Chapter 4

We were walking through the village with me still trying to escape when Kurenai appeared. Actually appeared. I could've sworn she walked out of the tree alongside the road. Her arrival though killed any tiny chance I'd had remaining of escaping this team bonding. Fooling the other three was doable, but a jonin? I knew my limits and that feat exceeded them for the time being. Circumstances were not in my favor for it right now. From what I'd experienced of them, I'd also come to the conclusion that jonin underwent training to make them initially suspicious of anything unfamiliar. Anbu, like my ever vigilant friends, were even worse. So I went to lunch begging Kami to keep Shino silent and myself sane.

As we approached the restaurant, the scents of cooking food washed over me and chased away any lingering hopes of leaving. I hadn't had decent meals for two years and last night's ramen, despite it being delicious, was only the beginning of making up for it. Despite my euphoria at the thought of food, I was cautious of where I sat in the booth. I placed myself on the outside next to Hinata. Shino also sat on the outside, watching me. No early getaways for me then. He sure was persistent in his need to know things. We were going to be such a great combination. Especially since I was pretty sure I would never be able to tell my team everything about myself. The Hokage would have to be told everything eventually, but I'd cross that bridge when I came to it.

"Order what you want," Kurenai directed, "my treat."

That was a weight off of my back. I hadn't brought enough money to buy a decent lunch, as I had planned on going home after training. Still, I wasn't overly enthused to be relying on someone else. I'll just have to be more prepared next.

I ordered as much meat as I deemed appropriate as well as some rice and vegetables. I wouldn't have minded more and probably needed it with my metabolism, but what I had would suffice for now. Regardless I practically inhaled everything put in front of me when our food arrived. An air of surprise and disbelief settled around the table as my team stared at me. I could've sworn I heard Kurenai mutter, "now I know how Asuma and Kakashi feel." I wondered briefly at the statement before addressing the looks levelled at me.

"What? I'm hungry."

Kiba snorted, "I only know one other girl who can eat that fast."

"Really? I'll have to meet her someday," I replied, not quite believing the validity of this statement.

"You'll run into her eventually," he said back before returning to his description of the other genin teams that were roughly our age. There was our team, Team 8, then Team 10 comprised of Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chouji, Yamanaka Ino, and their sensei, Sarutobi Asuma. Next was Team Gai, two of which, I learned, I had met yesterday. Tenten and Neji and then their final teammate Rock Lee as well as their sensei, Maito Gai. Then there was Team 9, who was, unusually, made up solely of girls. They were Haruno Suzume, and the Sakura twins Luna and Hikari. I was startled to find that Luna and Kiba were dating. From his description of her, their relationship didn't seem like it would work. Finally was their sensei, Yamanaka Kira, one of the two ex-Anbu sensei of the teams our age. The other was Hatake Kakashi, sensei of Team 7.

Everyone's mood seemed to become more somber upon the mention of this team. I quickly discovered why. Team 7 was a broken team. The team had originally included Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke. Kiba proceeded to tell me the story of what happened to them, although he didn't need to. I'd heard enough about them during my years with Orochimaru and even had the misfortune of meeting the rogue Uchiha. It had been a brief encounter and rather unpleasant.

"There's also another member, but she wasn't originally placed with them." My eyes snapped back to Kiba at this statement. Another one? Maybe it's…

"Her name is Uchiha Tora, Sasuke's twin."

I twitched briefly in surprise, my thoughts racing. I was pulled from them by the sound of my name.

"What?" I asked, looking up only to meet the expectant gazes of my team.

Kiba sent me a look of exasperation, but it was Kurenai who repeated the question.

"We were just wondering where you're from since we haven't seen you around the village before, so we assumed you're not from around here."

Well crap. The question brought to the forefront of my mind the daymare that I'd successfully been avoiding till now. My breath caught slightly in my throat and I felt cold and stiff.

"Yeah. I guess I'm from everywhere really," I answered, forcing my voice to remain even, "my family never stayed in one village long. We spent the last few years near the border of the Land of Rice Paddies." There. Not quite a lie. Unfortunately, it seemed my team wasn't done yet. Why were people so annoyingly nosy?

"What brought you to Konoha? And as a ninja, no less?" This could get tricky. Good thing I'd left myself an opening for such a question.

"My family worked as mercenaries with basic ninja abilities. Living on the borders of two ninja nations I picked even more shinobi knowledge. But," I paused, emotion draining from my voice, making it dull and flat," my parents...they refused to do work for Orochimaru. So they were killed. They managed to get me out, but I was pursued. Luckily I was able to make my way to Konoha's gates before they caught me."

It was almost the truth, just embellished a little. Any family I'd ever had I'd never known. For as long as I could remember I had been alone, fending for myself in a vicious world of experiments, secrets, and power struggles. And I'd thrown myself right into the thick of it, revelled in it even. Eventually I paid the price for it too.

The looks of pity on my teammates' faces, even if it was misguided, was more than I could deal with. Then they had to make it worse.

"Tenshi I'm s-so sorry," Hinata began.

That did it. I fled the discomfort, an old habit I'd never quite shaken. I'd never dealt well with the sympathetic emotions of others, especially when they were directed towards me. There had been numerous times when I attacked someone just at the hint of sympathy. I was fast enough that they were caught off-guard. Hopefully none of them would recover in time to pursue me.

It wasn't my brightest idea, running who-knows-where in a place I barely knew. Being on the streets made it even worse, so I headed for the rooftops. Leaping across them offered me a better vantage point and gave me some sense of direction. I was still running aimlessly though, determined to be alone somewhere that would make it easy to push back the memories and pain that was still so raw. My attention was drawn to the mountainous rock with carved faces staring solemnly down at the village. The Hokage Monument. It was high and open, the complete opposite of the dark, deep caves which haunted the edges of my thoughts. It was also in the village limits and would keep the Anbu from being too on edge. Any more than usual at least.

I continued to the mountain, having to drop back to the streets for a bit before making my way up the rock face through a combination of chakra walking and chakra enhanced leaps. I was breathless at the top and nearly collapsed. My mad sprint across the village had exerted more energy than I thought. Guess I was still in bad shape from the experimentation. I would have to work on building my stamina back up.

Boulders of various sizes were littered about the cliff and I reclined against one gratefully, facing the village as I breathed deeply through my nose, held it, and then exhaled, working to bring my heartrate down to a normal pace.

The sun beat down on the village, spilling warmth and light, having just passed its zenith. People wandered the streets, some idly, some briskly, talking, shopping, or just walking with no apparent purpose. Living out their normals lives. Something I'd never had the chance to experience, and up until a few years ago, never cared to. I thought I'd had everything I could ever want. Then the illusion I'd lived with for years was shattered and with it the only life I'd ever known.

I came here to shake these memories though, so I pushed them away. Instead I turned my thoughts back to my impressions of my team. They were close and their cooperation almost seemed to be second nature. Their abilities made them well suited for tracking. Too much combat might break them though. I could fit myself in there. Of course they all seemed to have potential to be formidable, should they choose to. I still didn't know too much about Kurenai other than a bit of her reputation as a genjutsu user. She seemed kind and it was obvious that she cared about her students.

Kiba, aside from being one of the most annoying people I'd ever met-although maybe that was the dog-cat conflict speaking-was the group's voice. Hinata was shy and Shino only spoke when necessary. He was also the fiercest fighter of them and didn't seem to have the words "give up" in his vocabulary if his fight with Hinata earlier was any indication. Of course his strategy was instinct, and while useful in some situations, relying solely on one's gut feeling was a good way to end up dead. His enhanced senses helped to balance out his recklessness though. He was given some forewarning. His years with Akamaru had forged a powerful bond between the two, allowing for complete trust between the pair, and had also, whether he knew it or not, armed him with the ability to cooperate with others, which was enormously helpful in team situations. I'd seen many a mission go awry because the team couldn't get it together. Of course a feared leader often was able to fix that.

Hinata was timid and soft-spoken, not traits usually seen in a shinobi. She was capable of a lot though, if she put herself to it. Her kekkai genkai, the Byakugan was also a valuable asset. Somewhere along the way though, her self-confidence had taken a beating. I'd had to prompt her for her opinions and the ones she offered weren't contrary in the slightest. A worrisome thing, but observing her fight with Kiba, I'd caught a glimpse of some fire in her. My guess was her confidence issues had something to do with her clan. What knowledge I had of them, and most prestigious clans in general, led me to believe that any hint of weakness drew them like vultures to a carcass. She could get through it though, if she let herself.

Shino was the hardest to read of the three and I had a suspicion that he wanted it that way. The Aburame were a quiet mysterious bunch anyway for the most part. Their typical appearance added to that, whether that was the reason for it or not. He was sharp though. The fact that he'd nearly caught me off guard earlier was proof of that. He was observant and made good use of what he knew. I had little doubt in my mind that he was the team's strategist. Heck, he could probably give me a run for my money if I wasn't on top of things.

That was why he dangerous to me. Secrets were annoyingly good at letting themselves be found out and they seemed to flock to the observant. I had a lot of things I'd rather keep to myself. Yes, my team would be told I was one of Orochimaru's experiments. I'd spare them the details though. It was too much for me to discuss with anyone, possibly ever. Tsunade would also have to be told of my past before the experiments, why I felt so betrayed by the snake's actions, even against my better judgement. Much as I'd prefer to leave those memories buried, my new leader, at least, needed to know.

I continued to sit there, pondering over nothing in particular, mostly trying to deny the inkling in my mid of what I needed to do, before standing with a sigh. Now was a good a time as any to explain to Tsunade what her ex-teammate had done to me. If she found out from another source...well that would not work out in my favor. Carefully I descended from the heads and dropped lightly onto a roof. This trip across the roofs wasn't a blind sprint. The Hokage tower was nearby anyway, so I moved at a leisurely pace. I probably could've come down straight to the roof, but decided it wasn't the greatest course of action. Instead I decided to take the door. Better safe than sorry in this situation.

I landed on the ground in front of the tower and went through the door, casting a glance at the secretary sitting at a desk almost directly in front of me. He waved me through without looking up from his work, so I continued up the stairs and down the hall to Tsunade's office. Pausing, I rapped my knuckles against the wooden door twice before waiting for the irritated shout I'd heard before. I was surprised by significantly calmer, "Come in." Guess she was less peeved than before.

I opened the door and stepped over the threshold, glancing around the room and noting the paperwork from before was missing. Tsunade seemed somewhat startled by my appearance but quickly schooled her features.

"Hokage-sama," I greeted.

"Tenshi," she responded, "you need something?"

I swallowed my unprecedented nerves and spoke. "I didn't tell you everything you need to know about me yesterday."

The blonde woman looked up once more, fixing her sharp brown eyes on my blue.

"Have a seat," she directed, gesturing towards the chair in front of her desk. I walked closer, but didn't sit.

"I'd prefer to stand, if you don't mind." Tsunade eyed me a moment before conceding with a nod.

"What I'm going to tell you isn't information for everyone. It concerns Orochimaru's experiments," I continued before the Sannin could remark, "what he...what he did to me. It must have happened when I was very young or perhaps I was...bred for it." The very notion that I could been created and raised from a test tube made my throat constrict with revulsion, so I pressed on with my story.

"I was in his lairs for as long as I can remember. Throughout that time, I came to the knowledge of what he done to me. He'd experimented with my chakra coils, and indirectly, my DNA. See, he grafted this into my body." I lifted my tank top and fishnet aside from the left side of my body, revealing it; a small, startled sound slipped from the Hokage as she examined it. Just above my hip it started, a five inch long mass of chakra that was a little over an inch and a half wide at the widest point. Looking at it, I mentally cursed. It was longer than before. It's shape was still the same though. The appearance of a gash as though made from a swipe with a kunai.

"What is that?" Tsunade demanded, eyeing the chakra suspiciously.

"I've no idea how he was able to get his hands on it, but somehow he did. This chakra comes from the two-tailed cat demon, the Nibi."

Her eyes widened.

"I'm not a jinchuuriki if that's what you're wondering. The beast isn't sealed within me. A sample of its chakra was grafted to mine, though it can have similar effects they're to a lesser degree. I can also draw on the chakra, but I prefer not to. It can be temperamental.

"Also," I began, hesitatingly, "there...there have been times when I'm angry or feeling some strong negative emotion," Or when I called it forth. "that the chakra will take over completely and I lose all rationality. Unlike when a jinchuuriki loses control though, there's no hint of reason behind it. The chakra isn't sentient and its sole goal is to return to its source. It will go through any obstacle to get to it, and if I wasn't able to wrestle control back, or have someone else stop me, it would achieve its goal. One of the times I lost control, I didn't manage it in time though and it obliterated not only the enemy, but my allies as well," I related. As I'd spoken my voice had dropped to a whisper.

Tsunade said nothing; she just regarded me with those hawkish eyes. It did nothing to make me feel more comfortable. Not that I really was to begin with.

"I realize that I could be a potential threat, but I can control it better now. I don't have anywhere else to go and-" my words became a garbled rush as my fears spilled out, probably brought out by my flashback during capture the flag, until Tsunade cut me off.

"Tenshi stop."

I felt despair rush through me like a wave, seeping deep into my being. I would have to leave and fend for myself, struggling to evade Orochimaru's clutches. Just when I thought I might have a chance at change, to wash away my past…

"You can stay."

I'd have to stay. Wait...what? It took me a good minute to process what Tsunade said before I fully comprehended it. As I blinked away my confoundment, she began speaking again.

"You're not the only one in danger of possession here. There are two others. Who, incidentally, are your age."

In my panic I'd forgotten about that. The Kyuubi jinchuuriki lived here. Although he was out of town. On a training trip with the final Sannin, Jiraiya. I learned about his existence from conversations between Orochimaru and Kabuto, and discovered more about him after Sasuke's arrival. Up until I was basically cut off from everything to be experimented on.

The other one, if I wasn't mistaken, was a former experiment like myself. I noticed Tsunade herself mentioned nothing else about them. I wasn't surprised by this, in fact I'd expected it. The fact that she had even brought them up was unexpected. Measures were usually taken to conceal such matters for as long as possible.

"Oh!" I exclaimed, remembering something I should probably tell Tsunade, "the chakra, probably because it reacted with my developing chakra system spilled over into my physical development. I have keener than normal senses, much like an Inuzuka. And it's heightened my reflexes and given me these." I flexed my fingers, unsheathing my claws. Sheathed, they looked like long, pointed fingernails. "And my fangs. I'm also stronger and faster at a base level than most. I still had to work to reach my current level though."

She inclined her head, and I recognized the gesture as a dismissal as well as acceptance of what I'd told her.

I nodded back, once, and turned to leave. One last piece of information was nagging at me though and made me falter and glance back.

"Is there something else?"

"No," I decided, "nothing. Thank you for everything Tsunade-sama."

I turned my back once more and left the office, conflicting emotions following me the whole way out.

A/N: It has been way too long guys. I'm sorry. School is hectic and swim season started so I'm swamped. So really until swimming is over updates are going to be sporadic. I promise a chapter over Christmas break though. So review and tell me your opinions of Tenshi's secrets! Also, the characters in Team 9 and Tora are the OCs of my friend xXToraUchihaXx. Definitely go read her stories as they are amazing. And they may be relevant later on.