Chapter Seventeen.
Kiba and Akamaru had just approached the main dock but no-one was coming to get them. It was starting to rain then and they had no choice but to swim across. After an hour, they reached the main dock for Kirigakure again. They were drenched but by the time they had started running, taking the path that Nina and Chōjūrō had taken them along. Half an hour later and extremely hot despite the cold rain, they reached the village.
It looked deserted and they could smell blood in the air. That and the faint smell of tea - jasmine tea. As they walked through the village, they followed the smell of blood and flower tea until they stumbled upon what looked like the body of a Hunter-nin. Near it stood a ridiculously tall, dark-skinned, orange haired man was laughing beside that of a smaller white headed youth yielding a sword. It was like being a very warped playground: the two laughing and punching each other on the arms like school boys.
"Hey, dog-boy and dog." Called out Suigetsu and Jūgo laughed, folding his arms proudly.
"Sorry, I took him out." Said Jūgo, semi-apologetically.
"Liar." Laughed Suigetsu and punched his friend in the arm. Kiba merely looked at them with disgust, focusing primarily at Jūgo, his head then looking towards the ground. Jūgo bellowed in deep laughter and rubbed the back of his head, looking down.
"Oh shit!" he said, grinning and laughing manically.
"What… Oh! HAHAHAHA!" Suigetsu had looked at the enlarged, scaly, bulky brown left leg of his friend and then down to the foot. There was some grey matter that had run all the way up to his shin. "That's nasty. Dog-boy, were going to go and clean up. See you around." They then turned and left towards the direction of their apartment to freshen up before going on the prowl later.
A shiver went down his spine and Akamaru barked in agreement. Rubbing the fur on his friend's head they tried to examine the body more closely. The face had been stomped into the ground hard and repeatedly. The mask was broken into the bloody flesh and skull of the person, the skull cap broken apart and grey brain matter was scattered around its head. This was terrible. What a way to treat a person… anyone. They had no respect for their enemy, those two. Kiba closed his eyes to pay his respects before Akamaru growled and suddenly the smell of jasmine tea filled the air.
He instinctively leapt with Akamaru to the side and spun around to see an identical ninja in front of them.
"You are not as stupid as the others." She said. She spoke in a friendly tone and was curious as to why the man would attempt to mourn for her. The clone on the ground disappeared. She walked slowly in a circle around them, waiting to see if they would strike her. But they did not.
"Maybe we should have been friends…" she lingered over the word friends as she started to move her hands, performing subtle hand signals with them to release an attack at them.
"You chose to rebel against your people… I don't make friends with people with that."
"That's a shame…" Again, she said the last word soothingly and long, making the two males almost sleepy.
"Akamaru, try not to listen to her." He said but the sound seemed to continue and resonate within their ears. It grew louder and they both collapsed onto the floor, clasping their ears.
"Damn you…" He said but the voice continued.
"*Momoiro, I presume?" A soft voice addressed and before them, Kiba could just make out the figure of Joleen. How had she gotten there?She didn't know the detour route they had taken but yet she was there. He knew they went separate paths just after a few moments after they set out to meet her as her scent went in a different direction… upwards?
"Yeessss…." Cooed the Hunter-nin, trying her jitsu on the ANBU member but it just wasn't working.
Joleen shook her hear apologetically. "I think we have too much in common for that to work. I am Joleen.
"Ah! The one that got away, huh?" Mocked Momoiro at the wolf-masked girl.
"You could say that." She said, quickly looking at Kiba and Akamaru on the ground.
"It must be a real burden to have sensitive ears around people like uuusss….hehehe" She giggled into the noise and Joleen saw the blood starting to come from Kiba's right ear. She had to end this quickly.
She shook her hair free from its tie and as it fell, the colour changed. It started to change from sun-kissed to platinum blonde. Her eyes changed from brown to black and as she started to hover above the ground, her skin turned into a metallic silver colour.
Momoiro smirked. "Well, loooooks like the princesssss can actually 'DO' somethiiinnngg…." She hissed and at the sight of the girl flying did a transformation of her own. Her legs twisted together into those of a long snake's tail. She grew tall and thrust herself before the girl. "Peeoopplee kept trying to kiilll yyoouuu…. Eeeveeeryyy dayyy…." She lunged at the girl and as she did her mask flew off, revealing her having 2 large venomous fangs and small black eye slits. "… wwwhhyyy didn't you juuust ddiiieeeeee?"
Joleen easily dodged the clumsy attack and merely flew past her. Making Momoiro yell in anger. Joleen scooped up both Kiba and Akamaru under each of her arms and flying quickly to the top of the Mizukage's tower, placed them safely on top of it before looking back at the girl who meant to have been her sister. Kiba was almost unsure if he should look at her again, but when he did he saw her silver skin and long almost-white hair… he liked it. Her ecliptic black eyes looked beautiful, and in a strange way it reminded him of Hinata's eyes. He smiled.
"Thanks babe!" He said blushing and knowing he wasn't afraid of her, she smiled and returned the gaze. Akamaru barked and before leaving she winked at them.
"Cover your ears, Inuzuka-Sama & Inuzuka-Sama." She quickly flew back like a lightning bolt and proceeded to lightly float in front of her opponent.
"You reaaalllyy are aaaa…. Aaaahhhhhh!" Momoiro could not say anything else … because Joleen had had enough. Before Momoiro could even finish her sentence. Joleen released her special jitsu. She felt the cry build within her with her chakra and when it came out through her voice box, she made sure to focus it directly and solely on her. The Hunter-nin froze as from the tip of her tail; she began to turn to stone.
"JOOOLLLEEEEENNNN." The name Momoiro called came out as a said whisper and as her head turned to stone. No movement came from her any more. For a moment, Joleen stared at the stone stature of the girl who had been her sister. Momoiro's face looked sad but peaceful. Her fangs were hidden behind her gums and she almost looked classical – like a mythically inspired statue. Was this the same girl that took her from their mother after killing her when she was born and took them into the care of a man who needed children with 'special talents' in his search for immortality and power?
She could bring her sister back from this stone prison with one little laugh. That's all it took. Before deciding, she flew up and collected her loved ones, one at a time, and placed them on the ground. They looked at the tall statue in front of them in amazement. The Hunter-nin bore a resemblance to Joleen but not enough to be uncanny.
"Were you both related?" Kiba asked and as the ANBU before them changed back to the tanned, sun-kissed haired, brown eyed girl, she nodded. She tied her hair back and they noticed a tear ran down her cheek.
"I never really got to know her… my family is in Konoha know. That is where the people who took me in loved and cared for me … even with my condition." Joleen looked sad but Kiba caught her eye and gently, stroked her jaw and pulled her into an embrace.
"I think you should come and meet my family too." Kiba said after pulling away.
Suddenly, their attention was diverted by a smashing of bricks as Kakashi flew through a wall, the Mizukage suddenly appearing to catch him in mid-air and an orange/ blue flash whizzing past them. Confused, they watched as the Mizukage and Kakashi landed on the ground safely.
The smell of violets and ramen hit Akamaru and Kiba's noses simultaneously. "Naruto and Hinata?" He muttered, looking at Joleen. He saw Kakashi being helped to stand up by Mei-Sama and the three ran up to them.
"… but how can I check them out? He is much quicker than I am…"
"Mizukage-Sama" Joleen bowed before smiling and saluting at her former ANBU master. "Kakashi-Sama."
"I know we can help you out." Kiba said, putting his arm around a blushing Joleen as she was putting her mask back on. "What happened?"
"We need to fly and track at the same time. Naruto's a bit…"
"… jealous-stricken." Ended Mei-Sama.
Kiba smacked his head with one hand, keeping the other around Joleen's waist before she promptly slapped it away. "I think I know the people for the job." He grinned a goofy smile as Joleen groaned and smacked him gently on the back of the head.
"You and mum are going to get along just fine."
A/N - *Momoiro means 'pink'