A/N Hahah...hah...sorry
This update took particularly long because I've been busy setting up for Uni. I'm also trying to take my education more seriously this year, if only to make my parents happy. Besides that and being overseas, I guess I needed a break from writing. (take a break to get back into it?)
I feel terrible for making you all wait for this mediocre story. Lol 3 I've got to also thank you for all the lovely reviews I've gotten!
I am proud to bring back my missing story. After 3 months I've finally updates (and I hope to get another chapter out relatively soon)
The next few chapters should tie up the Chuunin Exams, and after that I have some freedom, and a few choices of where to go. There going to be a break in the pace (like Naruto's training journey, and currently I'm considering 1 month to 3 years.)
I'm also confused on how to end this fic (the obvious answer being the defeat of Madara...)
ALSO! Children (yes, Miyu's possible kids). Please let me know if your against of for the idea (I men, 'let me know' but ultimately it's my decision lel.)
Anyway, here's chapter 27 (sorry for any spelling errors... I may or may not have posted it without a proper editing session)
~Chapter 27 - THE SNAKE IN THE GRASS
"Sensei." Her students weren't nearly as surprised as she would've liked when she popped out of the summon scroll, their impassive faces staring at her and awaiting orders.
"Good job on passing the second test," Miyu brought her hands down, ruffling each head affectionately whether her students enjoyed it or not, "You're the first group that's made it. Congratulations on setting the new record." Kimimaro stepped forward, handing her a slightly blood-stained scroll.
"Yakushi Kabuto was dealt with as asked." Her first student informed, receiving a particularly warm smile that had the corners of his own mouth turning upwards.
"How are your conditions?" Their sensei asked, not seeing any visible injuries.
"Good." Haku answered, as he was the one in charge of their health. Being the particular ninja that they were, their chakra expenditures had been rather low, most of which would have recovered by now. Kabuto's team had been a minimal threat and they hadn't come across any others making their trip to the tower nothing short of a breeze.
"Well, let's get you all settled in. You have four extra days to relax." She ushered them through the door with her usual antics but Sai couldn't hold back his curiosity.
"Sensei." She turned at his voice, tilting her head in question.
"Yes, Sai?"
"Are you doing something important right now," He furrowed his brow as he tried to word his thoughts, "I mean to ask if there is a particular reason why you sent a shadow clone to greet us."
"Ah," She was surprised he had noticed so quickly, and made sure to note it down for future reference, "I'm currently dealing with a small pest."
She flashed through the dense treetops, passing by completely unnoticed, her mind filled with only necessary information and nothing else.
He is running south. The fox told her, unable to continue his hunt. She had given him strict orders, and his priority no matter what, was to watch the kids. Yes, he answered, hearing her thoughts, They have been marked. He had said 'they', meaning more than one, and Miyu felt herself hissing in anger. The curse seal was not the problem, it was the fact the disgusting snake had dared to lay his hands on those precious to her. Quickening her pace she passed remnants of battle, keenly listening for the sound of metal. She heard the clangs and the grunts, almost disappointed she had not been the first to greet the snake. Then again it seemed only fitting that the first one to find him would be his former 'apprentice'.
"Gah!" Miyu caught the flying body as it hurtled towards a tree trunk, taking the impact with ease.
"You should be more careful, Anko." The blonde advised, sitting the woman down as she seemed no longer able to fight, clutching at the abominable mark on her neck.
"Ah, Uchiha Namikaze Miyu," His voice was sickly sweet, and she made to show her disgust when she turned to him, eyes narrowed, "I'm honoured to be in your presence." As a child she had been an enigma, hostile towards him from the very beginning. Growing older had changed neither of those facts.
"Orochimaru," she bit out, retrieving a scroll from her pouch, "You're as repulsive as usual. And you wondered why I never liked you."
"And you're tongue is just as cutting as I remember." He waved off her insults easily, feeling the typical regret of not possessing her when he had the chance. She was beautiful, deadly, with raw power running through her veins, and it was everything he had ever wanted in a body. Alas this also meant she was dangerous, and as he wasn't quite eager to start a fight with her. He prepared to flee.
"I have bigger problems than you on my mind right now," Miyu threw him the scroll with an amused look, "I'm warning you not to do anything that might annoy me further." She wasn't confident she could catch him, not when he could simply shunshin away, so she would give him a parting gift and wait for a time he committed to a fight. His current visit was to mark his targets and she was more than capable of dealing with that, making his efforts in vain, not that he would know until much later on.
"You should watch you words, child." He caught the scroll, vanishing as she had suspected a second after.
"I'm sorry you had to endure it for so long," Miyu apologized, giving the tough woman an impressed look. It seemed her teammate had great taste in women she mused flippantly.
"Hah, I've already gotten used to it, a few more years was nothing," Anko offered her slight assurance, rubbing her neck where the burning had only just faded, "I'm just happy, I'll finally be rid of his mark." It was a nuisance, a reminder of her younger self's naivety, and after resigning herself to her fate, she was finally being given a second chance.
"I suppose I should inform you that this will hurt." Her blue eyes bled into red and her pupils swirled together as she activated her kekkei genkai . Her method was perfect, flawless, though only when done correctly. If her control wavered, Anko would be burned alive…
"I've probably had worse." The dark haired woman laid down on the hard bed and closed her eyes. She felt the unusually cool touch of the other's fingers on her neck and a moment later wished to take back her carefree words. It burned, worse than it had when she was marked, and more painful than when her traitorous teacher was near. She gritted her teeth which such force she feared they would shatter, all in an attempt to hold back her screams.
"Almost done." Miyu worked deftly, her flame covered fingers appearing to phase into the shaking body at moments. What she did was more than a complicated sealing, but it was as simple as a cleansing. Before Amaterasu, the flames that consumed all, Orochimaru's taint was nothing. The only thing she had to do was control it, stop it from burning anything it shouldn't. The whole process took less than an hour, though her patient had felt like it had been far longer.
"That's it?" Anko asked, her voice sounding weird to her ears. She was tired, exhausted beyond belief, but had more important things to do than sleep.
"That's it," The blonde chuckled under her breath. Of course Anko would still be conscious, where most others would have fainted, "It'll feel raw for the rest of the day, but it should bother you no more. Unless you get bit again that is." Anko vehemently shook her head.
"Maybe I should start wearing scarves?" She joked. It was easy being around Miyu, unlike some of the more unsavoury villagers, but she had always considered it funny that the outcasts had become friends. At least by now the massacre had been mainly 'forgotten', and with this, her unsavoury past would too, disappear.
The blonde reclined peacefully one of the few couches in what could be considered the lounge of the tower, one hand idly running though her partner's fur. Her students were within sight, idly doing whatever they considered a hobby. For Kimimaro it was training, for Haku, reading, and for Sai, it was watching others. He seemed particularly interested in her, simply staring without a single note of boredom. "You should spend your time better." Miyu recommended, cracking her blue eyes open.
"I was told that it was important for me to observe others." He replied, his face seemingly defaulting to a smile.
"You can multitask," She stated, "Do you know what your role on this team is?"
"Intelligence and ranged assault." He answered instantly.
"Correct," She applauded him with a couple of wry claps, "Apart from that, I was hoping to get you into demolition and sabotage, but more importantly sealing."
"Sealing?" The boy echoed curiously, telling her she had successfully caught her attention.
"Your signature jutsu require the use of ink, and as such it would be convenient if you could use it for something else," She explained with a glint in her eyes. She knew for a fact the boy was adapt at making explosive tags and that in itself meant he had invested some effort, and therefore interest, in the branch of skills, "Of course it's not easy, but if you wanted to learn I would be willing to teach." Sai seemed to consider her offer, weighing want against necessity. He had become increasingly confused with the amount options she had given him under her teachings, and in this case could see no downside other than a loss of time.
"I would appreciate that greatly." He replied, feeling almost excited at the prospect. He did note however, how his teacher swiftly pulled out a pile of reading scrolls, as if she had planning this for a while, and completely predicted his answer. Looking around he noted that his teammate had pause in his sword swings and was watching them, in particular, him with an odd expression. Sai would have loved to know what was going through the Kaguya's head, but seeing as he had unquestioningly killed another Konoha nin on the fine-printed request of their sensei, he could easily assume it was about the older blonde.
"So how did it go?" The Hokage asked her, weaving his fingers together in a show of his anxiety.
"As expected," Miyu replied, stretching her neck tiredly, "He escaped before I could stop him, of course after marking both Naruto and Sasuke with the cursed seal."
"I see." Minato frowned, his want to go help his son conflicting with his desire to have him succeed on his own.
"They will live," She stated confidently, "And they will pass. Kakashi has not trained them to be weak."
"Hah, I should believe in them more," He sighed, leaning back in his chair, "You'll remove the seal when they arrive at the tower?"
"It depends," the younger blonde shrugged, "If they arrive early I will have time. If not they will have to pass the preliminary handicapped. They don't quite have the same pain tolerance as Anko, and might be out for a while after."
"How much does it hurt?" Minato asked curiously. She pondered it for a while, bringing her fingers to her chin.
"I've been told it feels as if you're being set on fire," Miyu answered, finding it accurate for what it was, "Nothing too much."
"Sure…" He could only wonder what was 'too much' in her opinion but chose not to voice his queries, not really wanting to imagine the torture scenes she was sure to describe. "Well, I won't keep you here too long. Both Sarutobi and Jiraiya are running the perimeter with Iruka, so you can enjoy the peace with your team. Get them trained up and warn the other teachers that the Chuunin exams may be sped up." He rubbed his temples, as he looked at the invitations he had written sitting innocently on the desk. The finals would have the leaders for other nations grace Konoha with their presence, and he feared a war if anything disastrous happened.
"You'll get even more wrinkles with a face like that," the younger blonde mentioned, giving a gentle smile to help ease his worries, "No matter what, we will keep Konoha safe from any threat. If it means dealing with traitors, so be it, if it means dealing with the other nations, then that it what should be done."
"Miyu." Minato's tone was tense. He had no wish for Konoha to suffer, especially with him in the Hokage's seat.
"There won't be another war, Minato," She promised, with a certainty that came from her heart, "Konoha is currently the strongest of the Elemental Nations, and anyone would be a fool to go against us. If there is someone stupid enough to try and harm us, I will personally cut them down myself, no matter who they might be." She spoke with conviction and loyalty, enough to make anyone feel safer.
She left his office in the usual manner, through the window. This time though, there was someone watching her, waiting for her on the roof she chose to land on. The figure was male, shrouded in the ambiguous guise of a Konoha Anbu. "Miyu." His voice was full of warmth despite the respectable distance he kept.
"No, 'Onee-san'?" she asked, quirking her lips in a small smirk. How she wished she could turn back time just a little bit to see his chubby, childlike visage again. "Welcome back, Tachi."
"Weasel." Her younger brother corrected, slight annoyance in his tone though the face underneath his mask was probably as impassive as always. "How are the exams progressing?" He asked curiously, aware of the impending danger.
"Good." Kurama had been keeping an eye on the youngest Uchiha and his team, and so far they were doing well. "Are you done with your mission then?" He looked rather tired but that was to be expected considering the non-stop flow of missions he had been given.
"Yes," He appreciated that, while the Hokage couldn't exactly give him a break right now, he had enough sense to give him an easy but high ranking mission, "This is for you." He handed her an unbelievably realistic paper flower, one that she knew could only be from a certain blue-haired ninja.
"Thank you," Accepting the trinket and understanding the underlying message it held, she felt her own concerns relieved. Everything was going to plan so far, and there was no scenario that she was unprepared for. This time, when the snake moved to strike, Konoha would bare its own fangs, and the very village Orochimaru was born from, would be his grave.
"You are thinking too much again," Itachi commented wryly, head tilted up to watch the skies, "You need to relax once in a while."
"You of all people, don't need to tell me that." She replied, raising a brow at the overworked Anbu captain. He merely shrugged, not one to regret his choices. He had expected this once he had entered the elitist system, and within the dark environment, he thrived. "So, what's your new mission?" the blonde queried. It was rare of him to show his face and usually it was her who had to hunt him down.
"Protection duty." It was pretty much the higher leveled version of gate duty, which usually meant shadowing some nobles of some sort. Not exactly the type of job you gave to an S-ranked Anbu.
"Oh? And who's has the privilege of your impeccable skill?" There was mirth in her speech knowing that most nobles were rather hard to deal with, "I hope it's not the Daimyo…or even worse, his wife."
"I'm glad you approve of my skill," His voice too held a fair bit of humour, the brief bit of knowledge he held over her being the reason why, "After all, the one I'm guarding is you." She took a second to take in his words, mouth parted in surprise. Slowly the understanding came to her, and with it, irritation.
"I don't need a bodyguard." She muttered adamantly, turning and trudging her way back to Training Ground 44 with the Anbu trailing behind her.
"You are the honourable niece of the Hokage," Itachi explained, surprising her with a title she was sure hadn't existed in her time, "As his blood relative and possible successor, it is only right for you to be guarded." Miyu paused causing him to stop as well. She wanted to remind him that she was older than him, wiser than him, stronger than him, but something else caught her attention.
"Successor?" She echoed, eyes widening minutely.
"Minato-san is quite young for his position, and very capable as it is, so not many people have considered who would replace him if he was to step down for whatever reason," The proud Uchiha explained, a smirk playing on his lips, "But I tend hear some interesting things from the council after their meetings, and many think the next Hokage will be you."
"I'm not suited for that position," Miyu dismissed the subject shaking her head, "Besides, there are many more people who want it far more." Itachi huffed a little at her disregard, but didn't say anything else, simply following with his eyes on her distant back.
The second part of the Chuunin exams, while set to last for five days, ended on the afternoon of the fourth. For three days, her team and the Suna team were the only ones to occupy the tower, the participants staying far away from each other in respect and disinterest. Itachi stayed by her side for the majority of the time, a silent presence that was oddly comforting. The morning of the fourth day was when the rest of the successful participants tumbled in. First was Gai's team, looking as impeccable as one could after spending days in a forest, next came Kurenai's looking slightly tired but without outstanding injuries, followed closely by the next generation of Ino-Shika-Cho. Only a single antagonistic team made it through, Orochimaru's pets looking worse for wear. And then, as night approached, Kakashi's team walked through, or rather Sakura walked with her two other teammates leaning heavily on her for support, their sensei shining with pride behind them.
"You guys look horrible," She told them, looking at how messed up they each were, "But I'm proud of you." She told it to them as a family member, as a friend, seeing as Kakashi had filled the position as their mentor.
"Inside the forest, we-," Sakura spoke in hushed tones her voice unsteady with certain emotions, "We encountered Oro-" Miyu gently covered her mouth, shaking her head.
"I know. The village is aware and the necessary protective measures are already in place." She placed a reassuring hand on the girls pink hair. She had gotten it cut after the Wave Mission so it hadn't been particularly long at the start of the exam, though now it was even shorter, with an uneven cut and singe to it. "The Chuunin Exams will continue, and that is what you should focus on. The snake is no threat to us."
"Is there enough time to deal with the mark?" Kakashi asked as they moved away from the entryway to a more secluded section. The blonde looked down at the two boys, noting their exhaustion. They were dead on their feet, too preoccupied with weariness that they didn't even respond to the waves of their friends.
"No," She knew that they needed their rest, and one day would not be enough time to recover from the treatment, "I will seal it away, but it'll have to be postponed until after the next part." She left it to Kakashi to lead them to their rooms, hoping that they would return to their energetic selves after a short reprieve.
A/N Thank you for reading my dear readers (especially those of you who heave kept up with my whimsical/horrible updating habits)
Alright, time for some recap.
Yes, she did give Orochimaru a scroll with Kabuto's head (that and a nasty surprise). And yes it was a very anti-climatic 'no-battle' scene. I figured he wouldn't fight her now when reinforcements were surely on their way. He needs his own back-up and the force of the Suna as they invade etc.
Uh, yeah. The seal is gone like that. Bam. (I'm not gonna bother drawing out the heaven's Seal nonsense when Miyu could easily remove it. It's not as if Sasuke of Naruto would end up using it anyway, nor would they defect to Orochimaru).
Oh, and this is Iruka x Anko (I imagine him to hold Miyu in high regard, with a puppy love for her in his younger years. Of course he's grown out of it, but I felt it would seem accurately for him to fall in love with Anko (considering how similar she is to Miyu). I also reckon Anko would be a sucker for the kind and caring Iruka...even if she acts annoyed.
Itachi's her bodyguard now 3 yay for Tachi being close by (also just Minato being slightly protective...hahhah...hah)
And with that Part Two of the Exams are over :D Look forward to the outcome of this all (though i fear it will be underwhelming)