Chapter Twelve;
It was the day after Mira's mother had passed. The men offered to dig her a grave, but Evelynn and Shoto refused as they set to work doing it themselves. Mira used her dagger, and simply wrote 'Mama, Forever Loved', on a worn stone. When Lilyanna was buried Mira wept, but only for a few minutes. Itachi and the others were ordered to take Mira to their shelter, and Evelynn and Shoto placed the dirt over Lilyanna. Their hearts were heavy, and for awhile even Evelynn was at a loss for what to do. Though Shoto had long since informed her of what Mira's mother said about the secret passage.
Currently, the six were sitting around the home Evelynn had found. Like most village homes it had one giant room, and then one bedroom through a door to the right. The stove and cutting table were against the back wall, and there was a small square dining table a few feet away. Other than that, the place was bare.
"Why don't you guys take a couple days to just look around." Evelynn suddenly said as she stood. "I'm going to check our perimeter."
Without another word she left. Mira watched her go, concern filling her eyes. Mira hadn't spoken much since they buried her mother, but she hadn't cried, either. Which she was quite proud of. They say everything you face in life turns you into a stronger person. Perhaps there was some truth to that. So, silently, Mira got up and followed Evelynn. Shoto, without missing a beat, went as well. The two easily caught up to the red-head. When she was sure they were alone, she turned to them.
"You don't have to do this." Evelynn said. "You're both younger than myself. I can lead the rebels to Hanzo, and defeat him. You can go, live your own lives. Find men, get married, have kids! I'll fight for you, but you don't have to stay."
Shoto and Mira looked at Evelynn in shock. That's what she was worried about? Typical. She was worried that the stress of leading a revolution was too much for them. Mira smiled softly, and Shoto rolled her eyes. Then, she hit Evelynn upside the head.
"Ouch, what the hell, Shoto?!" Evelynn yelped as she rubbed her head.
"Use your head, and don't be an idiot." Shoto said calmly as she crossed her arms. "If we didn't want to be here, we wouldn't."
"B-besides," Mira started. "A-after all w-we've been th-through, there's n-no way we could j-just leave. We're f-friends and c-comrades. Until th-the end."
Evelynn studied them slowly. It was true, three years ago, they had made that promise that they would help each other through everything. That was when Evelynn got the idea to start a rebellion, and Shoto had started making strategies to round up outlaws for an army. Mira had diligently started working on honing her healing abilities, and then when the three escaped the prison they were in they put their skills into action.
"Yeah." Was all Evelynn said as she grinned.
"W-we should also s-start looking f-for that passage way s-soon." Mira stated firmly.
"Mira, your mother.." Evelynn started, but Mira cut her off.
"L-losing my mama wh-when I just found her w-was hard. S-still, we have th-thousands of others t-to save. I w-will not let her death b-be in vain!" Mira said fiercely with a nod.
Shoto eyed Mira appreciatively. As young as she was, as easily frightened as she was, she was still willing to keep moving forward. Even with her mothers death a still fresh wound on her heart. This is what kept the girls moving forwards, this is what kept them together. Their love, loyalty, and desire to protect Cadonia and it's people. Evelynn nodded slowly.
"Take the rest of today then for her memory, and get prepared to fight. We don't know what we'll find in that passage." Evelynn remarked.
Shoto and Mira nodded, and the three headed back to the shelter to inform the men that they would be starting their mission tomorrow. All three girls felt a tingling in their hearts. Like something sensational was about to happen. Just what that was, they did not know.
-Time skip!-
That night it was Deidara's turn to keep watch. Since they had only been around three months Evelynn still had one of the girls stay up as well, if one of the men were keeping watch. Tonight, it was Shoto. The two sat on the stone steps outside of the home they were staying at. It was an odd thought. Someone once lived there. Perhaps they had a family, or maybe they were caring for their sick mother? Who knew, but the thought left Shoto with a slightly uneasy feeling.
"What made you three help us?" Shoto asked quietly.
"Hm? Well, I'm not sure about the other two, yeah. I chose to help, because you asked. You didn't demand anything of me, and even in the last three months none of you have made me feel insignificant, yeah." Deidara stated quietly. "It wasn't like that back in our world, hm. Everyone is disposable, and no one really cares if you live or die, un."
"I see.." Shoto replied slowly.
"Itachi might have helped out of respect, un. He's like that. I used to hate him back in our world, honestly, hm." Deidara chuckled. "He was the one who beat me in our fight, and forced me into Akatsuki, yeah. So, for the longest time I held a grudge. Yet, since he's been here he's been not as.. Cold, un. You can see he really respects you three, hm."
"He understands our bond with Cadonia." Shoto observed. "He had the same bonds with his village, and he same love for his brother that Mira, Evelynn, and myself share for each other. That deep desire to protect and defend. It can make many people come together when they realize they hold such similar characteristics. Sasori is an enigma to me, though."
"He is to everyone, yeah." Deidara muttered. "When he was younger his grandmother lied to him about his parents dying, un. He waited for them, day in and day out. Yet, they never came home, yeah. So, he has a deep loathing for being kept waiting, or making others wait. Then, when we kidnapped the Kazekage, his own grandmother faced him, un. She was old, retired, and could never keep up with Sasori. Of course, being we were in Akatsuki, he had no choice but to kill her. I think that kind of broke him, yeah."
"I suppose it would." Shoto said thoughtfully. "I couldn't imagine watching my family members die, let alone having to kill them. When I found my mother, she was already dead. Still, I never had to see her suffer."
"I think that's why Sasori-no-danna stays, hm. Evelynn watched her whole village get slaughtered, yeah?" Deidara asked. Shoto just nodded, so he continued. "I think Sasori finds it interesting that he found someone who knows his pain. Who suffered as he did, un. I think he stays, because he doesn't want to be alone anymore, hm."
"I can understand that." Shoto nodded slowly. "For the first twelve years, when we were being trained by our spirit animals, the three of us were cut off from the world. When we met three years ago, and escaped the prison we were in, we just sort of.. Bonded. All three had our villages destroyed, and all three of us shared a deep loyalty to the original ways of Cadonia."
"We'll help get those ways back, yeah." Deidara stated firmly. "Or die trying, un."
Shoto smiled slightly. These men were brave, no doubt, and not to un-similar to the girls. For the rest of the night the two kept watch in a comfortable silence. Shoto taking note of the tingling in her body. Something very great was about to happen. Shoto could feel it.
-Time skip!-
It was ten in the morning the next day. The four that were sleeping had gotten up at five, so they let Shoto and Deidara get four hours rest. At nine, they woke the two, and now they had been searching the elder's old hut for the past hour. It was completely bare. There were no left over scrolls, and all the furniture had been removed. Probably for a fire when Hanzo's men had raided the village. So, the six were checking every nook and cranny for the passage.
"This is insane." Evelynn mumbled.
"I-it has to b-be here somewhe-" Mira was cut off as she pressed against a wall, and fell forward. "Oof! I..I found i-it."
Evelynn snicked, and Shoto rolled her eyes as the two girls helped Mira up. All of them looked down the dark passage.
"We should probably get a torch." Evelynn stated.
"There aren't any." Shoto remarked dryly.
"Should we just head down, then?" Sasori asked. Evelynn nodded slowly.
"Yeah, let's get going. Keep your ears sharp, and stay close. No splitting up." Evelynn ordered.
Everyone simply nodded. Slowly, the six comrades crept into the passage, and were soon swallowed by the darkness. Just a few feet in, and they could barely see the opening they entered. Their hearts drummed in their chest, and the tingling feeling the girls had heightened. Evelynn felt someone take her hand, and squeeze it softly. She assumed it was Shoto or Mira, and she moved forward. Leading them all to who knows where.
-Time skip!-
"Ouch, that was my foot." Sasori growled in Evelynn's ear.
"Sorry." She muttered.
They had already been walking down the dark tunnel for at least an hour. They were starting to feel a little suffocated, honestly. Wait.. Why was Sasori's voice so close to her ear? Not to mention on the same side of her that her hand was being held.. Oh hell no.
"Are you holding my hand?!" Evelynn snapped.
"You said to stay close." Sasori smirked into the dark. Evelynn snatched her hand away.
"Why, I oughta.."
"That's enough." Itachi cut in. "We need to keep moving. There's hardly any oxygen in this passage."
"He's right." Shoto agreed.
With an agitated sound Evelynn started walking again. The tunnel was at a downward slope, so they could tell they were going underground. The dirt walls were damp, and the tunnel was cool. In the distance they could a small light.
"I-is that the e-exit?" Mira asked as she shivered.
"Possibly. Keep your eyes open. There could be a trap or something." Evelynn mumbled as they made their way to the opening.
They reached it in another fifteen minutes. It was small, and they would have to crawl through one at a time.
"Shoto, you go first. Itachi will follow, then Deidara, then Sasori, then Mira, and then me." Evelynn ordered.
Again, she was only answered with nods. Which she could barely see in the dim lighting from the opening. Shoto peered into the exit, and learned it was actually an entrance. It lead to a large, rocky dome. The drop was far, at least thirty feet down.
"There's no way I'd survive that jump." Shoto remarked.
"After you go through, I'll be following. I'll be fast enough to catch you." Itachi assured.
Shoto gave an uncertain look, but nodded and jumped through the entrance. Quick as lightening, Itachi followed. He ran down the side of the cave, and caught Shoto. he kicked off the wall, and landed on the ground safely.
"Deidara, you go next. Wait outside the entrance, and grab Mira as she comes out." Evelynn told him.
"Got it, un." Deidara replied as he climbed into the passage door, and waited on the outside. Mira shakily followed him, and he grabbed her around the waist. Holding her to him tightly, and her clutching onto him for dear life, he ran down the side of the cavern. He jumped off when they were a couple feet from the floor, and landed safely.
"Do you want me to carry you down?" Sasori asked coolly. Evelynn eyed him.
"I'll get down myself. Go." She ordered.
Sasori just rolled his eyes, and made his way into the cavern. He casually walked down the wall. Evelynn frowned. She couldn't take her pole axe with her. It was too large to fit through the cave entrance on her back, and she didn't want to throw it, in case it shattered on impact hitting the floor. With a sigh, the removed it from her back, and dropped it on the floor. After a second thought, she removed the strap she used to carry it, as well. The girls still didn't have shirts, and only wore their bindings, pants/shorts, and sandaled boots.
Evelynn looked into the opening, and sure enough Shoto was right. If Evelynn fell, she would likely die. Carefully, she crawled through the entrance. She cursed herself. There was nothing to help her climb down, and now she was stuck holding onto a rock at the entrance for dear life. Sasori took note of her predicament with amusement, and started walking up the wall again. The perks of having chakra. Evelynn glared at him when he reached her.
"Could have gotten down myself." She remarked stubbornly.
"Yeah, I know." Sasori rolled his eyes, and held a hand out to her.
She grabbed it, and as she let go of the rock he pulled her against him. Her arms flew around his neck, and he raised an eyebrow in amusement as she clung to him. She faced him, and blushed slightly as how close their faces were.
"Well, come on. We don't have all day." Evelynn frowned.
"I don't know, you're almost cute when you're flustered.." Sasori observed.
"Sasori!" Evelynn snapped.
"Alright, alright." Sasori replied casually as he once again walked down the wall.
"This is a pretty convenient ability, chakra is." Evelynn noted.
"Indeed." Sasori nodded as he set her down.
They all looked around the cave. All together the walls were at least fifty feet tall, and the very middle were three glass containers. Slowly, the girls approached the class casing. They could feel the tingling again. Only this time, it was more of a pulsing. Like whatever was in the casings were calling to them. Evelynn approached the one in the middle. In it was a pair of black, fingerless gloves. They glittered in the light that was coming from the ceiling of the cavern, and noticed it was because the gloves were made of tiny, black scales. Shoto approached the one on the left. In it was a bronze septum-like weapon. Except it was only maybe five feet long, and you could see a small trigger on the handle. Later, she would find out, it was because there was a chain attached to the septum blades hidden inside the handle. Which meant she could use it for close combat, or at a distance. Mira stepped up to the one on the left. Inside was a dagger with a curved blade. It was at least eleven inches, and could pass as a small sword. The girls hesitantly reached out to touch the glass casings.
There was a hissing sound above them. They jumped back, and all six got into a defensive stance as they looked up. Two giant spiders were descending from other entrances. Their fangs dripping with venom, and their eyes boring into the six comrades.
"Why spiders?" Evelynn shuddered. "Of all the fucking things, why spiders?!"
Mira looked like she might faint, and Shoto looked slightly uneasy as well.
"With all the things you girls have fought.." Itachi stared in disbelief.
"You're scared of spiders?!" Sasori asked.
"Spiders really aren't so bad, un." Deidara remarked, and jumped out of the way as a string of web was shot at him. The web disolved, and left a burn mark on the floor. "Even if they are large, with poisonous fangs, and acidic webs, hm."
"Spiders are never okay." Evelynn stated.
"Never." Shoto agreed.
"Itachi. Deidara. Sasori. You three distract them. Shoto, Mira, and myself are getting those weapons." Evelynn ordered firmly.
"Aye/Hai!" Everyone shouted, and then took off.
Itachi had his sharingan activated, and he and Deidara took one spider. Sasori summoned his Kazekage puppet, and took the other one. Evelynn, Shoto, and Mira slid under the spiders, dodging some of the acidic web. The spiders hissed in agitation as the girls approached the casings again, but they couldn't turn their backs on the shinobi they were fighting.
Itachi jumped onto the head of one spider. It growled, and shook it's head furiously. The Uchiha managed to gouge one of its eyes out with his katana, and Deidara slid under the spider with Itachi's tanto. The bomber impaled the abdomen on the spider, but the tanto was barely big enough to leave a scratch. Even still, Deidara ripped into the spiders abdomen, and the spider gave a mighty cry. It shot some of its web into the air, and Itachi dodged it as it landed on the spiders head. The spider shrieked as the acidic web burned into it's skull, and dissolved its brain. The spider had killed itself with it's own defense. Deidara barely made it away from the spider as it collapsed.
Sasori had made the Kazekage puppet summon it's iron sand. He then instructed it to turn into large, sharp edged prisms. He shot one of them at the spider, it dodged, and set a string of web at the iron sand. Some of it dissolved, but it held firm. Sasori sent the cylinder shaped prism to try and crush the gigantic spider, but it leaped to the right out of the way, and lunged at Sasori. The puppet master pulled back his right hand, and flicked his right index finger towards himself. The sharp, triangular prism from before came towards the spider from behind. Sasori leaped onto the wall out of the way, and the prism pinned the spider to the cavern wall just below him. Sasori jumped from the wall, to the prism, and then onto the ground. For extra precaution Sasori made the cylinder prism crush the spiders skull. then Sasori instructed his puppet to retract all the sand, and he summoned his puppet back into it's scroll.
While the boys fought, the girls ran to the glass casings as fast as they could. They stumbled a bit when the ground would shake. Either from the spiders falling, or Sasori smashing the iron sand around, they did not know. They didn't look behind them as they reached the cases. Evelynn, seeing no other way, slipped her gloves on, and smashed the glass with her fist. Shoto eyed her, and then she and Mira simply lifted the lids off the containers.
"Oh.." Evelynn rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.
The girls hesitated for a moment, but slowly reached into each case. They gently lifted the weapons off their concrete beds. No sooner had they done so, each bed the weapons were one flipped, and the girls were sent sliding through three separate tunnels. When the spiders were killed, and the men turned around, they couldn't find the girls.
"What the.." Sasori was cut off as Armel, Tokala, and Zev appeared. Sasori turned to them. "What happened? Where are Evelynn, Shoto, and Mira?"
"They went to meet their true spirit animals." Tokala chuckled.
"Then why are you here?" Itachi eyed them suspiciously.
"Isn't it obvious?' Armel asked as he stood behind Itachi. Zev stood to Deidara's right, and Tokala took to Sasori's left.
"We're your animal guardians." Zev chuckled.
The men blinked in surprise.
"Why, un?" Deidara asked.
"Born from the heart with the desire to protect." Tokala quoted.
"Born from the mind with the desire to defend." Armel replied.
"Born from the soul with the desire to help." Zev finished.
"So, you're our spirit animals, because you were once the girls. Now, since they're getting their true spirit animals you became ours, because we have the will to want to protect, defend, and help them?" Sasori summed up.
"That's exactly it." Tokala confirmed.
"So what's going to happen to our girls?" Itachi asked.
"Your girls?" Zev snorted.
"Be quiet." Tokala glared at the wolf, then turned back to the shinobi. "They'll meet their spirit animals, and then be sent to train with them. Meanwhile, you should come with us. You have your own training to tend to."
"Like what, un?" Deidara asked.
"Because of your chakra you'll never be able to merge with us, but there's a way you can control our movements with your own body. You'll be trained to do this, while also learning to be able to switch back and forth from controlling us, to just fighting yourself." Armel explained.
"Sounds like puppetry." Sasori remarked.
"It's fairly similar, only you won't need chakra strings." Tokala assured.
"We should wait a day or so." Itachi stated. "In case the girls make their way back."
"Not likely." Zev rolled his eyes. Tokala glanced at him, but didn't say anything.
"Very well." Tokala agreed, and Armel nodded.
-Mira-
The young brown eyed girl couldn't even scream. Her breath was caught in her throat as she slid down the tunnel. After about two minutes, she shot out of an exit, and landed with a thud on the ground. Grass. It was soft, green, and very healthy looking. She sat up, and looked around. She was in what looked like a hidden valley. There was a large pond with a waterfall running into it, and all around here there was grass, flowers, a few trees, and bushes. It was beautiful, to say the least. Mira shakily got to her feet.
"H-Hello?" She called out. She had the dagger from the previous cave clenched in her hands. She heard a shuffling behind her. She turned, and screamed.
Standing before her was a great lion. He had kind, light brown eyes, golden fur, and his mane was just a little darker. He had to be at least twenty feet tall. His paws alone were the size of Mira, if not a little bigger. Mira was trembling as she stepped back. The great lion took note of her, and to her surprise bowed his head.
"Wh-who are y-you?" Mira managed to ask.
"I am Tau. You are Mira of Lion's Valley." Tau stated as he laid down on his belly, hoping to make her more comfortable.
"I w-was. M-my v-village w-was destroyed m-many years a-ago." Mira explained. "I'm kn-known as M-Mira of th-the Healing H-hand, now."
"I see." Tau smiled. His voice was deep, but soothing. Still, Mira kept still.
"H-have you see m-my friends?" Mira asked softly. Tau looked up at the sky, and then smiled down at the shy girl again.
"They should be meeting with their own spirit right now." He explained.
"Wh-what do y-you mean?" Mira looked confused.
"Well, I am the great lion in which Lion's Valley is named after." Tau explained. "Ryuu is Evelynn's spirit. The great dragon whom Dragon Valley is named, and Hebi is the great serpent who created Serpent Valley, Shoto's true spirit."
"I.. I still d-don't understand." Mira frowned as she sat cross legged in front of Tau. The lion smiled at her gently.
"Tokala, Zev, and Armel were only temporary spirits for you. To guide you, and keep you safe until your true spirits awakened. We did so when you found the weapons, and claimed them as your own." He explained patiently as he nodded his head towards the dagger Mira held. "Long ago, when it was said we died, we did not. We simply fell into a deep slumber, and our spirits locked away. We would remain in slumber until Cadonia needed us again, and our bodies reborn in the form of man."
"Those f-forms are Shoto, Evelynn, and m-myself?" Mira asked. She gently reached a hand out, and touched his paw. "But you're r-real, like Zev."
"Aye, but no longer do I hold the powers I once did. That now resides in you." Tau explained. "While other spirit animals fight like the animals they form, we did not. We each had special abilities."
"Which is th-the abilities w-we have now?" Mira inquired. Tau nodded. "So, what d-do we do?"
"You will train here for as long as it takes to enhance your abilities. Soon, you will be able to heal any would, and when you learn to merge with me your abilities will enhance even further." Tau commented.
"What a-about Shoto and E-Evelynn?" Mira asked with a frown.
"They'll be training as well. Once your trainings are complete you'll be rejoined with your other comrades." Tau assured her.
"What is g-going to h-happen to Itachi, Sasori, and D-Deidara?" Mira inquired.
"Tokala, Zev, and Armel will take over as their spirit animals. They'll never merge with them, because of their chakra. They will be able to use their strength as their own, though." Tau explained.
"Very well." Mira stood. "L-let's start n-now."
Tau smiled at her determined expression. To Mira, all of this meant she would no longer have to have everyone protect her. No, Mira would get just as strong as Evelynn and Shoto. She would fight with them, as well as keep Cadonia safe. She wouldn't be just some healer. Mira would be a warrior.
-Shoto-
The raven haired woman groaned as she sat up. She was in, what she assumed, was a type of underground tunnel. Though, it was fairly much larger than the average tunnel. It looks professionally dug, and seemed to be at least fifty feet all around. Shoto jumped up as she heard a soft hiss, and got into a defensive stance. As she turned, she expected another spider. What she saw was a large snake. It was the colour of the earth, piercing yellow eyes with slits for pupils, had a rattle on it's tail, sharp fangs, and it had the same hood around it's neck and head that a cobra would.
"Shoto of Serpents Valley." The snake hissed with some amusement. The snake could talk, which was a trait only spirit animals have. So who did this snake belong to?
"Who's spirit animal are you, and how do you know me name?" Shoto demanded.
"I am Hebi, the serpent whom serpent valley is named for." Hebi explained. "You are my human."
"Is this a joke?" Shoto snapped.
"Indeed not." Hebi mused.
He explained to Shoto the same thing Tau had explained to Mira. Shoto listened intently, her eyes narrowed for any sign of foul play.
"So you've all been in a type of hibernation, waiting for us?" Shoto asked when he was finished with his tale.
"In a sense, yes." Hebi confirmed.
"And really Armel, Tokala, and Zev were always those boys spirit animals?" Shoto inquired.
"Not quite. They were sent by Ryuu, Tau, and myself to guard you. They had been born, but did not have a human. So, until ourselves could be restored, they were sent to guide you." Hebi explained. "When those men arrived they connected with your spirits, and in doing so your spirit animals. A deep, unique bond that was no coincidence."
"I see.." Shoto said as she soaked in the information.
"You and your friends will be able to merge with us, and in doing so will gain our strength and abilities, as well as keeping your own." Hebi finished his explanation. Shoto nodded.
"Do you three know about Hanzo?" Shoto asked. Hebi nodded.
"A man with cruel and twisted views. The one who destroyed everything Cadonia stood for. A monstrous man. Nothing happens in Cadonia that we don't know or experience." Hebi told her. "For we are Cadonia, and Cadonia is us."
Shoto stood up slowly. Her mind was racing. So many things were happening at once, and not to mention she would be separated from her comrades until their trainings were completely. It was risky. Hanzo could completely destroy Cadonia if they took too long. Still, Shoto didn't want to be a weak link. Evelynn would jump at the chance to be stronger, and Mira would force herself to move forward. For their sake. For Cadonia's. Shoto looked up at Hebi, and spoke firmly.
"I wish to begin now." She stated.
Hebi let out a hiss of amusement and nodded. He turned, and led her down through the tunnel. Shoto followed, and as she did she swore she could feel the bond that was already formed between her and the great serpent.
-Evelynn-
Evelynn landed on her butt, and skidded across the rocky floor of a cave. Well, this was wonderful. She rubbed her bottom and looked around. There was an entrance, and when she looked out it appeared she was in a cave in the middle of a mountain. She stood up, and walked around the cave. It appeared to be empty.
"Man, what the fuck is this?" Evelynn groaned as she rubbed a temple. Then, the wall to her left started to move. "Oh shit! The fucking wall is collapsing?!"
The red-headed woman ran to the cave entrance, but was stopped by a giant, scaled tale. her eyes flew up the spiked tail, to a spiked back, over a great horned head, and then met with a pair of piercing green eyes with slit pupils. Evelynn's jaw dropped.
"Your first thought when something moves is that the cave is collapsing?" A deep, baritone voice asked.
"WELL I WASN'T EXPECTING A FUCKING DRAGON TO MAKE IT'S APPEARANCE!" Evelynn all but screamed.
The dragon had black scales, and when it's wings were outstretched the thick skin was grey. At the end os his tail the spikes jutted out all around it, much like the pikes would on a piked club. Spikes ran all up along his back, and stopped at his neck. On his head was two great, eight foot long horns, and he had a deep scar across his right eye. Evelynn stared up in bewilderment. Instead of scolding her for screaming at him, he simply chuckled. the sound was low, deep, and seemed to rumble throughout the cave.
"Tokala did not like when he said you were rather eccentric." The dragon mused. "As well as foul mouthed."
"Hey, don't be rude!" Evelynn kicked his tail. "What's your name, anyways? Only spirit animals can talk.. Hey! How do you know Tokala?!"
"I am Ryuu." He chuckled again. Then, he went into the same explanation as Hebi and Tau. Evelynn sat on his tail, and listened with interest. When he was finished she jumped up.
"Well, we can't just sit around and wait. Let's get to training." Evelynn ordered.
"You don't have any questions?" Ryuu asked. "For all you know I could be lying."
"I trust you." Evelynn stated as her green eyes met his. "Besides, the sooner training is done, the sooner I can kick Sasori's ass for taking away Tokala."
"It trade you got me." Ryuu reminded her. Evelynn waved a hand at him.
"It's the principle of the matter." She explained matter-of-factly.
Ryuu laughed, and Evelynn climbed onto his back. He jumped out of the cave entrance, and the two took off flying.
Evelynn now had the power to protect. She had the power to save Cadonia, and now she wanted to train as much as possible, as quickly as possible. Hanzo was going down.
-Itachi Sasori Deidara-
The men had waited for two days before they decided to go ahead and leave with the spirit animals. They had been assured the girls would be safe, and would return to them when their training was complete. The shinobi had no reason to doubt the spirit animals, and so they left.
"So where are we going, hm?" Deidara asked from the top of Zev's back. Sasori was on Tokala's head, and Itachi was on Armel's back.
"Back to the cabin, where you originally met the girls." Armel explained. "I'll be keeping track of the rebel camps and hideouts. Zev and Tokala will be training you."
"It's safest to keep you in the forest depths." Zev explained. "Hanzo's men will never be able to go into them as long as my blood thrives there."
"You have children?" Itachi inquired. Zev nodded.
"I've fathered two hundred pups." Zev declared proudly. The men seemed slightly impressed.
"What about you two?" Sasori asked Tokala and Armel.
"I've never had any kits." Tokala admitted.
"I've had two of my ow cubs." Armel nodded.
"You must worry for them?" Itachi questioned.
"Of course. They are our offspring, but they are also grown." Zev stated. "They can care for themselves, but I'll tear to shreds anyone who kills any of them."
"I suppose that's what a parent would do." Sasori stated dryly.
"Will we be able to visit the girls while we're all training, hm?" Deidara asked.
"It would be best if you didn't." Armel said. "They need to be completely focused."
The men nodded, and they took off in the direction of Dragon's Valley. The place where they had originally met the rebellion leaders. Ah, how much could change in just three months time.