Hello again! I wanted to thank you yet again for reading and hope you are enjoying the story. I am also taking the opportunity to warn that there is a heavy theme in this chapter, mostly about Yuka's past. There is a semi-sexual moment that may be uncomfortable for some so I thought I'd warn you. Rated M for a reason. In this chapter you get to see the real Yuka and I think you'll be somewhat surprised. Enjoy!
~Kat~
After satisfying an irate Shizune, Yuka bid Kiba farewell. He had work to do with Akumaru. They were scheduled for another mission in a few days and he had to be ready. He was going out on an intelligence mission with Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino. Choji wasn't so bad but the other two got under his skin. He didn't want to leave her there by herself for the day but he knew he had to leave. Their kiss earlier had made it almost impossible for Yuka to look at him. This kind of frustrated him as well and he didn't leave on a happy note.
Yuka just sat there for a while, the sun shining through the glass blindingly. She sighed, leaning back on her bed. This morning was a very busy morning, what with her workout, meeting Guy and Lee, playing shogi with that lazy ass Shikamaru, healing that dog, and kissing Kiba. It was all too overwhelming and the worst part was it wasn't even noon.
Yuka couldn't help but relax now, letting her mind focus on herself for the first time since she had met the two shinobi from Konoha. She needed to keep up appearances after all. She didn't need them getting any ideas about her friendship, her words. She bit her lip, standing up and walking into the bathroom. Damn him…She quickly undressed, locking the door, putting a leg up on the vanity to inspect her inner thigh. There it was, delicately close to her most sensitive area, like a bruise on her seemingly perfect skin; the curse mark.
She had managed, over the past five years, to suppress the curse mark, its powers sometimes overpowering. During the war it was insatiable. It drove her to fight; blood lusted with the scent of that slithering bastard Orochimaru. The mark was starting to throb slightly and she wondered why. It looked dormant just like it had been for the past five years. She put her leg down now, throwing on her outfit as if she had never taken it off to begin with. She was lucky that Shizune had not noticed the mark. In fact, Shizune only checked her vitals, limbs, chakra, internal organs, and her basic movement. She didn't do any searches into her sexual history or cleanliness. She was thankful for that at the least.
Her mind rested again on those dark, slit like eyes. That bastard had driven her to her fate, to this life as the animal she was. She cursed under her breath, moving out of the bathroom to go outside. She needed air. She gulped slightly and looked around. She needed somewhere private, somewhere she could let herself loose and just think. It used to be her little home. Her small shack filled with nothing but scrolls and cheap trinkets. She could think, analyze, and make moves from her home, her base. Here, she was completely out of her element and this charade of loving companionship she forced with everyone made her want to lash out.
No, she had no personal grudge against them. She didn't really care one way or another at this point. Kiba though, he got under her skin and touched too close to home. He was now on the avoid list of her people to interact with. He wasn't very useful anyway. Shikamaru was… that's why she needed to get closer to him. Dinner tomorrow night would set the stage, she was sure.
She moved out the door now, looking about before making her way down the corridor and the stairs. The reception hall was somewhat busy, the mid day rush of people filing in and out with children and elderly. Yuka moved pass them to the reception desk. A nurse noticed her and waved for her to come over. She quickly put on a smile and nodded, walking over.
"Ah, Yuka-san, before you go I would like to let you know that Inoichi-sama is looking for you," she said, a soft smile on the cute nurses lips. Yuka just smiled.
"Thank you very much, I'll go find him immediately," Yuka said, bowing her respects and making her way out the door. She sighed glancing about her. That mind reading shinobi was looking for her. Great, she wasn't prepared for this today. She thought they'd give her some time to heal before they put her under analysis. Just then she felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned quickly noticing a surprised looking Ino. She smiled, the familiar blonde waving in sequence.
"Hello Yuka-san, sorry to scare you," Ino said, a grin on her face. "It's just, my dad was looking for you earlier and I told him I'd come find you instead. That way we could be more comfortable."
"Oh, hello Ino-san, sorry about that; I'm still a bit nervous," Yuka lied, a smile gracing her lips. "What did you need to find me for?
"Oh! Dad wants me to get to know you and to be honest I was a little curious myself. He said it'd be something kind for me to do to welcome you into the village."
Yuka couldn't help but stare a second before grinning, shaking her head. "Ino-san, please don't insult my intelligence," Yuka whispered, looking her over. "I know who you are and who your father is. He is Inoichi Yamanaka, the man who can see into people's minds. I know this isn't some random friendly visit."
At this Ino's eyes narrowed a little bit but then she grinned, tilting her head slightly. "My, Yuka-san is very smart. It's true, dad wants to pick your brain and get into your mind to see what your real thoughts and ideas are. I told him that was rude," Ino said, putting a hand on her hip. "You're lucky I convinced him I could do it my way. He wanted to hook you up to a machine and get all the answers he'd ever need from that pretty head of yours. My way is much gentler."
Yuka just stared at her for a moment, her eyes widening and then narrowing dangerously. She still intended to do it, whether it is her father's way or her own. Ino noticed and couldn't help but smirk at her. They stood there for a brief few moments, taking each other in. Yuka was pissed now, beyond all belief. The constraint she'd been showing this entire time was stretched thinner than she had ever stretched it before. She could feel her anger rising and the more she suppressed it, the hard it became to do so. Suddenly, Ino laughed.
This threw her off and she just stared openly at the laughing kunoichi. "Don't worry Yuka-san, I won't do anything you don't want. I was just coming to tell you that I want to be your friend. I know it sounds weird after all that I've said but you have to admit, we're a lot alike!"
Yuka nodded slowly, a slight smile coming across her face. The kunoichi took this as an approval and hugged her quickly. She then pulled away, a slight twinkle in her eye. "Yuka-chan must have dinner with me tonight! Do you have plans for dinner? Are you just eating hospital food?" Ino asked, her eyes going wide for a second.
"No," Yuka said, raising her hands in defense. "I've made a lot of new friends around here. Hinata-chan and Jiraiya-bo took me out for ramen and dango yesterday, Shikamaru-kun treated me to barbeque last night and this morning Guy-Sensei and Broccoli took me to the market for breakfast."
At this Ino laughed, grabbing her sides and grinning. "Yuka-chan… It's Rock Lee… not broccoli." Yuka grinned, shaking her head. Ino then nodded, looking her over. "So you know then? Who Jiraiya's father is?"
"Of course! I know well, Hinata-chan told me the story," she said, looking down. Damn it, everyone around here was obsessed with this Naruto-san and it started to get on her nerves. Sure, that was the card she was playing off of, she had to. It was her ticket into their good favors.
"Yes, you know in many different ways you remind me of Naruto-kun… and from what I've heard from Shikamaru-kun and Hinata-chan, you have a lot of similarities. Did you even know who he was before?"
Yuka had to lie. She just shook her head, looking down at her hands. The burn marks on the one hand was slowly healing, still noticeable on her skin. "No, I had no idea. I'd never even heard of tailed-beasts or anything until the war broke out."
Ino just watched her closely before placing a hand on her shoulder. It was surprisingly soft. Yuka was weary of it though, making sure there were no irregularities in chakra or a jutsu being performed. "It's okay Yuka-chan, in time you'll fit right in her in Konoha. The people are nice, welcoming, and the comrades you make are even more so." She then pulled away, placing a fist on her hip. "Alright, I have to get going but I will meet you right here tonight at six, okay Yuka-chan?"
Yuka just nodded before the kunoichi waved and took off down the street. Yuka watched after her a minute and then sighed, shaking her head. She needed to focus on herself, on what she was about to do before interrupted. She looked about now, not sure where to go. Was there anywhere private she could go? She looked over the horizon, looking at tall buildings in the distance and the wide streets that made up the shopping district. Suddenly her eyes caught something and she grinned. Of course, it was the most noticeable thing in the village. That stupid grin just smirked at her from a distance but she knew that she would be alone up there, away from the village almost entirely.
She sped off through the streets, over buildings and through trees and parks. She passed the memorial stone, her eyes catching it briefly. There was a nin standing there but she didn't bother to look at him. She just kept moving toward the Hokage Mountain. She needed the fresh air, the quiet, and the solitude. When she reached the base she started building more chakra in her feet to run right up the side. Keeping balance the whole way over the rough surface of rock she made it to the top quickly, peering out over the village. It looked kind of small from up there but she knew different.
She inhaled deeply, looking about her. She could sense no presence and this relieved her greatly. She sat down with a plop on the ground, staring out over the edge of the mountain side. Finally! Some peace and solitude! She couldn't help but sigh loudly, leaning back to lay down, her eyes drifting to the sky. She needed to think and this wasn't just some thoughts about the shallow things that have been happening over the past few days. No, she needed to review everything.
She knew her past wasn't something she wanted to delve into but she needed to think, she needed to remember. She wasn't ignorant like she played with Ino. She knew exactly who Naruto Uzumaki was the day that the Inuzuka came for her. She knew one day it would happen, one day they'd find her just like all those years ago when Orochimaru-san did.
She could remember it so vividly, as if it was happening right before her. It was a cool spring morning, one of those ones where the cool winter air freezes the dew on the grass and the air is biting, almost unbearable. Yuka was standing at her window, a mere twelve years old. Her mother was gone so many years ago that she could barely remember her face. She remembered her soft red locks encasing her as a child but that was all. No voice, no face… just that flaming hair.
She lived in a tiny shack, the countryside littered with frost and falling sleet. It was typical of her home country. She was born here, raised here, and then abandoned here by the one person she thought was too strong to die, too good to leave her alone. That harsh reality quickly sobered the child that was Yuka at age seven. From then on she ceased to be a child, she was too complex, too hurt for that. Her mother had left her complicated scrolls, old letters, and two seals embedded into her palms by her mother's chakra. She didn't even understand these seals.
That's when he found her, broken, confused, and ready to give up. She had mastered most of her physical powers, forcing her body to endure extreme workouts in the most severe conditions. She learned to focus her chakra, using it to make the seals on her hands glow but she never truly released her power until he showed up. Yes, him with his greedy smirk and pale skin. Those eyes will always be in her mind. She was twelve and it had been a rough five years. She had endured hardship, starvation, the onslaught of enemy shinobi that frequently waged guerilla warfare around her home, and the sadness that came with being lonely. Then he showed up, out of nowhere and so suddenly that she hadn't had time to even react.
"Hello child," he whispered to her, his devious tone obvious to her from the start. "Tell me, where did you come by such surprising hair?"
At that age Yuka could only blush before glaring at him in contempt. "My mother gave it to me. Now what do you want? Leave me alone; I don't have anything you want."
At this he just chuckled, looking her over with those horrible eyes. "That's not true. I can see great potential in you, young kunoichi. Tell me, do you want to be more powerful?"
She just watched him as he stood there, those cold eyes analyzing her. Then he knelt down, pulling out a kunai and handing it to her. "Bring this back to me when you are ready for more power. I can give it to you."
Then he was gone, the kunai heavy in my hands. I remembered fearing that man so much that I left my home in search for a new one. That was rough considering everywhere I went I was struggling to make it from here to there. That's when I met her; my sensei. I thought for sure it was a dream. She looked at me with cold eyes first and I wanted to run away but then something flashed in her and she took me in, almost without hesitation.
It was odd to see. I didn't know who she was, what she wanted, or where she came from. All I knew was that she had looked at me with those eyes that had softened when they rested on my face. I wasn't sure why, I never questioned and just allowed her to instruct me, to train me in basic shinobi arts. I got exceptional with my taijutsu, sparring with her frequently and when she showed me how to bring out my inner power, my seals had activated almost instantly.
After training and nearly killing my sensei in the process, I had discovered my power. It was an amazing feeling. However, the short lived happiness I had felt was gone in only a matter of days. My Sensei, the only person I had felt close to since my mother's death, had disappeared, leaving me to my own devices. She was gone, her name only revealed to me afterward by the man who at that time scooped me up into his den of snakes. The name of my former sensei was Konan. I knew her jutsu, some of it at least. She never really battled all out with it but during her training she used paper clones and many paper bombs. I could only imagine how she died a few years later. No one ever found out.
It was then, at age fourteen, that Orochimaru had come into my life fully. He came to me one night in my small home in the Hidden Rain. He didn't speak and I knew that it was what needed to be done. He told me that it would only hurt a second and I nearly had a heart attack when he decided where to place the curse mark. My face had never been redder.
"There," he whispered his breath hot on her leg. "You're my little secret; and now, what to name you?"
Up until that point I had no name. My mother had given me one that I was sure of but at I didn't remember it. I didn't remember much from my childhood and every passing day I tried to remember only made it worse. I had given up shortly after realizing that and never looked back.
"I know," he said, standing away from her and glancing out the small window. "Yuka…"
That was my name since that day on. I adopted it with honor. The transformation of the curse mark was excruciating. I was passed out, fuming and in pain for almost two days before Orochimaru-sama came back to me, the pain dulling to a bruise like effect. He took the kunai from me and said that from then on I would learn jutsu, would train my mind and body to endure anything. It was tough but at the same time it made me who I was. I was strong, sure of myself at that time.
I had learned how to perfect my seals, how to create them and embed my chakra in them. I learned everything I thought I needed from Orochimaru-san. He was powerful, cunning, and ever vigilant in my training. He often spoke of his other pawns, his flunkies so to speak. That was when I learned the tail of the legendary sannin and the boy known as Sasuke Uchiha. I knew then who Naruto was and I knew then what Orochimaru was preparing me for.
I was his ultimate backup, his way of always having the upper hand. By giving me his curse mark he made it almost inevitable that one day he would take my body as his own. He spoke of Sasuke Uchiha as the strongest candidate he'd ever considered, his kekkai-genkai the prize. This Uchiha sounded formidable and the more I thought about it, the more interesting it became. When I questioned Orochimaru about his plans it was then that he revealed his plan. That curse mark was meant to embed himself in me already.
Like it had done with Sasuke Uchiha, Kabuto Yakushi, and a woman named Anko, I was his pawn. To my ignorant delight he called me his most valuable piece, a diamond among coal. She didn't understand why he said this until years later, the last night she saw him.
"Now listen to me Yuka-san," he had hissed, looking her over. "You may not see me for a very long time. Things have changed slightly with my plans for you. In the meantime I need you to fulfill a mission, a task for me."
Yuka couldn't deny him. Whatever he wanted, whatever he asked, she would give. He was the only one who still stuck with her, never leaving her side and always providing her with a purpose, an end to the never ending means.
"I need you to seal your curse mark and hide all traces of my presence when it comes to you. In time there will be those that come looking for you. When that time comes do not resist. Gain their trust, use your cunning and then I will find you."
Those words still echoed in her ears to this day. That had been five years ago and the frustration that had built up since then was palpable. She groaned, coming back to herself, her past shoved back into the deep recesses of her mind. She looked about now, the sun still high in the sky. She couldn't help but stare at the clouds again, her eyes watching the shapes form and move.
She couldn't pull his eyes from her head. Orochimaru said he would come find her and yet there was nothing. Though she knew that the Uchiha and Kabuto were long gone, where was Orochimaru? What was his plan? He had instilled this power into her, gave her immense wells of chakra and the knowledge to defeat her enemies. Why wasn't he back yet?
She couldn't help but slam her fist into the ground, feeling the shudder about her. If this was all Orochimaru's design, and that the reason he had choose her was because of her families strength, then he would surely show up now. This village was still reeling from the war, the Hokage almost as weak as that Inuzuka. She paused, her eyes closing again to picture Kiba's face. She couldn't suppress the rising lust in her stomach. Picturing his rugged jaw, the fang tattoos clinging dangerously to his tan skin, and the way his mouth turned into a toothy smirk only made her want him more.
She had felt the odd attraction the second she met him. He was good looking and though she had absolutely no sexual experience, she knew when she was attracted to someone. He oozed sex after all. She was sure he knew it but she just couldn't help but admire the beast that was Kiba. Hell, guys admired girls all the time. She could admire the more masculine beauty that was the lean Inuzuka. She sighed at her haughty thoughts and groaned, sitting up again looking out over the edge of the cliff.
Her mind was swimming. She didn't know where to go from here. If she kept making friends of these people it'd make it easier for her to get information on Orochimaru and maybe his potential location. At the same time it could also make her extremely vulnerable. They were eventually going to look into her past, her mind, and she wasn't sure if she had the proper barriers to repel them.
There was the sound of someone approaching. Great! She thought. She looked up to see someone walking up the cliff side, a scowl on their face. She wasn't expecting the person who had come strolling up the hill toward her. It was Jiraiya. He had an angry look on his face and he almost didn't notice her until he was right in front of her.
When he did spot her his face got softer for a second before huffing a sigh and sitting next to her. "Hello Yuka-chan," she said, looking out over the village, his bottom lip in a pout. Yuka couldn't help but grin at this.
"Jiraiya, what's wrong?"she asked, her eyes watching him lazily. "No dango today?"
"No!" he said, glaring over at her. "Uncle Neji and Grandpa Hiashi are meanies. They don't want me to leave the compound without an escort anymore."
"But you don't have one with you now," Yuka said, looking around for someone watching the young blonde. There was no one.
"Yeah well, I managed to sneak out. They are probably on their way to come get me right now. That damn Byakugan," he mumbled and she was slightly taken aback by his speech.
"Hey, don't use that kind of language. Your mom wouldn't be happy," she commented, watching the little boy again. He just scrunched his nose, looking up at her.
"My dad wouldn't have cared, I'm sure of it…"
Yuka just sat there quietly, shrugging off the child's sad words. She didn't dare question him about it. She couldn't handle tears, much less a child's tears. She couldn't help but glance over at the little shinobi. His bright yellow hair was hanging in his face, somewhat smoothed by the head band he wore. It was simple and black but on it was a red symbol. It looked like a spiral. His little hands were clenched in his lap and his eyes were closed, as if thinking about something. Then, he looked up at her, seriousness in his eyes.
"Yu-Yu," he asked, his eyes watching her closely. "You didn't know my dad, right?" She just nodded, watching him process her reaction. "Then, can I ask you why my mom gets sad when she looks at you too?"
She didn't know what to tell the young nin. She knew why Hinata did such things. She saw a little bit of Naruto in Yuka's actions, her eyes watching and waiting for her dead love. He wasn't coming back and this realization she just wanted to throw in everyone's face. She may have been related to him in some way, the main reason they sought her out, but she wasn't him. She never could be.
As the little boy watched her face he scrunched up his nose, as if in thought. Then he sighed and looked away, punching the dirt next to him. Yuka thought for a moment, thought about what this all truly meant. Orochimaru-san knew about who she was; after all that is why he choose her. But to know that she had a relative of the same blood, a child, he could never see. Maybe this is the reason he wanted to use her, the reason he told her to just comply with them. He needed to get close to the powerful Uzumaki blood that flowed through Jiraiya.
Breaking her from her thoughts was a loud voice coming from behind her. She turned around to see a man with long dark hair tied back behind his head. He wore all white except he was wearing a green flak jacket, typical of the shinobi in Konoha. His eyes were the same as Hinata's and he had a faint scowl on his lips. "Jiraiya! I thought I made it clear that you were to have an escort at all times," he said, eyeing the little boy.
Jiraiya just sighed, standing up and looking up at the man. "But- Uncle Neji- I don't want to be cooped up there all the time. I want to do what I want to do."
"You will do what you're told, Jiraiya," the man said, stepping toward him, an arm outstretched. "Now, come on. Your grandfather wants to have a word with you."
"No, I don't want to go," Jiraiya said, crossing his arms as if it were holding him to the ground where he stood against his tested uncle.
"Jiraiya, you will come with me and not disrespect your elders in such a way," Neji said, his eyes narrowing. "Now come on, let's go."
"NO! You're not my dad. I don't have to listen to you Neji-sama!" He bellowed, glaring at his uncle before running past him down the path toward the village. Neji just sighed, looking after the boy. For a second he stood there and then he looked over at her, his face solid and complacent.
"Please, excuse his behavior Yuka-san. He is temperamental," Neji said.
"No problem," she said, giving him a fake smile. "He seems lost, sad really. Maybe you should talk to him; boy to boy?"
Nejji just looked at the woman curiously before bowing and disappearing after his crying nephew.
Yuka just sighed, standing up now. She had a lot to do and a lot to prepare for. She needed intel, a seal that would finally seal away all her memory, and a good plan to keep Kiba at bay. Sometime soon she knew Orochimaru-san would be back. She wanted to be ready for that day and didn't want anyone in the way when it did come.