Back in Konoha...
It was before the break of dawn when I heard light scuffling in the hallway just outside my slightly ajar door. It wasn't until about one in the morning that I really managed to get some sleep, after staying up throughout the night to heal the severe burns I caused, but even that was short lived – I woke up in a cold sweat a few hours later after dreaming that I was paralysed again, unable to move, but this time, someone was standing over me. It was a hazy figure, unrecognizable, but their eyes were featureless. I kept on screaming a name – Hinata, the name of the girl who had saved me. I woke with a start, shivering as chills rippled down my spine. I tasted blood and realised that the sharp sting I was feeling was due to the fact that I had bitten down hard on my lip. I couldn't sleep for a while after that, I just lay in bed, thinking. Then I heard movements through the thin walls and the sound of footsteps. Uncle was awake much earlier than normal, especially after an intensive healing period. Then again, he was Itachi Uchiha. Even my father praised his strengths, and he was almost five years his senior. I sat up and slipped my legs over the edge of the bed, feeling my toes touch the cold hardwood floor made me tremble and I reached for my long pale blue coat and slipped it over my shoulders, wrapping it around my body. I silently crept over the floorboards, gently pushing open the door and trekking softly down the corridor to the kitchen. I rounded the corner and found my uncle in the dim kitchen, splashing his face with water. I suddenly stopped. For a second I was alarmed – he was shirtless, only wearing the same blue pants that hung loosely around his waist from when I had healed him yesterday. His pale skin glowed in the dark, and I couldn't help but blush at the sight of the prominent muscles of his lean back and toned arms. The thoughts were banished immediately, what the hell was wrong with me? Did I just notice his muscles? I cursed myself a thousand times over in my head mutely, before I slowly continued into the kitchen. I was just being silly – this was who I called Uncle. I had healed him before, and come to think about it; yesterday he had removed his shirt during the healing process. My cheeks reddened even more as I recalled the awkwardness of last night, and recollections of his bare chest ran through my mind fleetingly.
His dark head slightly inclined at the sound of my approaching light treads, and I grabbed the towel from the bench closest to me, passing it to the older man. He patted his face dry, and I turned away when I noticed that he had activated his sharingan. We must have had a visitor, it seems. There were a few candles on the bench as well as some matches, so I lit a candle and placed it on a small plate on the counter. Light filled the room and I felt relief. I hated the darkness, always have. Light gave me a sense of security – exposing what was in the dark calmed my vivid imagination.
"You're up early." I commented, lifting up the teapot and placing it in the sink to fill it with water. Once it was full, I lifted the pot and held it out to my uncle timidly. He smiled warmly and gave me a curt nod, taking the pot and, after making a few hand seals, he produced a small blue flame on the tip of his index finger. He held it under the pot and increased the output, warming the liquid inside and bringing it to a boil. Uncle set the scorching teapot on the stove, and I proceeded to make tea for the two of us using some of the provisions he had picked up on the way here.
"My superior has requested my presence for the sealing technique. Deidara has captured the Ichibi of the Sand, and he and Sasori are on their way to the location now. I must leave to seal the bijuu soon, so I have to set up a few barriers to keep you safe." Uncle's tone was full of unease. My heart dropped and my grip on the pot momentarily faltered, splashing the boiling water on my hand as I was pouring our tea – another Jinchuuriki, huh? I thought as I ran cold water over it, thankful of the blissfully freezing temperature as it hit my red skin. I turned the faucet, cutting the flow abruptly. I dried my now healed hand with the towel, and cupped my hands around the warmth.
Uncle took his tea with a polite thank you and walked out of the tiny living room slash kitchen combination, to the spare bedroom down the hall opposite my father's room, or my current living quarters, and the bathroom, which was basically a toilet, a sink and a screened bath which also had a removable shower head. The lounge was pretty basic as well – where it branched off to a miniscule foyer, a navy couch took up a small corner, and the rectangle coffee table made out of dark wood in front of it had a few books and pieces of paper scattered on top. There was another small bookcase next to the couch, which held various books and even a few photos of my father and his other friends and team members from the Academy. In the corner adjacent to the entrance was the kitchen, and beside that the hall which led to the bedrooms and bathroom. Behind an L-shaped counter there was a relatively large kitchen, compared to the space of the lounge area, with a stove, a metal sink and a refrigerator that came up just past my hip. Overhead were a few cabinets, and there in the corner was a table against the wall with three chairs. It was homely, and would have been very comfortable if it weren't for the accumulation of dust and that nothing worked – electricity and hot water were out, because apparently the village cut off those necessities since there were no longer any occupants in the Uchiha compound. The water still worked, although it was freezing, and Uncle had insisted that he would be able to get the electricity up and running soon as we were going to be in Konoha for a while. Now, I knew that wouldn't be possible as I watched my Uncle go from room to room, putting barriers in place at every possible entrance. I sighed and went to the navy couch, bringing my legs up and balancing the cup on the arm. I let my hair out of its unkempt bun and ran my fingers through the silky strands, tugging at the knots with one hand while sipping my tea. Another depressing factor; I had forgotten my comb. Now my hair looked like a bird had decided to permanently set up residence, declaring my messy bun its nest.
Shortly uncle had donned his black cloak with red clouds, the signature attire of the Akatsuki. I thought it was the stupidest idea ever – wearing the most obviously revealing cloaks every single time they were 'on duty', when everyone knew it was their trademark look. And don't even get me started on the straw hats. Then again, subtlety was never their thing. I can only imagine how the capture of the One-Tails had gone down... Deidara was notorious for leaving an effect, usually in the form of an atomic-like blast, so I had heard. The Akatsuki had already incarcerated the Five-Tails and the Seven-Tails, and they showed no signs of stopping. What was worst was that the villages of these Jinchuuriki didn't even care about them; in fact I'm sure uncle mentioned that the Two-Tails had been sold out by her own villagers.
"Do you really have to leave? I mean, I thought we were on an important mission for Akatsuki already? You can't just leave me here by myself. Maybe I should go with you?" I asked suddenly, as Uncle walked past me he paused.
"No, I can't risk exposing you to the Akatsuki. They're already growing suspicious of me, since that time I failed to seize the Nine-Tails on purpose. Our mission is personal, and we will continue it when I return. The fact is that Konoha is a very safe place for you to be at the moment, and our mission is here. But for now, I must go. It's the only way I can keep my true identity a secret, and spy on Akatsuki," Uncle Itachi sighed heavily, and came to sit next to me on the couch. I scooted my legs around so that I was now sitting up straight, and grabbed his hands warily, leaning on my uncle's shoulder for comfort. I was worried. I didn't like what my uncle was taking a part of, and I knew he didn't either.
"I know, but is that enough? This is their third Jinchuuriki, and I know you said you were figuring out a way to stop them but right now... I don't think that you can, Itachi-sama." The last part came out as a hoarse whisper. We were both silent, and I knew he was thinking the same thing. My uncle was just as worried as I was about his role for the future.
Uncle never kept me in the dark when it came to his 'work'. He never kept me in the dark about anything, to be quite honest. I knew of his brother Sasuke, and how Uncle Itachi and a masked man claiming to be Madara Uchiha, the long-dead Uchiha who was the first, with his brother, to awaken the mangekyō sharingan, slaughtered the entire clan in a single night because they planned to stage a rebellion against the village that Uncle and my father both loved. I remember how I was completely horrified when he told me this – women, child and men all murdered in cold blood because of the cursed hatred of our clan and the will of fire that my uncle possessed. It was these reasons, and this danger, that my father was unable to permanently move my mother and I into the village, as much as he wished he could have.
Even this house, my father's secret apartment that was on the outskirts of the Uchiha compound, was meant to be for us to live in as a family. My father loved his village – he would always tell me stories about how the village was started when the Senju and Uchiha clan finally formed a truce after years of fighting and killing each other out of spite, the sacrifices that were made to protect the village, like the Fourth Hokage, who had also taught my father at the Academy, giving his life to seal away the Kyuubi inside of his son, and the battle between other rivalry nations to keep our village safe. In fact, my father had wanted to move us to Konoha sixteen years ago, after finding out that my mother and he, only at the tender age of fifteen and sixteen, had conceived a child together. My father lived by himself in a diminutive flat given to those who were orphans, but it was in the heart of the compound, and he wanted to separate himself, and us, from the clan as much as possible, while still keeping to the village's law that the Uchiha should live outside Konoha boundaries, and so he acquired this bigger apartment and planned for us to move in. He had even made up our fake aliases – my mother was the daughter of rice farmers who had been murdered in cold blood, and they had met while he was on a trip to the Land of Lightning. It wasn't a complete lie, but hid her true origins nonetheless. But, about four months before my mother was due to give birth, the Nine-Tails, which had been sealed away in the Fourth Hokage's wife, was released and laid waste to Konoha. My father wasn't present on that day though – he was with us, in Yugakure at the time it happened, but had heard all about it from Uncle Itachi. This prevented him from moving us to the town, and he postponed our arrival. My father felt awful for not being there for his village when they needed him the most, but apparently the Uchiha weren't even allowed to battle the Kyuubi anyway – the village elders thought that they were behind the beasts attack, and this led to surveillance around the Uchiha compound being increased. Fear towards the Uchiha amplified, and they were completely ostracized by the other clans and villagers. However, the Third Hokage was very reasonable, and allowed my father to carry out his plan of forcing uncle's father, Fugaku Uchiha, under a genjutsu unknowingly using his amazing technique Kotoamatsukami. He intended to go to attend the clan's rally that was to take place in a week, and manipulate him into telling the elders to cancel the coup d'état, to calm the Uchiha and make them see that the Leaf Village needed them. The Hokage had spoken privately with him later, and promised that if his plan succeeded then the security of the compound would be lessened, and he even went as far as suggesting that a new compound be created closer to the hub so that we might all be able to live in peace, and – my father was thoroughly surprised at the Hokage's awareness – maybe Shisui Uchiha could bring his family into the village to settle down properly. I had never seen my father so happy before that day when he returned home after two weeks away in Konoha, with the news that the Third Hokage himself had promised we would be able to move into the Hidden Leaf Village without worrying about the repercussions, if he was successful with his new mission. My mother, who was very sick at the time, was happy too, but she told him not to be too hopeful, because anything could change. And she was right. My father never returned, because before the clan's rally he was overpowered and one of his eyes were stolen. That's why he sent Itachi, his best friend who was like a brother to him. Mother died only four days later, and he was deemed my guardian. He was a missing-nin, a wanted S-rank criminal and listed in the bingo book for murdering his entire clan. At first I didn't trust him. I was actually terrified of him, and saw no similarities with the boy my father had told me about – kind, cheerful but serious, who dreamed with my father of a world without war. He spent most of his time with my mother while she was alive, and when she passed he revealed to me why he could not bring me back to Konoha, like I had insisted. He told me that there were only four, possibly five members of the Uchiha clan left, and I was one of them, and from what he heard about me, that it was best if we stick to the shadows. And what better way to do that, than to join the organization that deals within the shadows? By aligning with Akatsuki he could protect his village and his brother, and also keep me from them as well, lead them off my trail and make sure I stayed in the dark. And also, if I were to return to Konoha now, there would be questions about my existence, and once it was made known that I was the daughter of Shisui Uchiha, all of his enemies would come searching for me, as well as the old enemies that my mother's clan had attracted. And so I was forced to continue living in seclusion, moving around sometimes with Uncle and sometimes with shadow clones of him when he was away on 'business'. I grew to love my father's best friend, and think of him as family, which we technically were since the same blood ran through our veins. He shared his stories about his home with me and I saw that same will of fire that my father talked about so vividly inside my uncle – the will to protect those close to you, even if it meant isolation or death. That's what fuelled my uncle's spirit – why his energy was so strong. He was willing to die for his village, to go where others would not, and to do whatever means necessary to save his home and the people he cared about, to even go as far as unite with the enemy to keep the village safe. That's why it was lost on me – I had no one to care for except my uncle. Everything I once had is dead. He was the only thing stopping me from being alone in this world. I would hold on to that as fiercely as I could. I didn't understand what it meant to be a part of a clan or a village, but I did know what it was like to love your family. My mother and father were the most loving, supportive and kind-hearted parents anyone could have wished for, and I'm glad they were mine. It hurt that I couldn't do anything about their deaths, that I was powerless. But now I knew I wasn't powerless. I was strong. I would try to keep my uncle from any harm. Even Madara Uchiha himself. Well, that's what I told myself, but I knew that wouldn't change anything. I was still nothing.
"If you were to get hurt... or if this person decides to come after you when he finds out that you aren't who you seem... I don't know what I could do to help you. I'm weak, my only accomplishment is awakening my sharingan, but even then it was because dad helped me. I can't protect you against someone like Madara. I will never ever be able to protect anyone like dad did, I can't even protect you from myself." My words rang with acceptance and shame. I buried my head deeper into uncle's chest, hiding my disgrace. He put his arms around me and pulled me in closer and I felt that smouldering tenderness I got when this happened. It was strange, new for me, and made me feel slightly embarrassed, but nevertheless, it calmed my nerves and reassured me that everything would be alright.
"Emiko, you aren't weak. I've seen you, and I know you are truly stronger than you will ever know. But I don't need you to protect me; I won't get hurt. I think I know what they're planning, but I must be cautious. I haven't seen the masked man since I was invited to join Akatsuki, but I know he's behind the scenes. He wants us to collect the bijuu for a reason, and I know it's much bigger than just using the Gedo Statue as a weapon against the shinobi nations. If I'm right about my assumption, then I want to make sure that it's stopped before anything can happen. I have a feeling that the one claiming to be Madara is going to make a return soon – I'm sure he detects my lie. I have to prove to him that I can be trusted, and that means I have to go. So please Emiko," he squeezed me again, "stay here. I will be back before you know it."
I sighed and loosened my grip on his cloak, pulling away. "Okay, fine. But what are we even doing in Konoha?"
Uncle stood up and gathered his knapsack. It was his and Kisame's job of setting up traps it appeared. "We are here to follow the instructions of your mother; another final request for me to follow through with. Your parents were good at that."
My interest sparked and the onslaught of questions began. "Mother sent us here? Why? What did she tell you? Is it about me?"
He chuckled at my curiosity. "Yes, we are here on your mother's request. That's all you are going to know for the moment, as I don't want you wandering off around the village on your own. As a matter of fact, you are to stay here at all times. Don't roam the village, don't leave the compound. I brought enough supplies for you to live on for a few days while I'm gone, so you should have no reason to leave."
I glared at uncle. How cruel. "So you're saying I have to stay holed up in this dusty, powerless apartment until you get back? Which is like what, three, four days away?"
"My apologies for the lack of electricity, but you'll have to survive. And yes, I expect you to stay put. To parade around the village without them being ready... it could cause a great disruption Emiko. What if you're put into a situation where you have to use your sharingan to defend yourself? It would expose you as another one of the lost Uchiha clan, and your eyes would have a price on them. Orochimaru, Danzo, Kabuto... all of them would absolutely love to get a hand on your eyes. You are, after all, the daughter of the formidable Shisui Uchiha, one of the few Uchiha to awaken the mangekyō sharingan and use Kotoamatsukami. Even I can't say that I've ever used that technique. You are special, and you need to realise that. You are precious beyond belief. Please, just stay here."
I huffed, defeated. "I suppose I could catch up on some reading and studying."
Uncle smiled and my heart fluttered a little. Something popped into my mind, just as uncle began to make his way to the window opposite the couch. He pulled back the curtains and the sun was rising to the right, casting its glow on the mountainside where the faces of the past Hokage's were carved into the rock.
"Will you be back before my birthday?" I asked abruptly as he unlatched the window and pushed one frame open.
Uncle paused and loudly cursed to himself. "That's right; your birthday is in four days."
I was hurt that uncle had forgotten my sixteenth birthday, after always celebrating it with me every year since my parents died. He saw this and jumped down quickly, standing in front of me in an instant and placing his hands on my shoulders.
"I'm sorry for forgetting; I have just had a lot on my mind lately. I will definitely be back before your birthday, I promise. I'll bring you back some of your favourite flowers." Uncle gently pulled me into an embrace once again I was overwhelmed by the warmth I was feeling. I melted into the hold and closed my eyes. My arms unwillingly slipped around his body and then I felt emptiness. I opened my eyes to find my uncle had gone, leaving me, flushed cheeks and all, alone in the empty compound. Suddenly, it didn't feel so warm anymore.
The boy and I sat in silence for a while, watching the night grow darker, and the light fade quickly. I had gathered a few branches and sticks, and then created a flame to start a fire. We sat around it, huddled into the trunks that sheltered us from the wind that had begun to pick up. I knew he was watching me the entire time.
The look on his face begged me to explain further, but I hesitated. Was it really necessary to tell this boy what I had done? It haunted me, and as much as I tried to forget, I could never escape my reality. But talking to this boy kind of made me feel better about it, like I could possibly, perhaps live with what I had done. Or at least make me feel better that I had let it out. After at least an hour of total silence, I finally spoke up.
"I have read that bottling up your feelings wasn't healthy, but that's what I did for years and years after Kaminari died. I didn't talk to a single soul for at least a year except for one incident, and my feelings of hatred towards my life grew every passing day. My father, only a month after her death tried to force me to go to Academy to continue my studies. He managed to get me to go, simply because I didn't want to speak up to object, and after the first hour, I woke up in a room full of the dead bodies of my classmates, and the last thing I remembered was the heated conversation that broke out between me and one of the older boys. He was one of the older, 'higher class' clan member's son. He remarked on how grateful he was that the "little bitch", referring to my sister, that was allowed to sit at our tables, and eat with us, was finally gone, and me, trying to contain my anger, said politely that he should keep his mouth shut if he wanted to live. I had really meant it; I could feel myself slipping again. He laughed and said that he should be thanking me for that. I remember this throbbing feeling in my head, and then after that my memory is blank, as though it were erased. My father left me to do my own thing, and I found myself training harder and harder to control it, but my feelings still remained the same. I loathed myself and what I could do, which is why I did put so much effort into suppressing it; the power I had, and my sister's death."
"You don't have to talk about it if makes you upset." He said, staring at me in apprehension. I could tell he was shocked at what I was revealing. He probably had seen the tears forming in my eyes involuntarily as I spoke about my sister. It wasn't from sadness though, which most would think would be the cause, but from the happiness that came from our short time together.
"It does, but I think its okay. When I think about my sister I get happy feelings from the good memories."
"Then tell me about her." He sat firmly with his arms and legs crossed, as though he were a child waiting for a bedtime story. I came to my senses and suddenly felt awkward, as I turned my head to wipe away tears from my eyes.
"Haven't we spoken enough already? Don't you have somewhere to be?" I sniffed.
"My real self is still two days away from the Sand Village, and until then he won't need me. He wanted – I wanted to come and talk to you about the symbol, but now it's much more than that. You give me this weird feeling in here," he pointed to his stomach, "and sharing your feelings with others isn't a bad thing. It's through understanding each other that we come to form a bond and become friends." He grinned earnestly.
I paused, pulling away my sleeve that I was using to cover my eyes, "We can become friends if we understand each other's feelings?"
He nodded enthusiastically at my change of tone.
"You think you can understand my feelings?" I asked doubtfully, curious to hear his answer.
"Well, I don't know. I've never had a clan at all, but I don't think your clan sounds very caring, and the way you speak about your dad is like he's a monster. I don't have any parents at all, and I never knew my parents because they died when I was born, the day this thing was sealed inside of me," he grasped his stomach, looking up at me, and his eyes held pain maybe even greater than mine.
"I don't know what it's like to have them, but I'm sure being a family is not like that. But you are right – I do know what it's like to be alone for a long time and I know what that can do to you. I made friends, I formed bonds. I have even lost a bond that was very important to me, and I'm still fighting to get it back, because my bonds mean everything to me, and I'll do whatever it takes to protect them. They're all I have. I can't say I've experienced anything like that, but if you let me, I'll try to understand your feelings."
I stared at the strange boy. He had suffered, and still had such incredibly immense hope, thanks to his bonds he had gained. I looked down and huffed, smiling.
"The way you speak about having bonds is the way my sister used to speak. She encouraged me to dream of places I could never dream of, and to imagine a world where she and I were free. I taught her stories about past problems between other nations and the horrible history of the shinobi world, and while I made it clear that it was merely information good to know, she took it seriously and never stopped talking about peace, and how through understanding each other we could settle our feuds without bloodshed. She had this idea that one day everyone could come to be friends, and there would be no greed, or hatred, just everyone living in harmony. She believed in that, and even said that if I could come to see things that way too, I would change the world. She had so much hope. I haven't thought about it in three years, since the day I decided to chase a new dream after repeating the same old one in my mind. The warm memory of my sister never left me though – I could never forget how happy and lovedmy sister made me feel – and it only added to my remorse. She was beautiful, and as she grew older I read to her the books they would ban us from reading at the Academy, and she was extremely intelligent and insightful for her age. She was aware of everything, and it was frightening. She knew what went on under the surface, despite me trying to keep her away from it, and why she was hated. She was conscious of the set gender roles in our clan. I suppose I wasn't surprised; her mother had been from a line of priestess who possessed great foretelling abilities, and she was wise beyond her years. My father saw her simply as the key to unlocking my true power, and also found it advantageous that she had such an amazing talent, so she was allowed to live in our quarters instead of with the slaves where she normally would be raised. I made a room for us away from everyone else, and we, along with an old maid, because I mean, I'm not gonna be the one changing her diapers, lived on our side of the compound, away from the disgust that the clan had for her and for me. I was only five, but I helped out with raising my sister, and I was always by her side. Part of it was because I didn't have any friends, but also because I was scared that clan members would come after her. When Kaminari was about three years old, she was noticing things like how the maid who helped us wasn't allowed to stay with us, and why there were no other girls. By the age of four she was being sneered at when she walked past other clan members, and would grip my hand tightly and inch closer to me. I would have to sweep her up in my arms and carry her sometimes, to shield her from the cruel eyes of a passerby. She would ask why they looked at her like they hated her, and I would say they weren't looking at her; they were looking at me, which wasn't an outright lie as some of that hostility was directed towards me. You see, what also added to the clan's hatred towards her was her foresight – she was able to predict the future vaguely, and her first vision was at the age of three, where she predicted that a convoy of ours would be discovered in Suna and killed on sight, leaving only one survivor. Nobody believed her, and the convoy was sent to meet up with their allies in the Sand (not to be mistaken with Sand shinobi though, as my father didn't work with the allied nations) to discuss the productivity of their business. The next few days, one of the men turned up, the only one left after their 'allies' had wiped them out in a surprise attack. The next few months, she predicted multiple things for my father, some good, but most were omens that warned against the hasty and radical decisions my father was making. For generations, my clan had stayed in the shadows, altering things in the background, causing mayhem underground so that it might break on the surface. But my father had taken a different approach during his reign, and exposed us to the world. Kaminari predicted that one day we would be discovered, and it came true not a week later when some shinobi from your village, Konoha, came following some information about sacrificial killings taking place to awaken certain powers. Of course, the clan exterminated that threat as though they were just fleas making their coats itch, but after that my father halted all communication to and from the clan, and cast a genjutsu to hide our presence. He hid his army that he had created, which rampaged through towns, slaughtering the innocent and destroying everything until they found what they came for, and decided that more covert operations were necessary to not draw attention to our clan and what he was trying to achieve. You see, my father deals in many aspects of illegal business – slavery, weaponry, drugs, and more importantly, in collecting jutsu. He doesn't learn any of them himself, and I had always wondered why, like what was the point in having so many jutsu if you couldn't use any? That was until Kaminari told me it was because he was looking for something, that he was looking for a specific jutsu. I trusted in her visions a lot and I knew their accuracy, so when she said that the jutsu had something to do with me, I was intrigued as to why, but she said she didn't know. I could tell she did, but I never pushed her – being able to tell the future was a curse for her, and had caused her much pain from the vivid reality-like visions, but she still remained positive despite it, and I believe that seeing death constantly, maybe not before her eyes, but in her mind, also added to her idealistic dreams of peace. One day she had a vision, and after that she changed; she would not let me leave her sight, and would follow me everywhere, to the point where I'd have to shoo her out of the bathroom. I remember her saying things like she was glad she had this bond with me, and that it was important to her, and I said it was important to me too. She said she knew it was, but that I must not ever hurt anyone because of her. I said that nothing would happen to her, and that she was completely safe, but she was still insisting that I learn to control it, so I trained, while she watched over me and shrieked phrases of encouragement. She even persuaded me to try to practice with my Byakugan, and eventually I could use it perfectly. Obviously my father was thrilled. He said that no one would touch her, and that was that. He even gave his word, not that it mattered though. Of course he knew she was a way of controlling me, and one day he put it to use. He wanted to test the strength of my power, and ordered a group of our finest shinobi to take her away from me, and see how hard I fought to get her back. They dragged her away from me, as she kicked and screamed my name. I was ten, and I had trained for moments like these. I fought harder this time than I did the first, but I was careful to not critically injure anyone. I was stronger than before, and to push my limits my father sent in more and more shinobi, until I was almost overwhelmed by the attackers. But all while this was happening, I tried to keep my rage under control, but it was hard – they didn't hold back, and even with my Byakugan, that gave me the ability to keep up with high-speed movements, slashes and cuts ripped through my clothing and left deep gashes all across my skin. I couldn't control it this time; I was already fuming because my father had broken his promise, and scared because I didn't know where Kaminari was. I remember quickly slipping into that familiar darkness, falling into emptiness, and the hatred taking over me. But then... she just... I don't know why she would just..."
I glanced down as my mind recalled the incident that had haunted my conscious for years. My heart raced and my breath came in short, swift gasps. I could feel my body shaking; my fists curled into a ball my body wanted to do the same – to curl up in a ball so that I could keep all the feelings of guilt and resentment inside of me, and not let them out in a way I knew would end up hurting someone. I could feel myself losing control, I had to get a grip or I was going to go crazy. I racked my brain for something, anything that would help me calm down, and just as my head began to throb, a tell-tale sign that I was about to lose it, my consciousness grasped something and held tight, pulling me out of this muddled blur and back to reality. Just thinking about that moment and how much it meant to me gave me the strength to continue.
I exhaled slowly, trying to regain my former posture.
"I was just about ready to fall into that state of mind again, and I would have if I didn't feel someone crush their body against mine. I was in the process of slashing someone with a kunai, and even though I promised my sister I wouldn't fatally wound anyone, I knew my intentions were that. I just felt someone grabbing my shirt, and that's when I opened my eyes and heard her voice. I could always recognize her voice – sweet, soft like tinkling bells in the light breeze."
My gaze was on the boy, but my eyes were far away, in another place and time as I described our final moments together.
"Apparently my father had sent in so many men that it caused a distraction good enough for tiny Kaminari to escape the confused men holding her back, and she pushed through until she got to me. She knew instantly that I wasn't myself, and rushed in blindly to stop me from hurting anyone. She put herself between me and my victim, and when it was all over I realised that he was a kid barely older than her, shaking with fear at what would have been the end of him. My sister had bravely taken a kunai from her older brother, her sworn protector, just to stop me from entering that irrepressible rage that accompanies the frightening unending darkness I always told her about. When my vision cleared and it was my sister kneeling in front of me, her small hand still holding on tight to my blood-soaked front. Her free hand was clutching her chest, where I had swiped my blade straight down through her shoulder and chest. My kunai was still in my hand that was now drenched in my precious sister's blood. Everything around me stopped; all the clan members froze where they stood. I would have changed into the monster I was right then and there if my sister hadn't called out my name. When I heard her voice it gave me hope that she was okay, and that she could still live. I dropped to her side, discarding the weapon, holding her and asking my dying sister how she felt. I memorized every word she said so I remember it so clearly – as though it could have happened just this morning. She looked up at me with her big, bright green orbs and they were still filled with that burning, blazing hope of hers, but now they held a different light. The hope in her eyes was no longer diminished by that lingering darkness hidden in the corner of her soul. It was unrestricted, not in the shadows anymore but on full display. She said that she had never felt better in her entire life. She said that she knew what it was like now, to protect someone special. I thought what she was saying was crazy, and I was alarmed. I begged for her to stay alive, to please just stay with me. I cradled her in my arms, as though she was still that screaming infant, but this time, her voice was fading to a whisper."
As I said this, my voice cracked. I could not bear the memory my younger sister's death at my hand. For years I grieved, and for years I spent every single day wishing that I was dead instead of her. I never liked to linger on the memory of her death, but those first few years I would relive that life-defining second every time I closed my eyes. That was all my brain would allow me to reflect upon from that night. I never really thought much about my sister's last few words, and what she had requested of me that day. I pushed everything – the good and the bad memories, basically anything that reminded me of my sweet sister – into the depths of my consciousness, where no light shone to highlight those memories. I had completely eradicated her memory, promises and all. I felt guilt, but for a different reason.
"Before the light left her eyes, Kaminari held my hands and smiled, saying that she had a vision about me that was very important. I didn't want to hear what she had to say – I knew if she was telling me this then they would be her final words. I wanted to turn away, but I simply couldn't."
The yellow-headed boy's eyes widened. "What was it?"
I shook my head slowly, hesitantly lying. "I honestly don't know. She just said that one day I would bring about peace, that one day I would change my destiny and there would be no more fighting in the world. I asked her how I was supposed to create that dream when I couldn't even protect my own sister, and she just replied that this was not the first, or the last hardship I would have to face, that I would be tested first on the nature of my soul, and if I succeeded the world would be saved. But, of course, if I failed, the earth would inevitably fall into darkness. When she said this to me, she looked sad, pained... like she had already foreseen my future. I was hardly coherent, sobbing and crying over my sister's body even though no tears fell from her eyes. I didn't understand why she was saying all of this to me, and it only occurred to me later that she had been acting strange for a reason before that, and I think she may have seen her own future, and known it was going to come to this. Kaminari told me not to cry for her, that she was happy she had spent every single moment of her life with such a wonderful, kind brother like me."
By this point, I was beaming, while tears flowed freely down my cheeks, unrestrained; thinking about our last moments together made my heart ache, but also reminded me of a lot of things I stood for and why this malice inside of me scared me to death.
"My sister was dying – I could see the light in her eyes slowly dimming and even without my Byakugan, I could feel her energy dissipating. She knew it too, and told me that I was to promise her something. I said that I would try to do anything she said. She began by saying that she wanted me to train hard, to learn how to control my emotions so that I could then control what was inside of me. My sister grinned, teasing that I still had a long way to go before I could save the world. Kaminari said she knew that I was a good person in my heart and I would do the right thing, and that the last thing she wanted me to do was to swear that I would try to pursue peace. I could see her disappearing away before my eyes so I told her I would do everything she asked of me. As her eyes grew darker, she was mumbling mostly nonsense; whispering that she hoped the gods were satisfied, and that she would see me again, incoherent murmurings about peace. Then in the next moment she was... gone."
"I yelled for someone to get a medical ninja, but no one moved. They just stared at me with pity, probably glad that was the outcome. I almost killed everyone, and it was only the fact that I had just made a promise to her that I would try to obtain peace that stopped me from falling unconscious and rampaging through our village. And the fact that my sister was in my arms. So that's exactly what I did – I purposefully isolated myself from the clan. I wanted to completely ignore everyone, but my father tried to encourage me to go back to Academy, and I told you what happened with that brilliant idea. That's when I trained harder and harder, learning how to control my emotions. I still couldn't forget about it though, so in the end I had to lock it away, preserve her memory by not infecting it with the guilt I feel."
Following my last sentence there was nothing but silence. Long, enduring silence. The only sound came from the quiet rustling of the leaves in the trees, as though they were clapping for me. I stared at the ground, afraid of his response. He probably thought of me as a monster now, after hearing that. I wouldn't blame him – that's how I felt about myself.
It was a while before the blonde boy spoke up, and when he did he couldn't decide how to start, and kept opening and closing his mouth, and his response was slow, as though he were thinking of the best way to word his disgust for me. What he said next though, surprised me.
"Do you think that your sister had a good life with you?" he asked suddenly.
I thought about the question intently, before answering.
"Kaminari was shunned by the clan, just like I had been as a child. Nevertheless, she was never alone, because she had me. I was always there for her, so she never felt any indifference. I tried my hardest to make life better for her than it normally would be, and even though we were never paid any attention, that was alright, because we had each other, and our imaginations. My sister was the most cheerful and free-spirited child you would ever find, and even though she was tormented with horrible visions, she thought it could be a way of helping people, and even prevented a few of her predictions from coming true. She was so beautifully hopeful. I don't think I could have given her anything better."
And when I said this, I said it in all honesty. The boy smiled softly at my reaction.
"Then you shouldn't feel bad about your sister. She did what she did in the end for you, and that's pretty brave of her I think. She lived a happy life and you made sure that she didn't have to suffer from loneliness. She died in peace knowing that you loved her. You kept to your promise, and trained hard. But you can't push away her memory completely – you have to remember the good ones, and even sometimes the bad memories remind us why we're fighting, why we have to endure, and can motivate you to change, and become stronger so that you can control yourself, so that way you can protect the people you care about next time. By not thinking about her at all you're just forgetting why you train so hard, and what's really important."
I stared up at the boy in amazement. His words had hit home; no one had ever said anything like that to me. What's really important...? I repeated the words in my head. I grinned, glancing up at the boy. There it was again.
"You really do remind me of Kaminari. I can understand now why you would send your clone after me. Your friend must be very important to you." I said the word friend more tentatively and gently now that I was reminded of its significance. This boy was something, that's for sure.
He scratched his head shyly, "well, yeah. He understands my feelings, so we're pretty good friends."
I searched for the words to say. "I think you understand my feelings pretty well, too. You're good at this kind of thing," I admitted sheepishly.
The boy nodded and beamed appreciatively. "Thanks! I don't really know why, I'm just good at making friends I guess."
I froze. "So... we're friends?" I ventured nervously. I had never had a companion besides Kaminari, and I don't exactly know if she counts because she was my sister. I didn't even know if I would see this boy ever again, but the notion of having someone I could actually call friend was exciting and different. It made me feel something I hadn't felt in a long time – trust.
The blonde grinned at my anxious tone, "of course we're friends!"
His obnoxious, teeth-baring smile was contagious and I soon found myself grinning back.
"I'm sorry that I had to send a shadow, but when I get back when can properly meet again. My name is-"
"It's alright. You said we'll meet again one day in person, right?" I said, cutting him off. He bobbed his head feverishly. "Then we'll just learn each other's names when we meet in person, okay?"
"That's fine with me!"
I smiled at his enthusiasm, and his certainty that we would see each other again. I glanced to the sky, and saw that the stars were out. I reached for my knapsack and pulled out the item that lay at the top. I gave him the forehead protector with the single circular swirl engraved on the cool metal. It shone in the orange light of the fire, reflecting the orange from the boy's tracksuit as well.
"This forehead protector belonged to my mother, and I was given it when I was thirteen. It's the symbol of her clan, who resided in the Land of Whirlpools. But their country was wiped out along with her family, and my mother was taken away. Her younger sister lived on, but my mother died when I was a child."
The boy was silent for a moment, and when he spoke his voice was shaky. "Is your mother's last name Uzumaki by any chance?"
My head snapped up immediately, and my expression was one of utter disbelief.
"H-How did you know that?" my voice was barely audible – like a whisper. His blue eyes widened, and they momentarily flickered to a feral red, his pupils transforming into slits and the whisker-like lines on his cheeks became more prominent, feral. My hand fell on my sword uneasily, I grasped my katana tightly, afraid of the look those eyes were giving me. I blinked, and his features were normal again, as if my imagination was running wild or I had eaten some bad berries that were causing me to hallucinate. It would explain the genjutsu I thought I felt and why the kid could break it so easily, since he didn't exactly look very, err, mentally advanced, like common for genjutsu users. I knew better that to judge a book by its covers though. He was very, well emotionally... advanced.
"I know someone from that clan." The boy replied, grinning, flashing a brilliant white smile while scratching his golden head timidly.
My heart pounded in my chest. Was it possible that this kid, my new nameless friend had heard something about my mother's family? Or even... knew someone who could help me find my aunt? I had very little reservations now, and decided to trust my new friend.
I looked down at my katana, and gripped the bottom with one hand, the covered blade with the other, twisting both halves at once in opposite directions. Something within the sword clicked, and a small, round compartment popped out the bottom of the katana. It was a hollow slim cylinder, the size of a scientific test tube. The boy stared at me in confusion, opening his mouth to question the mysterious item.
Before he could speak up, I pinched the exposed corner of paper sticking out of the tube between my forefinger and thumb, and jerked it out in one fluid motion. It was a rolled up piece of paper, crinkled and creased from years of hiding in my sword's secret slot. I smoothed it out on the grass before me, and then turned it so the contents faced the boy.
It was an old photograph, faded to a monochromic tone but still preserved quite well because of the moisture-preventing tube so the images were very clear and intact. It was a family portrait, consisting of an older woman, an older man, three of their sons and two of their daughters. They were all smiling, arms linked as they stood in front of a beautiful sunset on a beach. The daughters crouched in the foreground, at the feet of their towering older brothers. The entire family had a head of what I assumed to be dazzling crimson hair, and the same carefree smiles. The scene was perfect to me, and this photograph was the only other thing my mother had left for me besides the forehead protector. It was my most precious keepsake; nobody, not even my father, knew it existed. It was given to me by the housemaid on her deathbed, when she revealed what my mother had entrusted to me. Prior to this morning, I had never seen that symbol anywhere else besides on my mother's forehead protector, let alone known anyone that actually had knowledge of my clan's whereabouts. My father had destroyed every scroll and book that held knowledge about my mother's clan in spite. Because I had been confined to the enclosure of the compound and only taught of my mother's origins through the housemaid, I hadn't even the slightest idea of how I would find my mother's clan. It was at that moment that I decided to disclose this secret to this complete stranger.
"This was given to me by the woman who raised my mother after she was taken from her home. She was also the housemaid who helped to raise Kaminari. It's a picture of my mother's family. All of her family were slaughtered in Uzushiogakure's destruction, except one – my mother's younger sister," I pointed at the smaller girl in the photo, posed with her arms flung around my mother's shoulders and grinning at the camera, "-was the only one to survive. She was sent to a camp set up by the Hokage in the Fire Country, and then she was taken in by a widow to live in the Hidden Leaf Village."
The boy's eyes widened even more than humanly possible, until they practically bulged out of his head. He pointed at the photo with a shaky finger.
"S-She seems familiar. Like I've seen her in my dreams before!" he exclaimed, gazing at the photo with a perplexed air. His eyebrows were pulled together in frustration as he stared at the photo.
A flicker of hope ignited in my chest. Could it be true? Was my aunt actually out there, completely unknowing of my existence?
"Please, I need to find my mother's sister. She was put under a strong genjutsu that only a member of my clan can break. I need to find her; I need to make sure she's safe and well." The desperation in my voice was adamant. I picked up the photo and got to my feet, looking at it intensely. I focused on their faces – the smiling, warm expressions of a happy family that loved each other. I wanted that. I needed that. The boy tilted his head at my demanding tone, and held his hand out for the photo. I handed it to him begrudgingly, and he inspected the portrait more closely.
"So you're alone without your aunt? I mean, your father sounds cruel and your clan sounds like they hate you. Your aunt could be your only family?" he sounded sad, and I noticed his fingers lingered on my mother's younger sister's face for a bit longer than the others.
I wish I were alone. It would probably have been better actually. No one could beat you mercilessly when you were alone. No one could ensure that your days were filled with nothing but hatred and agony when you were alone. No one could hurt the ones you cared about when you were alone. And more importantly; I couldn't hurt anyone else when I was alone. Living in my clan as who I am basically meant a lifetime of resentment and isolation, so I think I considered being in my family to be the same thing as what I imagined it would be like without a family.
I opened my mouth to speak, reaching out for the photo the boy was about to pass back to me, when he suddenly gasped, a trickle of blood escaping from the corner of his mouth. The boy grabbed his stomach with his free hand, and I glanced down in horror at the blood-soaked sweatshirt. A blade had pierced right through his body, jutting out of his chest about two or three inches. His eyes met mine for a split second and they were filled with confusion and panic. The yellow-headed teen vanished in a cloud of smoke and making the blade clang loudly as it hit the ground. I caught sight of the familiar X symbol on the halter of the black ninjatō. I hesitated, and that's where I went wrong. Before I had the brain to respond, or even to move a muscle as possibly the only person who had any inkling of information about my mother's sister disappeared into thin air – along with my most precious keepsake of course – I felt a sharp pressure against my throat. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on their ends, an all too familiar feeling brought on only by one person.
"Naughty, naughty little brother. You shouldn't willingly open up to strangers like that – it's a sign of weakness. Then again, it's in your nature so I'm not surprised." A malicious chuckle echoed all around me, the sound equal to the unpleasantness one may acquire from hearing nails on a blackboard. I winced as fear flooded my thoughts, as the hatred I had for him coursed through my body inciting that dreadful feeling again. I fought against it; can you imagine what Takeshi would say if I fainted in front of him? I could just picture him slitting my throat and then carrying out my mission in my place, with a higher success rate than I will ever have, and darkness would rule. He will most likely declare to my father that I was weak and couldn't keep on track – "I kept straying from the path" – as they liked to regularly state. Not like my father would care, it would have just saved him the trouble of doing it himself.
I was doing it again; I cursed myself when I felt the bubble of spite in my stomach threaten to burst. I calmed the jittering nerves and tried to distract myself from the painful dig of the sword at my throat.
"Nii-chan."
"Don't sling me with those petty titles. We only share the same father, along with many others who I've had the pleasure of never meeting. You, Kazuya," he spat out the words like they left a foul taste in his mouth, "I cannot say the same, since I've been stuck with your ass the moment father decided to bring your whore of a mother into the compound."
I grit my teeth. I couldn't give him an excuse to kill me, so I stood silently against his intimidation. He continued when he didn't get a verbal response.
"So I've been following you, under father's orders obviously, and I think you are straying from the path, little brother." His last words were dripping with contempt and I realised that he already had an excuse to kill me; he was just tossing up whether he should or not. I thought about the genjutsu type feeling I had gotten earlier, and it wasn't hard to guess who that would have been either. If that boy didn't walk past and somehow break the jutsu as soon as he did, I probably would be dead, knowing Takeshi's radical impulsivity.
"You shouldn't try looking for your lost family. It's hopeless; the Uzumaki clan have been completely exterminated. Give it up, we, the clan, are all you will ever have. That's why you will carry out your duty."
His tone had changed. It was flat, devoid of any emotion. Even his former statement held none of his usual sadistic comments that would accompany any remarks about my mother or the subject of her lost clan. Then he did the most unexpected thing; he dropped the blade from my throat and leapt back from me. I quickly activated my Byakugan and turned on my heels, drawing my katana. I faced Takeshi, prepared to search for his familiar maroon-coloured chakra, but found he had not moved at all. He stared at me intensely with this strangely passive expression, an expression I had not seen him wear before. Unfortunately, it just made my rage worst and I just couldn't take it anymore.
"I hate this clan! I always have and always will! I will never give up my dream of finding my mother's clan, and do you know why? Because any family would be better than this fucked up thing you and father think of as family!" I shouted and birds flew from the trees, scattering into the night sky.
Takeshi simply tilted his head to the side, and replied coolly, "What would you know about family, Kazuya? You, who have no mother, and only a father who sent me here to keep an eye on you because he fears your weakness will compromise our destiny. You, who killed your own sister in a mad fit, though she did foolishly get in your destructive path. The reason why the clan shun you is because you think like the enemy does – believing in love and a hopeful future of peace. That kind of thinking is what separates you from our family. We do what is needed of us, and whatever is necessary for the accomplishment of our goals. You follow your instinct; act solely based on your emotions and will divert from orders to pursue your own agenda, just as you did then. And don't even try to deny it – I could see what was going through your head. But no matter what you do you can't escape that hatred you have inside of you. I can tell, you know. It's consuming you, slowly but you can already feel yourself slipping away the angrier you get."
I was doing just that, and he could obviously tell from my quick intakes of air, and how I gripped my katana instinctively with clenched fists, knuckles white. Could he possibly be able to hear the erratic pounding of my heart too? I wouldn't be surprised; it was filling my ears, I could feel my conscience drifting off into the unknown with every drowning word that came out of his mouth. It was taking a hold of me, and soon I would lose myself all together.
"That's why father had told me to give you some motivation, of sorts. Something that would ensure the achievement of your mission."
My curiosity spiked and I fended off the creeping blanket of darkness. I slightly lowered my katana.
"What could father possibly have to offer me?" I growled through gritted teeth. My brother smiled shrewdly.
"What about your freedom?"
I glanced up at him in revelation, and the grip on my katana involuntarily loosened, dropping completely. The darkness that was radiating from my core, pulsing through my body with every beat of my heart, dissipated as the word sounded through my mind.
Freedom.
I never thought I would gain my freedom willingly. In fact, I had only imagined being free because I knew it was something that I would never be granted. Free of the clan, able to live out my life without the standard repercussions one would face if found guilty of treason. My trembling stopped and I lifted my head high, looking Takeshi straight in the eye to know if he were lying.
"And all I have to do is kill this person and bring about darkness? How can I find my family if there is nothing but darkness? It wouldn't even be worth it. Why do I have to kill this person? Why me? Why can't you do it?"
He snorted. "Even I don't know the entire truth. I do know this though – the person you seek out is just stepping stone for something bigger, something you will also play a crucial role in. If this person were to find out our true plans then there's a possibility they might try to stop us, and they will have the power to do that. That's why you are needed to eliminate any threats to our plan, and this person is just one of them. It has to be you, Kazuya, I don't know why but that's what father has told me. The change we're trying to bring about has been thousands of years in the making – it's the reason we train and push our bodies to the limit – but the darkness we speak of isn't literal, just metaphorical for world domination I think. We have to unleash what is right for the world. And we would spare you and your new family if you succeed."
I faltered. After the blonde boy had prompted me to recall all my promises to my sister and even after hearing about a possible way for me to find my family, I was set on abandoning this mission and chasing after that source. I should have known my father wouldn't trust me and would send someone to keep an eye on me. Was I really that predictable? I cursed my naivety. And now, to learn that this wasn't even the only step towards their plan, but one of many. Kaminari's words rung through my mind: "... tested first on the nature of your soul, and if you succeed the world will be saved. But, of course, if you should fail, the earth would inevitably fall into darkness..."
"No." I stated firmly. I wanted to believe in her words just as I did as a child. I trusted in my sister's visions, and if she thought I could be a good person, then I would try to make things right. For her – so her death wasn't in vain.
Takeshi sighed heavily. "So you've heard so much nonsense that now you're defecting from the clan huh? I don't know why you have so much life in you. You should be ashamed to even be breathing. How can you even sleep, knowing that you killed your own sister? What does it feel like to hate yourself as much as you do? You're so ridiculously weak – I'm embarrassed to even call you my blood. You don't deserve that power inside of you. It should have been given to someone with the strength to control it, to someone who isn't afraid of using it." His tone was getting increasingly heated now, and his chakra output increased with his rage.
"The gods must have a sense of humour if they think that you are capable of holding this power. I should have been the one blessed with the power, not you!"
His anger made me anxious. I was prepared for anything – I knew firsthand what Takeshi's rage could accomplish.
"Fine," Takeshi said through gritted teeth. "If you want to do this the hard way, I have no problem with that. Just remember that I did give you options, for once, and you rejected the clan's offer – so it's your loss."
My brother chuckled, and melted into the shadows of the tall oak behind him. I sensed out his chakra, but my brother was very good at hiding his trail. He was an experienced hunter, and I would have to be careful about that. Even with my Byakugan, I couldn't feel his presence. Then I heard a low growl, and shuddered, spinning on my heels at the source. Takeshi had summoned his most fearsome creature. It was a cross between a wolf and a bear, though imagine it with a demonic life force. It was over three metres tall when it stood on its hind legs, but now it simply crouched low on all fours, growling and circling me as though it were a stalking vulture, and I was its soon-to-be-dead prey. The monster probably weighed a tonne, partly due to the simple silver and leather saddle attached around its belly. The rough black fur covering its body was matted with blood and hung in dreadlocks, tangled with tiny bones. Purple wisps of violent chakra clung to its form. My brother's summoned beast lowered its massive head, red eyes glaring straight at me with bloodlust, purple lips pulling back to reveal sharp, menacing fangs dripping with green venom . Its poisonous bite would force me under a genjutsu that would make me relive my darkest moments – I knew from the intense practice sessions that were forced onto me as a child. I had been able to battle it in the past because I never thought about those times anymore; they were blocked, but now... I wasn't ecstatic to live through that experience again. Once was enough for today. I gathered my knowledge about the beast and launched an attack, slashing my chakra-infused blades at the point between the head and the shoulders, severing it in an instance. The beast simply dissolved into shadows, and the purple mist swirled around me, quickening its pace and creating a tornado consisting of the dark despair that its chakra projected. It was meant to distract you, to force you into thinking you had no chance and to give in to the gloom overcoming your emotions. It was another one of my brother's technique, where he incorporated the use of genjutsu and his natural affinity for wind to create a storm of sadness that would overwhelm your senses. With my Byakugan activated, I made three quick seals and felt my chakra pulse inside of me, and with a deep breath, I let chakra seep out of every tenketsu in my body. I spun on my heels, rotating three hundred and sixty degrees while pushing my energy outwards simultaneously. A burst of black chakra poured out of my pressure points. It willingly drove its way out, shoving against the wall of wind. But with every push, my head throbbed and my brother's beast took advantage of my emotional vulnerability. Images were forced into my head – some of the boy who I had just met, of my sister dead in my arms, of waking up amidst bodies and wreckage with no recollection. Even a few flashes of the hazy image of a woman in a blood-stained white kimono escaped, causing me to trip over my own feet in my spinning, and I fell to my knees, gripping my head, fingers tangled in clumps of my red hair, pulling hard on my temples, as though I were trying to squeeze out all of the agony from my mind.
"Arghh! Just face me already, stop playing your stupid games!" I shouted into the vast darkness, my voice lost in the fierce wind. I hated this technique because it spread out his chakra, dispersing it everywhere so I couldn't pinpoint his presence. My own chakra was flowing out on its own accord, like black oil pouring out of my skin, filling the air with dread. I suddenly remembered that it also fed off negative energy, and it was probably getting a kick out of me. I couldn't handle it; I was slipping over the edge. I had to control myself or else. I breathed in slowly, closing my eyes. If I tried to focus on the pull of my brother's chakra, I could have a chance of seeking him out. I had no other choice – if my eyes weren't working, I would have to hone on my other skills. I felt the energy inside of me reach out, seeking in the nothingness for where his chakra would be strongest, his life force. I felt it, chilling and menacing, and on the move. My eyes flew open, but I was too late. In a desperate attempt, I fuelled chakra to my hands, but he was too fast.
"Cursed Seal: Prison of Darkness!"
I knew where he was before he appeared, but he gave me little time to react. He materialised from the shadows at my feet, his maroon chakra now a flaming blood-red. I had never seen this happen before with any other technique – his energy had changed – more violent, and overwhelming. I swung my katana, but my brother simply grabbed my striking arm, stunning me with unexpected crushing strength, and pressed his palm flat against my chest. I froze immediately, as an excruciating pain shot through my body, as though I had been submerged in flames. My brother jumped back, fading into the shadows. A searing percussion came from my chest, under my black shirt, and I clawed at the source of my pain, ripping apart the material, exposing my bare chest. I gasped in horror at what I saw. In the centre of my torso was a tattoo-like mark engraved into my skin. It was a large X, with a small box in the middle where all strokes met. The design itself only took up about the space of Takeshi's palm, but as I watched, with every second the X's limbs stretched out, throbbing, covering my body in criss-cross patterns that radiated darkness and filled my body with unbearable emotions. I tried to fight the feeling, doubling over, screaming in agony, my body feeling sluggish and unresponsive.
"What did you do to me?!" I shouted through clenched teeth. Sweat dripped down my forehead as I struggled to keep myself conscious, let alone to move. It was like there was a voice in my head telling me to give up, relinquish control of my body to the darkness and all of the pain would stop. It was actually quite reassuring and gentle; lulling me to sleep with promises of a world where I could see my sister again.
"Hmm, this? Oh, just a type of juinjutsu made especially for you. It's a cursed mark that will force you into a prison inside of your mind, where you will relive every single dreadful moment of your pathetic life. Over and over again." Takeshi smiled sadistically, "that's if you survive the process and the pain of course."
I wanted to scream in rage but my voice produced no sound. I was completely paralysed now, as it secured its grip on my conscience. I had no chance – I knew what the purpose of a cursed mark was – my vision was already hazy and everything seemed so far away. The jolts of insufferable pain, like a thousand needles being injected deep into my bones, and the aching throb in my head were the only things keeping my awake, as well as my desire to know the truth.
I finally managed to get a single word out, though I struggled to make my thoughts coherent as I clashed with the strange feeling overcoming my consciousness.
"W-Why?"
"This way is just easier. It always has been decided by the clan that this was the best option for you, and for those before you. Father knew that one day we wouldn't be able to keep you in line and you'd seek your own path, so when a particular incident occurred, he decided to stamp you with a cursed mark. You know what happens with cursed marks – the victim is given a power boost of sorts due to the increase of energy put into your body, yet can also be brought under the user's control. But yours is different; it has been passed down for generations, just waiting to reach you. I thought father was feeling particularly cruel when he told me to use this technique on you. Orochimaru's Gedō Seal is an adaptation of this technique, which seals your kekkei genkai and causes blinding pain, until you are completely under its hold. Then you are forced deep into your subconscious, and put under the caster's power. But this is the original version, created especially to contain your power! It has been used millennia after millennia to control those who have diverted from their paths, and have been essential in our success. This mark will not force you under father's control, but instead it will unleash your naturally dark chakra, forcing you into a subliminal state where you will be drowned in agony by your memories. You will become a killing machine, like all those other times, only you won't stop until your objective is complete; pending father's permission of course. Your true nature will come out, and you won't be able to hide it or fight it anymore because the cursed mark feeds off your negative energy. It might have been difficult to control your powers before, and even after your sixteenth birthday you still, incredibly, were able to fend off the darkness which was threatening to consume you. I saw you – hell, I almost got a bit close to your destruction. The way you make that chakra move... how it reduces your surroundings to ashes. It's amazing. Too bad it was wasted on you..."
His words were being lost on me now; I was floating away, as my mind drifted in and out of awareness. My eyelids were heavy, as though they were made of lead, but I didn't fight it.
"N-no… I don't want… to… hurt… anyone…" My brain was foggy now, senses shrouded in thick, heavy mist that felt like slime; gooey, dripping all over my thoughts – smothering me to sleep. I was drowning now, but I forced my eyes open just once more. Although it was hazy, I could still see the glow of the stars past the crack in the canopy.
"That's the best thing about this cursed mark – you won't have a choice."
And with that, I lost the battle with my consciousness, and immersed completely into the darkness.
Yay! Chapter 8 :) I had been working on this chapter for aaages, and had actually had most of it completed before the seventh chapter came out, but there were still elements I needed to include. Thoughts?