Disclaimer: Sadly nothing in this story belongs to me except perhaps what original ideas there are, Naruto itself belongs to Kishimoto and not to me sadly. *cries*
Author's Note: Alright, here's chapter two. The rape scene is still in it and composes the majority of this chapter, but I've put a [~|~|~|~|~] at the start and end of it so if you're too uncomfortable with it you can control+F for that and skip to the end of that scene. There will be important material in it, but nothing that won't be able to be picked on afterwards or inferred from what will be said by the Hokage and the ANBU along with a little exposition from the Kyuubi.
A rape scene will never be good, and I will never profess a proficiency in writing them, so please forgive me if the scene is rather clunky. It was something I did not enjoy writing, and thus had a much more difficult time writing, please forgive me for any issues you have with it in advance.
Also, to those who had an issue with that shouting/Capslock Kurama, don't worry, that was just him being an arrogant asshole, he's toning it down as time goes on, especially after the events in this chapter. He'll still have his shouting moments, but they'll be few and far between now that he's accepted that it isn't anything but annoying to Noriko.
-Exactly 6 Years Since Kyuubi-
[MC First Person POV]
Carefully noting my surroundings, I bolted from the alleyway I had been in, streaking quickly across the street and into the path between Konoha's buildings. I couldn't help the grim expression that was on my face as I came to a halt at the end of the alley and ducked behind a trashcan, doing my best to conceal my presence and hide from the drunken villagers that seemed to have already started celebrating.
It was my sixth birthday after all, and that meant it was the day of the Kyuubi festival.
I hadn't planned to go out today, that said, the smell of the festival food and a growling stomach were enough to force me out of hideaway and into the village proper.
Carefully, I stalked my way through the village, slipping from shadow to shadow as I avoided the revilers with a grimace of distaste. Occasionally I darted forward at stalls that were either unmanned or that were staffed with inattentive workers stealing away treats where I could get them. There was dango, fresh buns, and a wide variety of other tempting foods, many of which I had recognized but had never had the opportunity to try before.
When I reached the end of the stalls, my view replace by darkened streets instead of the crowded, colorful festival lanes, I gave a heavy sigh before turning around to return to my hideout, only to suddenly run into something that hadn't been there before as I was knocked on my ass.
Grimacing, I rubbed my sore rear and cursed under my breath as I looked up to see what I had hit. Only when I realized it wasn't a what I had hit but a who, I felt the color drain from the tanned skin of my face and a cold stone of fear settle in my gut as I looked up at the grinning face of a Konoha nin.
His face had a few scars which wasn't unusual and hardly enough to bother me under normal circumstances.
But as things were, the way the pale lines of flesh were twisted and distorted by the vicious grin on his face left me trying to scuttle back and away in fear. I yelped in pain abruptly as a large hand threaded itself into my thick, spiky locks before yanking upwards and lifting me from the ground.
I clutched at the ninja's had in desperation as I flailed my small feet to try and kick him to free myself when he started speaking, the words impacting and only spurring me to thrash harder in instinctive fear of what was going to happen.
"Well, look at what kami himself has given me. A chance to finally get rid of the demon, and on the day of the festival too!" There was a significant level of satisfaction and sadism in his tone that made my skin crawl as I flailed and cursed him back.
"Let me go you shit-eating mother fu-"
A sharp blow to the back of the head and all I knew was darkness.
[~|~|~|~|~]
It was solidly night time when my eyes finally cracked open. The dull thudding in the back of my skull was putting years in my eyes as I winced at the loud sounds of laughter and talking from just a little ways off. Focusing my vision in the dark, I struggled to sit up even slightly, making out the silhouettes of several people nearby and what looked like several dozen sake bottles on the ground. That fact was just reinforced by the odor of alcohol in the air.
Sitting up, I made the mistake of bumping together a few bottles that had ended up near me, the ceramic jars almost unnaturally loud as they clinked together. It made my blood freeze as the sounds of the people near me immediately stopped and their gazes turned to all lock onto me.
"Looks like the little monster's finally awake," Someone drawled. There was the slur of inebriation in his voice which was distinctly different from the man that had caught me.
"Let's get started then. It was boring waiting for the little bitch to wake up."
"Woulda been faster if you hadn't brained her so hard."
"Fuck off, I wasn't gonna take chances with her getting away."
Chairs scraped across the bare floor as the people in the group stood and began approaching, their footsteps loud in the silence of the room as I whimpered in desperation.
"No. No. No.! Get away!" I began to say, softly at first though my voice was quickly gaining in volume until one of them decided to act as I got to my feet. The ninja lunged forwards and buried a fist in my gut, knocking the wind out of me and leaving my chest heaving as he slammed me to the ground.
I whimpered pathetically as I began to cry in fear, looking up at the grinning man above me in absolute terror as he pinned me to the floor and withdrew a kunai, the edge of the tool flashing in the dull light.
"Now before the others have their fun, I need to get my work out of the way," the chuunin whispered cruelly.
Redoubling my struggles, I tried to free myself before the ninja atop me dragged my left arm out, holding it on the ground with my palm facing up as he drew out a kunai, a sadistic grin on his face that froze my heart before the blade stabbed down.
I screamed.
The blade was driven down through my palm, fortunately between the hand bones before jamming into the floor, leaving my hand anchored in place as a pained sob broke from my throat. I tugged futilely at the weapon before giving up as it only increased the pain before screaming again as the ninja took advantage of my distraction to nail down my right hand as well.
"Toshi, make sure to keep her alive, we still need to have our turn," someone said in the background.
"Yeah, yeah…" the ninja above her groused before he shifted down my small body, spreading my legs wide as he yanked off my shoes, forcing me hold still before he drove another pair of kunai through my feet to anchor them to the floor, leaving me screaming in pain again.
I resumed her weak struggling, whimpering and crying as the ninja took a hold of my chin, another kunai in his hand as he began to to cut along my whisker marks, splitting open the skin along the dark marks, blood flowing freely from the wounds as I struggled in vain against the man's hold.
He continued till he finished cutting all six of the marks, tears running down my cheeks in return, before he was suddenly off of me. Stifling a cry, I opened my eyes to see a new person above me, his hands reaching down to grip at my clothes as I inhaled sharply and slammed my eyes shut again.
"Toshi you had your fun, now it's our turn."
I knew it. The thing I had feared the most since I had realized where and who I was, was about to happen.
The sound of tearing fabric accompanied my frenzied begging as my shirt was cut and torn open along the front before my pants were given the same treatment.
"What you wanna bet we're not the first to have a go at the little bitch?" Someone else called from the background.
"Not taking it," The man scoffed above her, "If anyone had any sense they would have done away with her that night. I bet others have at least tried to get rid of it."
The conversation stilled, the atmosphere chilled even more than it had before, the man above my adjusting himself as the sound of a zipper coming undone reached my ears. Instantly I recognized that there was no more chance of stopping this, yet I still redoubled my struggles, no longer caring as the kunai tore into my hands and feet.
I felt my panties get yanked aside as a new arm slammed into my gut, making me dry heave as my body was pinned down again before I suddenly felt something press against my entrance. Resuming my frantic struggles, I begged for them to stop, crying out for mercy before I finally shouted in pain as the man above me forced himself inside my body.
My tears were a steady river from my eyes now as I sobbed, aware of every action made until the man finished and was replaced by another. I cried and cried as a scorching heat seemed to build inside me. My vision was almost literally going red as I screamed and begged for mercy from my attackers.
It was as a third man moved into place and took position that something happened to change the situation. The burning sensation that filled my body had reached an almost unbearable where I was certain I would combust if nothing was done to change it when I felt it-
-snap-
It was an almost audible noise that signaled the change. Instantly something shifted inside me and the burning sensation escalated to new heights as I screamed, in minding of the sudden rush of feeling in my body.
What I couldn't see, couldn't begin to understand in this situation was the sudden mass of swirling, bubbling red youki that had surrounded my body like a cloak, sharp dagger like nails forming at the end of each hand as my own physical appearance changed in response to this power.
What I did understand was that I was just so angry.
Justsoveryveryangry.
It burned in my veins and shouted me me to fight back, to turn the tables and return this malice upon my attackers.
And I did.
I screamed again, only this time in an absolute rage as I used the rest of my body as a brace against the floor, ripping my right hand up over the kunai that had nailed it to the ground. I left behind a chunk of flesh, but that wasn't important. No what was important was revenge. As my face twisted in a vicious snarl I swept my now freed hand up, aiming to take across my rapist's belly. To the credit of his abilities he saw the blow coming and attempted to back up, but it wasn't enough.
My youki coated claws slashed him across the belly -through his chunin vest, through the strong muscles of his stomach, through the soft organs beneath- disemboweling him in a single stroke. His blood poured across my form and stained what was left of my clothes a bright crimson as slippery, shredded entrails spilled across my still prone body with a sickening plop while the man screamed in horror and pain before he collapsed upon my feet.
It hadn't even taken a full second.
The rest of the group began to respond to my attack, drawing weapons or beginning to flash through the hand signs for a jutsu as I screamed again in fury and ripped my left hand free in the same manner as my right.
Reaching down, I gripped the kunai in my feet and ripped them free, shoving the dying nin's body the rest of the way off of me as I did so. With a snarl I stood and coiled my muscles for an attack, my face twisted in a livid snarl, baring my elongated canines for all to see before I gave a animalistic roar and leapt forward for the man preparing the jutsu.
With both kunai held in reverse grips, I prepared to bring them down on the ninja as he finished his seals and brought his hands to his lips, saying something I didn't care to catch before he breathed out.
I was completely engulfed in the searing fire, still roaring with rage and uncaring of the flames entering my throat and burning my lungs as I burst from the flames and landed on the ninja.
What a frightening sight I had to be going by the shocked and horrified faces of the people around me.
As I made contact with the fire breather, I sliced down with both kunai, digging through the Nan's chunin vest and into the soft flesh beneath as I alternated blades and slashed at his body in an effort to tear him into literal ribbons.
As he collapsed beneath me, I pushed off his body like it was a spring board and crashed into the next man, one hand grabbing his head and forcing it back as I let loose a bellow that shook the building around us as I leaned forward, my jaws wide and my teeth razor sharp.
And bit down on his neck.
He screamed in pain and it was like music to my ears as I shook my head from side to side like a shark, my sharp teeth slicing through skin and muscle and tendons as blood gushed into my mouth, filling it with a burning heat and swirling over my tongue. When my jaws met, the man collapsed with a gurgle as I leapt away from his body -taking most of his throat with me- as I spit out the chunk of flesh in my mouth with some minor note of both disgust at the flavor and horror and the act.
But I didn't care.
They hurt me.
They nailed me to the floor.
They raped me.
All for something I had no control over.
I'll kill them.
Growling, I prepared to leap forward again at the horrified men when the sharp, high pitched crackle of electricity filled my ears and I was suddenly screaming, in pain again this time, as someone attacked me from behind and at close range. It was too late for my rage filled mind to react or even identify my attacker when I collapsed and fell to the floor.
As darkness claimed me for a second time.
[~|~|~|~|~]
[Inu Third Person POV]
Sighing in relief that he had finally stopped her, Inu tore his gaze from the crumbled, burnt, and bloody form of Uzumaki Noriko to look at the rest of her attackers, only to be mildly surprised at the sight of Weasel resheathing his ANBU blade as the last man fell to the floor in a heap. He couldn't help but find it disturbing that the usually quiet and calm ANBU had cut down the remaining attackers.
They were supposed to capture criminals, not execute them on the spot. He grimaced as he looked at the identities of the attackers though as he thought, 'Though I don't think I can begrudge him this. This...this is just disgraceful.' If Weasel hadn't already finished them, he probably would have himself.
Carefully, Inu crouched and scooped up Noriko in his arms as gently as he could, still getting a pained whimper from the girl as he stood up fully and gave orders to his squad.
"Neko, Hebi. Clean up the scene and take care of the bodies. I am taking Uzumaki-san to the hospital. Weasel, go and alert the Hokage that Noriko has been attacked and I am taking her to the hospital," he informed them softly, pain nearly choking his voice but failing against the steel in his tone.
With a nod, Weasel disappeared in a swirl of leaves before he did the same an instant later.
[Kurama Third Person POV]
'Unacceptable.'
Staring down at the unconscious body in the sewer water before him, Kurama couldn't stop the furious rumble of a growl that echoed through the spacious sewer.
He had sworn an oath to help the little human but it had not been enough in the end. Only once the damage had already been done had the infernal seal opened to let his youki flood the little girl's body and give her the strength to survive.
That was completely unacceptable.
Had those foolish monkeys felt like it they could have killed his vessel and him along with her. That was a risk he could no longer afford. With the true colors of the village exposed and the depths of their depravity on display, he knew that he could no longer afford half measures.
Being human wouldn't be enough to see the girl before him survive through the threats that lay ahead.
He had a chance, though he needed to act now. When the seal had opened it gave him an opportunity to influence her body to a greater degree than was usual. and while that opportunity was almost gone, it was still there.
"The things I do for this kit..." He grumbled to himself as he reached through the bars of his cell, carefully scooping up the unconscious body on the other side before pulling her back through into the darkness of his side.
There was no reaction from the seal as he pulled her in and began his work. Though he was loathe to admit it, he had grown...attached to the reincarnated little girl that was his jailer. She wasn't the insufferably happy idiot that was depicted in her memories, rather she was a relatively cool, logical, and developed woman who took apart her problems, looked at what the issues were, and then did what was necessary to resolve them. She willingly came to him and made the offer to release him, knowing full well what it meant for the world so long as he would help her survive the coming future. She acknowledged her weakness and cut a deal with him for strength, strength that she knew she would need but couldn't manage on her own.
He respected that.
She knew fully what he was and what he wanted, and yet to survive she had accepted it and sworn her oath.
He respected that.
But that strength hadn't been enough. He had made the improvements she had requested and while they would have been enough to turn any genin into a jounin, it hadn't meant a thing for a little girl terrified beyond reason. So it was now time for his own improvements.
He knew where her ideas could be improved having rummaged through her mind often enough for inspiration which he would need. Far above that though, he had seen her greatest fear; dying. Little Noriko feared dying and being irrelevant above all else, and it was clear why. She had accomplished much in her past life but all of it had meant nothing as she wasted away from an unbeatable disease.
He snorted.
As if he would let her be irrelevant this time. With what youki still flowed through her body, Kurama made his choice, redirecting the energy away from unimportant wounds that wouldn't impact her future and turned it inwards to begin changing her chakra coils. It was a small change, but now her body would begin producing youki of its own with which he could complete the rest of his work without worrying about the interference of the damn Yondaime's seal.
It would have to be enough for now.
Looking down at the little girl he held in his paw, Kurama sighed and did his best to uphold their oath -at least that's how he chose to view it- as he tucked her away against his bristling orange fur.
[MC First Person POV]
My return to the waking world was slow and muddled. My head felt thick as I struggled to process the barest flickers of sensation that was being reported to my brain. There were lines down my body that felt hot and were accompanied by a mild stinging sensation, there were other areas that had deep, sharp pains pushing through them, mainly in my hands and feet. There was an aching fullness to my chest that made it hard to breath and extended all the way up into my throat till it reached my mouth which felt like cotton.
As I grew more aware, the pains became clearer but also more distant as I mentally categorized, acknowledged, and then ignored each of them till I was satisfied that I knew my current state. It was a task and half forcing my eyes open, but eventually they complied, the crust at the corners cracking as I forced them open for what felt like the first time in days, only to slam them shut as nauseatingly bright lights glared above me.
A tiny, raspy groan slipped from my throat as I reopened my eyes, only a bit less this time and tried to sit up, only to spasm and hiss in pain as my body protested the movement.
"Please stay still, you're in no condition to move right now," a voice said from my right.
I turned my eyes to catch a figure in full hospital scrubs beside me taking notes on a clipboard before I followed his movements as he left the room, which brought me to my next observation, namely the two people in armor by the door.
I took in their appearances, the black clothing, the high grade weapons, the body armor, and -most importantly- the masks before assigning the both of them to ANBU in my head as I took note of more features. One was fairly tall, the other a bit short, but their hair was familiar. The shorter had a wild mop of black hair that I instantly recognized as Uchiha Itachi. The other bore gravity defying silver hair that stood straight up, obviously Kakashi.
Both of their heads had twitched briefly to look my way as I watched them before they returned to their apparent guard duty. Such a move proved to be the correct decision as bare seconds later the door opened rather abruptly -almost slamming against its hinges- to permit the entrance of a much older man in a white robe with a red and white triangular hat perched on his head.
His movements slowed as he approached, his sad, tired eyes locking with mine briefly before he took a seat in a chair to my right and reached out, giving my thumb a soft squeeze.
"Noriko-chan..." He almost whispered, trailing off as if unsure of what to say.
"Ji-" I began only to stop and frown before clearing my throat to try again. "Jiji," I managed softly, still frowning as I listened to myself speak. My voice was rough, too rough to merely have some leftover drainage in it and it was fractionally lower in pitch, not too obvious given my age, but I noticed it.
"How?" I asked softly, trying to pick the correct question. How did I get here? How long had I been here? How are you? There were too many choices and I choked out after the first word, watching as the Hokage's face tightened in pain.
"You've been in the hospital for three days so far Noriko-chan," Hiruzen replied quietly, "Inu brought you here almost immediately after he found that you'd been attacked."
Attacked? Since when had I been atta-
The memories came to me abruptly as I tried to recall what he was talking about. The pain, the humiliation, that overwhelming anger. It all crashed over me in an instant.
Tears formed in my eyes and trickled down my cheeks as I clenched them shut, my mind replying the attack in perfect detail for me. The spatter of blood and organs across me, the burning pain of inhaling fire, the taste of hot blood gushing in my mouth, the absolute degradation of being raped.
It all washed across me as I went pale and green, rolling over as I felt what little that had been in my stomach rise back up in solidarity with the vile I know tasted in my mouth. I choked back a sob as I forced my body to roll over as I started to heave my guts out, the Hokage's hand suddenly resting and rubbing across my shoulders as I puked up what had been in my stomach to spatter on the floor.
This proceeded for several minutes till there was nothing left to vomit and the heaving had become too painful on my muscles and and I flopped back onto my back, the salty taste of my tears on my lips.
I could see the pain, sadness, and regret etched in every line of the Hokage's face as I locked eyes with me, clearly holding back the tears he wished to shed, if only just.
"H-How bad is it...the damage?" I finally asked after a few minutes of quiet.
"Better then it could have been but worse than I'd hoped," he answered softly, "The burns were extensive and severe at first but they are mostly healed now and provided the appropriate treatments, you won't have a scar from them. Your hands and feet have been completely healed though there's minor irritation in the flesh as a leftover from the wounds. Your lungs have been fully healed though they won't be back to full performance for a weak. Your throat is healed but there was unfortunately some permanent damage. You still have a half dozen fractured bones in your chest, and your voice, as you noticed, is going to be lower and rougher from now on. The doctors aren't sure why your other wounds healed so well but your vocal chords didn't."
Clenching my eyes closed, I struggled to even out my breathing which had become slightly erratic as I had listened before I sighed softly and let out a deep breath.
"Is there anything else on your mind, Noriko-chan?" He asked.
I hesitated before nodding as I whispered out my question asking, "Why'd they hurt me Jiji? Why did they call me all those things?" It was all I could do not to rant at the Hokage as I asked those questions. Truly I already knew the answers, but this was a test of sorts for him and I couldn't deny the curiosity that was humming in my head in anticipation.
Indecision cross Hiruzen's face for several seconds as I watched and waited for his reply before he sighed and hung his head in what I took as defeat.
"Before I answer you, Noriko-chan, you must know that what I am about to tell you cannot be repeated to anyone without my permission, do you understand?"
I nodded briefly, the movement slow and a bit painful.
"Good, now pay careful attention. The night you were born Noriko, a demon attacked our village, the bijuu known as the 'Kyuubi no Youko'. The demon destroyed large sections of Konoha and killed hundreds of people before it was defeated by the Yondaime. The problem with such a beast as the Kyuubi though is that it cannot be killed, only sealed away, and only in a human being. The seal the Yondaime used required his own life in return as it summoned the Shinigami himself to seal it away into its vessel, which unfortunately could only be a newborn baby. As you were the only child born that night, you were the only one available into whom it could be sealed."
I kept my rapt attention on the Sandaime's face as he seemed to literally age before my eyes as he gathered his thoughts before continuing to speak.
"I made the knowledge that the Kyuubi had been sealed within you an S class secret, but somehow it got out. Those responsible were executed, but the cat was already out of the bag and the village knew. Many of the villagers seem to hold you as an unwelcome reminder of that night six years ago upon which they lost their loved ones. Others still view you as the one who cost them their beloved Yondaime. That is why this happened Noriko-chan. It was because the villagers cannot see beyond the ends of their own noses."
We lapsed into silence before I nodded and closed my eyes, counting to ten before letting out a tremendous sigh as I reopened my eyes and fixed the Hokage with a steady stare.
"I want to go to the academy Jiji," I said softly, "If so many of them hate me and want to hurt me, then I need to be able to defend myself."
There was a tiny flicker of life back in his eyes as he nodded once to me -likely glad that I had decided what to do with my life rather than sitting and wallowing in misery.
"I'll make the arrangements for you to join classes as soon as you're released from here Noriko-chan. In the mean time, I've arrange a new home for you. Protections have been put in place around it for your safety. When you're released, Either Inu, Weasel, Hebi, or Neko will take you to your new home and help you get settled in before you report to class, sound good?"
"Yes, thank you Jiji," I replied with a nod, my mind already going off in different directions with the fact that the Hokage had willingly admitted the reason behind what had happened..
Looks like I needed to speak to Kurama to know what was going on with my body.
Author's Note: And there's chapter two, rape scene included. I'll admit to taking a good chunk of it from the previous version as rewriting a scene like that is just very unpleasant and unsettling in my opinion. I hope it wasn't too much for you guys who are reading this now, and if it was I deeply apologize. For all that I'm using rape as a way to manipulate the plot and expose more of Noriko's character, it doesn't change the fact that it is in my opinion one of, if not the worst crime a human being can perform. Murder is an attack against the body, but I view rape as attack against someone on a much more fundamental level, an attack against a person's soul if you will. I used it as plot yes, but please don't make jokes about the scene, and be serious when discussing it. For all that it's fictional, it's still a serious issue and should be dealt with as such.
Please review and leave me with your opinions on my writing, the next chapter will have more character building for Noriko as well as explanation as to what Kurama is doing. To top it all off, Noriko will be starting at the academy, a few months behind the other students, but still there. The reason she wasn't already in the academy was because she had not been pushing Hiruzen to let her be a ninja and that this was their first meeting in two years after she disappeared onto the streets.
FYI, things will be a bit slower between this chapter and the next update, don't have as much written of it as I would like to.