V6 ch 10
Swept Away
The scout who was hired to track down an unknown girl returned to his employer. He walked through the old building, long ago abandoned, his feet creaking with each step. He stopped in front of two men who guarded the entrance to a back room. The man bowed low his eyes remaining focused on the two foreign guards. "Yacunta is here to see Lord Gekido of the lightening country." The two guards glanced at each other.
One of the guards moved into the room. He clicked the shoji screen closed as he consulted with the lord. Yacunta expected to be treated differently. After all, he was the lowest form of scum on the earth. He would turn in his own family to secure his place in the world. He smiled absentmindedly to himself. Perhaps, it was in his favor he didn't have any.
The guard returned with a solemn expression. His hard gaze fell onto Yacunta. "Lord Gekido will see you now." He returned to his post next to the door.
Yacunta opened the shoji screen carefully. He kept his head lowered in respect for the man who had the power to annihilate him without a moment's breath. He took the liberty of scanning the room.
The room was filled with incense, which drifted through the air. Banners from Lord Gekido's house were hanging from the ceiling. A small-decorated low table was in front of him where pillows were arranged. The room was stylish and elaborate. Gold and yellow overtook his vision. Sounds of chimes and falling water danced to his ears.
Yacunta wondered how troublesome it was to load such a dwelling each time the lord moved. Lord Gekido was the last one of his house – or so Yacunta had thought until he had seen the girl. The only clue he had been given was about her eyes. At first, he thought it was a hoax – until he found her in the fire country.
Gekido walked into the room slowly, his long robes dragging onto the tatami mats. His dark eyes saw the scout. He frowned. What was the news? He had sent out forty scouts a few months ago to search for his brother's child. None of them had returned except this lone man. "Payment is not owed unless you have information," he said as he finally addressed the man.
"Lord Gekido, it is a pleasure to see you again," Yakunta said in a thick lie with his sweet voice. "I have important new for you. The girl you seek has been located in the fire country. She was riding a horse away from a small village in the northeast."
Gekido sat down at the table. He put his hand upon the ink to grind the block on its pallet. He closed his eyes as he listened. "Sit. Continue."
Yakunta sat near the shoji screen. He was afraid to get any closer to Gekido. The man before him was highly dangerous. "The girl was with three males, my Lord. One appeared to be a ninja trainer. There were two boys with her, roughly around the same age. I did not follow them," he admitted like a rookie.
Gekido's brow twitched. He opened his eyes to look at the man before him. The scout tensed. "How do you know it was my brother's child?"
"The-The girl had yellow eyes with a black ring around them, my-my Lord. She had a horrible scar on the side of her face. She appeared to be the age you mentioned," Yakunta said as the man rose slowly.
"What is the name she goes by," Gekido asked as smoothly as he could manage. The scout before him was a complete idiot. His failure to follow her, or learn where she was being trained was causing his anger to boil. "What is the child's name?"
"Name? You don't know her name? But if she is related to you, shouldn't you already know what it is," Yakunta said with confusion. The anger in Gekido's eyes was building.
"That abomination is merely connected to my house! She is not related to our clan! My brother did not name her for the sole fact that I would capture her. Kakumei," Gekido summoned with a shout.
Yakunta swallowed as a tall, muscular built man in his late thirties entered the room from the back entrance to the garden. The man brandished metal plates upon his legs, chest, and arms. A cold expression was on the man's face.
"Get rid of him! He's as worthless a scout as a breathing mortal," Gekido said as he left the scout with the General of his fighters.
"B-But, Lord G-Gekido, I d-did what you asked," Yakunta said in his own defense as the man known as Kakumei moved closer.
"It is customary in our country to give the name of ourselves to the pre-deceased." The scout's eyes widened as he threw his body back in order to get away. There was no exit for him. "I am Kakumei Eimino," General of Lord Gekido's lightening users. We can't have you running your mouth over useless information."
Yakunta screamed as Kakumei opened his hand. Lightening shot out from the General onto his body. Yakunta, the scout from the grass country, was electrocuted to death.
Gekido narrowed his eyes as the screams from the scout died. He stood in the garden, his long black hair hanging over his shoulders and back. Birds hopped around the flowers that bloomed in the abandoned garden. Kakumei exited the room. "You made a mess, didn't you?" Gekido held his finger out for a small bird. The bird landed only to tilt its head at him.
Kakumei smiled slyly. "Sorry, my Lord. It couldn't be helped."
"We're back to square one. He dared to come here with no useful information. He may have seen her in the fire country, but that doesn't mean she's there now! Who knows how long ago it was! If it's true that girl has been taken in by ninja, it only means she's eluded us where she is!" Gekido saw the bird fly away. He let his anger subside. "Kakumei, at least, clean up your mess."
Kakumei bowed low with an evil, yet playful smirk. "Yes, my Lord. As you command."
Idai laid on the floor drooling as his half-lidded eyes stared straight ahead. His heart was racing, body not responding to his thoughts. He vaguely remembered where he was. The knowledge of what had occurred didn't seem to be present. He heard others talking.
"The boy's body cannot withstand the entire ritual. He needs to be stronger," Mizmarta said to her assistant. "The demon in him is stronger than I had anticipated. If he is unable to fight its determination, at any point, it will overtake him."
"How long does he have Mistress Mizmarta? His father is waiting for an answer," Raijin informed her. His eyes fell to the fourteen-year-old boy whose mind was astray.
"I am not sure. The fact he has been overtaken previously means the demon has access to him already. It can fully do what it wants at this moment; however, the boy is forcing himself to block it. I am afraid the child will not survive the demon at this rate. It is feeding off of his emotions." The old woman looked at the youth sadly.
"What am I to tell his father," Raijin asked as he, too, watched the boy.
Idai's head moved as he focused upon the lighted candles in the dark. "D-Daiya… K-Ki-ba..," he moaned. Where was he? "K-…Ki…ba…"
"Mizmarta's gaze softened. "Tell his father the truth. I can only try with the boy. He has to be the one to confront it."
Raijin bowed to his mistress. He left the room. Raijin walked down the hall slowly. He hated this part the most. Sometimes problems could be solved and sometimes they could not. Raijin opened the shoji screen slowly. The man with black hair was sitting quietly. His eyes were focused on the darkened area in front of the house. Raijin cleared his throat to get the man's attention.
Gai turned his eyes to see the man who was in his mid-twenties approach. He had come here seeking refuge for Idai. As a parent, he was almost out of options. "How is he?"
"He is weak, sire. Mistress Mizmarta is monitoring him. Your son was moaning two names: Kiba and Daiya. Who are they," Raijin asked as he tried to ease the atmosphere.
Gai smiled softly. Idai was still aware of who was important to him. "Kiba is his trainer for the ninja team he is on. Daiya is his best friend from another team. Even when he's half-conscious, he's calling out to those he trusts."
Raijin stepped forward. He sat across from the man. "Mistress Mizmarta believes the demon inside of your son has access to his body when he is unable to fight it. It takes a lot of constant focus to ward it off. She wants me to tell you she will continue to try to seal the demon inside of him. It will be a difficult task. The demon sees everything your son sees."
"Does he have a chance," Gai asked. He had to know. Was it too late for Idai?
"She is unsure. The fact remains the help is coming late. If I am permitted to say this, your son must be stronger mentally and physically to fight the demon. As it stands now, his chances are not good. The emotions he has bottled up are what the demon feeds off. Mistress Mizmarta wants to keep trying for him," Raijin said.
"I am fortunate to have her persistent effort in front of me. Tell her to continue as much as she is able to. I don't want him to suffer," Gai said as the man left the room. Was he doing the right thing? Gai, himself, was unsure.
Ryu Yuhi rolled his eyes at the flock of geese in front of his team. "I can't believe we got a mission such as this."
Saori Nara lost count after three hundred. She groaned. "How many of them do you think there are?"
Daiya frowned. "I hate animals. They're filthy." He felt his dad put his hand upon his hat.
"Looks to me as if you guys have a few thousand geese to catch," Sasuke said. He couldn't help but smirk as Ryu faltered on his feet. "This will help get you guys into shape," he said optimistically.
"Sensei, don't you have to catch them, too? Isn't our mission, also your mission," Saori asked. Sasuke glanced at her.
"Yeah, that's right. We're under you to learn," Ryu said coyly. He slapped Sasuke on the back. "Get in there and show us how it's done, Sasuke!"
Sasuke turned his head to look at Ryu quite seriously. Ryu twitched. He grabbed onto the back of the boy's vest and the waist of his pants. Sasuke lifted him off the ground. Team 2 watched as their team leader was thrown into the pen.
"Time to go save Ryu from himself," Daiya said. He went into the pen. Ryu was sitting up picking feathers out of his hair. "Sensei, where are we supposed to put them?"
Sasuke looked around as he stood amongst the geese. He pointed to an area near the pen where strings were hanging. "Catch them and tie their feet to those strings. We're catching dinner for Konoha."
Saori yelped as an angry goose bit her. "These things bite hard," she said as she rubbed her leg. Saori avoided a goose that was honking at her. She glared. "Alright, it's on now!" She chased the animal around the pen while others scattered.
"There goes Saori's temper," Ryu said as he dove to grab two geese by the legs. He flipped them upside down quickly to avoid their beaks. He carried them over to where they were to be tied. It was going to be a long day.
Sasuke moved his hand to grab the goose on its beak. As its wings flapped and head moved to break free, he brought his other hand up to chop at the bird's neck. The force of the blow broke the creature's neck instantly. He let it fall to the ground. "If you guys kill them where they are, you can carry more of them. It saves your energy." His team stopped to stare at him.
"Kill them where they are? Sensei, isn't that cruel," Saori asked as she turned her head to look at her trainer. She was crouched with her arms outstretched in front of her. She as trying to grab onto a goose.
"No, it's better to end life quickly than to torture an animal by letting it wait impending death," Sasuke said seriously. "Less pain is involved that way." He had to get his team to accept death as a reality. Ninja such as Shinobi died on battlefields for the village. It wasn't all guts and glory.
Daiya stood silent amongst the noisy geese. His mind was far away. His hand touched the space over his heart. Would he die one day? Would it happen because of his heart? He felt uneasy regarding it. Faces of everyone he knew shifted through his mind.
Ryu noticed how Daiya was acting. He walked over to him. He put his arm around the boy. "Hey," he said to get Daiya's attention. "Why don't we both sign up to be ANBU together," he said with a smile.
For a moment, Daiya's fears about himself were forgotten. His gray eyes met Ryu's red eyes. "ANBU," he repeated. He knew ANBU took direct orders from the Hokage. They were responsible for protecting Konoha.
"Yeah, that way, I can still look after you and you can keep saving me from myself," Ryu said as he grinned ear to ear.
Daiya lowered his head. He nodded gently. "Someone has to protect you besides Saori," he agreed.
"Get busy, Ryu and Daiya. Saori's already caught thirty and I've caught seventy," Sasuke said. "You don't eat lunch until your mission is completed."
"Yes, sensei," they said in unison.
Gin Akimichi formed hand seals as she gathered the chakra needed to master her training. Shikamaru was testing his team to determine where their flaws were. He had already given them the heads up about the Chuunin exams. In two years, they were going to partake in the deadly, challenging exam. As Gin concentrated with Kandai and Areku making noises around her, her plant slowly started to sprout.
Shikamaru leaned against the thick pole of the training area as he kept his eyes on Gin. Her concentration was a problem. He signaled Areku and Kandai to get louder.
Areku started to hit the pole near Shikamaru with defensive and offensive moves. He put more force into each hit. The wood started to crack loudly.
Kandai began to taunt Gin. He commented on how slow she was at Ninjutsu. Gin furrowed her brows trying to ignore him. Kandai even got closer to her and began to poke her shoulder. As he did so, he said her name repeatedly like a small, begging child.
Gin finally snapped. Her concentration was broken. She turned around quickly to give Kandai a piece of her mind. "Kandai Hyuuga, you try to summon a plant to grow with someone nagging in your ear! I am not slow at Ninjutsu! It takes a lot of focus to make nature obey due the fact its wild! It's like taming a lion to be a kitten," she said.
Areku stopped hitting the pole. His eyes were wide – along with Kandai's as the plant Gin had been working with, sprang up from the ground. It twisted its green stalk and started to curl in several different directions as it branched off. The plant was reacting to Gin's emotions. He had never seen her so fumed.
"I won't be seen as the little quiet girl that people talk about," Gin continued. The vine overhead formed sharp pointy spikes. "I'm not weak as you may think! I just don't show off like some people, or voice it!"
"Whoa, if Idai saw that, he'd pick a nickname for you, for sure," Kandai said to stump her. Gin bit her tongue. He pointed up. She tilted her head. "It seems your emotions help play a part in your strengths."
"Yes, but her concentration needs work," Areku commented. "Opponents won't give you time to react, Gin. Your focus needs to be instant."
"Alright, you three. Now that we've exercised your bodies, let's work on your minds," Shikamaru said. He had his students sit around him. "The key to having a successful mission is not only relied on your teammates, but also the way you decipher plans and obstacles."
Shikamaru reached into his ninja tool kit on his rear. He took out a wooden box with various symbols on it. He placed it in front of his students. "Can anyone tell me what this is?"
Areku sniffed the air strongly. "It's a small box carved from a cedar tree," he answered. He watched Shikamaru pick the box up delicately. The man turned it over slowly so that each of them could see all of the intricate designs.
"Cedar is an easy type of wood to smooth into any shape you want. Its wood is sought after for furniture and sculptures," Gin threw in. She moved closer to peer at it curiously.
Kandai knew there was more to this box than human eyes could see. Why else would their trainer show them something ordinary? Kandai's face muscles tensed. Byakugan! Inside the box was a pellet. It was sitting on wire that was connected to the latch. It was a trap. "Don't open it," he said urgently to Shikamaru. The man's hand froze. His team was eying him.
"There's a pellet inside the box. It's sitting on a wire. It's rigged to be ejected by the person who opens it. The box is some sort of trap," Kandai told them.
Shikamaru leaned back. He turned his body away from his students. His finger began to slide the wood away from the hidden opening. "Cover your noses," he said as the box opened. As it did, the pellet was released. It exploded into poisonous smoke.
As the wind blew the smoke away, Shikamaru turned back around. "You'll notice as you grow, traps come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and yet, they are all ordinary." He reached into his ninja tool kit again to retrieve another device.
Gin saw a thin piece of wood in her trainer's hand. It was plan and resembled a toothpick. There were no designs on it. "Sensei, what is it?"
"I'm glad you asked. This weapon resembles a toothpick. You can tell that much by looking at it. A second glance isn't wasted on it. However, if I slide it down my fingers like this," Shikamaru said as he demonstrated, "A hair thin needle is extracted. On the end of this tip is poison, truth serum, or other such liquids. These can make you obey your opponent – anywhere from following orders to divulging information about yourself, your team, your mission, or the secrets of your village. Unless someone is known to be your ally through treaties with Konoha, they are your enemy."
Kandai remembered when they went to OtoMori how everyone's guards were down to the festival. Even though they were paired with another person and their trainers were there, nothing would have stopped a weapon, such as this, from getting through. It was thin, invisible thrown, and deadly. One prick is all it took.
Areku crossed his arms over his vest. "So who uses these? Any particular country?"
"I started seeing these eight years ago. They are modified and change with each person that has them. Sometimes various woods, or metal – all depending on its purpose. This particular one was used against a friend of mine by an enemy from the sound village."
"How did your friend defend against it," Kandai asked.
Shikamaru put the weapon back into his ninja tool kit. He turned back around to look at his students with a solemn expression. "She didn't know it was coming. It struck her. Within a matter of minutes, the poison surged through her body. We weren't able to save her."
Team 4 sat without motion for a while. They were contemplating every effect of becoming a Shinobi. Their lives were valued to protect the village. It all came with a price. Did Team 4 want to continue their training knowing the cold, hard facts about their ninja lives?
Hire stood amongst the dorm waiting for the sun to set. She leaned her back against the building. A proctor had sought her out on her new team. She closed her eyes.
Hire turned around to see her new trainer signaling for her to come over. She approached the man wondering what was up. "Something wrong, Tanuka sensei?"
Tanuka looked at the black haired maiden in front of him. She was a new addition to his team. "Natobi has a few words to say you." He gestured to the proctor next to him.
Natobi greeted Hire politely. "I have news regarding your father, Yakedo and brother, Nattoku who are imprisoned by order of Lord Hokage. Two issues must be addressed. Your father, Yakedo, has died in prison. He suffered a heart attack. Your brother, Nattoku, will be eligible for parole in two years."
Hire's heart raced. She wasn't sure what she was feeling. Anxiety was mixed with anger and sadness. "How is he able to get parole so soon," she asked baffled.
The proctor gave her a serious look. "Nattoku is being held as the investigation continues regarding the contacts he has. The Hokage has to be equally fair and let him state his position on the accusations against him. He wasn't the one who murdered Ashioto. That person is now dead. The whereabouts of Daiji are also being carried out. It is believed he is hiding with allies of your father's. I am supposed to ask if you know anything about those allies."
Hire wanted nothing more than to protect Areku and his clan from Daiji and Nattoku. She searched her mind for any information concerning the matter. "Most of the lengthy meetings my father held were to discuss family agenda. I was required to be at them so that they could keep an eye on me. They were afraid I would eavesdrop and make their plans known."
Hire thought more. "My father was powerful outside of Konoha. He ran a shipping business under a false name. He was responsible for smuggling stolen goods into Konoha a while back. However, the names you want were not mentioned in front of me. He made sure I didn't know anymore than I had to."
Natobi bowed. "I thank you, Hire, for helping us with some information. It is better than none. These family situations aren't easy to forget. I am sorry for your losses." He left the girl to continue her training.
Naruto sat on the pillow looking into the crystal ball before him. He had watched the scene carefully as Natobi had confronted Hire. The fact she didn't show sadness over her father's death proves she has no emotional attachment to him. Her excitement over Nattoku's parole alarmed her. She isn't lying to us. Hire has no love or loyalty of her clan. Naruto arose from his spot. He exited the room.
"We may have a bigger problem on our hands," Naruto told the ninja waiting in the large room. "Daiji is remaining hidden from our views. I suspect he is going to remain so until Nattoku's parole. There are two paths that can occur: Daiji attacks Konoha to carry out his father's plans, or he attacks to free Nattoku."
"What are the suggestions, Lord Hokage? We can't search every country north of here! It would exhaust our efforts," a proctor stated. "It'd be like searching for a firefly in daylight."
"That's the problem. That girl must not have had any information. She would have told everything when her father and brother were captured," another proctor voiced. He looked around the room for agreement.
Naruto paced the room, thinking. "There was another reason to find out how much Hire knew. I wanted to be sure she was loyal to someone – if not her own clan. She showed no remorse over her father's death. Her expression was that of a bird being let out of a cage. Natobi was required to lie to her concerning the cause of Yakedo's death. It wasn't a heart attack that had killed him. It was his own son, Nattoku, in the prison. "
"Do you suspect Nattoku knew his father was on the edge of spilling everything," someone asked unexpectedly.
"It's most likely," Naruto answered. "A man such as Yakedo isn't accustomed to the life of a prisoner. He came from a wealthy aristocratic family. If it were not for Hire, we would have never known about the plot. Yet, we must have evidence to prove Nattoku was the mastermind behind it all. I believe his father was a puppet on very long strings."
"We've searched the house over and over, Lord Hokage. Nothing was found, Engi, captain of B squad said. "Yakedo covered his tracks well."
"I expected him to do so," Naruto said. "There has to be hidden areas of the docile that we are unfamiliar with. Who else is more fitting to search for objects unseen by normal human eyes than Neji Hyuuga? Let him aid you in your search, Engi. Just make sure this is kept under wraps."
Engi bowed lowly. "Yes, Lord Hokage," he said before he dissipated. Maybe the Hyuuga man would be able to spot hidden alcoves.
Neji Hyuuga walked slowly through the unfamiliar house. The ANBU captain, Engi, followed him slowly. Neji activated the Byakugan. Normally, it was used to see chakra points in an enemy, or see ahead. Over the vast years, he had perfected it to see through semi-thick structures. There was a drawback to this new technique. One couldn't blink while using it and one had to look past the object to see inside it. Not an easy feature.
Neji entered the room where Hire's family met. He stayed at the entranceway. He held up his hand for Engi not to enter. "There is a trap in this room. One wrong step and panels move away. I can see the thin lines of where they are cut into the walls."
Neji examined the doorway closely. He reached up to run his fingers over the wood above his head. He felt the indentation. Neji pressed. He heard a click. On the other side of the room, a fake wall slid aside. There was a small thin closet holding three shelves. On each shelf was an item.
"Why don't we activate the trap so it can fire," Engi suggested. He came back with a medium sized rock. Engi threw it into the middle of the room. The hidden panels lifted. Kunai shot out of the panels onto the tatami mat. "Is that all of them?"
"It would appear so. He defiantly spared no expense to be discovered." Neji stepped into the room with Engi behind him. "My guess is he entered the room first to deactivate the trap. He probably gave Nattoku the responsibility of rounding up the other members." They walked across to the closet.
Engi glanced at the three objects. "It's some sort of puzzle. My guess is, if solved incorrectly, you die," he said as he pointed to the dark holes in the closet entranceway. "They're just large enough to shoot a poisonous smoke pellet."
Neji turned off the Byakugan. He didn't need it now. It was best to save his chakra. "The three glass containers are meant to hold candles. Now why do you suppose there needs to be light in a bare closet?"
Engi smiled behind the rat facemask. "As an old saying goes, 'The writing is on the wall'." He went to search the house for wax.
Neji took the three candles from Engi once he returned. He studied the three class candleholders. "We can't just put these in. it has to be a certain order. The top candleholder is red. Red can signify anger, hostility, but also passion and the importance of a family member."
Engi regarded the black candleholder on the middle shelf. "Black signifies death, mystery, or the unknown." He turned his eyes to the bottom shelf. "Green means envy, money, luck, or prosperity. So each candle holder has a specific color with a ton of meanings."
Neji thought for a moment. "Who do we know that is wonderful at fortune telling?" He stared at the objects intensely.
Engi turned around. "I'm off to retrieve Kurenai Yuhi. Just don't touch anything. Who knows what other traps lay in this house."
Kurenai followed Engi to the back of the house. She entered the room slowly. Neji was still standing in front of the now visible closet. "I hear you need my help," she said to announce herself.
Neji looked over his shoulder. "I figured your expertise was needed. You have a knack for fortunes and riddles."
Kurenai stepped closer. "I see this isn't an ordinary situation. The kunai in the floor was a dead give away. It's about the objects on the shelves, I assume."
"You assume correctly. Each color of the candleholders signifies meanings. These meanings are numerous. Without further knowledge, we can't put the candles in" Engi explained. "There are holes in the frame of the door that spring pellets at the incorrect solution."
Kurenai looked at each glass holder carefully. "Red, black, and green. Anger and passion vs. death and mystery vs. envy and prosperity. What if the objective is to turn the candleholders a certain way? It might not be in adding the candles," Kurenai said. She saw Engi take the candles from Neji. They moved back. He placed the candles in each holder and lit them. Nothing happened. There wasn't any poisonous smoke.
"It seems, Kurenai, that it was wise to acquire your knowledge," Engi said. "Come closer to see what the candle flames have revealed." He stood motionless.
Neji read the kanji etched into the back of the closet. "Enshroud in mystery, we bury our hatred to cause prosperity in our purpose." Neji furrowed his brows. "What purpose?"
Kurenai remembered something. "Negative words send you back as positive words move you forward. The left hand points way as the right hand points forward. Neji, turn the black holder to your left."
Neji reached up. He turned the holder. It clicked into place.
"Now turn the red holder to the left. Hatred is caused by immense anger," Kurenai explained as he clicked it into place. "Last, turn the green holder to the right for prosperity." As Neji did so, they heard a whirring sound.
They turned around to see a tatami mat drop down. It slid out of view. The three approached the dark hole cautiously. "I believe we found a secret passageway," Engi said. The three entered cautiously.
Idai stood in the center of the pentagram on the floor. He felt uneasy as the candles around him were lit. The old woman was saying incantations around him as she threw rice. Every once in a while, her assistant hit a large cymbal. The smoke coming from the candles blinded Idai's vision. His body felt as if it was falling away from him.
Idai Tatsumaki of the Sound Village watched as a demon with black eyes and long red hair smiled evilly at him out of the corner of his eye. The demon sneered at him. (They are calling me, Idai. You will sit back like a good boy and let me make an appearance, won't you?) Idai tried to fight the demon, but it was pulling him back into another plane. Soon Idai was in the backseat as the demon stood in front of him.
Mistress Mizmarta stood in front of the boy. His appearance had changed. His head was hanging forward, but his eyes were black. She signaled for her assistant, Raijin to keep hitting the gong. "Don't stop. The noise is used to keep him in place. He doesn't seem to favor it so much," she said as the boy before her moved his head trying to avoid the sounds. "Who are you demon? What name do you go by?"
Idai grinned at her quite harshly. His body jerked, but it remained in position as the noise continued. It was binding him to the middle of the pentagram. The salt in front of the woman was to issue her safety. "What mortal has the audacity to ask a demon his name, these days," he asked.
Mistress Mizmarta glared at the demon. "What purpose do you have for this boy? Why do you need his body?"
Idai stood up straight. His head lifted as the black eyes looked around the room for anything to use against the woman attempting to confine him. "His body suits me. It was intended for me. After all, it's rude not to show when invited to a feast."
Raijin was nerved to hear the boy's voice changed to that of a sinister being. His hand was shaking as he kept hitting the gong. He had to keep hitting it or the demon had the chance to use the boy to his will.
"Who offered this child as a sacrifice for you," Mizmarta demanded. She threw holy water at the demon. It winced in pain, but soon cackled.
"Holy water doesn't have a large effect on me, old woman of the new world. I am older and stronger than you realize. I am merely waiting for the boy to mature so I can fully take advantage of his gifts. But to answer your question, his clan sacrificed him for their own selfish ambitions," the demon said. He smiled as he turned his head around to match the eyes of the assistant.
Raijin's eyes met the demon's eyes. He saw cruelty massive and great. Its name echoed in his mind as the demon smiled at him coyly. Raijin forgot what he was doing. The gong stopped. As his mistress shouted for him to continue, his hand froze when flashes of death entered his mind. The demon inside of the boy, Idai, leapt from the pentagram. "Ryokuzu! Its name is Ryokuzu," he screamed as the boy came towards him brandishing two swords.
"No! Hit the gong, Raijin," Mistress Mizmarta screamed as the boy went for him. She watched in horror as the demon used Idai's body to slaughter Raijin into pieces all over the sacred area. Mistress Mizmarta ran as fast as she could to the bell. She rang it immediately as the demon turned around to face her.
Idai licked the blood off his hands. He smiled at the old woman as he walked towards her. The fear in her eyes was a lovely commodity. It was the icing on the cake he needed. Idai dragged the twin swords on the floor. The pentagram was desecrated as he interrupted its purpose. "I am beyond your control," he said as a shoji screen moved aside. The boy stood staring at the black haired man who stood in the doorway.
Gai saw the demon for the first time in his son. He went straight for the boy. The demon wasn't able to signal his movements as he struck his angled hand at the back of his head. Idai, his adopted son, fell to the wooden floor. His body was covered in blood. Mistress Mizmarta was clutching her chest. She was frightened. She had every right to be.
Gai kneeled to take the blood soaked swords away. He unclipped Idai's sword sheath on his back. Gai looked up at the woman sadly. "I can't let you burden yourself anymore. You have done the most you can for him." Gai lifted the boy into his arms.
Mistress Mizmarta found her voice. She swallowed difficulty. "No, you can't take him out of the pentagram! If he leaves this room, I cannot vouch for the fates of others, or yourself that will befall! That demon is eating him alive!"
Gai stood in the doorway with Idai's body. "He has to be stronger to overcome it. I was told that by your assistant before he… perished by Idai. If he cannot withstand the demon and is unable to advance in his training, I will end it myself." Gai's fingers felt the back of Idai's hair. "That is my burden as his father."
Mistress Mizmarta watched the man leave her home. She lit the candles quickly to appease the spirit of Raijin, her now dead assistant. He had been killed because he failed to keep the gong going. She went to her knees and started to bow her head several times to his remains.
Gin Akimichi petted the lotus flower that was in the pot near her bed. She watched as the petals of the flower began to fall off. Gin gasped. Her eyes went to the petal where Idai's name was. His name was half-faded. Did something happen to Idai?
The green stalk of the lotus flower became pale. Gin grabbed the pot quickly. She held it in her arms, with the lotus on her heart. Gin cradled it as a sick child. "Idai, if you can hear me, please be alright. I don't know what's happening with you, but please be well," she said as she closed her eyes. The love she had for him seemed to be pouring out of her body, radiating the room she was standing in.
Gin kept her focus on the lotus in her arms. Her mind pictured it wasn't the flower at all, but Idai himself. She felt as if she was holding his spirit in the palm of her hands. "Please, Idai, don't let it consume you. I don't know what it is exactly, but you have reasons to continue living," she said softly as her eyes remained closed. "I love you. I'm sorry I never told you. If you can manage to fight what you're dealing with, I'll manage to tell you when I see you again."
Idai awoke to the sun rising. He turned his head to see his father, Might Gai, coming away from a river. There was a fire blazing next to him. Where was he?
Gai had tried to scrub the blood out of Idai's clothing to no avail. The man's blood was deeply embedded in the cloth. He shook Idai's black and green shirt out. Gai heard his name being called. His eyes lifted to see Idai's orange eyes watching him.
Idai realized then that he was lying on the ground with his shirt off. His eyes went over his form to try to figure out why he was like that. Suddenly, Idai saw the blood all over his pants. He sat up abruptly. His eyes were shaking as they went wide. His heart raced.
Gai dropped the shirt. He went immediately to the boy. Gai placed his hands on his shoulders and turned Idai towards him. "Idai, listen to me," he said in a calm voice that was hard to maintain.
"Whose blood is this?! Whose blood is on me?! Dad, what did I do?!" Idai moved his body trying to release himself, but Gai's hands were stronger. The fright in his eyes showed in Gai's face. The man was not able to answer him as Idai concluded that he was never going to see Konoha again.
Naruto looked over the documents that were retrieved from Hire's house. There was enough evidence there to convict Nattoku for fraud, embezzlement of other businesses, kidnapping, murder, and other crimes he didn't want to necessarily know about. His father, Yakedo, would have gotten life in prison if matters had turned out differently. He frowned as Engi stood in front of him awaiting his orders.
Naruto brought his elbows on the table to regard the man behind the rat mask. "Good work on finding out what Yakedo and his sons were really up to. This should be enough evidence to counter Nattoku's parole. I doubt he will even have a hearing by the looks of it. Go to the prison and inform the guards in charge of what is to occur. Nattoku is to have maximum security. If Daiji is sighted, I want to be notified immediately," he said as he handed the scroll with his signature and seal on it to Engi.
Engi bowed low to Naruto. "Yes, Lord Hokage." He walked out of the room quickly. These orders were very important. They would safeguard Hire's life, as well as, protect the people of Konoha from Nattoku's wrath.