose either of you. Just get out of here!"
Oria brought out a handful of kunai. "The only way I'm going back to Konoha without you is if I'm in a coffin." He glared at Orochimaru. "You'll have to step over my dead body before I'll let you take Kyiara away!"
Orochimaru smiled. "Have it your way, then."
Suddenly he charged, knocking Luna and Oria out of the way. He threw four kunai at Kyiara, who dodged three of them; the forth sliced open her upper arm. She leapt to the side to draw him away from her teammates. When she landed she touched the wound, and it healed instantly.
Orochimaru clapped mockingly as he walked toward her. "Impressive, Kyiara-san. You're as good as I've heard. That's why I picked you over your brother."
"Stay away from my brother and stay away from my teammates!" she spat at him.
"You have a fiery temper, Kyiara-san. You'll be a lot of fun to break." He turned around as Oria and Luna charged at him.
Oria threw what looked like all of his kunai and shureikan at Orochimaru, who dodged them all easily. "Is that the best the youngest Academy graduates can -" he broke off as all the weapons he had avoided came back at him seemingly on their own accord.
"What the-" Orochimaru glanced at the oncoming weapons, then at Oria and Luna. Oria was grinning; Luna had her hands clasped in front of her in a hand seal. "So that's how you're doing it." he commented, and sent a kunai in Luna's direction; it plunged deep into her collarbone before she could avoid it. All the weapons she had been controlling fell to the ground. Oria rushed to her side as Orochimaru turned back to Kyiara. In the next instant, he had her pinned against one of the tree trunks in the training field, and Kyiara felt him bite her neck. She screamed as he let her drop to the ground, watching as black marks spread over her skin.
"What did you do to Kyiara?" Luna shouted as she got to her feet, Oria next to her. Both of their gazes carried pure murder.
"It doesn't matter; you two won't be seeing her again." He glanced back at Kyiara. "I've never had anyone react this bad to the mark before. But no matter. If she dies, I'll just have to use her brother."
Beyond reason, Oria and Luna charged at the man who was putting their teammate through so much pain and was trying to take her away. Barely moving, Orochimaru plunged two long-bladed knives into their chests.
"NO!" Kyiara had looked up in time to see what Orochimaru did. Pulling his weapons out of their bodies, he watched them fall to the ground. He walked over and kicked Oria away from Luna as he stood over her. She looked up at him, anger and hate leaving no room for pain in her eyes. "You bastard, you won't get away with this…"
"Yes I will. And I think I would like your power to put into my new weapon."
Luna's eyes widened in fear and pain when his chakra lashed out at her chest, opening the wound his blade had made further until her beating heart could be seen. She opened her mouth and screamed as Orochimaru's chakra siphoned up the blood around her heart and up into his hand; he closed his fist around it. When he opened his fist, a small clear glass bottle was in it, filled with blood. He tucked it away.
"Get the hell away from her!" Kyiara screamed. Orochimaru turned to face her. Kyiara had managed to push herself onto her knees, but no further; her whole body was shaking. "I'm surprised you managed to move so much, Kyiara-san."
Behind Orochimaru, Oria had forced himself to his feet, his face twisted into a mask of anger and hate. "How dare you hurt Luna? I'll kill you!"
He leapt at Orochimaru with no weapons other than his fists. Orochimaru slashed Oria's raised arms with the knife he still held in his hands; Oria didn't slow down. Before Orochimaru could react Oria had brought his fists slicing toward Orochimaru's body. At the last moment Orochimaru saw Oria was holding a palm claw in each hand. Both palm claws made heavy contact, one with his face and the other with his chest. Again Orochimaru lashed out with his knife, this time in pain. The heavy blow caught Oria on the shoulder, knocking him back to land next to Luna.
Sheathing his knife Orochimaru roughly grabbed Kyiara and threw her over his shoulder. As darkness clouded her vision, Kyiara watched Oria crawl until he could lay down next to Luna, taking her hand in his.
Then everything went black.
END FLASHBACK
The next thing Kyiara knew, she was back on the balcony overlooking Konoha. She pushed herself onto her knees, keeping her back to Shino, knowing her cheeks were wet with tears. She tried to wipe them away before he noticed, but it was too late.
"I didn't think the process would have such a negative affect on you. I'm sorry."
He watched her as they got to their feet. "What's wrong? You're crying."
Kyiara didn't look at him. "Nothing. Thank you for what you did, Shino. I can feel a major difference in the curse seal."
She started to turn away when Shino grabbed her arm. "You're lying, I can tell.
You started crying while you were out, and not from pain. Do you want to talk about it?"
Still Kyiara refused to look at him. "No, I don't." she snapped before vanishing into thin air.
Kyiara reappeared outside of Konoha village. Just ahead of her was where Konoha buried those who died in combat. Her feet took her to where Oria and Luna were buried side-by-side, together just as they had died. In the fading light, she read what was inscribed on their tombstones.
Strana Oria - KIA
Born: October 23
Died: June 10 Age: 10
Oria was a loyal Konoha ninja,
who died as he lived, protecting
his precious people to the end.
Tienra Luna - KIA
Born: June 11
Died: June 10 Age: 10
Luna was gentle and caring to
everyone she met. She will be missed
by everyone whose hearts she touched.
But next to them was another gravestone with a name she was startled to read.
Yakushi Kyiara - MIA
Born: February 26
Vanished: June 10 Age:11
Kyiara, my beloved little sister,
I will miss you every day we're
not together. I will love you forever.
"Kabuto . . ." she whispered, her chest tightening painfully. "I love you too."
She turned and knelt down next to Luna and Oria's graves. "I'm sorry I didn't come here sooner. I was . . . afraid to because it's my fault this happened to you two." She took a shaky breath. "Please forgive me."
Kyiara stayed there, watching the moon rise. It had been one of their favorite things to do together before and after they graduated. When the moon was up, she lay down between her two teammates. "I will kill the man who did this to you. I swear it." she whispered as she fell asleep.