The Crow

When nightfall arrived, it took all of her strength not to vibrate with excitement during dinner, trying to maintain a neutral face, she hoped that the way she was often massaging her nose could be blamed on her supposed anger (it wasn't exactly supposed, it had been completely real –yet it had been overpowered by the prospect of retribution). Luckily, most of the evening was spent in silence, Howard allowed her to dwell on her shame without interruption –perhaps he thought it wasn't a good idea to push her buttons further, merely glancing at her now and then with a smirk on his lips.

Yua moved plates on and off the table –Ino wondered how annoying was for her to always prepare a three-course meal, or well, if not prepare it at least serve it, but looking at how the woman kept throwing glances at her and biting her lips, concealing a smile, Ino made a spectacle of grabbing as many silverware that was on her reach and use it –with any luck, she will be the one had to wash them. Childish, but what kind of retaliation could she force upon a civilian that supposed no actual threat?

The candle's flame danced freely over the tablecloth's pattern, casting shadows over the table, Ino took a chance and glanced at Howard, the orange light painted his face and shone against the crystal of his glasses, he looked menacing –if it wasn't for the boldness that her discovery brought, she would see him as a threat. Perhaps she ought to. Perhaps she was being too naïve and not taking with enough seriousness her job –her age was not an excuse, shouldn't be still, she allowed her nature to reign over her senses, yet, to stop now…

Howard moved his head and glanced at her –only half of his eyes were visibly due to the light's harshness, he licked his lips and Ino furrowed her eyebrows, "such quietness," he said, seemingly deciding it had been enough truce, "have you been able to contact your leader?"

Ino bit the inside of her lip and gave him a slight nod, "yes, Howard-sama," perhaps her hatred hadn't been completely clobbered by expectations, her voice was tight and her body tensed at his approach –even with furniture in between them she felt invaded. Her teeth bit rather harshly the fork she held, the sound of bone against silver. Were teeth bones? She wasn't sure –no one had taught her that, she just knew how to pull them out or how they could be used against someone's throat.

In her mind, without permission, a pearl arose –a black dull color that warned distress, it floated in the surface of the water and gently awaited for her attention. It didn't need her conscious decision, however, some memories just refused to be abandoned, and she still hadn't mastered the concealment her father taught her: She was twelve again, and have just made it to the arena, a sudden weight pinned her to the ground and when she turned, one of her own had fallen over her –Suna ninja above them both, trying to sink a kunai on her eye socket. The kunoichi trying to survive smelled of smoke and her hair was getting inside Ino's mouth when she forced her weight off of her, turning around and biting the Suna-nin's neck, blood dripping from the corner of her lip when he finally went motionless.

"Good, let's hope their response arrives shortly," Howard said with a slight smile, Ino was shaken at how quickly everything happened, she was twelve a few seconds ago –now, she was sixteen, and was staring at a man she wanted to make suffer.

"Of course, Howard-sama," she replied, and gently placed her fork down, she had swallowed the bite she took at some point, yet she could taste nothing but the metal of the cutlery. She passed her tongue through her palate to get rid of the flavor. "Might I be excused, M-Master?" She didn't intend to stutter, but it was everything she could do not to beam in excitement.

Howard blinked, watched her for a few more seconds, and chuckled lowly –his chest vibrated and made her shiver from different reasons than her loathing or revenge prospects, it was the same feeling his proximity brought her. "You might leave." He told her, resting his cheek in his knuckles, and watching her apprehensively. She turned as to hide her blush and walked away quickly, not before seeing Yua throwing a nasty look her way.

Had Ino been petty, or rather, pettier -she would have rejoiced over the idea of Yua being jealous of her beauty, however, Howard's attention wasn't a price she felt was worth it.

Ino took a candle holder from a nearby table and gently protected the small flame with her hand, the orange light cast shadows on her cleavage and, likely, her face. She walked slowly, not wanting to end the life of her only light source when moving, and soundlessly went up the stairs. The house was devoid of sounds, not even the noise of cutlery against porcelain passed through the doors of the dining room. Ino had never noticed the magnitude of Howard's mansion, nor the solitude of his life until now. Most of his servants left soon before sundown, the few ones who stayed (bodyguards, cooks, and one or two maids), dined in the kitchen –room specially prepared with a table and chairs for all of them to sit. She hadn't been allowed there and, in order to maintain her façade, she hadn't tried to enter either –yet she inspected it with her Jutsu.

Ino stopped at the top of the stairs and turned, had this place always been this dark? She couldn't remember wondering about the way gloom clung to each space where her little, petit candle wasn't able to illuminate before. Considering that her source of light could lighten just a few feet ahead of her and around, twilight claimed ownership around most of the place –except her. Not her -never. The sound of the fire and her breathing was everything that accompanied her during her journey, something around the ambiance felt different from previous nights –her mind was playing tricks to her, surely. She blamed her anxious and distrustful nature.

When reaching her room, she was quick to put the candle next to her tatami, close to the mattress. She moved through darkness and gently placed herself on top of her sheets, patting the floor around her in search. She moved her fingers gently, fingertips tickling against the soft material under them, then she felt cold crystal at their sides, and with her nails she gently tapped the glass, hearing its clicking in the quietness of her room.

She crouched and retrieved her light source from the other side of her bed to place it next to the confinement. Inside transparent walls of the glass it rested her ladybug, Ino allowed herself a smile and saw her distorted reflection and the harsh light against the crystal, she licked her lips and felt a blush blossoming on her chest and cheeks –yet she had to wait still, make sure the house sunk into sleep so no one will bother her.

Ino breathed and rested her back on the mattress, chuckling lightly, she could smell both the smoke of the candle and the humidity around her –it will rain it seemed, Suna's weather was changing constantly, she gave up the idea of understanding it any time soon.

Just a few hours, a few more hours and everything will soon end –for better or worse, if her suspicious end up to be true, it will both appease her mind and arise further anger –if he had dared to play with her and her gifts in such manner she will end him, mission be damned. Tsunade will have to understand, if not, she'll concoct a scenario where he attacked her and she had to choose in between her life and his; and if the payment was the main issue, it wouldn't be the first time Konoha's soldiers loot the belongings of their dead clients.

However, no matter how disastrous that outcome could be, Ino feared it not, the thing that terrified her the most was to find absolutely nothing –and admit that her sanity had abandoned her, what would she do if that was the case? She forced herself not to even think of that possibility, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes solely at the prospect of being stripped from her essence. An insane Yamanaka wasn't uncommon, many times it was the consequence of the bad use of their technique –but it supposed an enormous threat to both Konoha and those around them, and once the diagnosis has been made, the Council sealed away their magic –to never be used again. What would be of her without her mind and casting? Nothing. She'll kill herself before allowing such disgrace.

Ino passed her hands through her cheeks and collected the few tears that escaped its confinement, gently placing the tip of her fingers in her lashes and combing them to distract herself from the nightmare she had forced herself upon. She took a few deep breaths and placed one of her hands under her breasts and the other one at the top of the glass, having the tool for her mischiefs at her reach soothed her distress.

Ino closed her eyes and relaxed, her body sinking in the bed. A few minutes of rest won't harm her, it will help her to make the time pass quicker, she kept her hand above the glass at all times, relying upon the coldness of it to feel safer. Ino sunk deeper in her mind and allowed her spirit to resurface from her sea, white figure against blue.

It was a rumble of thunder that threw her back to reality, and she blinked away her exhaustion –she hadn't been sleeping, not quite, but sometimes she got too caught up in her memories to remember to check the world outside her. Luckily she hadn't moved during her internal quest, and her hand still clung to the glass –when she looked, the orange light of the candle still lived and painted shadows over the tatami. The ladybug moved clumsily, Ino will have to free her and possess her quickly before she could fly off.

She glanced at the window before indulging in her desire, it was so dark outside she could see absolutely nothing, the thunder that woke her was not accompanied by rain, but it couldn't be far behind it –she could use that to her advantage should something happen, and if everything else failed, abandoning the insect will secure her survival.

She concentrated chakra con her feet to stick the glass on her toes while making the hand seals of her secret technique –she could be quick enough to control it before it knew what happened, yet its instinct of survival was not to be underestimated –and if it made to the night, she would lose sight of it quickly. Ruining her plan.

.

.

.

Well, she had been successful, that wasn't exactly a surprise –the next time Ino blinked, she was inside the ladybug –now, its uneasiness was even stronger than last time, already having experienced her control over its being, but the poor thing, being so little and weak could not fight her off, and so Ino tried to soothe it by sending quick waves of reassurance –she hoped it would be enough to wash away her sins.

She passed through the lock of her tatami doors –unlike the wooden door of Howard's office, these didn't have space between them and the floor, but she had been smart enough to close it and left the key away from the lock so she could move through it. The space was tight, but she was so little she managed without much problem.

Outside, the corridor was absolutely devoid of light save for some candles over specific portions of the place to guide whoever wandered to a safe space, particularly around the stairs. Ino didn't mind much the lack of glow, she knew the way by heart as of now. She listened to the house rumble with each thunder –her path was suddenly illuminated by lighting, before returning to pitch black.

Now that she knew what to look for, she didn't stop on little details –which she loved the most, nor she minded much her surroundings as to not exhaust both the ladybug and herself –wasting time was something she couldn't do, not if she wanted results! New lighting illuminated the space, and there, she saw the wonderful wooden door. When reaching it finally, she paused –just barely, to see if someone (Howard) was inside the room –it wouldn't stop her, nothing would! But then she would have to move with even more caution...

Yet luck was on her side and she finally ventured inside –and yes, yes! Stupid man! The crack was there –she could see it from the ground, and with her size, passing through the secret door was so easy! This will show him for downgrading her –she will chew him off.

The walls were of gray stone, black thick mold had collected in the cracks in between each brick, releasing a putrid odor that she couldn't smell in this form but could imagine regardless. Ino cocked her head to the side in wonder, why would Howard have this corridor, a place whose secrecy he clearly valued, in such poor conditions? The humidity had taken hold of its foundations, and it was a miracle that it hadn't collapsed yet. This was the place where he had disappeared so many moons ago? What could possibly compel a man that cared so much for presentations to allow this decay? It was a wonder the stench hadn't made it to his office.

When glancing up –she could see red-colored drawings in the walls that she knew nothing of, they seemed to be too complex for mere decorations, and she didn't need to be a ninja to know that those types of intricate designs belonged to the most delicate and expensive of seals. Yet, her knowledge ended there, and whatever they did –they must be doing it in this exact moment, but she lacked the capability to comprehend even a little bit of them and their capacities. If they were to prevent intruders, then whoever was to guard this secret had been called already –so she waited, seconds stretched into minutes, and when no one came for her, she continued to move deeper inside the dark mouth.

The further she moved, the more the air around her changed, a cold breeze reached her wings and she was forced on the ground –yet she could not place the origin of such stream, just the icy air that engulfed her petite frame, this place must be really underground for it to be subjected to such unfriendly temperature. Had this been the breeze that alerted of this place's existence? She glanced around her, not really able to see now that the light passing through the crack in the entrance diminished –yet in the distance, there were small spots of orange color dancing against blackness –torches, no doubt, so she regained her wits and moved. This discovery didn't satisfy her curiosity, if anything, it just fed it.

A small pulse passed through her paws, and it made her shudder, upstairs in her bedroom goosebumps made it to her skin, something about this place –something inside it, felt hostile, dangerous, Ino had the imperious need to flee. Yet, she refused to listen to her basic instincts, it was going against everything she has been taught, but the bigger the danger, the bigger the reward –and what if Howard actually had one of her kin locked in here? She had entertained the idea of him toying with her or her being crazy so much that she forgot about that possibility, and Spirits, if it came to that…

If the silence in the house was unsettling, in here was disturbing to the point of concocting fear upon her, she could not see much of her surroundings, the torches seemed to be there as mere decorations rather than serving a purpose, who in their right mind will allow darkness to reign in such unfriendly space? Somewhere inside water drops were falling, the only note accompanying her in this journey, its sound echoed in the filthy walls. Ino's frustration arose with each step she took –if she wasn't able to see, what would she find but her own anguish?

This was -this felt like a tomb.

And again, she shuddered, wander around will do no good when she had nothing to hold onto, she threw her chakra net in order to feel something, just a small-sized one –to see if it'll work, the seals she saw on the walls (now completely hidden by the obscure veil, should they be all over the corridor) didn't seem to stop her from using her chakra –so what was their purpose? Feeling more confident when no chakra signature made it to her net, she threw it once more, this time longer, looking for any clue she could use to her advantage, but she found nothing again, not a single thing. It was pathetic. This time, she kneeled even more chakra, being measured wouldn't do in a place where every other sense of her was shut down, and she felt the soft blanket of her sensing expand, reach out and—

-she froze.

No, this could not be, Ino quickly concentrated her entire energy in the wall of chakra she encountered –it was impossible for her not to find it sooner, something would have leaked when it was concentrated in such quantity, it was solid against her veil –as if asleep. What kind of creature possessed such monstrous energy?

The dormant beast suddenly shuddered against her caressing, as if her soft prickle of mere curiosity arose it from its slumber, the floor suddenly trembled, dust falling to the ground and torches turning off as if something had blown them out. It was nothing like the soft rumble she felt before –in her human form, days ago. This was powerful and dark and, shockingly, iron hot. The air around her felt constricting and harsh against her.

And suddenly, the wall of energy just...

–sprinted towards her.

Ino would have screamed had she been able, but in this form, she could do no such thing –she kept sensing the creature –monster, monster, monster, she could feel its anger bubbling through her net, its running became –if possible, even faster, and Ino against all judgment just tried to fly away from it –even knowing there was no way a fucking ladybug could overrun such dense malice—

There was a boom –boom –boom for each step the beast took towards her, the cold air was soothing against her panic, oh she was panicking? -you can't, not now. Focus. Focus. She thought, still flying, a sudden burst of air came from the darkness behind her, sending her right against a wall and into the floor –oh Spirits, she tried to take flight again but it was to no avail, one of her wings had bent awkwardly, and she couldn't move from the spot she had landed on. The nauseous chakra crept up her and embraced every muscle of her being, freezing her in place. She was condemned. Dead, dead, dead. With the last of her strength, she glanced backward and where the darkness reigned, she could feel the approach of death's claws.

No -not you, not you -get off Ino -get off.

Ino woke on her own body, breathing hard and trembling, sweat had collected on her form –goosebumps against each patch of skin –visible or covered by clothes, she was so shocked she bit her lips to try to control her tremors, her hands were shaking in crippling fear.

You can move, you're okay. You can move. You're safe.

You didn't die.

Whatever that thing was, she had barged into its territory, now she was in the safety of Howard's mansion –it had been a bad, bad idea to allow her treacherous nature to control her movements, yet the ladybug had been a good decision, the crack in the secret door allowed her curiosity to pass as a mere coincidence. Nothing could link the bug to her. Nothing.

You can move, you're okay. You can move. You're safe.

You didn't die.

Ino breathed again through her mouth and rested her hands in her eyes, tears fell from them and she swallowed a sob –the beast had been so close.

-boom –boom, -thud. The energy in the clandestine passage suddenly arose from its confinements, not even trying to keep its presence a secret, Ino glanced at her tatami doors and quickly blew out the candle still lit in her room –if that thing was here merely to check on her better not to give it a reason to suspect.

Fuck, lord –fuck.

There was no sound after the first one, no servant awoke upon the arrival, it was impossible –even a non-sensor could be able to feel such monstrous chakra. She shook, everything around her shook, it was impossible.

Ino bit her lips and turned, trying to regain some control, her teeth were so harsh against her skin that blood fell from the wound, she swallowed it all and tried to tame her heartbeat –Spirits.

You can move, you're okay. You can move. You're safe. It'll go away. Don't be suspicious.

There was a crack in the wooden floor, the creature had moved directly to her quarters, of course it would suspect her first and foremost –but nothing could connect her to the ladybug, absolutely nothing. Howard had nothing against her, therefore it -neither.

It'll go away. Don't be suspicious. It'll go away. Don't be suspicious. It'll go away. Don't be suspicious. It'll—

Ino opened her mouth and eyes widely, panic had –once again, taking over her –one would think that as a kunoichi she would be prepared to control herself, but whatever loomed outside her door couldn't possibly be human. A sob, a yell, a word wanted to escape her throat, yet she lacked the voice to pronounce anything –tears obscured her vision, and her tremors became uncontrollable, not even pain was able to subdue her fear, and then a shadow, a black figure against the tatami doors cloth was suddenly there—

The shadow—

—it had red eyes.

Ino screamed.

A/N: Comments and thoughts would be highly appreciated.