Chapter 21: Godaime Hokage Tsunade-sama
I sigh as I walk into my room, opening the white door to find a room with black carpeting and blue walls that reminds me of the fire of my Aoikassai jutus. The bed is a normal king sized bed, much bigger than I'm personally used to but I'm not complaining. There is a window that leads to the outside world with curtains that match the carpet. The blankets covering the bed match the walls. While the bed is pressed up to the wall to the right of the door with the head of the bed away from the door, along the wall without the window and therefore across from the door is a dresser and a small closet. Next to the bed is a night stand. Other than that, the room is bare. I sigh as I decide to explore the closet not far from in front of me. Though when I slide open the door...There's nothing but the black and red cloak that everyone is wearing here. I tilt my head lightly. That's all we really gotta wear? I sigh before closing the door and sitting on the bed that's...Actually quite comfy. A hand with still unsheathed claws runs along the fabric, and a yawn escapes my jaws. The skin on my hands and wrists shiver as my claws sheathe themselves, coming down to being only as long as my fingers instead of double the length. I kick off my heeled sandals before deciding that I could go for a nap. It doesn't take me long at all to sleep. But that doesn't mean I'm relaxed. I've long since trained my body to sleep and still be alert. Just like any good shinobi has.
What I wake up to is my body launching itself at the unfamiliar person that my eyes only register as the blond with the half ponytail from earlier. I find my frame crouching over his own in a deadly fashion, my claws unsheathed while a hand of them is pointed at his throat. However that's not the only one who is here, as I find my tail pointed at the heart of none other than that Kisame guy. I bear fangs at the blond, eyes flickering from him to the ass decided to try and start something with me. "What the hell do you two want?" I question, a growl rolling from my throat.
"We were just curious is all, un," the blond one states and my eyes fly to him. "Didn't know you'd be sleeping".
"That was pretty fast for someone so small," the fish man chuckles, "I thought earlier was just a fluke and you being cocky". His beady eyes roam to the still pinned blond, "You wanna get off of Deidara? No need to be hostile to your new friends".
Slowly I get up, and back away from the two. The blond, Deidara apparently, gets up himself and brushes himself off. "What did you want to know that made you actually sneak into my room and wake me up?"
"Nothing much really, un, shinobi are naturally curious creatures. You up for a spar?" Deidara answers with a tilt of his head and a grin spreading across his face. "Never had a real air battle but it should be fun".
I raise a brow and cross my arms under my bust, "You can fly? Where's your wings?"
He chuckles and shows me a hand that holds a clay bird of sorts, "I can make this guy bigger. He's my wings. Nothing like yours though". He pauses, "So. About that spar?"
I open my mouth to accept, wanting to see what this guy can do. I am a double agent after all. However there's a stern and emotionless voice that speaks up from behind Kisame and Deidara, "She has no time for a spar; we have a mission". The two part to see Itachi, whose dark eyes bore into my own without a care. Damn. I haven't seen Emotionless Itachi- as the Tsu brothers call him- in a while. Not since my time as an Anbu. I forgot how scary he can be when he's like this. He's not staturely intimidating like Kisame or that other tall guy is, but it's his eyes that get to you- Sharingan or no Sharingan. "Get that cloak in the closet on," there's a flash of movement, and I catch a ring in my hand. It's like what I've seen the others wear, and now that I look at him, I see that his hitai-ate has a scratch through our village's symbol. On his person is the Akatsuki cloak, the buttons undone to his chest where his left arm rests casually. This shows me that he changed clothing completely, it being of a mesh make up with blue accents and an identical shirt of the same color and a low cut that shows the more shallow cut mesh. His nails and toe nails have been painted a purple color, and on his right index finger is a ring with the kanji for 'vermillion' on it in red that reminds me of his Sharingan. I look down to find my ring's kanji being 'sky' in the color blue of my own hair.
I look back to him before turning on my heel and quickly putting on my kunai heeled sandals- after a quick feel of the tip, I find it dull and quickly channel chakra into the seal that sharpens it by my command- before going to the closet. Out the cloak comes and onto my person it goes with my tail holding onto the ring for me as I fidget. There's no holes for my wings to push through, so I sigh and take the cloak off before laying it down on the floor and using my claws to create holes; I don't make one for my tail though. Having such a high collar is a bit odd for me, so I keep it buttoned down to my chest much like Itachi does. I take the ring from my tail and slip it onto my right ring finger, where it sits along the flesh and bone comfortably. I then look to Itachi and smirk, taking a daring look to my eyes, "Ready".
Itachi is silent the whole time we're leaving- I pause to carve my name into the door of my room with my claws, and even go so far as to put a copy of the scar on my back under my name. When we're fully out of range of the cave holding the house and the other cave in general, that's when Itachi begins to talk. "It seems that Pein is going to accept you through and through, being at my side. I've done my best to seem like one of the more loyal Akatsuki members so it makes getting him to believe me easier".
I nod once. "Those guys...Every single one of them gives off this 'don't fuck with me' vibe. Care to tell me who is who?"
"It seems you've already met Deidara, and Kisame you met twice now. Deidara is partners with Sasori, the red head. Deidara fights with clay creations that are infused with his chakra and explode on his command. Sasori is a living puppet, and a puppet master in general. You were lucky you got to see his real self; the puppet he normally resides in is not so good looking. Kisame, one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, is partners with the plant man, Zetsu. Normally Zetsu does spy work, and Kisame does solo missions; but they work together well when they're put on a mission together. Hidan is that silver haired man you got into a fight with verbally; he's a strict follower of Jashin- a religion based around the fact that not slaughtering things is a sin. His partner is Kakuzu, the tan skinned man. Finally, there's Konan who is Pein's partner. I'm the only one other than Konan who has seen Pein in person". All of that was Itachi's explanation. He continues, "Our mission is to catch up to Naruto-kun and Jiraiya-sama and help them upon 'higher up' orders. We will do that, but the main reason we're going there for the Akatsuki is to study Jiraiya-sama and find his weaknesses as well as Naruto-kun's. You were his teacher so I'm sure you know plenty of them. Zetsu has given me knowledge of where Naruto-kun and Jiraiya-sama last were. We'll travel at a fast pace until we reach that point and then we can more so take it easy".
"I'm assuming that I have to tell the truth to Pein or else he's gonna see through it and question why I lied?" The leader of an S-ranked organization has to be clever as ever so of course he'd see through bull shit in no time. Still, I agree to moving at a fast pace; I don't mind.
"Correct," he tells me. It's silent for about an hour, with us moving at basically full speed in order to make it to our destination. And, thanks to the level of our speed, we mange to make it there in about four hours. It's not until we jump from the final tree and start walking on the path way we come to that Itachi begins to speak again. "So tell me. Kakashi mentioned a date when we told us of what would be going on. What was that all about?" There's a small smile on his lips, and his dark eyes are directed in my direction.
My face becomes a bright red and I scratch my nose in embarrassment and smile shakily. "Well...It was brought up during our mission to Nami no Kuni with Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura. Kakashi over did it and got himself bed ridden and our hostess- the daughter of our employer- Tsunami came in at the wrong time and took us as a couple. Kakashi told the truth but in a way that insulted me. He kept on laughing as though it were a thing that would never happen. So I pointed out something that eventually lead to him asking me out. I figured it wouldn't hurt and we agreed to go on a date some time. It hasn't happened yet but when we go back...yea".
Itachi chuckles low in his throat, "You and Kakashi going a date...It sounds like it will be nice". His eyes trail to me as they had been looking ahead during my short story. "I'll tell you now...You're like an older sister to me. And I consider you family through that bond. That makes you an honorary Uchiha as well...So, as your honorary Clan Head let me say this: I like Kakashi, I really do. But if he ends up breaking you somehow, I won't hesitate to kill him".
The fact that the young man considers me an honorary Uchiha is amazing enough. But to find that he feels I'm like an older sister is even more astonishing. We haven't spent time together in so long. How is it that I gained these positions through my absence around him? "...You really think of me that way?"
"I do," Itachi nods to me. "Even though we haven't spent much time together, the time we do spend with one another is like the time I spend with Sasuke when we're not fighting over him trying to get revenge. That's where the fact that I feel that you are a sister to me comes in. However, I silently dubbed you an honorary Uchiha the day I found out that you risked not only your life, but your wings and your claws to save my little brother and avenge my clan".
I smile lightly, "Thank you Itachi. I'm honored. I'll do you proud as your sister and as an honorary Uchiha". I pause, "What does that mean exactly?"
"It means that you are treated like a fellow Uchiha amongst my Clan- or for the time being lack there of. Should you lose use of your eyes, you will receive Sharingan implants- it admittedly isn't uncommon for us to save the eyes of those fallen- to replace your old eyes and you'll be taught to use them". Itachi answers.
It is now that I realize, "Wait...You said if Kakashi broke me...You'd kill him...Define 'broke'".
"Harms you in any way mentally, physically or emotionally to the point where you are no longer you and have to be repaired in the department he harmed you".
I blanch. That's rather specific. But I don't say anything. I don't think Kakashi and I are gonna become thing as it is. I mean. Why would we? He's not into me like that...And I'm not into him like that...Right? I shake my head. No nonsense thoughts while on a mission Cross. You know better. I look ahead, only to tilt my head in question. Is that...?
"What do you see?" Itachi questions as we continue to walk.
"I see...A blond woman...With a purple diamond on her forehead...She's rather busty, looks in about her thirties...Uhhh...There's a black haired woman carrying a pig with her. And...Naruto?" I pause, "There's...Fighting. Yea. Definitely fighting. A slug...A toad and a- Orochimaru!" This last name I growl out, golden eyes narrowing.
"Take off your cloak and seal it into one of your storage scrolls- same with the ring. Fly us to the battle field," Itachi states quickly, doing just that.
I blink dumbly, "Do I look like I can carry you?" I do as he says though, pulling a storage scroll out of my left shuriken pouch and swiftly inserting the cloak into the scroll and putting the ring in there with it. My eyes land on Itachi and I raise a brow. "Seriously. If I'm carrying you, I can't go as fast as I normally would be able to".
"So long as we get there faster than we would by foot," Itachi states.
"This is gonna be really weird," I sigh before walking behind him and jumping on his back, "I guess this is the most secure way...Jump when I tell you to. 'Kay?" Itachi looks over his shoulder oddly before nodding, bending his knees in preparation. My wings spread to their full length of twelve feet from tip to tip- I'm not a small person, I need big wings. As they swing down I let out a, "Jump!" And the Uchiha does just that. With the extra weight it's more work to get us up, but my wings manage it like the pros they are. As soon as we're at a good height, I send us forward as fast as I can, my legs around his waist tightening and my arms that are around his upper torso and under his arms do the same. "You're heavy," I deadpan.
Itachi deadpans back, "Deal with it". And of course I do. It takes us little time to get there- more than it would if I were alone but less if we were going by foot- he speaks up again. "Drop me on Jiraiya-sama's toad. I will assist them with Orochimaru. You assist Naruto with the silver haired man".
"Why don't we do it the other way around? I have a tail full of poison with Orochimaru's name on it," I sneer out, eyes locked on the useless armed snake man.
"Just do as I say, Cross," Itachi states and I huff before suddenly dropping him.
I watch as he lands where he's supposed to, and my eyes lock on the silver haired man that currently has Naruto beaten. What happened? The blond boy lays on the ground, motionless. As a result, the worst comes to mind and a snarl appears on my face. Naruto can't be dead! He can't be damn it! My heart races at the thought. Little Naruto. Hard working, always smiling Naruto. "You bastard!" I scream as I shoot down at the silver haired man, gravity pulling me down at a rapid rate and my body falling like a super speeding arrow. Through this speed, tunnel vision is gained, but I don't give a shit. The silver haired man hears me before he sees me. And when he does see me, my hand is through his gut and we're swooping back up into the air. Golden eyes meet surprised dark ones, "Bastard. You killed him. Sweet Naruto".
Blood begins to dribble from his lips, "W-who?"
"Cross," I tell him, figuring that he's wondering just how has their arm in his gut. I shift said arm, earning me a squelch and a grunt from his body and him respectively. "This isn't a killing blow," I tell him, "I've missed your vitals. However, it is a would that can be fatal if you let it bleed out". As I say this, I lower us to the ground, eyes traveling to Orochimaru as his tongue is used against him to slam hm into the ground not far from the silver haired man and I. I lower my arm and let him fall off of it with a dull thud.
"Kabuto," Orochimaru stands to his feet shakingly, golden eyes on the silver haired man apparently named Kabuto.
"Orochimaru..s-sama," Kabuto drags himself to his feet, and to his master like a dying dog.
My orbs meet Orochimaru's, molten gold with molten gold, "Ahh," the snake master hisses out as the boy barely manages to get them out of here, "Daughter dearest. I thought I heard your scream...I'll see you again some time. Be good now. Bye bye". It's with that that the two disappear.
"No...No! Come on Naruto! Naruto!" A woman's voice that isn't mine calls out from behind me. "Please live Naruto. Please!" I turn to find the blond woman I'd seen earlier from a long distance kneeling next to Naruto's frame and pleading with him for him to live.
I turn, ignoring the blood that's not mine as it drips off my claws, and slowly walk to stand over Naruto's body. I watch with dead golden eyes as I stare at the open jacket of the boy, showing his battered and bruised form. Wake up Naruto...Please, "Wake up". There is nothing. And then...A twitch of his hand. Slowly, my eyes widen, and blue eyes open up as though he had just fallen asleep. My heart skips a beat and my jaw falls open slightly, a sigh of relief coming from me.
"...Guys...?" Naruto's mouth opens up to say. Slowly he works to sit up, and I find myself kneeling on his other side, across from Tsunade. Blue eyes roam before finally landing on myself. "...Cross?"
"Hey kiddo," I smile out, "How are you feeling?"
"...Like I just got hit by one of your jutsus," the boy mutters. "Where's Kabuto? What happened to Orochimaru?"
"They got away Naruto," Jiraiya answers from Tsunade's side.
Naruto now looks to the blond woman and grins, "You're still here...I won the bet". What bet?
Tsunade nods, a smile on her lips, "That you did. I'm coming home with you guys. As Godaime Hokage". She stands, "We should get a move on, it's a long walk back to the village from here". Her eyes land on Itachi and I. Jiraiya in the mean time helps Naruto to his feet. "I've been told by Jiraiya what's going on with you two...Are you sure you want to continue through with this?"
Itachi is the one to answer this, "There is no turning back for either of us; what must be done, must be done if it's for the safety of the village".
There's a single nod from the woman, and after that we set off with Naruto getting carried by Jiraiya. I smile at the sight, seeing the content look on the blond's face as he sits there and rests his head on the man's back. If I didn't know better, it'd be like watching father and son. I'm happy for him, to have found another person who is so fond of him. Hell knows he needs all the love and affection he can get from those around him. He's spent enough time being scorned.
A number of hours' travel finds me in a place I haven't been in a very time. Well...I've never been to this particular place, but the place in general I have. The warm water feels soooo good on my skin, and I can't help but let out a low moan of pleasure from the feeling. I lean far and deep into the hot spring water that the hotel we're staying at tonight has so kindly allowed us to use. Luckily there's no co-ed bath, or else Jiraiya would be trying to get into there and bothering poor innocent normal women. My head leans back on the edge behind me, and my twelve foot wings spread out nice and wide. The water is good for the skin that covers them, just as it's good for the rest of my skin. My hair is loose from its braid, floating both behind and around my frame from within the water. My eyes close, and I just...Relax.
"Orochimaru called you 'daughter dearest'," a feminine voice speaks up from my side, making me slowly open a golden eye and find that Tsunade has made her way next to me- not exactly next to me do to my wing on that side, but close enough. Damn. I didn't even hear her until she spoke up. She's not a Sanin for nothing though.
Still, golden eyes that I know glow in the darkness of the area we're in- after all, we are outside and it is night time and there isn't much lighting as it is- peek through thick lashes. "If you're worried if I share blood with him or not, don't worry about it. The only thing I have from him creating me in a tube is his eyes and nothing more. Even if I did have more of his DNA in me than that...I still wouldn't consider him a father".
Tsunade is silent for a moment before nodding, "I see. I would be lying if I said that that doesn't relieve me. By a great amount really". She pauses, "If I may...How is it that you became a shinobi of Konoha?"
I smile lightly, crossing one leg over the other from under the water's surface. "Kakashi found me...Way back when he was fifteen- he's twenty three now. Eight years ago...He found me in Orochimaru's most recently abandoned hide outs, and he took me home like a child would a stray cat or dog. He showed me to Sandaime-sama and he told Kakashi to take me to the hospital. I was asleep during this time; I didn't wake up until later in the night. Kakashi named me Cross...For whatever reason. And then he taught me the base of everything I know. Including how to be social, and how to talk".
"So you were a child in a ten year old's body," Tsunade assumes.
I chuckle and shake my head, "I'm not eighteen, Hokage-sama. I'm actually twenty one; I'm not human, and my body doesn't age".
Her eyes are wide now. "Are you saying...You are the immortality he's been looking for?"
My brows furrow. He's looking for immortality? I just thought he was some asshole scientist shinobi with a God complex. Figures. All assholes like him want immortality so that they can be assholes forever. "...No...I'm pretty sure I can die from fatal wounds. I've never been sick though, and I'm pretty sure poison is a no go".
"Have you...".
"Ever tried fatally wounding myself? No. But I have had some pretty bad wounds in my life. None of them fatal but pretty bad all the same. I remember one time I got a good gash in my side, and I almost bled out. I felt heavy and really tired. If that's what dying feels like then...I'm not the immortality he's been looking for apparently".
"That's good. If you were...You'd be a target for more than just him".
"I know". Trust me...I know.