Chapter 4: Breaking the Curse

"And you have proof of this?" Sarutobi asked, regarding Naruko shrewdly over the tops of his folded hands. Once again, she found herself sitting at his desk, subject to his contemplative gaze.

"It doesn't matter if I do or do not," Naruko countered, waving a hand airily. "Nor do I care if you believe me. If need be, I will destroy their army myself. Your suspicion is understandable...but unfounded."

"You have a great deal of confidence," Sarutobi said softly. "Some might even say arrogance." Naruko snorted.

"Those who survive the fires of battle are reforged anew. None have been more honed than I."

"Perhaps," Sarutobi replied evenly. "Though should Suna mount a full-scale attack as you suggest, and with Orochimaru at its head, the amount of lives lost will be massive." Naruko inclined her head.

"For them."

"Even so, it would be best to spare as many lives as possible, especially if Suna is being tricked into attacking us as you suggest." Naruko scowled. She wasn't suggesting anything, she knew exactly what was going to happen. To make matters worse, taking down opponents without killing them was not one of her stronger attributes. Her techniques were designed to destroy armies, not gently admonish them. Perhaps if she knew how to use a single genjutsu that would be possible, but Naruko never bothered to try learning that subtle art. Her chakra control was good enough for it, but what good was breaking someone's mind when you could simply destroy their body?

"Might you enlighten me as to their plan of attack?" Sarutobi continued, breaking Naruko from her thoughts. "Perhaps then we will know how to proceed."

Naruko wasn't sure if Sarutobi was fully believing what she was telling him, but she continued anyway.

"Their tactics are simple," she began, betraying none if her thoughts, "Orochimaru will be masquerading as the Kazekage, whom he has already killed. He will attack you directly, using four bodyguards to create a Four Flames Formation barrier to keep you isolated. Meanwhile, the main attack will begin. The Kazekage's son, Gaara, is a jinchuriki. He will attempt to take down the South wall, and allow the Suna army into Konoha." Sarutobi leaned back in his chair, his expression unchanging.

"Will I survive my encounter with Orochimaru?" He asked the question with total calmness, but still Naruko paused. It wasn't that she hadn't been expecting the question, but it did bring back some rather unpleasant memories. She had been a genin at the time of the attack, and that day she had lost one of the few people who had ever shown her kindness when Sarutobi was killed.

"You did, before," she said slowly. "But you were alone against Orochimaru. Even by yourself you were able to seal away his arms with the Dead Demon Consuming Seal before your death. With proper planning he will not be a threat." Sarutobi regarded her thoughtfully.

"You have done Konoha a great service, if what you say is true."

"That should not surprise you if you remember what I was," she countered, before pausing, tilting her head as she thought back. "Do you know what they called me, back then?" Sarutobi was kind enough to indulge her.

"What did they call you?"

"They called me The Dragon. The Last Shadow. They said my fire could burn the sun. If I wanted to harm this village…" She stood abruptly from her chair, regarding Sarutobi imperially. "It would already be ash."

Naruko absently wended her way through the streets, which were surprisingly empty despite it being only early in the evening. Everything was exactly as she remembered. The same shops, with their old wooden roofs and ugly power lines. The same streets, narrow and unclean. The same people. She thought back to a few weeks before, when Anko had approached her in the jounin lounge. That had been a strange experience. Loyal, hard-headed Anko. How that woman had terrified her, when she was younger. In truth, she had never known Anko too well. Outside of their occasional conversations during the war, they had never spoken much. It was true that, in her younger years, she had formed a bit of a crush for the woman, but that had been nothing more than teenage hormones at work. Perhaps it was because they were so much alike. Both of them grew up without family, experienced the pain of being hated for what they were. They even had similar personalities, at least before.

When Anko approached her, Naruko had been torn between the desires to laugh, and to run. While Anko was undeniably beautiful, it was almost too much when the purple-haired woman had tried hitting on her. To make matters worse, Anko was clearly awful at wooing anybody with words. Most likely, it worked out for her anyway, though, because Anko's body was something men and women alike drooled over. Naruko most certainly wouldn't mind spending the night with Anko, hell, she even considered it for a moment back in the jounin lounge. Besides, sex was a great way to wind down after a mission. Or anytime at all, really. Of course, after she removed Anko's cursed seal, she would probably get immediately jumped anyway. She had completely forgotten about it on their first meeting. The seal itself was stubborn, but its failsafes were not quite fail proof. She had become very proficient in fuinjutsu during the war. She had recreated the Hiraishin, after all, though she kept its name.

And then, she made a seal to go back in time. It was not so different from the Hiraishin, in some ways. Her father's technique simply transported the user through space, while the seal she created transported them through time. It sounded simple enough, in her head, but the seal had taken years to perfect, even with countless clones working tirelessly on its mechanics. She had never bothered to give the technique a name. Nobody else would ever learn it anyway.

Lost in her thoughts, she almost failed to hear a faint scuffle happening a few blocks down. She cocked her head slightly as she caught wind of a faint yell, her eyes flicking immediately towards the sound. A shunshin took her to the disturbance in a whirl of flame.

Her sudden appearance had all eyes on her as she drank in the scene before her. The sand siblings Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro all gave her blank looks, despite the small boy Kankuro was holding up by the collar. The Hokage's grandson, Konohamaru, stared at her wide-eyed, despite the fact that he was dangling by the front of his shirt. His friends gaped at her with equal awe, as did Sakura, who stood slightly in front of them, shielding them from the Suna shinobi.

"Who are you?" Gaara asked tonelessly. He was exactly how she remembered him at their first meeting. Cold, emotionless, and downright creepy. Ignoring him, she turned to Kankuro.

"Is there any particular reason you're threatening the Hokage's grandson, dollface?" Kankuro snarled, dropping Konohamaru, who tumbled ungracefully to the ground.

"Dollface? I'm going to enjoy making you take that back, leaf whore." Apparently she had struck a nerve. The boy clearly wasn't very good at assessing the strength of his enemies, otherwise he would never have been foolish enough to say those words.

"Kankuro…" Temari sighed, clearly the most level headed of the siblings, "she isn't worth it."

"Shut up." Both ninja stiffened at the sound of their brothers cold voice. "You're a disgrace to our village. To lose control at one insult…" He was right, of course. Not that it kept him from being an arrogant fool. Gaara was too used to being the one in power. He thought he was invincible. Perhaps it would be fun to teach him otherwise.

"You, run along." Naruko waved away the children of Konoha. They weren't a part of this. "I'll have a word with our...guests." Sakura gave one more worried glance at the Suna shinobi, before ushering Konohamaru and his friends away. Naruko waited for them to disappear from sight before turning back to the three siblings, who tensed slightly at her expression.

"I trust you won't be causing any more trouble while you stay in Konoha," she said idly, watching them from the corner of her eye as she casually inspected her fingernails.

"Are you threatening us?" Kankuro growled, giving her what he must have assumed was an intimidating glare. As if she would be scared by a boy in makeup.

"Perhaps you think that you have a trump card," she continued, speaking directly to Gaara, allowing her voice to harden as she released her killing intent. The genin gasped, only Gaara able to stay upright under the massive pressure. Even he was sweating visibly under the almost palpable aura around them. Naruko almost smirked as she saw his hands trembling. Kankuro and Temari were shuddering violently, gasping for air as they clawed at the ground. It wasn't the worst she could have given them, but she needed them conscious. "Let there be no doubt," she continued evenly, as though the genin before her weren't struggling to keep themselves conscious. "Nothing trumps me." She gave the three ninja one more imperious look, satisfied that Kankuro and Temari were cowering slightly, before disappearing in a whirl of fire.

Anko knocked politely on the door to the Hokage's office. She wasn't really the type for politeness, nor knocking, but certain formalities were required when dealing with the most powerful man in Konoha. She entered at the call from within, her prepared greeting quickly dying in her throat.

In front of her, in her full, beautiful, curvy, red-haired glory, was the same kunoichi she had met in the jounin lounge. Wearing the same tight black pants…

"Naruko, what a pleasure to see you again. Have you considered my previous...offer?" Sarutobi looked between the two with a confused expression, which Anko ignored.

"I've...considered it," Naruko said slowly. Her voice was honey to Anko's ears, whether if that was because she had nearly accepted her...proposition, or whether it was simply her voice itself, Anko didn't care.

"Naruko has something she would like to...discuss with you," piped up Sarutobi, who was blissfully unaware of the thoughts that sent racing through her mind.

"Yes," Anko purred. "I'm sure she does."

"I can get rid of your curse mark," Naruko said suddenly, bringing Anko's lecherous thoughts to a grinding halt. Her hands clenched so tightly into fists it hurt.

"Don't lie to me," she whispered. She found herself to be shaking, her teeth grinding together painfully. "Don't lie to me!"

"You will find," Naruko began, unfazed by Anko's outburst, "that there is nothing fire can't burn. People always think that fire is such a...volatile element. That it exists solely to destroy." Naruko held up one hand, a spinning ball of flame appearing in her upturned palm. Anko stared transfixed into its depths, her anger quickly evaporating away as she watched it dance and whirl. But not only that, there was something in Naruko's voice that was strangely...compelling. It was commanding, despite her soft tone. It reminded her strangely of Sarutobi, when he got serious. "Perhaps, in a way, they are right. But fire also creates life. All things in the universe turn to ashes, and from the ashes new life will sprout. I can burn away the decay that was forced upon you. The hold Orochimaru has on you will fade into dust. This I can give you, Anko Mitarashi." She wanted to believe it, she really did.

"Jiraiya already tried to remove the cursed seal," she said bitterly. "If he can't, nobody can."

"Anko," Sarutobi said gently, "this is no trick."

"I can remove it," Naruko insisted. "Seals are something of a...specialty of mine." Anko sighed. There was no way that this was going to work, but she really had nothing to lose.

Naruko trailed her brush slowly over Anko's neck, tracing the same seal she had created years ago. They were in Konoha's hospital, simply for the extra precaution of having medics on standby should anything go awry. Not that they would really need them, dispelling Orochimaru's filthy seal would be all too easy. At least for her. Anko would not enjoy the process nearly as much. There was a reason Naruko had prepared extra sound-proofing seals on the room, after all.

Anko moaned yet again as the brush trailed over her neck, and Naruko had to suppress a blush. She was clearly doing it on purpose, and has insisted on completely removing her top to give Naruko more "access". Naruko was no prude herself, despite perhaps enjoying hot springs quite a bit more than most women, but Anko seemed to have a special skill for making other people hot under the collar.

Still, she pretended to ignore the warmth coloring her cheeks, stoically drawing her seal on Anko's exposed skin. It wasn't that she was against a quick tumble with the purple-haired kunoichi. In truth, Anko's roguish charm and more-than-stunning looks were more than enough to captivate her, but she didn't want to lose her focus. It wouldn't be pleasant should she accidentally kill the woman due to her gawking. She finished the last few brushstrokes, doggedly ignoring the way Anko was arching her hips. She reached across from her, grabbing a small but thick leather strip and handing it to Anko. It wouldn't do for her to bite her own tongue off from the pain.

"Mmm, kinky," Anko commented unashamedly as she received the object. "Looks like you're a woman after my own tastes." Despite the casual sounding remark, Anko did look a bit wary. Naruko could sympathize, she knew that this was going to hurt. Badly. Thankfully, any further comments were made impossible as Anko bit down on the leather, clearly trying to prepare herself for the inevitable pain.

"You ready?" Naruko asked gently. Anko nodded once, clenching her eyes shut. "Kurenjingu kaen (cleansing flame)" Anko's body instantly went rigid, her eyes snapping open instantly. Even the leather strip clenched between her teeth couldn't stifle the scream that tore itself from her throat.

Pain. That was the only thing Anko's mind could register. Her whole body twitched and spasmed violently from the pure agony that raced through her every cell. It felt like her whole chakra network was being burned away from the inside. She was no stranger to pain herself, but nothing had ever compared to this. Even when her cursed seal was at its worst, she was able to at least maintain a small amount of composure. Now, a mixture of tears and saliva was running down her face and pooling onto the sheets beneath her. Naruko was kind enough to at least turn her sideways, should she end up losing her last meal. She would have been screaming, but her throat had gone raw some time ago, and the most she could manage pathetic gasping noises. Vaguely, she decided that having a cursed seal didn't even seem so bad anymore.

She didn't know how long she was in agony, but it felt like years. What she did know, was that she had never been happier than when it stopped.

Slowly, she rolled onto her back, wiping the spit that trailed from the corner of her mouth. She tried to speak, but didn't manage more than a faint croak. She coughed, clearing her throat before trying again.

"D-did it work?" She gasped, not really sure if she wanted to hear the answer. Naruko approached the hospital bed, gently turning her neck to inspect it.

"It did," she said. "The curse mark is gone."

Anko didn't think she'd ever been so happy in her life. She channeled a bit of chakra, and though it was weak due to her current state, it was uninhibited by the mark. It almost didn't seem real, that she was finally rid of it. She felt as though a great weight was lifted from her shoulders, one she wasn't even fully aware of. She had always been able to feel the mark, of course, but as time went on it was easier to ignore. Still, it was these, eating away at her control of both chakra and her own mental state. Now, she could finally forget the past she had been trying for so long to bury. No longer did she have a permanent reminder of him. Orochimaru would fade, his memory would burn away in the same fire that freed her from his vile touch.

In a surge of strength that surprised both of them Anko leapt from the bed and slammed Naruko against the wall. Before either of them could form a reaction, she had her tongue down Naruko's throat.

Perhaps, if Anko thought about it, she would have decided it wasn't a good idea to forcibly kiss someone she barely knew. Then again, Anko was never one to overthink things. Or think about things at all, really. She was a woman of action; when she wanted something, she took it. Instead, she focused all her attention on thoroughly exploring Naruko's mouth with her tongue, as her hands set about ravishing the woman before her. She was almost taken by surprise when Naruko's tongue surged forward to battle with her own, the slightly smaller kunoichi trying, and failing, to reverse their positions with a quick spin. Anko held back a smirk. This wasn't a game she would lose. She quickly pinned Naruko's hands at her sides, then slowly slid them upwards above her head. The position thrust Naruko's breasts forward, pressing them into her own. There was something about a woman's curves that Anko loved. Men were all hard muscle, so eager to prove their manhood through domination. Women, on the other hand, were more supple. There was something about a woman's soft compliance and sensual curvature that drove Anko wild. She grasped both wrists in one hand, enjoying the way Naruko tried to arch further into her touch. She withdrew from the kiss, nipping along Naruko's jaw as the red haired kunoichi gasped for air. With her newly freed hand, she grabbed Naruko's ass, roughly shoving one of her thighs between Naruko's, slamming her once more into the wall as she ground upwards. Anko smirked at the long moan that escaped Naruko's lips. She ground her thigh harder between Naruko's legs, smashing their lips together roughly. Finally, she let Naruko's hands free, which instantly flew to tangle in her hair. Anko quickly set to work on Naruko's pants now that both her hands were free, which proved quite a bit more difficult since her lips were still firmly connected with Naruko's. She struggled for a few seconds, her hands fumbling lamely with the waistline before heaving their lips apart with a frustrated growl. She brought her lips next to Naruko's ear as she began to slide her pants down her thighs, relishing the shudder that ran through the other woman's body.

"I gonna make you come so hard," she purred, licking slowly up Naruko's ear, "you're not gonna be able to stand for a-"

"Hello? Is everything-" Fuck. Anko whirled around, trying, probably in vain, to cover Naruko from eyesight with her body. A pointless gesture, their mussed hair and swollen lips were evidence enough. Behind her, she could hear the redhead scrambling to pull her pants all the way up, as a young medic-nin stood frozen in the doorway. The poor girl tried valiantly to keep from staring at Anko's topless form, and was quickly turning a dangerous shade of red. Anko suspected that it was quite the scene, walking in to find two women making out, one without a shirt and the other quickly losing her pants. She was at least thankful that the shinobi that walked in on them was female. "Ok?" The girl finished lamely.

Anko sighed. Didn't anyone know that it's polite to knock?

Naruko annihilated a training target with her Burning Fist, using perhaps more force than was necessary. She turned to the next one with a snarl, bombarding it with a flurry of punches and kicks that were each strong enough to be lethal. It was stupid, what she had done back in the hospital. Of course Anko was going to act that way when her seal was removed. She had before. Naruko had expected it, and yet she let herself be carried away by lust of all things. With a cry, she destroyed another target with a fiery spin kick, landing smoothly in a crouch. Her chest heaved with each heavy breath, her sweat evaporating instantly when it made contact with her flames. It had always been the same, even before. She always had a weakness for beautiful women. She hated having weaknesses. It had cost her in the past, and it would again if she wasn't careful.

She wasn't angry at Anko, nor was she opposed, at least in principle, to what had happened earlier. No, she was angry only at herself, for being too weak to stop. Naruko liked to be in control. She needed to be in control. And then Anko took that away from her, and it felt so good. She took a deep breath, the flames surrounding her hands and feet receding back into her skin. As long as she had control, it would be fine. She wouldn't let it happen again. Sex was just that, sex. As long as she didn't allow it to become more, there was nothing to fear.

"You think too much," rumbled Kurama from inside her mindscape. "If you want to bed this woman, then do so." Naruko snorted. He always was blunt about such things. Kurama had never understood her preference to women, as he had asked, "Why would you mate with someone...who you can't mate with?" Still, he maintained mostly indifference to her chosen partners, which was much better than what could be said about much of Konoha.

"You don't understand," she retorted. Kurama liked to think himself omniscient, but he was unable to fully comprehend the thought processes of humans.

"Don't I? You are afraid-"

"I'm not afraid."

"You are," he mused. "A rare thing. This Anko girl makes you afraid."

"You know why," she growled. Kurama gave her what he probably thought was a smile.

"I do. Your fears are unfounded. It won't happen again."

"I can't...I can't get close to her. You know that."

You mistake the need to mate with love, kit. I grow tired of your foolishness. You outgrew this long ago." He was right, of course, but Naruko hated to give him the satisfaction. She severed their mental link, disappearing to her home in a shunshin. There would be time to deal with Anko later, she had other places to be. Jiraiya would be an invaluable asset, once she found him. His fighting skill and battle knowledge would be imperative for the Suna invasion, especially his toad summons. She used to have the contract of the toads, but it had apparently been erased when travelling back in time. The reason she truly needed him, however, was for his spy network. She sooner she knew of the Akatsuki's movements, the better. Given enough time, she would be able to pinpoint their locations.

And once she knew that, their slaughter would begin.

Hello again. Bit of a filler chapter, but I hope you enjoy nonetheless. Updates will be coming in more slowly now that school has started. I can't really do anything about that, I apologize. I really appreciate the reviews I've gotten so far! I read all of them, and I respond to the ones I can, some people have PMs off or were guests. If you want, I can respond to reviews in the AN, but I don't want to add too many words to the story. As always, thanks for reading!