Kitsune had rocks in her stomach and a lump in her throat as she knocked on Tomoe's door. She wished so bad that it wouldn't come to this, but it had. Shisui was gone now and there was no more delaying, but at the very least Tomoe might be willing to do Kitsune this one favor.
"I'm coming!" There was a clamor from within the home. "Son of a bitch!" Kitsune smiled a little at Tomoe's curse. "What?!" the young woman exclaimed as her door swung open.
"Hello Tomoe-san." The humor from the moment earlier had faded and Kitsune had to fake a smile.
"Oh it's just you, I thought it was that runt sister of yours. Brat comes by here almost every day looking for a match." She scoffed but Kitsune caught a glimpse of a smile, even if it was only for a second.
"I'm sure Kikyo appreciates the help, everyone at the compound has been so busy lately and some were afraid she wasn't getting in the practice she needed for a while there." Kitsune bowed in gratitude.
"Eh, no sweat. Someone has to teach that little runt how to fight." Tomoe crossed her arms and ushered for Kitsune to follow her into the home, leading the teen to the kitchen where she made some tea for the pair.
"And taught you have," she said with a sad smile. "She's been working very hard and there's been talk of arranging her Ken no Keisho within the next few days." Her expression darkened.
"Well, ain't that fan-fucking-tastic." Tomoe sipped her tea. "Be nice to represent Kyuketsukitou if they invited me," she scoffed. Kitsune had inherited two of the clan's sword so obviously she'd have to choose which one to stand behind in the ceremony and considering Tengokusaya hasn't had another wielder in so long and Kyuketsukitou's previous owner is alive and kicking…
"Of course they would Tomoe-san, you're still one of us," she told her cousin reassuringly. "But…" The teen downed her eyes, it was time to get down to why she was there in the first place. "Even from family… some people keep secrets."
"Okay, what's eating at you, Kid?" Tomoe nearly slammed her tea down on the table. "You look like someone shot your puppy."
"Tomoe-san, do you remember about nine years ago when the Kyubi attacked the village?"
Her cousin just gave her the strangest look. "How could anyone fucking forget that? Why do you even bring that up now?"
"The fox, I never saw it for myself, but I heard many people talking about it. They said they saw Sharingan in its eyes."
Tomoe froze, possibly thinking back to the night. Kitsune had heard of how Tomoe disobeyed her orders to stay with her peers and instead went out to fight the beast with the other shinobi.
"What about it?" She lifted an eyebrow, not sure where this was going.
"Well Tomoe-san, word spread about it, some began to wonder about the Uchiha's loyalty to the village. My father did a full investigation of it and couldn't identify the Sharingan responsible."
"What's this getting to? Spit it out already dammit!" Tomoe exclaimed impatiently, reminding Kitsune of Kikyo.
"There have been some tensions building up, escalating drastically in just the last few years because of it. Mistrust has spread between some of the other shinobi and the Uchiha and Tadashi. Tomoe-san," Kitsune looked to her with pleading eyes. "They've staged a coup de ta. The Uchiha are the ones behind it, but because of the bond between the clans the Tadashi are supporting them."
"What?!" She slammed her hand down on the table, cracking the wood.
"It's been delayed, but that's all we can do at the moment. Soon, and very soon, there will be action."
"Why the fuck am I just now being informed of this?!" she demanded.
"Because they didn't want you to be a part of it. You're a student of the Fourth Hokage and feared when you might have done. Fugaku-san is the one leading the coup, he's twisted my father's arm for cooperation in which my father complied, feeling as though the Tadashi were being persecuted as well because of our ancient bond with the Uchiha."
"This… this is…" Tomoe threw her cup, making it shatter against the wall.
"Because of the stress of planning the coup several Tadashi have succumb to the Curse."
"Wait, do you think that also means—"
"Tatsuo-san was very much involved, he was the one who was pushing my father the most in the issue."
"Fuck you Otousan!" Tomoe threw her center piece this time. "Anyone else left out of this little loop?" she snarled.
"Ojisan."
"…Well, can't say I blame them on that one." She almost shrugged.
"Otousan made the argument to the elders that Oji would be a risk because of his marriage to a Senju, but…" Kitsune smirked a little. "I think he's just trying to keep him out of trouble when this goes south and we all know it will."
"So," Tomoe cracked her knuckles. "What's the plan? Who are our other allies in this?"
"What makes you think such things?" Kitsune asked a little playfully.
"Well, you obviously aren't here so we can scrapbook it am I right?" She lifted an eyebrow.
"Yes Tomoe-san, you're right." The stressed teen smiled.
"You're damn right I'm right!"
"Out of all those in the clans, the only ones that are resisting are Itachi, Shisui, and myself. Itachi is the one leading the counter measures." Kitsune downed her eyes. "But, we lost Shisui just the other day which made me come here." She rubbed her face in her hands, angry at herself for bringing Tomoe into this, but she couldn't think of any other way. "Please Tomoe-san. When this is over. Please, look after Kikyo, she's going to need all the help she can get."
"What the fuck are you getting at?"
"Our counter measure for the coup. Please, when it's over Kikyo's going to need someone to keep an eye out for her."
"Kitsune, what the fuck are you planning on doing?!"
"It was decided Tomoe-san, that the Tadashi and Uchiha clans are to be terminated." Kitsune's shoulders shook. "It was Danzo-sama's plan and-and, I don't think there's another way around it at this point. They are weeks, maybe not even that long away, from acting upon their plans. There's no stopping it now, not even Shisui…" Kitsune pinched the bridge of her nose.
Tomoe's face got very dark. "Kitsune, who exactly has Danzo decided will be doing the terminating?" The words were quiet and cold and the younger kunoichi could honestly say she'd have preferred her cousin's shout.
"Itachi and I." Frighteningly, Tomoe's face got darker. "But, Danzo has allowed leniency based on Itachi's request. He will allow him to spare his little brother." She shook. "I asked him, I begged for the same privilege but Tomoe-san…" Kitsune looked up and gazed at the young woman she admired like an older sister. "He doesn't want Kikyo to live Tomoe-san, he sees her as a possible threat in the future. I begged him and told him I couldn't, I wouldn't and he finally allowed it on one condition…" Her shoulders shook. "I have to cripple my little sister…" Kitsune clenched her jaw and squeezed her eyes shut, just thinking of what she was going to have to do made her sick to her stomach.
Tomoe's face suddenly seemed unnaturally blank. The twitching muscle of her jaw was the only motion. Still, Kitsune could feel her anger as if it were a tangible force. "I see," is all she said. The words were calm, cold. Chilling. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly and she leaned back in her seat.
"Tomoe-san, please. Danzo-sama, I don't trust him to keep his word, not at all. I'm terrified of what he might do to her and I won't be able to protect her after this. You're the only one who can do it." She gripped her hands, pleading with the older Tadashi. "Please, keep my little sister safe." Her eyes shined, damned tears threatening to show their ugly faces.
"I get the feeling your sister isn't the one you should worry about." Her voice was still that unnatural sort of calm – unnatural for Tomoe anyway. It was making Kitsune way too nervous, she would prefer the shouty, bitchy Tomoe to this one any day.
"Please, Tomoe-san." She just didn't understand, Kitsune may have to do a lot in the next few days, but Kikyo, poor little Kikyo, her life was going to be hell. Kitsune only prayed she could find some form of normalcy when this was all over.
"I'll keep an eye on her. You have my word."
"Thanks."
…
"Okay! Okay! I give! I give!" Naruto tapped out on the ground with his arm twisted behind him.
"Great! What's my time?" Kikyo clapped her hands together and turned to Sasuke and Hotaru who were watching a little pocket watch.
"Two minutes and fifteen seconds," Hotaru informed her.
"Damn, so close to a new record." Kikyo snapped her fingers.
"Dammit Kikyo! You nearly broke my arm, dattebayo!" the blonde complained as he rubbed his wrist.
"Sorry Naruto, I've been working on my strength training and I guess I got carried away."
"Rematch!"
"No way, we've all had our rounds for the day," Hotaru interrupted and showed the blonde her bright yellow notebook with blue polka dots— don't ask about the god-awful color, Hotaru was partially color blind so she couldn't see how kill-me-yellow it was… Kikyo wondered if Naruto was color blind too and that's why he chose to wear kill-me-orange—and flipped to the page with their scores on it.
"God, the only one you haven't lost to yet is Hanji." Sasuke took the page and examined it.
"Arf!" The large dog responded to his name and came bounding over.
"Hanji~ Naruto needs a hug~" Kikyo called mischievously, causing the fluffy monster to freeze.
"No! No-no-no-no! I don't I swear! I—gah!" Within seconds he was being suffocated by the weight of having a Hanji on his chest.
"Okay, I take it back." Sasuke jotted down Hanji's win.
"Alright then, who's next?" Kikyo asked. The four were rotating out what kind of training they wanted to work on that day.
"You guys can go on and do whatever. I need to head to the training ground and work on my shuriken technique." Sasuke handed Hotaru her folder back and waved the others off.
"But Sasuke, I thought we arranged this so everyone could get their training in together." Hotaru pouted, not happy that Sasuke lied to them.
"I can't, this technique isn't something that I can work on in a group and I really want to master it," he argued back.
"Which shuriken technique?" Naruto asked after he was finally able to get Hanji off of him.
"You know, the really cool one with the hidden targets Itachi-san showed off the other week," Kikyo reminded him.
"Oh! Yeah, that one is cool~ dattebayo!" He grinned widely.
"Mmhmm, but Sasuke sucks at it so he really needs to work on it."
"Shut up Kikyo!"
"Make me, meh!" She stuck her tongue out.
"But Sasuke, you disappeared for, like, two weeks last time you tried to master something," Naruto argued with his friend.
"I did not disappear! I still went to school and came home and ate dinner, but I was just mastering a jutsu Otousan wanted me to learn." He crossed his arms.
"Oh yeah? I bet you were just ignoring us, dattebayo!" Naruto pointed his finger at him.
"I wish." Sasuke dug in his ear.
"What were you working on then Sasuke?" Hotaru asked.
"I'll show you, but you're not going to like it, Hotaru." He scratched the back of his head.
"What does that—"
"Katon: Fireball Jutsu!" He weaved the hand signs and before anyone else could say anything a giant ball of fire filled the clearing they were in.
"Eep." Hotaru quickly took several steps back behind Kikyo. Ever since the Senju compound caught fire when she was four Hotaru couldn't stand fire, she wasn't even comfortable around little campfires.
"Whoa!" Naruto's jaw dropped.
At that moment Kikyo felt the wind pick up. "Sasuke! Stop the jutsu before—" Several trees caught fire. "That, before that happens." She had a sweat drop.
"Oops." Sasuke quickly backed up away from his mess.
"Suiton: Raging waves!" Kikyo weaved hand signs and attempted to halt Sasuke's little boo boo from spreading all across the village.
"Oh! Oh! I know! I can help save the little animals with this really cool jutsu my dad taught me! Dattebayo!" Naruto held up his middle and index finger of both hands before crossing them. "Shadow clone Jutsu!" From there six more Narutos appeared from clouds of smoke.
"How did you learn that jutsu?!" Sasuke had joined Hotaru in spectating seeing as he had caused enough damage as it was.
"Hehe, like I said, my dad taught me. Dattebayo!" Naruto threw him a peace sign and a cocky smirk before going to help Kikyo. Once the fire had cleared, the two regular trouble makers stood before the two 'good ones' with scolding expressions.
"Why the hell didn't you help clean up your own mess?!" Kikyo crossed her arms and tapped her foot at the Uchiha.
He quirked an eyebrow. "I am a Katon user. The only thing I could have done is make more fire."
"Haven't you ever heard of fighting fire with fire?!"
"…I don't think that's a real thing."
"Actually," Hotaru held her finger up to correct him, "by burning up anything flammable and cutting off the fire's access to other sources the fire can be put out."
The other three stared at her. "Nerd!" Naruto proclaimed.
"Hey!"
"Yup, nerd."
"You're lame."
"You guys are mean~" Hotaru swatted and drew in the dirt with her finger and wore a dark cloud over her head.
"Well, there's Oji."
"You don't even have a right to tell us what to do Hotaru!" Naruto pointed accusingly. "You didn't help at all! Dattebayo!"
"Well I…" She guiltily played with her hair.
"Come to think of it, you really don't know much of any chakra nature jutsus do you?" Sasuke asked.
"I do too! … I'm just not supposed to do it without Momma or Daddy around."
"… Show us," they demanded in unison.
"B-but I can't!"
"But you let it spill that you know some kind of something cool! You can't just tell us that and then not show us! That's not fair! Dattebayo!"
"Fine!" Hotaru stood with a determined look on her face. "But you can't tell anybody got it!" She pointed her finger and the other three nodded, agreeing to her terms. "Okay." Hotaru clasped her hands together and closed her eyes in concentration. A second later a tree began to sprout from the ground where they stood. "There, now you know." She huffed.
"You… make trees?" Naruto cocked his head. "That's all?"
"That's all?! This is a very important and very rare Kekkei Genkai that's only had one other known user before me!" she exclaimed, voice rising with her temper.
"Who? Some kind of gardener ninja?"
"No you idiot." Kikyo smacked him over the back of his head. "Don't you ever pay attention in class? The last shinobi to have the Mokuton—"
"Moku-what?"
"That's what it's called stupid! Anyway, the last person to have it was the First Hokage." Kikyo pointed to the Hokage monument.
"…oh." He made a stupid face.
"What made it come up in you though?" Sasuke asked. "It had to have skipped, what, three generations?"
"Mmhmm." Hotaru nodded.
"It's quite possible that the Tadashi blood brought it back up. It brings to the surface the genes that'll make someone stronger," Kikyo noted.
"Meh, it still seems kind of lame." Naruto made a face. "I mean, how can making trees be scary? Oh no! You're going to leaf me to death!" He mock screamed and then fell into a fit of giggles.
"That's mean!" Hotaru brought her hands together once more and vines sprouted from the ground, trapping the blonde in their coils.
"Gah! Help!"
"No." Hotaru crossed her arms and turned her nose to the sky.
"Are we done here?" Sasuke asked impatiently. "I still want to practice my shuriken technique and it's nearly dusk now.
"Yeah we're done. I should get going too, we have a lot of planning to do today. Will I see you two tomorrow night?" Kikyo asked Hotaru and Sasuke.
"Of course! This will be the first time I've been to one!" Hotaru grinned.
"I don't really want to." Sasuke complained.
"But Itachi-san will make you go anyway because him, Fugaku and Mikoto-san are going," Kikyo reminded him with a smirk.
"Shut up!"
"What? What are you guys doing tomorrow?" Naruto asked, still trapped under Hotaru's vines.
"Tomorrow is Kikyo's Ken no Keisho," Hotaru explained but Naruto just looked more confused. "It's kind of like a coming of age thing in the Tadashi clan."
"…Oh…"
"You still have no clue do you?"
"…No~"
"I…" Hotaru opened her mouth.
"Well, later." Kikyo waved, not wanted to listen to Hotaru's attempt to enlighten Naruto.
"Wait Kikyo! Naruto's going to have to leave soon too!" Hotaru cried after her.
"And?" Kikyo didn't see why this was her problem.
"If you go now and then Naruto leaves then I'll have to go home." She pouted.
"…Later." Kikyo waved as she left Naruto and Hotaru with their jaws on the ground. Why the other three of them had to choose the training field on the other side of the village was beyond Kikyo's knowledge, it would take her at least twenty minutes to get back to the compound! Stupid Naruto and his stupid Hey! We don't train at this one often so let's go here! Dattebayo! Oh well, she'll just cut him to pieces with whatever sword she gets for her Ken no Keisho. Kikyo gazed down at the sword her father had given her, it was a nice sword and she liked it well enough but Kikyo couldn't wait to get one of her own or at least make one of her own. Part of her wished she was already sixteen so she could try for Naraku, but that was still eight years away.
The sun had already set when Kikyo approached the main gates to the Tadashi compound, even in the dimming light the Tadashi diamond shaped clan symbol still stood out against the white marble walls. As the girl walked farther into the compound she slowed her pace, feeling something was wrong. It was barely dark out, there should have been noise from all over the compound (Tadashis tend to celebrate a lot).
Where the hell was everybody? Surely they all hadn't just up and disappeared right?
"Oi!" Kikyo called as she reached the main estate in the center of the compound. "Okasan! Otousan! You here?" There were no lights on that she could see and there should have at least been some considering it was completely dark now. "Nee-san! Itami!" she called out to her sister then her cat. The girl popped her head around one of the corners of the house and her face lit up at the sight of the person down near the other end turning around the side toward the back. "Itachi-san!" She waved and picked up her pace. Itachi-san was nice, he'd show her where the others were!
The eight year old raced and slid around the corner in order to catch up with the teen, but after doing so she found that he disappeared. "Itachi-san?" She craned her head up and down then side to side. Was he trying to test her? Maybe helping her sharpen her skills? But why would he choose a time like this to do that? "Oi!" she called again to no avail, running around another corner to see if he was just messing with her.
She froze and her eyes widened as a chill went down her spine. She hadn't found Itachi, instead when she turned the corner leading to one of the kenjutsu training fields Kikyo saw an enormous pile of bodies stacked atop one another in the center as though they were preparing for a mass burial.
Impossible, it had to be impossible. The Tadashi Clan was one of the strongest in the entire village, there was no way in hell that anyone had killed so many of her kin. They couldn't be Tadashi. No way. Kikyo cautiously stepped closer, her stomach twisted into knots as part of her whispered that they could be nothing else. As she inched closer, her face paled further as the familiar features of family she passed every day became clearer and clearer. They were, they really were…
Splash.
Kikyo froze at the sound, for a moment not realizing it was from her own foot. Her eyes moved slowly downward, looking to see what she'd stepped in.
Red. Deep, ruby red was pooled on the ground, streaming slowly and thickly from the pile of bodies. Blood, the sacred blood of the Tadashi Clan. It was mixing with the dirt of the training field, making a foul, grotesque image that made her want to vomit.
This couldn't be real. No way. It was a genjutsu right? It had to be! This was impossible!
She brought her hands together and squeezed her eyes closed, trying to block out those horrible images but they had burned themselves so powerfully into her mind that she couldn't get them out. Her lip trembled and her eyes got misty, but she refused to let those tears fall. Crying would help no one, her otousan told her so. She swallowed around a lump in her throat. "Kai," she murmured, her voice frightened and wavy. She sounded pitiful. Her eyes opened and closed again. It hadn't worked, no wonder with as pathetic as she sounded. "Kai!" her voice was still panicked but didn't waver as much. Still, the images remained when she opened her eyes. "Kai! Kai!" she was beginning to sound hysterical, but nothing changed. "Kai!"
Blood continued to pool around her feet, coating them in the sticky red liquid, so she did the only thing an eight year old could: she turned and ran away. "Mama!" she shouted. "Papa!" She hadn't called them that in a while, but the words had burst from her mouth in her panic. "Mama! Papa!"
She felt like there were knives in her lungs as she frantically ran into the nearest building, a kenjutsu dojo, to hide from whatever the hell was strong enough to take down so many Tadashi clansmen.
Kikyo slammed the door behind her, holding her body against it in hopes that whatever kind of monster was out there wouldn't break through the wood. What could she do? It could be anywhere, waiting. What if it was watching her? Kikyo's stomach dropped at the thought of something like that watching her and toying with her before killing her. What if it was attacking the rest of the village too? Kikyo wanted to cry for feeling so helpless and pitiful.
Her sweaty face looked up as her eyes adjusted, even though she thought it was impossible, her face paled even more as she saw two silhouettes on the ground inside the dojo.
No.
No no no no no.
"Papa? Mama?" She quickly left her place by the door and ran to the bodies that still had fresh blood coming from their wounds. She knelt down next to her father, who was face down, and felt for a pulse with a shaky hand only to find that his skin was very cold and white. "Papa?" She shook his shoulder. No, this couldn't be her father. He was the strongest man ever. H-he shouldn't be on the ground like that. "Papa, please wake up." She shook his shoulder more desperately. "I'm scared," she choked out, hoping Ryunashi would raise his head and tell her that he'd kill the monster that slaughtered their loved ones outside.
"Ki…Kikyo…" a very weak voice spoke out and the eight year old jumped as she felt a cold hand reach out and grab her wrist. Her hands were balled into fists as they gripped Ryunashi's shirt for dear life and she turned to see the other bloody figure had crawled to where they were, leaving a slick red trail in its wake. "Close…your eyes… run…" Izumi's eyes already looked somewhat blank and her normally beautiful face was pale with blood spattered on it.
"Mama!" Kikyo released her father and clung to her mother's arm, feeling like there was a little hope after all. Yeah! She could stop the bleeding, that's it! She just had to stop the bleeding and get her to a medic and she'll be just fine! "Hold on! I can get help! We can close your wounds!" She tore off her jacket and desperately pressed it against the large stab wound in Izumi's chest just like Nee-san taught her, but the blood wouldn't stop no matter how hard she pressed. Come on, come on! Just please stop! Please please please please! PLEASE! She'd do anything, anything for the bleeding to stop.
"Run…not…safe…"
"Hush! Save your energy! I can stop this! I'll save you!" Kikyo bit her lip to keep it from trembling and prayed to whatever god would give her the time of day to please make her hands stop shaking so she could press harder.
"Love… you…" Tears brimmed in Izumi's eyes as her bloody hand reached up and the icy appendage touched Kikyo's cheek, brushing a little hair out of the way. Kikyo took a deep breath to keep from sobbing. "Close… your eyes…"
No.
No no no no no no no no!
NO!
Izumi's hand dropped and her sightless eyes stared up at her daughter, tears still brimming in their edges.
"Mama!" Kikyo screamed, hoping to keep her conscious. "Mama!" She pressed even harder hoping light would enter the woman's eyes again, shaking the body a little from her own trembling. "Mama! Mama answer me! Please! Y-you can't! You just can't! I won't allow it!" She gripped her cold hand and squeezed with all her might.
She couldn't leave her!
W-who would make beautiful bento that made all the other kids jealous? Who would yell at her to clean her room? Who would sit Kikyo down and try to flatten her hair?
Who would hug her tight and tell her it's okay to cry sometimes?
Please, don't take her mother!
"Mama… someone, help me," she whimpered pitifully.
"Enough Kikyo," an emotionless voice said from out of nowhere. Kikyo's head shot up and her heart swelled at the sight of Kitsune, even if the teen was looking down at her with a cold expression.
"Nee-san!" M-Maybe she could save Mama! Maybe she could save everyone else! "Nee-san help! You're a medic, help her—"
"She's dead Kikyo, they're all dead."
Kikyo couldn't believe her ears. Why wasn't her sister rushing to her to even check the bodies, or at the very least pull her into a hug and try to comfort her? "B-But you're a medic and you even have Tengokusaya! You can do anything Nee-san! I know—"
"Shut up." Kikyo froze at the sound of her cold tone. "Why would I fight to save them?"
"W-Wha—" This wasn't making any sense.
"When I was the one that killed them in the first place."
Kikyo froze. Did her sister really just say that? No, there was no way in hell Kitsune would ever do something like this. She was nice and kind and loved everybody and-and…
The teen's cold blue eyes stared mercilessly down at Kikyo and her heart that had swelled just a second before felt like someone had filled it with bricks. "Don't lie like that. THIS ISN'T A JOKE DAMMIT!" she shrieked. No, she didn't want any of this! She wanted her big sister to pull her in and embrace her and tell her things were going to be okay because she would fix it because she could do anything! She didn't want her to glare at her like she was the enemy!
"Kikyo, when have I ever lied to you?" Kitsune's eyes pierced her as she took a step towards her. A force radiated off the elder sister that made the eight year old feel sick to her stomach. Instinct told her to react before she could even think about it. Kikyo released her mother's cold palm and stood, feeling her 'fight or flight' kick in.
Kikyo took a step backwards, tripping over the corpse of her father and landing on her back. "Y-You're not my sister!" Yes, that had to be it. This person wasn't Kitsune, she was some kind of imposter that henged and was now trying to scare her into next week.
Well screw her because it wasn't working!
"I'm not the sister you wanted me to be." Her cold blue eyes changed to the purple for the Ryugan, but after it was activated Kikyo could see the shape shifting a complicated collage of diamonds and stars around the black, four pointed star pupil.
Kikyo had never seen a Ryugan do that before, the way the shapes rotated within the iris was almost hypnotizing to watch because it was so complex.
"What did you do?" she asked quietly in horror. Why? What in the world was that?
Kitsune gave her a cold sneer. "You never did pay attention did you? Here's a hint, I took my Ryugan to the next level." Kitsune slowly drew her sword. "Now, be good for once and help preserve your big sister's life." She lunged faster than Kikyo could even comprehend. Kyuketsukitou pierced the floor beside the frozen child. "What's the matter Kikyo? Where's your drive? Your usual arrogant banter? Where's your will to live?!" She grabbed Kikyo by the shirt and threw her, causing her back to slam into the wall and her head to crash back into the hard surface and dent the wall.
"O-ow." Kikyo moved her hand up to rub her skull but paused, staring at the blood that covered her hands. That-that was Izumi's blood. She frantically tried to wipe her hands clean to no avail.
A kunai whizzed by her ear, narrowly missing her head. "Pay attention to your opponent."
"N-Nee-san, stop this!" Kikyo was shaking all over and couldn't stand. She was just so scared, she didn't know what to do. Was this really her sister? Her eyes darted to Kyuketsukitou, the scarlet blade was the real deal. Meaning this wasn't some henge, it really was her big sister doing this to her.
"God you're pathetic." Kitsune swung, putting chakra in her sword causing the slash to go through the wall to Kikyo's left and outside into the wooded area, Kikyo could hear trees falling outside the dojo from their unfortunate encounter with the cut. "Are you such a stupid, worthless person that you can't even stand against me? Don't you want to try and fight for your life?" A dark gleam entered her eye. "Don't you want to try like Otousan did?"
Her sword came down and stuck in the ground near their father's corpse.
The eight year old that was on the verge of tears just seconds ago turned her frightened stare into a hateful glare. That was their father! How dare she even think of doing such a thing to him?! How dare she be so disrespectful?! "Don't. Touch. Him." Her trembling lip ceased and her jaw clenched. How dare she do that?! He did nothing but attempt to make them stronger and this is how Kitsune repays him?!
"Stupid child." Her sword came up and back down through the center of his back, she could hear the blade go straight through his spinal cord and the blade embedded itself deep into the floor and stuck itself there. He didn't shout or flinch, no blood even came from the stab wound. Seeing that made Kikyo feel sick to her stomach. That was their father and she just stabbed him! "He's long since dead, all I could do at this point is desecrate a corpse."
"I said don't touch him! Cut this shit out!" Kikyo lunged with all her might and drew her sword, not caring anymore. This wasn't her sister anymore, this was some kind of heartless monster that had taken her form. She gripped the handle so tight that her knuckles turned white and she pulled the sword around to swing.
As she brought it around all it took was a flick of Kitsune's wrist for Kyuketsukitou to slice through the katana cutting it into two halves.
Kikyo watched in horror as the sword that her father entrusted to her split into two and the majority of the blade fell to the ground and harmlessly slid after landing on the wooden surface.
"You bitch!" Kikyo swung with all her might. Even if it was just an insignificant cut or maybe a bruise she would make her fell some kind of pain! It would be nothing compared to the painful shattered feeling Kikyo had in her chest but at this point anything would do.
Suddenly a new pain overtook the girl, causing her to shudder and drop her broken sword.
An abrupt, burning pain burst to life in her eyes, searing in through the back of her eyeballs and encompassing their entirety. Kikyo didn't think they could have hurt more if they'd been aflame – were they? She really couldn't tell anymore.
Kikyo gripped her eyes, feeling like they were being burnt to a crisp. "What did you do to me?!" she shrieked, trying to look up at Kitsune. God it hurt! She lifted her eyes and the scene she'd been hoping would change since she had stumbled upon it had. But it hadn't changed the way she wanted.
The dead space of the room was pitch black and splashed with pale green that was slowly fading into blue. Her parents who had been so clear moment ago were faded into blue, her father darker than her mother. But her sis—
No, Kitsune wasn't her sister. She couldn't claim her after this. No way in hell.
Kitsune burned bright orange, the edges fading into yellow. Her sword, even in this strange version of the world, was a dastardly red, the sharpened edge the brightest while the blunt edge had faded into orange.
She didn't know what had happened, why she was seeing the world in these strange colors. She lifted her hands shakily, wondering if whatever had happened to everything else had happened to her as well. It had. But while her sister was covered in this orange, only the deepest bit of her palm contained the color. The orange faded into yellow then into green with a thin blue outline surrounding her hand.
"Wh-what the hell is happening to me?!" Kikyo covered her eyes with her hands, trying to force her eyes to see properly once more.
"Pull the chakra from your eyes."
"Fuck you!" Kikyo felt her eyes tearing from the burning sensation as she shouted at the teen. There was no way in hell she would ever do anything she said!
"That is no way to address me." The orange and yellow figure flashed before her and Kikyo felt a foot slam into her stomach, knocking the breath out of her in the process.
Kikyo sputtered and felt herself cough up a bit of blood as she attempted to catch her breath once more.
The yellow figure that was Kitsune swung around Kyuketsukitou's scabbard and Kikyo held her arm up to block, but when the sheath made contact it blasted the girl backwards. The hell? It felt like the sheath itself had attacked her! Kikyo stood again and felt like she had been beaten with a metal bat.
"What will you do now, Kikyo?" Kitsune took a step towards her.
Why? Why was she doing this? Why was this even happening? What happened to make her do this?
"I won't let you get away with this!" Kikyo snarled and felt something fly into her palm as though she were a magnet. "Wha—?" In her hand was a katana. It was odd, the way Kikyo was seeing things a cold blade should have looked dark blue in her bright hand, but the sword had a faint colorful glow to it as though it had a life of its own.
"Congratulations," Kitsune said as her sword came down. Kikyo instinctively held the sheathed sword to block the attack, but something odd happened. The older brunette's blade didn't even made contact before what looked like a shimmery barrier erupted from the sword's scabbard and bounced the scarlet blade backwards. "You are now the proud owner of Hogoken, the Tadashi blade of protection," she finished, un-wavered by the little counter.
Kikyo looked down at the katana in her hand. This-this was Hogoken? How the hell could a sword just choose her without a Ken no Keisho? And how the hell did the sword even do that?!
Nothing was making any sense anymore. Nothing felt right, everything hurt, and now Kikyo couldn't even see right.
Just fuck her life!
She flinched and squeezed her eyes shut as a painful pulse rippled through her temple and the burning faded from her eyes girl pray that she could at least see things normally once more.
But what she saw when she opened her eyes made her wish she could go back to what she was seeing before.
Everything looked somewhat normal but it all had a dark blue tint to it and the background faded into black. The only thing that stood out in this new dark world around Kikyo were the horribly bright splashes of this neon white-ish blue. Kikyo's eyes darted around the room and felt her heartrate quicken the bold, bright places were spattered around the walls and pooled on the ground near her parents. Even the Kyuketsukitou seemed to be coated in the stuff.
Wh-what was all of this? What had Kitsune done to her eyes to make them see all these weird things?! What was happening to her? Would she ever see normally again? God she hoped so. Kikyo wasn't even sure what the bright liquid was, that was until she looked down at her hand and let a strangled cry escape her mouth. Her hands were completely covered in the bright color and a bright blue hand print wrapped around her wrist.
It was blood. All of it.
Oh God, it was everywhere. It looked like someone did a terrible job painting the room in the stuff. All of that belonged to her parents.
Kikyo felt a wrenching twist in her stomach before she kneeled down and vomited up whatever the hell she ate last.
"You can see it all now can't you?" Kitsune spoke after Kikyo was done emptying the contents of her stomach. "The Ryugan is very overwhelming the first time around."
"You bitch!" Kikyo put as much venom in her voice as she could. "What the hell did you do to me?!" She unsheathed Hogoken and slashed angrily at the traitor she once called 'sister'.
"It's a shame really," Kitsune ignored her accusation and raised Kyuketsukitou towards the child once more. "Inheriting a sword of protection…" Kitsune came fast as lightning and hit Kikyo so hard with the hilt of Kyuketsukitou that she flew across the dojo, through the wall, and outside, slamming into a tree in the process. "…when there's nothing left to protect here."
The statement made Kikyo feel hollow inside. There really was no one left was there… Kitsune really killed everyone and Kikyo would be no exception.
No! She wouldn't let this bitch have the satisfaction! She could still fight and even if she did bite the dust Kikyo would drag that traitor down into hell with her no matter what!
Kikyo swung her new sword only to have Kitsune counter and come at her from behind, striking the girl with the blunt half of the odachi.
Kikyo let out a pained gasp as she was sent flying once more like a rag doll. "You're pathetic," Kitsune said coldly. "You're pathetic and weak and how you could have ever thought you could be a shinobi is beyond belief." She slashed her sword, sending chakra through the ground and trees. "Even if you were able to survive there would be nothing left for you. Anyone that might have ever cared that you were alive is now dead."
Her swings came hard and fast, faster than she ever did whenever she would spar with Kikyo. Because of this, the girl was forced to do something that she didn't do often. She went on the defensive.
Kikyo kept Hogoken's sheath out to her front so every blow that came down would ricochet off of the barrier it created, it was all she could do to keep the sword strikes from killing her. Kitsune then came down particularly hard and the rebound pushed Kikyo backward, making her roll from the force.
The sheath slipped from her hand.
Fuck.
"Shit!" she cursed as she fumbled to get the sheath. Of all the times for her hand to slip, now would have been the worst! Suddenly Kikyo felt a foot on her back as it pushed her forward. "Gyaah!"
"You left your back open again, Kikyo." Kitsune shook her head. "Honestly, you're rude, vulgar, disrespectful, you don't listen to a thing your superiors tell you, any friends you've made were because they were forced to be around you… you're just a waste of flesh that doesn't deserve to be a person, let alone a ninja."
Kikyo clenched her jaw and swallowed a lump in her throat. After everything, it still stung to hear those words come from the person she used to admire more than everyone else. But instead of dwelling on this Kikyo pulled herself together. "Go to hell you traitorous bitch." That earned her another kick to the gut. "Gyaah!" Blood escaped from her mouth and she flew and crashed against the ground.
"You're useless, pathetic, there's no way in hell a weakling like yourself would ever be allowed to carry on."
Kikyo could feel something warm leaking from her eyes as her vision finally reverted back to normal. She raised her sleeve and wipe the red liquid from her eye.
"You overused your Ryugan." She was informed.
Her Ryugan…?! T-that was her Ryugan?
Kikyo tried to stand again but her body collapsed painfully to the ground. Oh god, everything hurt like crazy! Her entire body ached, her chest felt like Hanji did a tap dance on it, her back was bruised all to hell, and her eyes were still burning like someone shad set them on fire!
She looked up with a hateful scowl to see not even a drop of sweat was on Kitsune's forehead and her hope washed down the drain like it were water. Kikyo's body was battered and her heart was broken, Kitsune was going to kill her then and there and there was nothing Kikyo could do about it.
The eight year old swallowed the lump in her throat and watched the teen stare her down with those cold, purple eyes.
"You realize now how weak you are? Now you're just waiting for me to finish the job now aren't you?" Kitsune narrowed her eyes. "You're waiting for me to kill you now." She raised Kyuketsukitou over her head and from the tip sprouted multiple bolts of lightning. The lightning shot out and encircled Kikyo as though it were placing her in a cage. The bolts hit the ground and she could feel the heat coming off of them as they made impact. If the sight weren't so terrifying it would have been an amazing sight to see. Kikyo's eyes shot back to where Kitsune was a second ago only to find empty space occupying the area.
"That's too bad," a voice said from behind her. "Because the weak don't get to choose how they die. Ryu no Shirushi!"
A Horrible, excruciating, agonizing, burning pain shot into Kikyo from the center of her back.
The last thing the girl heard before passing out from the pain was the sound of her own ear-piercing screams.