The girl's eyes flashed open in the dark, half-lidded gray orbs reflecting the light of the moon. She sniffed the air before moving, trying to keep as silent as possible. Something had woken her up, but she wasn't certain as to what it was.
When she heard nothing more, she crept forward slowly, belly slinking along the ground as she looked around her. Something was off about the night, and it disturbed her. Her instinct to protect the ones inside the shelter drove her out, searching for whatever had woken her.
She searched the dark, eyes peering into infinite blackness. Even though the half moon shone bright, very little passed through and hit the ground. The smells were unfamiliar to her, so she couldn't tell by scent if something was off.
She paced around the shelter in ever increasing circles, sniffing along the ground. She grew aware of the feeling that she was being watched, and raised her head to look in the branches of the trees around her. The feeling grew, and the hairs rose along the back of her neck, hyper-aware.
Something softly hissed and slithered, and her head snapped toward of the sound, growling softly. Something large and inky-black slithered under the bushes, bigger around than her.
The girl tensed and hunched her shoulders, watching the large creature move around in the undergrowth. It headed slowly toward the shelter, and when it entered the moonlight, she gasped.
A large black snake reared over the small shelter, head almost half as big as she. She froze in fear for a few moments, not used to seeing serpents of this scale. It could easily be mistaken for a fallen tree laying on the ground, but now it stood, towering over the sleeping inhabitants.
The girl snapped out of her fear, snarling and rushing the beast, jumping on its back and trying to bite it. However, her teeth merely skated over the hard black scales, not marking it. The serpent didn't even seem to notice her presence on its back, slowly lowering its head.
Sensing that the creature wouldn't wait much longer before eating the two, the girl ran along the body, almost sliding off in spots. When she reached the neck, she tried leaping up it, but her hands gained no purchase, and she fell off, landing heavily on her side.
She only growled again and rolled to her feet, leaping forward at the snake's descending head. She collided heavily with its snout, and it reared back with a shriek of pain.
The two's eyes finally opened, and they rolled to their feet at the sound. The girl ignored their motions in favor of trying to maintain a grip on the snake's head as it thrashed around, trying to shake her off, hissing angrily. Her hand slipped, and she fell almost twenty feet to the ground, landing on her shoulder with a cry of pain.
The smaller man shouted and grabbed his weapon, running toward the serpent. The giant ran over to her, hands examining her wounded shoulder. However, she ignored her pain to run at the snake again, a hand grabbing one of its bared fangs and using it to swing around and land on its broad, scaled head.
She again tried biting it, but her teeth only chipped as she snapped at the hard snout. The snake swung its head again, and she grabbed onto an eye ridge to maintain her grip, watching the smaller man try to slice at its back with his scythe. There was a shower of sparks, but nothing more as the blades ran off its back.
A swarm of black threads joined her on the skull, and the girl looked to see them emerging from the giant's body while another monster flew around him, shooting short, rapid bursts of wind at the creatures back. They succeeded in causing the scales to separate, and a lucky hit from the scythe landed in the space between the scales, slicing a small gap into its body.
The threads wrapped around the skull, holding its mouth shut and trying to keep it still to assist the girl. The serpent struggled to move, but the concentrated grip of the giant held it still.
Without having to try to hold on, only catching her balance for a few small twitches, the girl tried again to break through the hard armor of scales, failing again. The serpent's green eyes glared at her, and she got an idea.
With a snarl, she lunged at the creature's eye, hand burying itself in the jelly-like substance. The snake screamed and pulled back, spasming in pain. The girl lost her balance again, but her hand buried in its eye allowed her to keep on, gritting her teeth as she worked her hand deeper, trying to reach the brain to kill it.
The giant's threads fell free, unable to hold on any longer. The monster that smelled like the giant flew up beside her, landing softly on the head beside her. It 'looked' at her, observing her motions, and with a soft gurgling noise softly pulled her arm back, using some of the threads that made up its body to hold her steady. The snake's head quickly approached the ground in an attempt to slam them off, but before it hit the masked beast drove an arm through the eye, slicing through the brain in the same motion.
The snake's body tensed for a moment, then slowly began to fall. The masked beast picked her up and flew off while holding her, startling her at the sudden lack of ground. She yelped in surprise, but quickly began to enjoy the brief sensation of flying before it landed on the ground, letting her go as the snake's head landed lifelessly on the ground.
The giant rushed over bending to check her body for any injuries. As he examined her, the beast flew at him and dived into his back, and the giant froze for a moment until it was back in. The girl chittered a question, but it was soon forgotten as he snapped her dislocated shoulder back in place.
Kakuzu watched his wind heart-beast set Reni down, and rushed over. The beast set her down softly, almost tenderly, and Kakuzu frowned. He had given no instructions to the beast, only to attack the snake, yet it was acting carefully around Reni. Why?
He let the thought go as he knelt down by her side, giving the order for the heart to come back into his body. He sensed a feeling of reluctance, another odd fact, and it leapt at him, diving in between the stitches.
Reni looked curiously at it, not seeming afraid at all, and she started chittering a question before Kakuzu shoved her shoulder back in place while she was distracted.
She screamed and pulled away from him, shriek echoing through the clear skies. She curled up into a ball, still crying out, and Kakuzu sensed the presence of a few ninja before they landed in the clearing near them.
Kakuzu tensed and watched them carefully, observing their Swamp headbands. Swamp nin almost never strayed far from their village, and very little was known about them because of that. It had been decades since they had participated in the chunin exams, and any attempts to establish trading relationships normally ended up with the return of half the delegates sent and a scroll with a message written in blood: No.
"Is there a problem?" he asked, hand traveling to his kunai pouch.
"Stop your hand, sir."
His hand froze, yet didn't move away as he carefully watched them. Hidan, of course, hadn't noticed them yet and was still trying to yank his scythe out from between the snake's scales.
The leader walked forward, frowning at the snake.
"Was there a problem?"
"We were attacked by a snake. We defeated it, we're fine now."
Another ninja, female, loudly retorted, "Don't you know not to travel around her without setting a watch for the snakes?"
"Quiet, Mizuki."
She shut her mouth angrily, but listened to her squad leader. He walked forward, approaching Reni, and she rolled away from him and rose to her feet, growling a threat while holding her wounded shoulder.
"Is she going to be all right?"
"She'll be fine."
Hidan had finally wrenched his scythe from the scales, and walked over, muttering angrily while he wiped snake blood off the blades.
"Put down your weapon."
Hidan snorted.
"Like hell I will. I'm fucking cleaning it before it rusts."
The leader's eyes flashed angrily.
"I said put down your weapon."
Hidan's only response was to grin and slow the movements of cloth against blade, eyes looking up through his messy hair as he watched the leader.
The leader growled and took a single step forward, but Reni growled loudly and leaped forward, shoving him back from Hidan, body crouched as she prepared to attack.
The Swamp nin took out their weapons, while Kakuzu took out a kunai, standing next to Reni to protect her if necessary. Hidan held his scythe at the ready, and tenseness crackled through the clearing.
They all glared at each other for a few moments, Kakuzu keeping a few fingers on Reni's arm to keep her from attacking. While he didn't doubt their ability to take out a few ninja, he only wanted to sleep.
"Everyone, weapons down."
His squad looked at him, but regretfully lowered their various armaments, looking slightly angry. Kakuzu lowered his kunai, and Hidan went back to cleaning his blades, keeping a careful eye on them. Reni didn't stop growling, but a tap from Kakuzu caused her to quiet a bit.
"Why were you traveling through this area?"
"We were only passing through to get to the Village Hidden in Grass. This was only an overnight stop."
"What village are you from?"
Hidan grinned.
"Depends, do you want the one we just left, or the ones we were trained in?"
"Hidan, shut up."
"You are rogues?"
Kakuzu glared, but said, "Yes."
The leader nodded.
"As long as you were not sent here, we can allow you into our village to rest for a bit and heal. Come, it is this way. Mizuki, send out a squad to get the meat off this snake."
"Yes, sir."
The girl vanished, and the leader waved the three forward. Kakuzu started walking, Reni following, and Hidan swung his scythe onto his shoulder before following as well.
As they passed through an arc of moldy vines, Kakuzu's eyes beheld the sight of the Village Hidden in Swamps. A few children played in the streets, though they stopped and stared as they saw the strangers entering their village. Their eyes were the same musty green that was the trademark of the village, following them as they followed the squad leader to the village head.
They entered a building, Reni grumbling as another nin watched them pass by, limping along on three legs. Her odd walking habits had surprisingly gained no questions, and her growls.
The nin knocked on a door, and they heard a female voice say, "Enter."
They walked in, and Kakuzu's widened as he beheld what could have been an older version of an exact replica of Reni.
After his initial shock, he realized her hair was a few shades too dark, and her eyes were more moldy green than gray, but other than that, she was an exact copy. Her greenish-gray eyes widened at the sight of Reni looking around the room and growling softly, and she exhaled quickly in shock.
Reni finally looked at her, and blinked, chittering softly.
They all stared at one another for almost a full minute, before the leader finally cleared her throat.
"Swamp nin, leave the room."
"But-"
"NOW."
The Swamp nin grumbled, but obeyed and left, leaving Kakuzu, Hidan, and Reni with the strange woman.
As soon as the door shut, she stood up and walked over to Reni, kneeling by her side. Reni's hand reached up and brushed softly against the woman's cheek, but she didn't even bat an eye.
"It can't be….. Hikari?", she breathed, shocked. Hidan looked confused.
"Why the fuck are you calling her Hikari? Her name's Reni."
The woman looked at him.
"Who are you?" she asked harshly, putting Reni slightly behind her. Reni growled at the attempt of separation, and shoved past her, going back to Kakuzu's side and sitting down, looking at what could have been her twin.
"My name is Kakuzu, this is Hidan."
"You called her Reni?" the woman asked, ignoring them in favor of looking at the girl seated at Kakuzu's side.
"Yes. We named her."
"You what?"
Kakuzu sighed.
"It's a long story."
The woman stood and walked back to her desk, sitting down in her chair.
"Then tell."
Kakuzu stared at her for a brief moment, then began talking, telling her everything.
"That's it."
"You say you found her?"
"Yes. She was alone. Now, why do you look just like her?"
The woman looked up at them, eyes misted.
"Because I'm her aunt."
They all froze, except for Reni, who breathed softly, having fallen asleep during the story.
"What did you say?"
The woman sighed, then spoke again.
"It's my turn to tell a story. Forty years ago, I lived in the Village Hidden in Occult, a cruel village that practiced ritual torture to bring prosperity. My twin sister, Hikari, and I planned to leave the village, in search of a better place. However, my sister was pregnant at the time, and didn't want to leave. She told her husband, in complete confidence that he would keep it a secret. However, he was loyal to the village, and told the elders.
My sister was well-liked in the village, so instead of hanging her for dissent, they banished her for being with the Tora, a group that had been harassing us for a few years. This was completely false, but it gave her an opportunity to live. I tried to leave with her, saying it was my fault, but they kept me locked in the prison while they cast her out.
She kept trying to come back to get me, and we were able to talk a few times through the windows. However, before she could get me out, she gave birth, to what I believe is your Reni. She vanished, probably to keep her daughter safe, and I never saw her again. In a war, I managed to escape, and came here. I never heard of my sister again, and assumed her to be dead. Tell me, is there a chance she's alive?"
She turned to them with her eyes hopeful, and Kakuzu sighed.
"No, her body was discovered when Reni was seven. They couldn't find Reni, and I discovered her when she rescued me from that bear. She must have been living by herself all that time."
The leader's face fell, and she sighed.
"I figured as much. However, if Reni is that old, how come she doesn't look it? She doesn't seem a day over fifteen."
"That's what we have been trying to find out. We were separated twenty years ago, as you know, and Hidan found her a few days ago. We don't know."
"It could be she managed to carry the keke-genkai of our village."
"What are you talking about?" Kakuzu asked, frowning.
"A few ninja every generation have been born with an extended life-span, but the numbers had been decreasing over the years. As far as I know, it has been completely eradicated in the village. But how could she have gotten it? Neither her or her father's lineage contains it."
"Jashin-sama", Hidan called from the corner, where he had sat after a while. The woman growled.
"Never say that name here again."
Hidan only looked pleased, and Kakuzu frowned.
"What's going on?"
"My religion originated in the Village Hidden in Occult a few centuries ago."
"Yes, and that's how we got that name", the woman said, seeming angry.
Kakuzu shook his head. Many things were tying up here, and his mind was too tired to understand it. The woman saw this, and bowed.
"My apologies. You must be exhausted. We don't have any inns here, but you may sleep in one of the empty houses. There is still furniture, and we can bring clean blankets over for you. Captian Tsume will show you."
The door opened, and the same squad leader from before walked in, signaling with two fingers for them to follow. Kakuzu knelt down and picked up Reni, who slumbered on in his arms, snuggling into his chest. The village leader watched this, her face hardening, as they walked out the door and followed the man.
When Kakuzu woke again, daylight was streaming through the curtain-less windows, into his eyes. Reni was wrapped in his stitched arms, sleeping off her hurt shoulder. A medic nin had attempted to heal it the night before, but Reni wouldn't let him near her, biting his hands a few times before he gave up. It had been entertaining, but her shoulder still wasn't healed, as Kakuzu hadn't trusted his tired mind to do it himself.
He yawned and rose, stretching, looking at the clock hastily placed on a box and seeing it was past noon. Reni, feeling the person beside her wake up, rose herself, yawning and stretching, hissing when her shoulder twinged.
Kakuzu turned to her and held his hand over it, glowing green. The torn tendons and sore muscle healed under his touch, and Reni held still, hissing as it stung. When it was repaired, she smiled and tackled him in a rare burst of happiness, chittering as she thanked him.
He rolled his eyes and hugged her, stroking her short hair. She fell still for a moment, then pulled gently away, looking at him and making a couple content noises, staring at his eyes. Feeling under scrutiny, Kakuzu held himself still, not sure why Reni was doing this.
She sniffed him a few times, walking around him on the bed as she scented his skin. Kakuzu raised an eyebrow at her odd behavior, but let her continue, until she seemed satisfied and licked his hand briefly before jumping off the bed.
He watched after her, feeling oddly like his skin was crawling, not like she disgusted him, but as something else. She seemed…… different for a bit there, more possessive. It almost reminded him of a cat, sniffing over what was theirs to make sure nothing had touched it.
He shook his head, dispelling his thoughts. Reni had always acted odd, what made this different?
Feeling slightly unsettled, he got up and followed her out of the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The girl awakened when she felt the giant beside her rise, stretching herself. When her shoulder pulled she hissed, withdrawing her arm. She sat up, and the giant held his hand over it before doing the strange healing thing he did with his hand, causing it to sting but heal.
When it was back to normal, she grinned and tackled him, knocking his back to the soft surface. It had been a spontaneous action, but it made her feel better doing it.
Feeling odd, she felt the need to scent him, to see if anyone but her had gone near him. She felt territorial, sniffing along his skin, but it comforted her smelling nothing but herself on him.
Feeling slightly embarrassed, she jumped down after licking his hand, again happy her shoulder was better. She could feel his gaze on her as she left the room, but she continued on, heading to the door and scratching at it.
The giant opened it for her, and she smiled happily as the sun hit her scarred skin, warming it.
She looked across the road, and she froze when she saw the woman that looked like her mother but wasn't. She smelled different, but her face was the same.
The woman was watching her intently, looking slightly angry when she saw the giant walk out the door behind her, low voice rumbling a question to the girl. The girl continued her watching, but when the giant followed her gaze, the woman's face changed to a happy expression and she waved. But the girl could still smell the anger on the air, and she hunched her shoulders.
The giant turned back to go in, and the woman's face fell again, looking poisonous. Unsettled, the girl followed the giant back indoors, the warmth of the sun gone.