Some while later, a low grumble echoed around the room, and Konan stood up, languidly stretching her limbs.
She wrapped her cloak around her body, then slipped her sandals back over her toes. "Zena, come along." She ordered, waiting for the brunette to bundle herself up against the chilly night, then leading her out of the inn and into the street.
The rain was lighter, but the sky was darker. Flickering streetlights illuminated their path through the soggy village.
Zena briefly wondered why they hadn't just procured food from the Inn, but the thought was dismissed as a heavenly scent drifted through her nostrils. Warm drool pooled in her mouth and she followed Konan, and her stomach, toward the smell of delicious food.
Eventually, Konan ducked into a open-front shop and sat at the bar. Zena followed suit, claiming the stool to Konan's left.
Inside, the aroma of sautéed vegetables and roasted meat invaded Zena's senses, and her stomach roared once again.
"Ah, Konan-san. It's been a while since your last visit." The waitress behind the bar smiled softly, setting the bar in front of the two women with bowls and chopsticks. "Will you have the usual today, then?"
Konan affirmed the young orange-haired girl's question with a nod.
The waitress called back to the cook, then turned to Zena, who had been watching quietly. "And you, miss?"
Zena looked around, unsure of what it even was that they served, only reading kanji marked on the board behind the waitress. "Konan-san..." She glanced at her comrade, embarrassed that she couldn't understand.
Konan ordered for her, comfortingly patting her on the head. "Give her the Tonkatsu box, Nari-san." She turned to Zena, remembering her vow to help assist the young girls in training. Knowing how to read and write kanji would prove to be a vital skill, something necessary for survival, should the girl find herself alone and vulnerable to a world she could barely comprehend. "When we return home, I'll teach you." She offered quietly.
Grateful for Konan's help, the shokuton carrier thanked her quickly. She turned to the chopsticks gathered in a tall white jar and snagged a set, carefully inspecting the wooden sticks. She received a calculating glance from Konan, and a shy grin spread across her face. "Don't worry, I know how to use them." She assured her companion, who nodded slowly.
A few moments later, Nari returned with their food, placing the two orders in front of their respective owners. Konan had what seemed like calamari and aromatic mushrooms, grilled perfectly. A fair portion of white rice with a few chives on top was placed to the side in a small bowl. Zena's meal was as Konan had ordered, a crispy fried slice of pork and a dark, rich sauce. She had also received white rice and a medley of cooked vegetables. She broke apart her chopsticks and rubbed any tiny splinters out, daintily placing strips of pork and vegetables into her rice bowl, then digging into the appetizing meal.
She shoveled food in, the flavors melting together into her mouth and exploding across her taste buds. She felt a low moan rising from her throat as she savagely began shoveling more into her cheeks.
She heard a soft giggle from the right, and her eyes slid to Konan, who was watching her with a play of a smile on her lips. Zena flushed and set her bowl down quickly, dabbing at her lips with a napkin as she chuckled at her own display.
"That's easily the best thing I've ever tasted," She admitted sheepishly. "I wish I could cook like that."
Konan shrugged, regarding her younger companion with a warm look. "You're meals are good. Don't doubt yourself, and keep working at it."
"You're really insightful." Zena remarked, looking down at her food once more. Despite all the flak she got for being a villain in Naruto, Konan was a great comrade, dependable and kind. She was an astounding kunoichi as well, that much was obvious.
She wondered how the blue-haired woman react to her idea about fixing the world and saving the people she'd come to care about in the Akatsuki.
Maybe if she'd told them the extremes, the lowest points in all their lives, and pointing out that they worked hard but ultimately all died before their desired world peace came out. Pein, his frail body giving out after the harsh repercussions of their acts and the ten-tail's chakra. Konan, destroyed by the people who were supposed to be loyal to her... So far, they had just known about their eventual deaths, plus many other lives, pointlessly spent. Maybe if they knew everything there was to know, not just what the four had decided on telling the criminals to keep the storyline intact until they figured out what to do.
Zena shook her head, realizing that she had zoned out while watching Konan, whose previous warm look was reduced to an odd tilt.
"Oh, um... Is Zetsu-san going to get to eat as well?" She finally asked, taking another bite from her meal.
"Mm, he'll take care of it. Don't worry, despite the fact that you've kind of spoiled him, he's capable of procuring a meal for himself." Konan assured the brunette, finishing off her meal. She waved the waitress back over, ordering two steaming cups of green tea before paying for the two meals and tipping Nari-san.
Zena relaxed and finished her late dinner, stretching her arms over her head. "Konan-san, I just wanted to say..."
Konan's eyes drifted back over to the mousy brunette as she took a sip of the warm tea. It spread through her body, warming her core and making her fingers feel better. "Hmm?"
"...Um, thank you for the meal." She finished too quickly, bowing her head slightly.
Konan waved at the girl's untouched cup, ignoring her thanks. "Drink."
"Ah, um- okay..." Zena agreed, taking the tea and blowing across the surface softly. Once she was satisfied it had cooled enough, she took a slow sip, savoring the taste of the mixture. Refreshed, she sighed contentedly, relaxing. "This place is amazing."
Konan made a noise of assent, lowly adding, "I'm glad you like it."
Eventually draining their cups, the two women exited the small shop into a colder rain than before. Zena suppressed a shiver as a drop rolled down her neck and into her shirt. She wanted more than anything to curl up with a nice pillow and sleep like the dead.
For a brief moment, she thought of wrapping herself around Zetsu's long limbs and falling asleep against his chest. Zena, get it together. She smacked her cheeks a few times, bouncing to catch up with Konan's slightly longer stride.
The trip back to the inn was blessedly short, and Zena almost squealed in delight as they exited the rain once more. "I can be cold. I can be wet. I cannot be cold and wet." She practically hissed, rubbing her arms back in the sanctity of their rented room.
She didn't forget to notice that Zetsu was still in the corner, however he had moved to a different corner, his back into the nook and his legs stretched toward the fire. Like vines toward the sun, she thought briefly before Konan's voice brought her back to attention.
"It wasn't that bad," Konan chided, "You need to get used to it. Besides, tomorrow isn't going to be much bet-" She caught the anguished look on Zena's face, her voice falling as she closed off her remark, "-ter."
Zena groaned for perhaps the millionth time in the last 24 hours, pressing the heel of her palms into her eye sockets. "Why is Pein such a cruel being?" She practically wailed.
A crack of lightening was her response.
Konan giggled, "Pein-sama said, 'suck it'."
Zetsu snorted, confirming that he wasn't, in fact, dead, as Zena had assumed upon seeing his perfectly still form.
"I'm going to bed." She grumbled, stalking toward the bed closest to the bathroom. She fell face-first onto the mattress, almost immediately falling into a dreamless slumber.
"Alright," Zena chirped, energy and enthusiasm renewed from her sleep. "Which way to the... Um... Place?" She asked, the name Jiraiya had given slipping her mind. "To see the... woman?" She offered lamely.
Zetsu gave her a strange look before Konan spoke, "The Saku Hana, and we're going to see Bloss- err, Ayame-san."
"Right." Zena agreed, looking around. "Which way is it?"
"Hm, the center of town..." Konan trailed off. Zena watched her for a moment, a look of realization flashing across her face before the ire kicked in. "The red light district," she hissed, "I hate that part of town."
Zena looked at Zetsu, confused. "Hm? The what?"
Zetsu scoffed and looked at her. "The red light—" Zena gave him an innocent look and he flushed. "Never mind. We'll get you a blindfold."
Konan shook her head slightly, taking the lead.
Zena wondered what exactly they meant. She was ditzy, but not dumb. She hadn't made the connection yet, and when the revelation dawned on her, it was in the form of a skimpily dressed woman sliding across the alleyway, tossing a pitiful glance to the innocent looking brunette.
"Ohhh," Zena whispered, "Duh. I used to be a... Never mind, that was a long time ago." She flushed, hoping that either had heard her words.
"Here we are," Konan saved her form awkward silence, coming to a stop in front of a gaudy looking building, painted in pink petals. "Saku Hana it is."
They entered, immediately flanked by a pair of money-hungry women. "What can we do for you tonight?" The chorused, leaning a tad too close for comfort. Zena edged away, practically using the scary plant man as a shield from the busty blondes.
"We're here for Ayame-san." Konan briefly informed the pair. "Where can we find her?"
The exchanged a look, "Unfortunately, hon, Ayame-chan is with another client right now. Perhaps you'll have someone else, then?"
Konan cleared her throat, leveling her cold gaze on the women. "The Toad sent us."
Their entire demeanors immediately shifted. The girl on the left nodded, and the one on the right ushered the three towards the back rooms. "Mistress-chan is through here."
Through the curtain, a young woman sat, barely covered in red and black patterned silk. Her raven locks spilling down her back and across her shoulders like ink, she looked as if she were in her in late twenties, her flesh still taught and her form still lean. It seemed the only skin she didn't feel comfortable baring were her hands, as she wore a pair of elbow-length black silk gloves, her fingers gracefully holding a long cigarette stick, smoke billowing across the room. The woman didn't bother sparing a glance to her visitors.
"Hmm, the toad sent, you eh?" She asked, not waiting for a response. "What do you need? Make it quick, I've got an appointment."
Zena stepped in front of her, her nerves shaking her hands in a slight tremble. This carried though to her voice as she choked out the words.
"Ex-excuse us for our intrusion, Miss Ayame." She knelt in front of the almost naked woman. "We've come seeking information of an extremely rare kekkei genkai. Jiraiya of the Toads sent us as a favor."
The woman finally glanced at the intruders, immediately stiffening in recognition. "Akatsuki."
Konan nodded once.
"Interesting...Then, what is your name, young one?"
Zena's lips felt chapped and she gazed onto the beautiful woman, temporarily mesmerized. "Zena."
"Zena, hmm." Ayame tasted to name, rolling it off her tongue a few times, before finally asking, "You must mean the shokuton, then?"
Zena nodded dumbly, entranced. "The shokuton, yes."
Ayame swallowed, looking over the girl once more. "And what brings you to inquire about it?"
"She wields it." Zetsu finally spoke, drawing the attractive woman's attention.
"Really now?" She asked, admiring the odd, though handsome, man for a moment.
"Um, I don't know what happened. It was just sudden..."
Ayame cracked a grin, "As much as I'd like to help you, it's simply impossible that what you used was the shokuton."
"How?' Zena asked, summoning her courage and raising her voice.
Ayame scoffed, "The last user of that kekkei tota died. 23 years ago."
Zena shook her head, standing up suddenly. A flash of amazement crossed Ayame's face for a split second, but she wiped it away, carefully watching the young kunoichi was she sprung to her feet.
"I have nothing else." Zena cried, "I don't know what brought me here, but this power is connected. My family is gone, my life is a complete lie... Ayame-san, I beg you. Please, anything you could tell me would help."
Taking pity, Ayame nodded once, hesitantly. "I'll give you my knowledge. But," she paused, a wicked smile appearing across her face. "You have to fight me for it."
Oh fu- Zena's voice cut off her thoughts, unbidden and sure. "Okay."
Zetsu and Konan remained silent, watching the events unfold.
"Meet me in the back of the building." Ayame ordered, waving them away.
The floozies from before returned, escorting the trio to the rainy street and depositing them underneath a covered portion of the street. It was only wide enough to fit Zena's small frame, so the two ninja stood in the downpour.
Moments later, Ayame appeared in the middle of the road, now donning a set of nice combat gear, her long gloves still present. Her hair was pulled back into a sleek tie at the nape of her neck, and she nodded at Zena to come.
Facing off against the woman, Zena's earlier confidence was shredded. She was beautiful in all forms, sleek and deadly, like a viper. She struck quick, aiming a blow towards Zena's middle.
Zena took it in full force, a 'oof' leaving her upon impact.
The beautiful kunoichi didn't let up, but held her full strength back.
Zetsu stepped forward, but Konan held her arm out in front of him. "Watch."
Ayame didn't want to seriously hurt the girl, but to confirm the girl's claim, she needed to be pushed. Her plan wasn't to injure the girl, but to barrage her and back her into a corner, helpless and desperate.
Another punch rained down on the weak girl, whipping her head back with a sting. She hissed, wiping her mouth. Before she could process the blood across her palm, another kick connected, knocking the air out of her once more.
Zena felt... truly pathetic. She couldn't defend herself, and she knew the other woman was just playing with her. Why would she subject herself to something so idiotic? So much pain, and for what? A few pieces of what would probably be worthless information?
She felt Konan's and Zetsu's eyes on her, and she could only imagine that they were filled with pity and disappointment.
The though enraged her. How could she be so foolish?
She howled, blocking the blow Ayame was aiming for her sore stomach with renewed power. Her hand shot up and vine sprouted from the ground, wrapping around Ayame's limbs.
Ayame, instead of cowering, threw her head back in a fit of relieved laughter. "Yes!"
Zena froze. "Yes?"
"The Shokuton." Ayame cheered.
As soon as the vines sprouted, they retracted back into the ground. Zena stared at her hands, amazed. Shokuton.
Ayame led them inside once more, her arm wrapped tightly around Zena's as she animatedly babbled.
They were once again in her chamber, though this time they sat on a pair of sofas, which had went unnoticed before. For a few minutes, Ayame healed Zena's injuries as she chatted about the interior decor, ignoring the tense girl beside her.
One of Ayame's underlings brought them a kettle full of tea, and Ayame graciously poured drinks for each of her guests, before turning back to Zena once more.
"Legends tell of a forsaken clan, long ago lost. The clan wasn't particularly large, but they possessed a frightening jutsu, they wielded the power to control the plants comprising mother nature around us. Shokuton, the power that ultimately destroyed their livelihood.." Ayame leaned toward the coffee table, where a potted orchid bloomed. Her delicate fingertips brushed across the blossoming flower. "They were brought down by fearful villagers and jealous shinobi. Their compound burning into ash, two young girls escaped. One with the ability to use this kekkei tota, and one without." She paused, her hand drifting back down to her lap. The flower's leaves, as if they were reaching back out for her touch, coiled toward Ayame's finger.
She didn't explain the odd display, but she did continue her tale, waving for another of her minions forward. This one held a pack of cigarettes and lit one, before passing the smoking little roll of tobacco to her mistress.
Ayame took a long drag off of the stick, pausing in her retelling of the two girls' tale finding their way across the country to this very building, where they grew older together, until they met an older branch clan relative, who brought them back and accepted them into the compound.
There, the shokuton user flourished, and her sister fell deeply in love with one of the branch members. They wed and created a beautiful baby girl. The mother died in childbirth, but she managed to see her child once before her life was gone.
The child was extraordinary. Unlike any before her, her tie to her mother sprang a small yellow daisy, eventually wilting and withering away. The clan elders were ecstatic, calling in a fuinjutsu specialist to seal away the full strength of her powers until she was strong enough to properly use them.
Ayame never spoke any of the characters in her tale's name, but the tense, raw emotion behind her words gave the three a sense that she was very close to this story.
"The fuinjutsu specialist definitely sealed up her powers... But he didn't do the same for his lips. The secret of a child capable of controlling flora... well, that's something special, isn't it?" She put her cigarette out, snuffing it into a glass tray. The cigarette- lady cleaned up the mess and stepped back again, awaiting her next order. "Somewhere out there, some twisted soul wanted death. He tracked down the source of the rumors, the original sealer. They..." She gulped, clenching her fist. "Like with the first compound, the Ame branch was slaughtered, their compound burned to ash. Like with the first compound, I escaped."
She slowly began pulling the long gloves off of her hands, gently tugging at each finger. "I don't know what the intention of this man was, presumably to kill off this kekkei tota... But," she finally finished her task, laying the long pieces across her lap. "The man used some strange technique on my sister's husband. He was fighting once second... And the next he was screaming, this terrible howl. He... collapsed in front of me, and the man took my niece. I..." She swallowed, emotions rising. "I blacked out and... when I came to, everything was burning. My sister's husband hadn't yet died, and he held his still daughter in his arms. I remember crawling toward them... and the fire consumed them. I came to again, I dug through the smoldering cinders of what was once my sister's husband, searching for the legacy of our clan." She held her scarred hands up, flesh slickened and shiny with scar tissue. Horrible, unbearable burns from her frantic scrambling through piles upon piles of still-burning wood and hot coal. A tiny tear slipped from the corner of her eye, and for a moment, unspeakable agony flashed in her eyes.
Zena swallowed back her own tears, glancing at Zetsu and Konan, who were stoic and silent.
Ayame sighed, her face returning to her sly smirk, her earlier torment a distant memory. "I was alone. For decades. Zena, you... you're connected to me. I can feel it within you. I want to... I want to train you." She admitted, sitting up with renewed vigor.
Konan made a noise and Zetsu sat forward.
"Train me?" Zena asked. "Like... the shokuton..."
Ayame nodded. "Correct. This is indeed the shokuton. Aside from that, your friends have been under genjutsu since you stepped foot in here. It didn't work on you, a sign from above."
Zena glanced at her companions again, looking closer. They were oddly spaced out, and they didn't seem to put up much of a fight when Ayame was unleashing her fury on Zena's poor stomach. Maybe they really were under a genjutsu.
Ayame reached out to touch the orchid again. "This is one of the powers of the Shokuton. This flower is the source. The pollen particles in the air have this jutsu laced in them. Anyone who breathes in the spores are immediately in my trap."
Zena made a noise of revelation, "But I'm... not."
Ayame shook her head. "I thought you were at first but you proved me wrong. You truly do wield the shokuton, and as such, I am confident in my belief that somehow, you are my niece."
Zena felt a tear slip from her eye. "I wish I could prove it further... More than speculation, I wish there was a way to truly know."
Ayame shook her head, "I do not need proof. I told you, I can feel it. Coursing and thriving in you. You are Zinea Kiso."
Zinea.
Ayame suddenly released the two ninja from her genjutsu, and they seemed to snap awake, alert and very confused.
Konan stood up, turning her glare on Ayame.
Zena stood as well, stepping between the raven-haired woman and her comrades. "Stop! It's okay!"
"She beat the crap out of you!" Shiro protested, his voice backed my Black Zetsu's low growl.
"I said it was okay!" Zena snapped, throwing her arms wide. "She is my aunt."
"That doesn't change anything." Konan said, her tone flat and lethal.
The brunette gave Konan a level look. "Stand down!"
Konan stepped back, but Zetsu's piercing gaze was still on the raven-haired beauty.
"Zetsu." Zena quietly pleased. "Just stop. I'm okay. She was testing me."
He 'hmph-ed' and stepped back, still staring at Ayame.
Zena turned to her newfound relative and bowed politely. "My apologies."
Ayame nodded and Zena sat back down, gazing at the plant. "I accept your proposal."