Chapter 42: Uncovering the Katos

A/N: I know I know. I am awful. I lost all inspiration to write and I decided to go back to the source material to get the drive back. And look at me now. I finally finished this chapter. So... I will hopefully get through the rest of the story. One of these days I will get to the end of this very long story. But I did work on the long chapter to make up for the absents I have been giving you guys. Thank you for the support.

I'll stop so you guys can read. Please feel free to comment, question or leave a thought. Always want to hear from you guys.

June 21st:

I wake up with a great headache.

What happened last night?

Something bad if I don't remember, and that isn't okay.

Instead of getting up though, I want to just lay in bed all day. I don't want to move. But I know I need to, to avoid any repercussions that might happen if I lay around all day.

But I feel my eyes closing again.

Shikamaru:

I hold eye contact with Kakashi. It all makes so much sense now.

The rules tied her to a lot of things. So many things that they became part of her being in order to make sure she follows them. I haven't spoke, but let the words sink in. There are so many things that could go wrong right now, but everything Kakashi just told us makes sense.

Kakashi called Kiba and I in to discuss the change in Tooru. About what happened yesterday as well.

Only to say that she is very messed up. Even those words could be an understatement.

"So you mean to tell me that Tooru had rules? And they physically harm her as you marked them off?" Kiba is pacing around.

Kakashi nods, this is the third time Kiba has asked this, "She was physically harmed by the rules, which makes me think the hold is stronger than I thought."

That would make sense, considering that Tooru is working very hard to stay away from Kiba and I. And she hasn't come to see Kakashi at all today. It is almost sundown. Kakashi hasn't heard a word from her. But Yamato said she was at home, she hadn't come out of her room, but she is there.

Seeing her like that was hard. She looked so… I don't think weak applies here, but it's the only word I can think of. Believing that she isn't use to having any freedoms, it could be a rough time for her. Not to mention that she will be working with controlling new emotions she doesn't understand. If they are anything like in the dream, she could be overwhelmed very quickly.

"That's not okay!" Kiba turns towards me, "You haven't said anything in a while Shikamaru."

"I'm thinking. But that being said, this hold that the Third Hokage has on her is pretty weird," I look Kakashi dead in the eyes, "don't you think?"

Kakashi leans back, "What do you mean Shikamaru?"

"It seems unlike the Third. It feels more like Danzo's style. Going emotionless, no teammates, nothing to that extent. Remember when we all first meet Sai? He didn't understand how human emotions worked, that was because of the Foundation. Tooru is paralleling those traits that Sai had once." I stand up and go to the window, "Would the Third do that to someone? I would think he would put them in school, not hide them from the rest of the world."

"You're right… Sai was hopeless, we fought with him the first time we meet him." I watch the birds flying away.

"My point is, Lord Third's style was softer. He let Naruto and Saskue run around, why not let Tooru? Danzo's dead, so it should have broken, unless he convinced Lord Third to do something like this." I turn around, "If Danzo knew about her family, we need to know the full power of her family. We should start there. Kakashi is there records of the Kato's powers?"

Kakashi nods, "Yes, I'll give you guys clearance to read them, normally it's only for the Hokage, but I think it's important for you guys to understand the full power."

Kiba and I read silently.

The Kato's are scary.

I don't even think Tooru knows about how much her life could change, based off family records and other people talking about them.

The Kato's not only know every justu the person holds, but a skilled member of the Kato family could copy the justu with training. Since that seems to not be Tooru's case, but Tooru could copy powers that only are carried in a family. Meaning she could copy Hinata, and myself. Even could copy Saskue's eyes. But she doesn't know how to. And she has to train.

She can have every single type of chakra in the world, and she would possible be able to lead an army, or be a one man army. Regardless, if I am right in thinking that Tooru was placed in the situation by Danzo, then he and Lord Third had to have known about what the Kato's could do.

"Hey… Shikamaru, the Kato's…"

I look towards Kiba, "I know. They could make or break any type of fight."

"Not only that come look at this," I walk over to the table Kiba is working at, "I started looking into their history and there isn't anything here after the nine-tails attack. The last thing is a baby being born, my bet is Tooru."

"Nothing after?" I look closely at the last know locations.

Home. 2 weeks before the attack, they had just brought Tooru home after being in the hospital for three weeks.

Kiba shakes his head, "I haven't seen anything to indicate that. I do wonder why three weeks though. Normally it's about a week right? It's like this for the whole family, as far back as it's recorded."

I narrow my eyes and go back over to my table, "It was written down somewhere. I don't remember where, but it seems like the standard. Something about them being born early due to the amount of chakra that their own body holds from the mother. It's unstable so they need two weeks or so to adjust to not being with a large amount at any given time."

"Anyway," Kiba slams his hands on the table, "There is a large chunk of history missing until Tooru came back five years later. And after that, she barely was in the academy! I would have remembered someone with her hair and scent when we were younger. But I don't. Did she even go there? Who even found her? None of this is written down."

"The better question is, who took the Kato's. We know why, their powers are unique."

"We both know who likes unique powers…."

"No," I hold up a hand. "He wouldn't. He was defected already, but I don't think he was at that type of power yet. It has to do with this group…"

Kiba slowly sits down, "The group?"

Right, even I don't know everything about the group, but it does seem like something we need to really look at.

"A threat that took Tooru a little while ago. Remember how a group of us had to go save her?" Kiba nods his head, "Well, we believe that the group is connected to some plotting around the land of fire, spreading out around the other nations. Maybe there is something going on there…. But I just can't figure out what."

"We don't have a lot of information… and that's going to be out down fall in all of this… We just don't know what could happen…"

June 21st (Evening):

Tooru:

I can see him… who is that? They are only a shadow. A long robe. Walking away.

Reaching out, my hand only seems further away. As I take a step the world around me turns dark. I am looking at a forest, a little girl, no more than 5 is running through the forest. She keeps tripping and looking back.

Don't look back.

We'll be fine.

Go get help.

Shaking my head I place my hands over my ear. Crouching down… the voice only get stronger. No, no I didn't do anything wrong. The little girl stops, I can't hear her any longer, silence. I uncover my ears, watching the little girl. Still crouched down, she runs towards me, reaching out her hand.

I reach out my own hand, but she never gets closer to me.

There is the man behind her. He places a hand on her shoulder, she stops, looking up at him. A smile illuminated on his face.

I'll protect you.

You'll be my little secret.

I'll talk with someone.

The voice. Who's voice it that? She doesn't know who is speaking. Slowly they turn away from her, but she doesn't want to little girl to go with him.

'Please don't go with him. All he's going to do it harm you!'

The man looks back at my space, his eyes smile slightly. I try to get up to stop them but my body freezes, I look down, vines are covering my body. I can't move and I can't keep my head down. My eyes fall back on the spot the little girl and the man were. I don't see them.

The vine creep up on me, they pull me down into the earth, dragging me into the dirt. I have no voice I have no sound. I can only be pulled down into the ground. My silent screams reaching no ones ears.

I see the little girl, covering her eyes, water falling down her face.

But no sound comes from her.

I widen my eyes, trying to fight my way through the vines, but the more I struggle, the heavier they become, the closer I am to total darkness. Either way, I am going into the darkness. Why should I fight it?

The next second I can't breathe. I look around, seeing water all around me. I struggle for air. The more I swim up, the father away the surface seems. No, not this. I need air. I need to get out of here. But as I let out my last breath, I close my eyes.

I open my eyes, Seeing the sunset from my window, I fell asleep again.

Gasping, is that me?

I think back to my dream.

Water.

I sit up right away, but the world is spinning. Laying back down, I can only look at the ceiling. I don't know what is happening. Who was the little girl? What is going to happen to me? I haven't been to see Lord Sixth all day. Which isn't good. He gave me no new task and I haven't finished a few of the ones he had given me before.

What am I going to do?

Should I go see him?

No.

I don't want to go see him. I feel no need to go to my daily check in with the Hokage. For the first time I haven't gone to see Lord Sixth since he become the Hokage. Unless I am on a mission. But even then, I have a message system with Lord Sixth, so I am always in communication with the Hokage.

I don't want to get up form the floor, I just want to curl up and not do anything.

What is this feeling? Laziness? Is that what I am feeling? No, isn't lazy on the days off that Lord Sixth had ordered? I know I did nothing on those days. Those days I felt like I did nothing productive because I didn't. Just as I've done nothing productive today.

But it isn't a mandatory day of rest, I should have been working, I should have been doing something, not sleeping all day.

Light tapping.

Coming from my door.

"Tooru?"

Is that… no. No one should be coming to see me. I roll over to my side, facing away from the door. I don't want to see anyone, I don't want to hear anyone's voice. All I want to do it just sleep all day, which I have.

"Tooru, I made you some food. I'll… leaving it by your door."

I hear a bowl being set down and footsteps walking away. I don't want to eat. I don't want anything. I want to just lay on the floor.

What did that dream mean?

Why do I feel like doing nothing?

Can I truly be free?

I am sure that I heard Lord Thirds voice in the tomb, but what he said. Be free child. Is that possible for me to be? To be free from this burden that I have carried for so many years? For my whole life? Do I want to be around other people?

Had I asked that a week ago I would have said being around others would be useless. Now though… I have no idea. I think back to when I was under the influence of the group… how much I needed Shikamaru and the others. Could I try it?

I don't know.

No answers come to me.

I hate not knowing things.

Tomorrow, maybe tomorrow I can start to do things. Right now I think sleeping would be a better thing to do.