It had been 2 weeks, 2 days, 10 hours, 12 minutes, and 30 seconds since Leara had been placed within the Akatsuki's medical ward.
She was now looking like a young woman should; her broken bones were healing, her scrapes and cuts had healed and were now replaced with multi-coloured bruses. The only thing that wasn't back to normal was her blonde hair. It was still dyed with blood making her appear to be a blonde with poorly done red streaks.
Pein and Konan sat watching the small camera screen now located on his office's desk. He watched as Kakuzu entered the medical ward followed by Leara's daughter, Karinai. The small girl pulled a chair from the corner of the room and placed it beside her mother she tried to climb up onto it, unfortunately it didn't work. She went up to Kakuzu and stretched out her arms. He did what looked like a sigh, before picking him up and placing her on the chair. Beside him, Pein heard Konan let out a little giggle. The leader watched as his employee grabbed a clipboard and went to investigate the numerous screens and monitors within the small room. Karinai just sat as a statue beside her mother. When Kakuzu was done examining the monitors he went over to get Karinai. When she didn't move, Kakuzu made his way to the door and left.
"I wonder what she's thinking?" Konan asked with a whisper.
Pein averted his eyes away from the screen and applied his attention to his friend. "I don't know I'm surprised she even knows what's going on right now. Normally girls her age…"
"Pein" Konan said with a slight smile tugging at her lips, her voice serious "Don't forget what we knew when we were young."
Pein sighed "But that was different. We grew up in a time of war."
"And she's grown up with no clear home, and a parent which the world has not yet accepted." Konan replied.
Konan took his hand. The man with many piercings looked onto his friends eyes. They were soft and warming.
Before the moment could last a knock was heard at the door. Konan let go of his hand and resumed her gaze at the screen.
"Come in"
Kakuzu entered, still holding the clipboard.
"Any improvement." Konan asked.
"No not really. Using medical jutsu her bones are completely healed. Her heart beat i3 80 over 112, no excessive bleeding is being caused. She's in perfect working order, only she isn't awake." He said with defeat.
"You mean she's in a coma." Konan stated blankly.
"So it would seem."
"What's up with Karinai." Pein said
"She's just worried. She was muttering something when I left. I think it was a prayer."
"Hmm"
SILENCE… AKWARD SILENCE
Tobi burst through the door. "LEADER, LEADER, LEADER! Itachi and Kisame are back!!!"
"Good, let's go down and see what they accomplished." Pein said before turning back to the screen, where Karinai still sat, and turned it off.
…MEANWHILE…
Leara vaguely remembered this place. The location which she was standing was of a bright green field lined with cherry blossom trees, and rows upon rows of stones….
"Stones?" Leara whispered, bending down to inspect on of them. "Tomb-stones" she confirmed as she looked closer. She stood back up, wondering how she had even gotten here. All that she remembered were speeding lights, screaming, pain, more screaming, then darkness.
It was like it was a bad dream.
The young woman stood there. There was something, something about this place that was so familiar. The location was on the tip of her tongue, but there was only one word that would come out.
"Momma"
Leara's eyes shot wide with shock. It finally registered in her mind why this place was so familiar. This was where she had last seen her mother's face.
It was her mother's grave.
"Momma" She mouthed, but was surprised to have young voice speak.
Leara spun around, only to see what she had forgotten. There, only steps away, a young girl with shoulder length blonde hair stood before a grave. She wore a white cotton sun dress, with no shoes.
Leara began to breathe hard "that's…me" was all she managed to say.
She began cautiously walking toward her younger self.
She got all the way to her former self. She stood behind the child, peering over her shoulder. Leara saw her mother's name carved into the new stone. Her heart skipped a beat and she began to feel all the feelings which she had suppressed for so many years.
Young Leara collapsed to her knees, and she to began to breathe heavily. She brought her tiny hands together, bowed her head and started whispering.
Leara looked at her former self, she remembered everything again. How they never did find the one responsible for her mother's death. How her father had started acted funny. How he would threaten her when she didn't do as she was told. No one in her family would talk to her unless it was when she did something wrong, then it was more yelling then anything else.
"Leara!" a voice shouted
The older version of her self turned, but her younger self remained in prayer.
A middle aged man with dirty blonde hair was storming through the rows of tombs. In front of him were an identical teen boy and girl.
"I told you she would be here." The boy hissed back to the man, coming to stand behind the two Leara's.
"Leara!" The man boomed coming to stand beside the teen boy. "What have I told you about coming home after ninja school." He said in a stern tone.
Her younger self said nothing.
"Are you listening to me young lady?!" Her father said kneeling down to the child's height.
Leara's former self turned to face her dad, head still bent. "Yes, I'm supposed to come home without talking to anyone." she mumbled.
Her father let out an exasperated sigh getting up. "Get up" he ordered, waited before grabbing the child's arm and yanking her up. "Now!" he said dragging her once again throughout the rows of tombs which he had entered from, before being followed by her brother and sister.
Leara watched with pain, wanting nothing more then to scream. But, she held back her emotion and just collapsed on her knees in front of her mother's tomb. She ran her finger along the name lightly tracing it with her fingers.
"What's happening" she whispered.
The feeling like the ground was falling from beneath her occurred and before she could gasp in shock all was gone. No tombs, no trees, no green grass. Instead she was standing in a rather poorly lit room.
The room had many shelves that held many containers, which were home to many strange looking objects. In the far corner she caught her reflection in a mirror. She stared in shock again staring at her past self. Who stood slightly behind her.
Her hair was now longer, protruding down to the middle of her back. She Wore a Konoha head-band on her forehead, which had a deep slash down the middle. She had on a tight fishnet long sleeved shirt with a black sleeve-less one over top that stopped just short of her belly button. On her legs she had black spandex going down to her lower thigh with a dark navy blue dance shorts over top. Around her she wore a simple black cloak, to keep the chill off.
"I can't believe I dressed like this" she mumbled looking at her former teen self.
She again looked around the dim room.
"Why does this place look so familiar."
Voices were heard in the other room, which caught her attention. "Please, you must take her, she has no where else to go." A smooth masculine voice said, quietly.
A shooting pain erupted through her blouse around the neck. "Crap, now I know this place." Her voice hissed to her.
"You know, normally I wouldn't do these kinds of favors…" a cold voice responded "But, seeing as you seem like the kind of person I can like, I am willing to take her. But first, I want to see how really strong she is."
Footsteps were heard on the floor coming closer to both Leara and her teen self. Both stared at the doorway. The teen was emotionless, while the adult's eyes were wide with fear.
In the doorway appeared a man. His skin was as white as snow, his hair was black and lanky, and he wore a black cloak with red clouds.
It may have been the first time her teen self had seen this man, but it wasn't for the older Leara. It was a man who had taken her in. The man who had taught her to use her power to the full extent. The man who made her work to get him the things he wanted in life.
The man who had tortured her for information for days, wanting to know the father…
It was her old sensei, Orochimaru.
Leara watched as He walked, no more like glided, over to her teen self. He took her chin in his pale hands. Leara wanted nothing more than to rip his hand off of herself. Still, she remained where she stood just watching.
Orochimaru turned Leara's face side to side before letting it go, walking over to a shelf, grabbing something that appeared to be a helmet, and returning only to place it on the teen's head. He then walked to a small desk and pulled out a small prescription bottle.
"Do you know what this is" He asked lightly.
"Well" The teen began "I'm guessing that this contraption is someway to measure my chakra level." Leara's young voice was confident, yet shy, if that's even possible.
Leara watched as Orochimaru smiled to her younger self. "He was right, you are a smart one. You're right, this contraption will measure your ability to withstand chakra, your own chakra, to be exact. And these…" He said shaking the pill bottle "are what is going to release your chakra." He grabbed the teen's right hand and placed a small orange pill into it before pushing it back to ward her.
Hesitantly, Leara's younger self swallowed the pill. A purple aura surrounded Leara's teen self, before changing to a crimson red. The aura started to expand, but as soon as it had begun it started to disappear. The helmet slightly rattled as it absorbed the chakra level before returning to normal.
The whole process took 5 minutes. When it was over the teen looked slightly tipsy as if drunk. Orochimaru looked thoughtful before returning to the doorway.
"I'll take her." Was all he said before walking back out, this time being followed by another who wore the same konoha symbol on his forehead.
Both Leara's looked back at him as the began to leave the room. "Wait!" The teen exclaimed "Where are you going." She silently said staring at the male teen who wore the Konaha symbol. Their eyes locked for a brief second.
Leara watched Orochimaru make a slight jerk of his head, and the next thing she knew he was sinking his teeth into her young self's flesh.
She watched as he came off of her. She watched herself gasp for air before collapsing to the ground, only to realize that she too had done the same. The pain she felt was to painful to bear. She watched as the male teen ran to her former self. She saw him say something that was muted, before being pulled up by Orochimaru and pushed out the door.
Tears stained her cheeks, and she felt the pain paralyze her entire body. She could no longer hold it in she started it. At first it was low, but gradually it got louder, and louder. Before all her vision went black, and back in the Akatsuki medical ward Leara broke out of her coma screaming in agony.
MEANWHILE (taking place during the last scene)
Pein and Konan walked into the small room, where the rest of the Akatsuki members sat at a round table. They took their places at the table before beginning.
"Well, let's hear it" Pein said in a professional tone.
"Certainly." Itachi said in a calm voice his eyes crimson red. "As you know, our objective was to find information on the nine tailed fox. The mission was to only see how strong he had gotten, and not to physically make our presence known."
"The result" Kisame picked up from where his partner left off. "is that the fox-child is now able to harness the demon fox's chakra and use it to his advantage before losing it and going totally psycho."
"Which, posses a problem for us." concluded Itachi.
Deidara leaned over beside Sasori. "Don't you find it creepy how they can finish each other's sentences?" He whispered, not noticing the orange mask coming between Deidara and Sasori.
"What did Sempai say?!" yelled Tobi, causing Deidara to almost fall out of his chair. Sasori, all the while, just shook his head as if to say: Why me?
Leader cleared his throat, meaning to get back on topic. "Well, that does pose a problem for us, but we can worry about it later. In the past few weeks that you have been gone…" he said slowing his pace "…some very interesting events have occurred." He concluded using his words carefully.
"Heh, I think it's a bit more than interesting." Hidan gloated smirking.
Itachi and Kisame side looked at each other from where they sat. Last time Leader said something interesting had happened, they ended up having to sleep outside in a tent, but that's a whole other conversation.
"We have had some visitors for the past few weeks…" Konan lightly said.
Kisame glared around the room opening his mouth slightly, his sharp teeth clenched together tightly. "If you think I'm spending another weekend out in a tent, your wrong." He growled, causing Tobi to cower behind Deidara, who tried to get Tobi off from grabbing his hair with much failure. Itachi just stared silently, his crimson eyes piercing anything they touched.
"No-body will need to sleep in a tent." Leader confirmed. "What we mean to say is that we have 2 new inhabitants in the lair. 2 females to be exact. The only problem is that one is a…"
Pein was cut short of his sentence when Karinai ran into the room.