Hey, here's chapter 4! Thanks to noooh for the constructive criticism, I never realized I was making those grammatical mistakes. Also yeah, I combed through the previous chapters and there was some character bashing-I've edited each to scrub it out and fix the grammar errors. I feel like an ass for not realizing I was writing harshly when I'd expressed the very same distaste for such things a while ago. Sometimes my emotions seep into my writing, and recently I've been rather pissed off at one of my classmates. I'll try to write more positively though. You're kinda right though-Yoku is a brat sometimes-she's got a bit of a temper and is somewhat cynical. Lastly, I got rid of those author notes in the middle of chapters. Thanks everyone who left a review, fav or follow, I appreciate it!
For some reason FFnet is being dumb and not displaying new reviews, but with the power of email I can still read them!
In reply to your review ILoveRebornNarutoKProject: Obito will start with a crush on Rin as canon, buuut it might not stay that way... Don't worry, there will be romantic vibes soon. I just want to build up friendships first and not rush into anything. Patience is needed when it comes to love-it pays off in the end. I'm glad you're enjoying my story too :)
In this chapter Yoku enters the Academy along with others and thanks to Random I'm no longer befuddled about ages. So everyone will graduate at the canon times as originally planned. There's some more training with Guy, then the thing that's "Much worse than schoolwork" happens... Read on to find out what it is.
Warning: There are somewhat graphic descriptions of violence in this chapter.
I made my way to the Academy with trepidation. I'd trained hard for the past week-both by myself and with Obito or Guy. On one hand I wasn't looking forward to school, but on the other hand I knew the things I'd be taught would be important. I came to the entrance of the Academy building, joining a crowd of many other kids. I recognized some of them; Asuma was talking with Kurenai, Aoba was bragging to Anko and Genma was listening to Guy, senbon in his mouth as usual. Kakashi was standing off to the side with his arms folded-he was already in the Academy, making me figure he was waiting for something else. Rin was standing near him, hands behind her back.
'Obito's not here... he's probably going to be late.'
Obito spent much of his spare time helping others, usually the elderly. Because of this he was often late for things-a few of our sparring matches, for example. I didn't mind too much though-it gave me a chance for a warm-up.
Though now I was hoping Obito wouldn't be so long he'd miss the entrance exam. While waiting I waved to Guy and gave him a thumbs up-he returned it doubly.
After about twenty minutes, we were ushered into the Academy building by a few teachers. To my dismay Obito was still not among us. Kakashi branched off to another room; I followed the rest of the group, wondering what was required for entrance. I steeled myself for some tough test.
Well, we did get tested. But it wasn't anything super intense; first we had to run around a large room to prove we were fit (Guy did it twice). After that we were examined for illnesses or disease to make sure we were healthy. Thirdly, we had an examination of our abilities and chakra. At this point a few people were knocked out-Guy included. He was proficient in taijutsu, but had little in terms of ninjutsu or genjutsu skill. I knew he'd be granted admission eventually, so I didn't worry too much. Lastly we were given a folder containing some papers-a written test we would hand in the next day. Realizing Obito was still not there, I grabbed an extra folder for him.
'He'll still have to take the physical tests, but at least he won't have missed out.'
When we all exited the building, I saw Obito racing towards us. He skidded to a halt, panting, then sighed as he realized he'd missed the exam. Most of the crowd ignored him, parting to walk around like water flowing past a rock.
"Late again, Obito?" Kakashi asked, causing Obito to glare at him briefly. I noticed Kakashi's folder was a different color to ours.
'Wait... didn't Kakashi graduate at a young age? Maybe those are the graduation papers.'
I shrugged, then waved to Obito to catch his attention. He walked over to me and I handed him the folder.
"Here-I thought you'd be late so I grabbed some exam papers for you. If you hurry you should be able to do the physical tests now-just show the teachers the folder to go in. I'll wait here for you to finish."
"Phew, thanks! I thought I was gonna have to come back some other day. See you in a bit!" Obito replied with relief, rushing into the building after a moment
While I waited I walked over to Guy, thinking he could use some cheering up. Suprisingly, Kakashi beat me to it.
"You failed the entrance exam? It's probably because you have no skill with ninjutsu or genjutsu," Kakashi said after approaching him
"You're right about that-if my skills are lacking in those areas then... then I'll just have to get stronger in taijutsu-so strong that I won't even need ninjutsu or genjutsu!" Guy took Kakashi's words in a positive way, restoring his motivation. Kakashi shook his head perplexedly and walked over to a bench to sit down.
'... maybe I should go introduce myself to him. I've been unfair to the guy, so perhaps I should apologize as well.'
So, I walked over to the bench with a cold sweat. I hoped he wouldn't remember seeing me.
"Uhhh... heyyy..." I started awkwardly. Kakashi glanced at me and then returned to his folder.
"..if it's about a love letter or something like that, no."
'Ah, so he doesn't remember me.'
"Actually, I want to apologize for being rude to you around two weeks ago-" Kakashi was staring at me now. After a moment his eyes narrowed
"You..."
I held my hands up in a gesture of surrender and quickly explained "Whoa, wait, before you continue I have something to say. While I don't necessarily agree with what you said back there, I shouldn't have reacted so angrily. I apologize for what I said, and I hope from this point forward we can part on better terms as neutral strangers."
Kakashi's eyes eventually went back to his folder and he replied "...fine."
I let out a quiet sigh of relief and turned away.
As I moved my head I saw Rin standing to my left, eyes fixed on Kakashi. I approached her with friendly intent.
'I should say hi to her too. Maybe she has more depth to her character than what I've seen.'
"Hello.. my name's Yoku. Yoku Uzumaki," I began, sticking out my fist. Like Obito, Rin was confused
"You bump your fist with mine and say your name. It's a form of introduction." I explained
"Oh... okay." Rin shyly smiled and we bumped fists
"My name is... Rin Nohara. Hello." I smiled and decided to start a conversation after we dropped our arms
"Well Rin, why did you want to enter the Academy?"
Rin paused for a few seconds before answering "I guess it's because... I want to become a medic-nin so I can help people and make a difference. Why did you want to enter?"
"Kinda like your reason. I want to become stronger so I can protect people and stop bad things from happening!" I grinned at her
"I guess we both want to help people, huh? Well, nice meeting you Yoku..." Rin said, smile lengthening slightly
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Obito coming out of the Academy building with a big grin on his face. An idea popped into my head.
"Hey, uh, Rin... why don't you go talk to Obito? Maybe he could tell you his reason for entering too." I pointed and Rin nodded, heading over to him
I liked Rin-she seemed nice, if a bit shy and reserved. Obito blushed as he started to talk with Rin and I gave him a wink.
'Maybe I could be his wingman... er... wingwoman?'
After taking my written test in the following day, I sparred with Guy. If I'd thought he was determined before, that was nothing compared to what he was like after he failed the exam.
"You ready Guy?" I asked, both of us tensed to battle
"You better believe it, Yoku! I'm gonna go all out today, I have to if I want to improve myself!" I smiled and nodded-then we charged
Guy was like lighting, quickly throwing kicks and punches. I countered them as fast as I could and we ended up pushing each other back and forth.
'I've got to slow him down if I want to get a clear shot.'
I gave Guy a hard kick, pushing him back. I formed handsigns as fast as I could and just barely managed to perform my ninjutsu.
"Water Style: Starch Syrup Trap!"
Guy was so close at that point that the syrup hit him full on. He flailed and skidded before slipping over. He struggled fervently-we were both exhausted by this point. I moved up to him, intending to punch him. Guy managed to pull one of his arms out of the syrup and flung it towards me as I did the same towards him.
We both hit our targets at the same time, each impact knocking us over. Both of us fell flat on our backs with a groan.
"Uh... draw..." I mumbled with a wince
"Yeah... ow..."
With much effort I was able to move the syrup off Guy-I'd figured out I could manipulate it to some extent after practicing. He staggered to a standing position, heaven knows how. I could barely move myself.
"I thank you for the amazing battle. I hope next time we shall be able to settle our stalemate with another clash of spirits!" Guy gave his typical pose, then offered to help me up
"No need... I think I'll just... rest for a bit..." I mumbled as my eyelids grew heavy
'Somebody will wonder why I'm here. Oh well...'
Lethargy overwhelmed me and I fell asleep, snoring softly. I had pleasant dreams, unaware of the nightmare that would await me.
Karu whistled as she chopped some spring onions. She was alone, preparing a light soup simmering in a pot. She'd opened the window across from her to let out the steam. It was a quiet afternoon in the village-many shinobi had been dispatched to deal with a new threat. People were being kidnapped near Konoha by some group, for reasons unknown. The Hokage was worried that they would attempt to infiltrate the village itself.
Unbeknownst to him, they already had.
A pair of shinobi hid in the trees near the small house. To almost anyone, they were invisible. They were trained specifically for missions such as these; their mastery of camouflage jutsu even enabled them to hide their chakra signature. Both wore the uniform of The Hidden Mist Village Kirigakure along with bulky backpacks. The first ninja had long blond hair and green eyes. The second had shaggy dark brown hair and dark blue eyes, along with a sword strapped to his waist. Both wore dark grey masks that covered their faces from the nose down.
"So Akadi, remember the plan?" whispered the first ninja to the second
"Yeah Kada, we get in quiet and grab her, then we get her DNA," the second replied and the first nodded
"Good. We can't afford to screw this up, it was hard enough sneaking in here. I doubt we'll get another chance."
The pair descended from the trees and quietly made their way to the house. Akadi grabbed a damp rag from one of his pouches and prepared to enter the open window. Kada stayed next to the window with a kunai in case there was a struggle.
Akadi slipped through the window like a breeze, eyes focusing on Karu. The woman was alternating between cutting up garlic cloves and stirring the soup, humming. While Akadi was making his way towards Karu, a floorboard splintered under his weight. Karu paused and her eyes darted towards the window, but she couldn't see anything.
'...something doesn't feel right,' Karu thought with a frown, picking up her knife cautiously
Akadi decided it was now or never and leapt at Karu. He caught her in a fierce grip and she slashed around wildly.
"Shit!" Akadi exclaimed as he was cut a few times. He pressed the chloroformed rag in his hand onto Karu's face, feeling her weaken
"Nighty night, bitch." he chuckled darkly
As a last act of defense Karu slashed Akadi across the cheek, then fell unconscious.
Akadi dropped Karu with a thump and held his face, cursing vehemently. Kada entered the room and picked up Karu.
"What the hell did you do?!" she whisper-shouted
"I was sloppy, the bitch heard me and got in some cuts with her knife. Look, we gotta book it, we'll talk about this later!" Akadi replied angrily, wiping the blood from his face
Kada sighed with exasperation but regardless fled with her partner into the forest.
The Kiri-nin came to their temporary hideout-a small cave. Kada bound Karu with ropes from her backpack and pulled out a syringe.
"Can I do it? I really want to stab this bitch," Akadi said eagerly, now with a bandage wrapped around his left cheek
"No. You're too volatile." Kada replied sharply, neatly plunging the needle into Karu's arm and extracting her blood
Akadi mumbled insults as Kada got a beaker, stirring rod and bottle of clear liquid. She poured the clear liquid into the beaker, then squirted some blood from the syringe. Very carefully, she stirred it with the rod. The mixture turned blue.
"Negative..." Kada growled
"What the hell? You mean we grabbed the wrong one?!" Akadi yelled
"Our source said it was her... it seems they were wrong." Kada's eyes narrowed in frustration
"Oh fuck this shit, let's just cut her up and leave her!" Akadi exclaimed, grabbing a kunai and advancing towards Karu
"No! We need to come back with something. Returning with the wrong specimen is better than returning with nothing... you know what the boss does if you have nothing," said Kada sternly after grabbing Akadi's wrist
"...you know if that's the case, we don't need to bring her back alive."
Karu was conscious now-so painfully conscious. Her body was covered in long bloody cuts, each one inflicted by the grinning psychopath in front of her.
"You enjoying that, bitch? I sure am. Maybe I should fuck up your face, like you did to me." Akadi brought his kunai to her face and slowly cut from her eyebrow to her jaw.
Karu once again screamed in agony, barely able to move from the pain that consumed her. Kada was somehow asleep outside the cave, tired of her partner's "Fun"
Akadi moved his face close to Karu's, speaking in a low whisper "We got the wrong person, but we'll find out who our real target is soon enough. I bet it's one of your family, huh? I don't give a shit what Kada says, I'm gonna send them a message-that one day, we're coming for them. You shouldn't have messed with me. Should've just accepted your fate."
Akadi unsheathed his sword and raised it above his head. Karu's eyes widened in fear as he prepared to bring it down on her neck.
"Nighty night for good, bitch."
"...where's her head?"
Akadi shrugged and replied casually "I let her leave one last message... one that'll scare the shit out of our potential targets."
Kada punched Akadi in the face, outraged.
"You fucking idiot! If we get traced because of this we are dead! Do you hear me? DEAD!"
Akadi rubbed his nose with a wince, attempting to calm his seething partner "Damnit, calm down! I didn't put anything specific..."
Kada shook her head angrily and turned away from him "Whatever, we don't have time. We need to get back to HQ with what's left of her and hope to Kami we don't become test subjects."
She moved to grab Karu's headless body and proceeded to seal it into a scroll. After a few minutes the pair of Kiri-nin left the village, their mission somewhat completed.
"Hey Yoku, are you okay?" I woke up to someone shaking me gently. Obito.
The sun was setting, bleeding across the horizon like a dying lion. I pulled myself up and rubbed my eyes, realizing I'd probably slept for a few hours.
"I came here to train and I saw you lying here-why were you sleeping?"
"I sparred with Guy and we kinda overdid it-I was so tired I fell asleep right here. I didn't mean to sleep this long though, thanks for waking me up," Obito grinned and held out a hand to help me up
When I was on my feet I stretched and yawned. My chakra was restored but I still felt tired-I was looking forward to getting home and sleeping on a bed instead of the ground.
"You wanna come see my house Obito? My mom's made soup for dinner-I'll probably be too tired to eat it, so you can have some if you want." I offered as a gesture of gratitude
"Oh sure, I was just gonna go home anyway." he replied with a nod; I smiled as we began to walk
'Mmm, I love Mother's soup. I hope Obito likes it as much as I do...'
We came to the front door, and I detected a smell. It smelled like the soup I was thinking of, but there was also something else underlying it. As I pushed the front door open gently, the smell was stronger... and familiar. It was sickly, cloying scent with a tang of metal. I turned towards the kitchen where it was emanating from. Then froze.
'...'
It was like a scene from a horror movie. Blood was splattered over the walls, dripping off the bench. A sizeable soup pot was knocked over on the ground, it's contents mixing with the crimson puddles around it. Someone had crudely written something on the wall in red.
WE WILL FIND YOU
YOU CANT HIDE FOREVER
Near those words, hanging from the hook usually occupied by oven mitts, was a severed head. The severed head of my mother.
I dropped to my knees, shaking uncontrollably as I stared into her lifeless blue eyes. This person who I had come to love so much and who had loved me so much, was gone... forever. I heard Obito entering the house behind me and managed to choke out a sentence.
"Don't look... for the love of god Obito, don't look..." I held a hand over my mouth, trying to quell the nausea rising within me
"Yoku? What's-" unfortunately I was too late with my warning and Obito caught sight of the bloody mess. He turned as white as a sheet, his eyes became huge.
"Wh... wh..." he stammered. I had curled into a fetal position, sobbing and repeating something to myself
"It's not real, it's not real, it's not real..."
I needed something, anything to cling onto, to distract me from this raw torment.
'Maybe... someone.'
I got up shakily and walked over to Obito, who had just thrown up on the steps and was wiping his mouth. Wordlessly I pulled him into a hug, which he returned.
We stayed like that for some time.
"Lord Hokage, we found suspicious signs of a struggle outside the village." Minato said, he and his squad crouched before The Third Hokage
"What kind of signs?"
"We found a cave with a lot of blood in and around it. It was relatively fresh-not completely congealed. Whatever happened there, it happened recently."
Hiruzen smoked his pipe in contemplation "This is concerning knowledge. Have you brought a sample of the blood for analyzation?"
"Yes, Lord Third. We have deposited it and are awaiting results," Kushina said, crouched next to Minato
"Then you are dismissed. You should rest and investigate this matter further tomorrow." The shinobi nodded and exited, leaving Hiruzen to his paperwork
Kushina walked towards the door of her house, Minato behind her. To her suprise, it had been left slightly ajar-that was unusual. There was also something dripping off the steps. A familiar acidic smell hit her nose as she got closer.
"Vomit...?" she wondered
Then, she detected another scent, something far more concerning.
"Minato, something's wrong." Kushina whispered fearfully, causing Minato to tense up
"I can smell blood-quickly, we have to get in the house!"
Kushina pushed open the door, greeted with the sight of Obito and Yoku. They were silently crying and shaking, clinging to each other like they were about to fall apart.
"Help us..." Yoku whispered
Kushina turned to the kitchen. Her eyes widened as far as they could go and a hand went to her mouth. Behind her Minato was trying to talk to the children.
"What's wrong, Kushina?" he asked when he didn't hear her voice for a while
"Minato... go... go tell the Hokage..." she landed on the wooden floor with a thump, having fainted from shock
Minato took in the grim scene and picked up Kushina. With a grave frown on his face he turned to Obito and Yoku, now separated from their hug.
"Obito, take Yoku to your house. She'll have to stay there until this is... sorted out."
Minato went as fast as he could to the Hokage's office-which was pretty fast, considering his beginning reputation as The Yellow Flash.
After setting Kushina down on a chair, Minato explained the situation to the Third.
"She was murdered... most likely by whoever occupied the bloody cave we investigated. The message left is concerning-it implies they may come back."
Hiruzen frowned "Hmm... I wasn't careful enough. I suspect the ones who did this were the same group behind the recent kidnappings. They could be looking for the users of certain jutsu, if my theory is correct."
Minato raised his read in confusion "Sir?"
"Karu's husband, Torei Richi, possesses a jutsu that is not well known but desired by most who know of it. Those who killed Karu probably thought she was the one who possessed it, then realized otherwise. If that is the case, measures will have to be taken to keep him and his family from harm."
"Lord Hokage, what will happen to Yoku?" Minato asked-Hiruzen closed his eyes in thought
"She will have to remain away from the house for the moment. I will increase security, so it will be unlikely the kidnappers will infiltrate the village again. But it is best to be cautious; we still aren't entirely sure of our enemy. You are dismissed, Minato-take care of Kushina."
Minato nodded, picked up Kushina and headed towards his house.
I walked through the Uchiha compound like a zombie, dragging my body forward without really thinking about it. Some of the Uchiha were glancing at me and mumbling with distaste, but I wasn't listening.
Eventually we came to Obito's house. The door was opened and we were ushered in by a kindly old woman who I learned was Obito's grandmother. Obito quietly explained what was going on and his grandmother was only too happy to let me stay for a bit.
In the end I was sitting on the couch sipping tea, a blanket wrapped around my shoulders. I was so tired, but I couldn't fall asleep. I was hurting too much.
End of chapter 4, bam. Eh... a little depressing, wouldn't you say? Maybe a bit melodramatic and cliche too-I apologize, I've never written a kidnapping scene and I found it kind of boring. Akadi and Kada might make a reappearance in the future though. I'll explain their personalities a bit in case anyone is confused: Kada is levelheaded and generally patient, usually following orders without question. Akadi is a little unstable and a bit of a sadist but usually follows his orders like Kada.
The death of her mother will affect Yoku, but she'll not be extremely damaged in the end because she has dealt with family deaths in her past life-though none were this gruesome. Poor Obito had to see that horrible scene too, so he'll change a bit himself.
Next chapter the story will start to pick up, describing life at the Academy and the development of Yoku's relationships with other people. Maybe a little but about this "Mysterious group" too. If I screw stuff up about the Academy I apologize in advance, I don't have a huge amount of info on it's inner workings but I'll try my best. Leave a fav, follow or review if you want and see you next chapter!