Far From Home
Chapter Seventeen
Lord Voldemort paced around the room. He had offered Dumbledore's kunoichi fame, glory, and her own brand of immortality and yet, she turned him down for reasons he had not been expecting at all.
He had sent Macnair out to gain the alliance of the half-breed ninja that worked with her and the man had reported that he had been laughed at, held against the wall by his throat, and then tossed aside like trash.
The pale haired priest was nowhere to be found. As far as he knew, the woman's debt had been paid and the half-breed had stopped getting paid, so why such continued loyalty to Dumbledore?
He needed someone close to this powerful pair. Someone who was in constant contact with them. Severus did not dare disobey his orders, despite the fact that he thought him mad for continuing to want ninja at his beck and call.
But Voldemort was a man who was attracted to power and he desired to witness the power of his ancestors with his own eyes. It sent thrills up his spine, the second-hand accounts of their speed, strength and magic pulled him in with its siren song and as he gazed at the trapped Dementors, an idea came to him. After all what couldn't be bought, could be had by force.
"Have you ever wanted children Konan?"
Molly asked, breaking her out of a light meditation in which she'd been mentally compiling their supply list.
That was an odd question coming from the woman who seemed to despise her. Though lately, the red head woman had been determined to see what made her tick, from attempting to initiate talks to provoking and challenging her.
"No. They are…a hindrance that I do not desire."
"But why?" Molly asked.
"My enemies could easily use them against me. They would be nothing but a liability."
"Besides" She added after a long pause. "I did not want them to grow up in a war torn world."
"Are you suggesting that I was selfish bringing children into this world?" She demanded.
"I never questioned or condemned your decision. You came to that conclusion on your own."
To someone like Kisame, who knew how to read a nin like Konan, they would have been able to detect the faintest tinge of irritation, to anyone else, it sounded like a toneless reprimand.
Molly opened her mouth to ask another question when Sirius appeared.
"Konan, Dumbledore wishes to see you." He interrupted.
The blue-haired woman nodded and followed him up the stairs where Dumbledore seemed to be explaining something to Kisame.
"Here. I think you might get more use out of this then I will."
"A mirror?" Kisame asked. "You trying to tell me something old man?"
Kisame had not had the chance to see how a two-way mirror worked. She stood back to watch.
"Ah. But it's not just any mirror Kisame. It's a Four-Way Mirror. Wherever you are, you can communicate with whomever holds the other pieces. All you have to do is say the name of the person. Try it out."
Kisame went to the first floor, activated it with his chakra and said. "Albus Dumbledore."
Dumbledore came into view, with the head of a mounted house elf looming eerily over him.
"Hello Kisame."
"Huh. These are pretty cool. So you giving us a little farewell gift?"
"On the contrary, I expect you two back before the school year starts."
The reflective surface split into thirds like a surveillance tape and he saw his teammate in another section.
"It is unlikely that-" Konan began.
"Oh pish posh Konan! I'm confident a pair of high-class shinobi such as yourselves can accomplish this mission and make it back alive."
She gave him one of her rare, genuine smiles of amusement.
"Whether we make it back in one piece or not is a different story." Kisame chuckled.
"Anyways, do let me know when you've accomplished your mission, or are in need of emergency transport and don't lose the mirrors please, they're extremely rare."
Konan and Kisame nodded.
"The port key will be leaving at 9:30 on the dot tomorrow morning." He explained.
That was good, they would have more then enough time to pick up Sasori.
"We will have to set up another one as soon as you are ready to come home." Albus explained.
Both of them startled at the word home. Konan hadn't really expected to ever truly have a home again, even in the loosest sense of the word, since she'd been on the run. Kisame hadn't had a home since he'd botched the assassination of the Mizukage.
Albus yawned.
"Well, better get a good night's sleep. You'll need all your energy for your travels. Good luck."
When all was quiet, Konan slipped outside quietly and stared up at the full moon, as a cool, summer's breeze toyed the loose wisps of hair around her face. She closed her eyes. It been nearly ten months since Nagato, her oldest and most cherished friend had been killed. Several, tears slid down her cheeks as she offered a silent prayer for his soul, hoping that he had found the peace he'd so desperately wanted in the afterlife.
It was a monthly ritual. One that had started after her father and sister were killed by insurgents and one she kept every time someone close to her heart died. She wondered why, despite all her efforts to remain aloof, she ended up getting close to someone. It was a recipe for heartache.
They left when it was still dark out speeding through the mist-covered forests, where owls hooted mournfully and creatures shrieked and hunted in the night, though Kisame's dangerous demonic chakra kept weaker or more intelligent ones at bay.
Kisame had been feeling pretty good since he came here. He had a place to stay good food to eat, battles to keep him sharp and satisfy his battle lust and interesting new booze to consume. Working with Konan wasn't bad, she was highly skilled.
A figure appeared from the mist and beckoned to them. Tensing the two ninja followed it, every sense strained
He was waiting for them past the river close to the other side of the forest.
"You two are slow. He said.
Kisame growled.
"Why have you called me here Konan?" He asked.
Neither of them had mentioned that they would be going out to kill Orochimaru. Neither of them would put it past the puppet master to organize a small ambush. Just because Sasori couldn't kill them directly or discreetly, didn't mean he couldn't figure out other ways to have them killed. Kisame just hoped the little bastard hadn't figured that out yet.
"There is no time for talk, we must get to the port key quickly and will explain after we've reached our destination." There was a quiet urgency in their voice.
"As you wish…Konan-san." He spat.
She didn't bat an eyelash at his tone. But they followed Kisame, who was letting Samehada guide him to the portkey.
They were halfway there when the ground began to ice over.
Konan stood stock still, listening to the odd sucking sound of Dementors.
"What is that?" Sasori growled, eyes darting around.
"They are called Dementors, they are…parasitic creatures who feed on happy memories and leave only the bad ones, if they get close enough to incapacitate you, they will suck out your soul."
"I guess that makes us a good meal." Kisame snorted.
"Clearing our minds will make us more difficult to track."
"Why can't we just kill it?" Sasori asked.
"As far as I know they can only be repelled not killed."
"We'll see about that." Sasori grumbled and took out one of his puppets.
The puppet shot a stream of fire, but it passed through the demon harmlessly. Sasori looked thoughtful.
"It's incorporeal, which is why we can't kill it." The puppet master said.
"Incor-what?" Kisame asked before blasting one with a water jutsu.
"It's like a purely chakra based attack. You can feel the effect physically, but you can't harm it with anything."
Kisame looked at Samehada, which was undulating, desperate to get at the Dementors, which were swarming them like an oversized flock of freaky birds.
He slashed through the Dementor with it and it gave a long-drawn out gasp of air as a ragged hole was ripped through it, Kisame slashed again, watching with an evil grin as it dispersed into wispy blackness.
Samehada had had a taste and it wanted more, Kisame charged into the swarm, his sword sucking down the Dementors' energy as it went.
Shocked that there was something capable of actually killing them, the remaining ones fled.
Voldemort was stunned that the Half-breed ninja had managed to do something no wizard or witch could as he beckoned to Nagini to come back. Instead of discouraging him, it made him all the more desperate to have ninja under his control.
These ninja were obviously not going to come to him willingly or otherwise, but if there were ninja on the run from the law, then perhaps making a similar offer to them as he had to Dumbledore's Kunoichi would work better. It was high time he made a trip to the ninja world himself.
Author's Note
Ok, so no Orochimaru battle yet.
But there will be in a couple more chapters perhaps.
Peace Out!
Little Kunai