Chapter 6
Venom
Koni led them back to the fort, Jivana met them there she couldn't believe what she saw.
"Koni what happened to these girls?" she cried as Koni laid them down, "their necks…"
"We, we were attacked by a monster," said Li Li sitting down to rest, Jivana attended to her wounds.
"Mom I hate to say it, but all these wounds, they look like," worried Koni.
"What's going on?" said Krysta appearing out of the trees.
"The monster!" cried Li Li.
"Monster? You must be mistaken?" worried Jivana knowing Krysta was on a short fuse.
"You have exactly three seconds to tell me why you called me that child!" cried Krysta angrily unleashing her sash.
"Stop, she's wounded!" said Koni getting in the way.
"Oh no Krysta has gone nuts," worried Naruto.
"What are you doing here?" snapped Krysta seeing them, "who are you?"
"Forgive my intrusion, my name is Jarriya," winked Jarriya flirtively, Krysta growled at him.
"Don't even try Jarriya," sighed Naruto.
"She's the one who attacked us," continued Li Li.
"I've done nothing of the sort!" shouted Krysta leaping over Koni and grabbing the girl holding her by the neck, "I'm in a bad mood so you better have a good reason for your impudence!"
"Krysta please calm down," worried Jivana and Krysta threw Li Li to the ground.
"I'm sorry but I saw what I saw, my sisters torn apart by a bladed whip, then that vile creature plunged her teeth into their necks, they haven't woken up since," Li Li sobbed.
"That is your trademark," glared Koni distrusting Krysta.
"He's got a point," laughed Naruto and Krysta glared at him.
"You're not serious are you?" whispered Jarriya and Naruto nodded, Jarriya's looked turned ill.
"Koni!" snapped Jivana angrily.
"You're right it is," said Varundo appearing, Krysta glared at him suspiciously, "and there's only one other person capable of that trademark bite."
Krysta knelt down to Mi Mi and looked at her neck, the blood was congealing but now the wound was turning black as if charred by acid.
"Poison, that's not my bite," said Krysta coming away.
"But
then, who has a weapon that leaves slash marks like those and drinks
blood?" asked Naruto. Koni looked down at Li Li,
"hey I just
realised! You're one of those Grass Ninja who were mean to Rusuta
over her exam score!"
"Hello she got one hundred percent that cheater shouldn't even be in this exam no one gets one hundred percent!" snapped Li Li not understanding the significance.
"No one but me," said Krysta looking down at her, "and I, am her mother."
"You gonna kill me too!" cried Li Li angrily trying to stand but failing, her wounds were going black too, she was also poisoned.
"If we don't cure that venom they're all going to die," worried Jivana.
"We don't know what kind of venom it is," said Krysta and Varundo held her shoulder.
"You know, you have to now," he told her but Krysta shook her head.
"Rusuta doesn't even have fangs! I'd rather her dead than this," she screamed angrily.
"I know you're upset but you have to face this, you're the only one who can stop her, look what she's done already, maybe she's scared, what if this happened when she was alone after that fog Koni talked about, you can barely control your hunger how can you expect her too," he tried to tell her.
"Rusuta isn't like me, my thirst is Alana's fault! It's not hereditary!" she snapped angrily.
"You know it's not my fault, I already told you that!" snapped Alana.
"Oh shut up!" Krysta cried back, "If it was Rusuta we'd know, I'd have felt her."
"Krysta, what if you can't find her, because someone's hiding her, if she's suddenly become feral and infected these girls with poison, where has that poison come from, only one place," said Jivana comforting her.
"Orochimaru, he came back for her after all," she sighed calmly.
"Orochimaru? What's his play in this, just being a jerk again?" wondered Jarriya.
"You really are stupid, Orochimaru is Rusuta's father, I thought you said you'd heard of her, she looks just like him even we realised first time we met her," snapped Naruto.
"I'm gonna get him," growled Koni angrily.
"If he's given her the thirst I'll feed him to her!" snapped Krysta.
"Let's go after him," said Jivana.
"But we don't know where they are?" asked Koni.
"We know where there was the last attack, we start there," said Krysta.
Meanwhile Rusuta and Umani had returned to the Sound encampment. Rusuta sat under a tree resting and wondering what on earth was happening to her.
"I couldn't stop myself, but I didn't want to stop either. Those girls, I've hurt them badly, but for some reason I don't care, is that really like me? I can't remember. Just the energy, and the power, such power," she sighed happily.
"I didn't want to believe it was you I saw, but I guess I can't pretend now," she heard someone from above her say with a nagging arrogance. Rusuta looked up and saw the scruffy youth from the morning, he jumped down and glared at her.
"You've grown a lot Rusuta," he told her folding his arms.
"Who are you?" she asked dropping her guard. The youth brushed his long hair back behind his ears and looked at her hatefully, Rusuta could not believe it, he was taller older and unlike anything he used to be, but it was him.
"Sasuke," she gasped amazed, "what are you doing here, everyone's worried!"
"I'd ask you the same thing if it weren't for the fact we're here for the same reason," he told her.
"I don't understand," said Rusuta.
"Look at you, just as I knew you'd always be, you could be Krysta's twin," he sneered.
"Mother and I are not so alike after all, she's strong and great, me, I'm just weak, and I've been so ill. How can she be proud of me like this," she told him sadly.
"So you come to your father to make him proud," laughed Sasuke.
"You hate my father! Why are you here! If you've come to hurt him I'll tear you to ribbons!" she cried annoyed.
"In case you've noticed I'm a Sound Ninja too now, I might not like the guy but he's giving me the power I need, just as I see he's giving it to you, his monster of a daughter," replied Sasuke meanly.
"I'm not a monster!" she cried unleashing her whip.
"You say that, but you know I'm right, you've always known, you wouldn't be here otherwise," laughed Sasuke going to leave.
"Wait!" she cried and he looked back, "Sakura told me to find you, she said she just wants you to come home."
"I don't care about Sakura or the Leaf Village anymore," he said leaving.
"I'm not a monster, I'm not," she said worried and her rune started to glow eerily, "no I'm not, I'm not, I'm not." Rusuta retracted her whip and went inside the camp to find her father.
Orochimaru was on a higher area of the encampment looking down onto the forest where the exams were taking place.
"Umani told me of your progress," he told her sensing her coming.
"Thank you father, thank you for everything," she replied sadly and he turned to her.
"You look sad child," he asked gesturing her forward.
"I'm stronger now than I've ever been, despite the consequences I'm ready to continue with the exams, but that means I must go and Umani has to as well," she told him.
"Why do you want to continue with the exam?" he asked.
"Mother, she wants me to be the best, I know she does, and now I can beat everyone, and I want to do it for both of you," she replied determined.
"You can go," he said suddenly, Rusuta was a little surprised, Orochimaru turned and gave her a small bundle. When Rusuta opened it a new headband was inside, a Sound Village headband.
"Father?" she said confused.
"When you excel at the exams, I want you to come back. I want you to stay with me Rusuta, forever," he told her looking at her fatherly.
"You want me, you really want me," said Rusuta feeling like she'd cry. Orochimaru brought her forward and showed her the view from the cliff.
"You are my only heir, and one day the Sound will need a new leader. Think about it, a whole village will be yours to command, by then you'll be as strong as me. No one will ever be scared of you, or call you a monster again. If you stay with me, you'll be accepted and loved you're whole life. In the Sound Village you'll have more opportunities than the Leaf Village can ever give you," he told her inspiringly.
"But, what about my mother, and Koni," she replied Orochimaru shook his head.
"Your mother is a horrendously bitter woman, she was never accepted as a child everyone hated her and now, well you've seen what she's become. Do you want to be like that? Krysta will never let you come if you ask her, she doesn't want you to be with me, she doesn't want you to be happy," he smiled evilly, then Umani appeared.
"All posts secure," he said, he'd obviously come from watch.
"Umani, come, we're just talking about the exams," said Orochimaru.
"I should have known you'd still want to go through with them, I'm still with you Rusuta," said Umani taking her hand lovingly.
"Father, I don't know if I can live without my…" she dried up as her rune began to glow again. Orochimaru came up to her stroking her hair caringly.
"Think about it Rusuta, you'll never be alone, no one will ever hurt you or forget about you, you'll have everything you want, as long as you stay with me. Go now, return to me when your exam is through," he told her and the blank Rusuta nodded leaving with Umani.
"The trap is closing Krysta, I shall watch with glee as your own daughter destroys you, and there's nothing you can do," he laughed looking at the tiny rune on his wrist left by his marriage to Krysta. Sasuke was watching from a tree, he was suspicious of Orochimaru's true goals.
The next morning when Rusuta woke up, she was already wearing her father's gift, she admired it in her mirror but wondered all the same how it had got there.
"Can I really stay with my father," she said looking for her clothes. On the floor was a blue and grass green battledress, somehow her clothes had changed too.
"It's beautiful," she said picking it up and putting it on. Then Umani came in,
"Come on, we have an exam to ace." He smiled at her and Rusuta blushed slightly before feeling that cringing pain in her heart again, her rune glowed and she smiled evilly.
"Let's go," she said leaving with Umani.
In the forest Krysta and her friends had split up having reached the site of the attack on the girls in their fort. They'd searched all night and still nothing, Koni kept vigilant as he passed every tree looking for even the slightest hints of a bladed struggle but so far there had been nothing. Suddenly his rune began to glow; it hurt a little and bled.
"What's happening?" he worried continuing into the wood, as he did the pain became more and suddenly through the bushes he could see what looked like a mound of grass, rising and falling? Then he heard an excited panting as a wave of black hair flicked up from the top of the mound. It wasn't a mound at all, but a person, who now was standing up and away from the floor laughing happily. Suddenly Koni saw a flashing red light coming from the person and how they lifted their arm realising the glow.
"Why are you glowing now?" wondered Rusuta looking at her rune, it had been Rusuta all along and on the ground shivering in pain was the latest Ninja to become victim of her new need.
"Rusuta?" she heard a voice say, it was Koni coming out of the bushes.
"Koni?" she said turning. Koni ran up and hugged her relieved she was ok but she softly pushed him away.
"Koni, where have you been!" she said having been worried.
"Looking for you, what happened, are you ok, I lost you in the fog, I'm so sorry, I'll never leave you again, I've been so worried, and your mother, oh my god has she been going nuts, she'll be so relieved when she sees you," he blurted excited he'd found her.
"Mother…" she gasped worried.
"Yeah, those black ninja, they weren't enemies after all it was our family, can ya believe it, they said they're looking for a real enemy around here. But, but Rusuta that's not important, what's important is that you're ok and…" said Koni suddenly noticing the ninja behind her. He backed away startled, he couldn't believe it.
"It, it's true," he said afraid then he looked at her fully, he could see she'd changed.
"Rusuta, what's happened to you?" he asked quietly.
"I'm not sick anymore, I'm strong now Koni, I'm sorry I've been away, I've wasted precious exam time, come on, come with me, we have to find some real enemies and get to the tower," she told him smiling happily.
"That's what I said, our parents are looking for the real enemies now, I have to take you back to them," he told her.
"Koni, I, I'm not going back," she told him sighing, "once I've passed the exam I'm leaving the Leaf Village, I can't stay there anymore, it was suffocating me."
"Leaving, where, where will you go?" he asked her getting close again, then he noticed her headband.
"This, this can't be, this isn't yours," he said worried.
"He wants me, my father loves me, he does Koni and he wants me to stay with him. He saved me from the fog, he cured me, I owe him my life," she tried to make him understand.
"You're leaving to go to your evil father! Have you forgotten what he did to your mother, how he abandoned you all this time!" cried Koni not able to believe it.
"Koni please, come with me, father will let you, and mother and Jivana and Varundo, even Velia, I don't want to lose any of you," she begged him. Then they heard a few notes of sweet music as up in the trees Umani had arrived.
"Umani?" said Koni and he leapt down.
"You're alive after all then," said Umani.
"Umani thank goodness you're here, look will you talk some sense into Rusuta, she can't leave the Leaf Village, neither can we, it's our home," said Koni.
"I don't know I think it's a good idea, what do you think Ru honey," smiled Umani holding Rusuta tight to him.
"Let me go," she said quietly.
"You can't be serious," cried Koni angrily, his rune glowed fiercely.
"Struck a nerve have I," laughed Umani letting Rusuta go, "come Rusuta, we have an exam to finish, we don't need drip along here."
"Why you!" growled Koni going to attack him but Rusuta got in the way.
"Rusuta?" said Koni and Umani laughed evilly.
"How do you Leaf Villagers say it these days, oh yeah, how about, you're dumped Koni!" he laughed going to leave.
"Rusuta, what's wrong with you?" he asked her worried.
"I can't let you hurt Umani, or my father. You said Mother was looking for real enemies, tell her, that if she's looking for my father, to just give up, I don't want to hurt her," sighed Rusuta going to leave too.
"Rusuta you can't!" Koni cried grabbing her runed wrist.
"Koni," she sighed turning back to him, "your rune, it's bleeding."
"It did that the moment I saw you again, it's so painful," he tried to smile.
"Oh Koni," said Rusuta hugging him. Koni hugged her back and enacting with her rune Koni's bleeding ceased and healed.
"I can't let you leave me," he told her, "I'd die if I thought I lost you again." Koni held her head up and went to kiss her but just as Rusuta felt her blood lust vanishing her rune flared and glowed again. Rusuta pushed Koni away and walked back towards Umani.
"I have to stay with my father, stay away from me," she told him leaving with Umani.
"Rusuta," Koni sighed kneeling in shock. He looked to the poor ninja Rusuta had now poisoned and he gasped painfully for help. Koni picked him up and returned to the fort. There he found his parents and Krysta and surprisingly also Kumico.
"Oh no, another one," said Jivana taking the ninja from Koni.
"Sir Kumico, what are you doing here?" asked Koni.
"I felt the need, and it looks like I'm here just in time," said Kumico examining the new patient.
"Where's?" said Koni before feeling his legs come together suddenly, Velia was hugging her.
"Big brother you're ok!" she cried.
"Velia," he said kneeling down and hugging her lightly.
"Brother, you're bleeding," she gasped horrified and Jivana came over.
"I know, I don't think this is going to heal though," he said sadly.
"Don't worry, you'll regenerate," said Jivana worried.
"No mom, you don't understand, I, I found Rusuta," he told her painfully.
"You found Rusuta!" cried Jivana happily and Krysta came over.
"Is she ok?" Krysta worried.
"I don't want to talk about it," said Koni standing up.
"Koni you have to tell us," said Jivana.
"Leave me alone," he replied before walking straight into his father.
"Dad," he said sadly.
"Koni, what's wrong," Varundo asked worried.
"I'm fine!" he yelled angrily.
"Then why won't you tell us!" snapped Krysta.
"Because I don't care anymore!" Koni yelled angrily suddenly hitting the floor as the moody Krysta lost her temper.
"Krysta please," said Jivana trying to protect her son.
"Son," said Varundo trying to help him up.
"She doesn't care Dad, about you or me, or even her mother! She doesn't care! So why should I care about her!" Koni yelled trying to hide the fact he was crying.
"What are you talking about?" worried Krysta calming down.
"I mean what I say, Rusuta doesn't care about us anymore. The fog, she was saved from the fog, by her father," he told them painfully.
"Orochimaru!" screamed Krysta angrily, "What has he done to her!"
"I don't know, she said she owes him her life. I don't understand any of this but she's gone now, she's not coming home," he told her.
"No, that can't be," sighed Krysta worriedly, suddenly Krysta's chest rune flared and she fell to her knees in pain.
"Krysta!" worried Jivana Krysta was crying painfully.
"She's alive, she's alive," she cried seeming happy for a moment, "but her life sign, it's changed, it's still hers but, there's something different, it's hurting me, she's in pain, terrible pain." Koni stood up and looked out to the trees, he didn't want to say but he could feel it too, for the first time he could feel Rusuta's life sign.
"I've been a fool Rusuta, I'm not going to give up. I won't rest till you're safe with me, I can't hide my feelings any longer Rusuta," he thought moving towards the trees.
"Kumico, take care of Velia and the patients, with her life sign back I can track her, I'm going to find her," said Krysta.
"Are you sure you're ok?" worried Varundo.
"Yes now come on," replied Krysta and the group walked off into the woods.
Meanwhile Rusuta and Umani were going far into the deep middle of the forest attacking anyone they found in their way, even other exam takers. Every few moments Rusuta felt a shock from her rune, it was like when she was a kid again.
"It hurts so bad," she said to herself stopping for a moment. Umani came over to her.
"You're worried over Koni aren't you," he told her.
"Why do you think that," she replied.
"It's natural Rusuta, you two have been so close for so long, but if he can't see that you need a better life then maybe it's better he's not in it. I'm not like that, I'm going to help you not only get a better life but also stick with you through everything you do. Koni can't because he's too weak, that's why you're with me," he told her smiling. Rusuta's rune calmed down and she sighed.
"You're right Umani, I don't need him," she replied hugging Umani for comfort. Umani stroked her hair and them led her away continuing through the trees.
They came to some rocky cliffs with a waterfall, three exam takers were resting here and they weren't happy for the company.
"What do you want!" growled one of them, these were hot headed Sand Ninja and the leader was tall and well built, frightening to most of Umani and Rusuta's stature.
"You have the keys to the tower don't you," sneered Umani taking his flute out.
"And if we do?" sneered the leader's cohort.
"Then we shall have to take it, although I suggest you give it willingly," sneered Umani.
"What are you and that scrawny girl going to do?" laughed the third member, a bit smaller and thinner that the first two.
"Rusuta, destroy them," he said coyly starting to play the flute. It was the song he and Rusuta had sung together in the Leaf Village and almost immediately Rusuta's rune began to glow. Rusuta took her sash and transformed it before slashing it at the weakest member. She was silent and graceful and stood as though she were to dance instead of attack.
"A little ballerina doesn't scare us!" growled the leader taking out some Kunai and going to attack. Umani's music got faster and as Rusuta dodged her whip started to brush up sand and dirt into the eyes of her attackers.
"Give it up, before we really get serious," laughed Umani.
"Never," growled the second Sand Ninja, suddenly the third launched a surprise attack on Umani but found himself gashed open by Rusuta's whip, Rusuta caught the end and licked the blood off of it.
"What kind of freak is that!" cried the leader shocked.
"A freak that is going to end you. Rusuta my love, finale please," smiled Umani playing again and Rusuta span round at a dazzling speed. The dust whipped around her until it marred her from view was a deadly many bladed tornado.
"Let's get out of here!" cried the second Sand Ninja but they weren't quick enough as the fury of Rusuta's blades cut them all over until they were slumped by the trees barely breathing in the pain. Umani stopped playing and went over to the leader taking his key, it was a coloured piece of glass mounted in the shape of a star.
"It's beautiful," he sneered moving away so Rusuta could feed on them. Umani watched smiling evilly, the special charm Orochimaru had given him had worked perfectly. An old Yulikan spell used to control the rune power of convicted criminals, Orochimaru had spent these ten years searching for such a thing from the ruins of Yukusha simply to use it upon his loyal naïve daughter.
When Rusuta had finished she stood up with Umani and let him kiss her deeply, the energy from the blood was enough to make Rusuta completely drone like following Umani's commands as if she truly did love him but Umani knew it was not something that was permanent and she would often wake up and push him away. Suddenly Umani heard the bushes rustling and he let go of Rusuta to look for the source. He smiled when Koni appeared and greeted him coyly.
"Koni, have you reconsidered to join us after all?" he sneered.
"No, I've come for Rusuta, and to destroy you for you're part in this," glared Koni hatefully, "I knew we couldn't trust you!" Rusuta walked up to Umani then, she was still under the spell and saw Koni as a threat.
"Rusuta, I've come to take you back, your mother's on her way, and my parents too, I don't care what he's done to you, I'm going to take you away from all of this," said Koni.
"I will not go," she told him firmly, pushing Umani behind her to protect him.
"Rusuta has made her choice Koni, you will just have to live with it," sneered Umani blowing a few notes, Rusuta gasped passionately hearing them.
"What are you doing to her!" Koni cried angrily.
"You are so easy to wind up," laughed Umani evilly, "Rusuta, it's time to get rid of this distraction, for good."
Koni glared at Umani but then realised Rusuta had her whip uncoiled, he couldn't believe it, Rusuta was going to try and fight him, suddenly Umani started to play fully and Rusuta leapt at him.
"Rusuta, wake up! Snap out of it please!" cried Koni dodging and backing away trying not to have to fight her.
"You have to die," she said numbly spinning round slashing at him fast. Koni jumped out of the way but became pinned against the rocks.
"Rusuta, come on it's me, you don't want to hurt me!" cried Koni but Rusuta wouldn't listen. Then Krysta, Varundo and Jivana arrived and saw Rusuta and Koni battling.
"Koni what are you doing!" cried Jivana worried.
"It's not me, it's Rusuta, she won't stop!" cried Koni continuing to dodge.
"Krysta what's going on?" worried Varundo.
"I don't know, I've never seen Rusuta like this," said Krysta suddenly feeling a shocking pain in her runes, then they heard the music and could see Umani.
"It's that boy, Umani," panted Krysta.
"Let's get him," said Varundo. Jivana and Varundo ran to attack Umani but Umani was fast and stopped playing so he could engage fighting them.
"The music stopped," said Koni realising, however Rusuta wasn't letting up.
"You have to fight Koni, I don't think Rusuta can stop," said Krysta watching on getting ready to destroy Umani. Koni engaged his sword and he and Rusuta started to fight blade to blade.
"Please Rusuta, wake up, what's he done to you!" cried Koni.
"Must, drink…" Rusuta gasped painfully. Umani was able to hold off Jivana and Varundo but then Krysta got into the fight and he realised he needed help.
"Rusuta!" he called and Rusuta stopped fighting with Koni and leapt in front of her mother.
"Oh no," worried Jivana.
"Get her!" cried Umani.
"Rusuta stop!" cried Koni protecting Krysta. Rusuta stared at him blankly, he panted tiredly.
"Please, please Rusuta stop, it's me Rusuta, it's Koni, and your mom and my dad and my mom, we don't want to hurt you, please, stop attacking," he panted.
"Please, listen to him Rusuta," said Krysta calmly.
"She won't," laughed Umani having gotten hold of his flute again, "destroy them!" Umani started to play again and Rusuta went to strike Koni down with her blade when suddenly,
"I love you!" cried Koni just as the blade got to him. It sliced into his arm that he was using to block her attack but Rusuta didn't keep attacking. Umani stopped playing surprised and Rusuta started to wake up.
"Koni…" she said dryly realising what she was doing, the moment she saw her blade in his arm she dropped her whip and it fell out and she ran towards him.
"Oh Koni no!" she cried seeing how badly he was hurt.
"Rusuta, you stopped," he gasped painfully.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Koni," said Rusuta starting to cry.
"It's ok, it's ok," said Koni going to hug her but she got up and walked away from him.
"Rusuta, I've been so worried," said Krysta, "I know what's happened to you, come back with me, I'll stop it, I promise."
"I'm not going back," said Rusuta looking back at them, her rune glowed dimly.
"Please come home Rusuta, we can pass the test together, we don't need Umani," Koni tried to convince her.
"No Koni, it's you I don't need, I'm not giving up this power for anything. I'm sorry I hurt you," she said picking up her blade and turning it back into her sash. Umani went towards the far trees to escape, calling her with him.
"I have to go," she said going to leave but Krysta wouldn't see her go and stood in her way.
"I won't let you go to him," she said firmly.
"I know, you won't let me be with my father, you don't care that it's what I want, you don't care what he's made me, how strong I am, you'd rather see me dead then with my father! Rather me dead than happy!" Rusuta cried and her rune glowed fiercely.
"You know that's not true," said Krysta but Rusuta pushed past.
"Father loves me, I'm going to live with my father, come with me or don't it's up to you," she snapped going to Umani who hugged her symbolically. Koni coughed and spluttered painfully and Krysta suddenly remembered and called frantically,
"Rusuta you have to come back! You're poisonous! We need to make an anti-venom! Please Rusuta your blade and bite secrete one of the deadliest venom's known to our kind!" Rusuta looked back at Koni, his wound had turned black and he was shivering and panting painfully.
"Koni," she sighed before feeling her rune burn and knowing she had to leave with Umani.
"Krysta, Koni, he's been poisoned," said Varundo picking up his son.
"Oh Koni," worried Jivana.
"Take him back to the fort, I'm getting that anti-venom, one way or another," said Krysta sadly following in the direction of Rusuta and Umani.
"Rusuta, I love you," gasped Koni passing out.
"Be careful Krysta," worried Jivana helping Varundo take Koni away.