Captain Blues: Let's get to it!
Ansatsuken
Chapter Twenty-One: Broken Loyalty
Tayuya was annoyed.
Their Leader, Kaguya Kimimaro, was initially supposed to lead them on this mission, but his illness had reared its ugly head, so he was left behind.
Unfortunately for Tayuya, this left Sakon and Ukon in charge, and she had to deal with that obnoxious fat-ass Jirōbō. While she could tolerate being led by Kimimaro, she couldn't stand the bobblehead duo, and they couldn't stand her.
Thankfully, Orochimaru had decided before they left the village to have Kin from Team Dosu join them to make up for the missing Kimimaro. She didn't know if having both of her friends here made things better, but she did note that neither Kin nor Kidōmaru snitched words when Orochimaru revealed their mission.
So while she felt good about her friends being around and staying quiet, she was very paranoid.
Orochimaru had sent them on this mission to find the scroll she held on her person and if Orochimaru found out that she held the scroll, he would kill her. She didn't know why she
She knew that he couldn't get the scroll, but what could she do?
"Look out!" Kidōmaru yelled, which caused Tayuya's head to snap up, only for her forehead to collide with a thick tree branch, sending her down to the ground where she landed on her shoulders and then the rest of her body fell.
"Fucking Kami on an angelic Dildo!" Tayuya swore as she held her forehead.
"You done with your nap Tayuya?" Kidōmaru asked after he landed beside her, his middle left hand held out for her.
"I wasn't sleeping, dumbass," Tayuya muttered as Kidōmaru helped her on her feet with a slight grin on his face.
"Coulda fooled me by the way you hit that branch," Kidōmaru joked as he lifted her off the ground where she stumbled slightly.
"Jeez, you're clumsier today," Kidōmaru remarked with a slight grin only to grunt in pain when Tayuya's fist collided with his stomach, sending Kidōmaru stumbling back.
"Oi, stop hitting him, Red," Kin said as she bumped into Tayuya with her hip, which caused Tayuya to grumble in annoyance.
"I only hit him because he pulled too hard, that moron," Tayuya said but with a smirk on her face.
Just then, Jirōbō walked past them with a bag of chips, munching on them while she said, "Will you guys stop talking and get a move on? That Konoha trash will be crossing our border soon. We don't have time for a Ménage a Trois between you three."
Jirōbō then grinned crudely at the three of them and laughed in amusement as he walked away. Both Kin and Kidōmaru had to hold back Tayuya before she lunged at the larger Sound Four member.
"That idiot. Always saying stupid shit," Tayuya growled out.
"Remember, we can always hide the body," Kin said with a wicked grin.
"Where? The fucking Valley of the End?" Tayuya asked with a cackle, causing Kidōmaru and Kin herself to laugh as well.
It was a wave of water slamming down on Tayuya's body that woke her up.
Tayuya opened her right eye and groaned in pain as she raised her head off the wet sand.
Wait.
Sand?
Tayuya forced her exhausted body to cooperate with her and rose to her feet.
Something was wrong with this scene…
"Ok…Dark blue sky with multi-colored stars in the sky with an aura borealis hovering above? Tayuya, I don't think we're in Oto anymore," Tayuya muttered to herself.
She had to admit, despite this being wrong, she enjoyed the sight of the world around her. The lake was crystal blue and the sand beneath her feet was white and not too hot and the island itself was very lush and green.
If she wasn't so confused about where she was, she would actually enjoy this place.
"I am glad you like this place so much, Uzumaki-san," A kindly elderly voice echoed out around her. Tayuya's eyes widened.
"How the hell do you know that?! Who the hell are you?!" Tayuya screamed as she balled her fists and stepped into a sloppy Taijutsu stance.
"Calm down, child. I do not come to seek a fight," The kindly voice assured before Tayuya felt a hand tap her right shoulder from behind. Tayuya turned around, only to see….nothing.
The voice laughed, which prompted her to look down to see an elderly bald man with bushy grey eyebrows and a long white beard and mustache combination, and a slightly extended forehead that cast a shadow over his eyes that kept them hidden from her. The mysterious old man wore a simple black tangzhuang with white trim and cuffs and flat black shoes.
"Who the hell are you?!" Tayuya shrieked out in surprise as she physically jumped at the sudden appearance of this guy behind her.
The man let out a jovial laugh while he shook his head. "You are very jumpy, Uzumaki-san. Calm down, breathe," The man told her as he placed a warm hand on her shoulder. Tayuay wanted to smack the hand away but to her surprise, she began to calm down.
"My name is Tung Fu Rue," The man introduced himself. "And I am the master of Hakkyokuseiken. And I've come to see the next practitioner of my style…"
Tayuya was taken aback by this information. This ancient old man was the master of Hakkyokuseiken.
"Of course, I am," The old man responded, which made Tayuya aware she had asked that out loud. "Were you expecting someone taller? Now, come, come, let us talk over tea and Cha-tamago," Tung Fu Rue said as he gingerly ushered her to a small roundtable, which had two cups of tea, a tea kettle, and a plate with tan-colored boiled eggs with cracks spread around its surface.
"Hey, I'm not having any of your funky ass tea and eggs, where the hell am I?!" Tayuya exclaimed with a scowl on her face.
"We are in your mindscape, child," The man easily answered. "Now, unless you want to awaken with no answers to the feelings you are feeling, I suggest you come and enjoy the things I have prepared."
Tayuya was baffled at how easily he brushed aside her anger. So much so, she just nodded and followed him to the table, where they sat opposite one another. "Green Peach Tea and Cha-tamago," Tung started as he poured the sweet-smelling liquid into Tayuya's teacup. "I used to anticipate this type of easy breakfast every day before I passed."
"You're dead?" Tayuya asked.
"Of course, I am," The old man smiled. "I always told my students that if I were going to retire, I would have to die to enjoy it. It seems I was correct." He poured his tea and slowly sipped it. "Ah! Such a refreshing blend." He sat the cup down and motioned for Tayuya to drink.
Tayuya stared at the cup with suspicion. She never liked tea. Tended to enjoy coffee more than anything, but her mother used to teach her about etiquette before she passed away, therefore, she would lean on that past training.
Tayuya's eyes widened.
That was the first time she talked about her mother since…
The memories of her village's slaughter appeared in her mind without her permission. Tayuya willed it away and angrily sipped down the tea, only to be assaulted by a perfect heat and a wonderfully sweet taste.
She lowered the teacup as Tung motioned to the boiled egg that sat in an egg cup. Tayuya tapped at the shell until the top half of the egg was shell-free, revealing its marbled flesh. She took a bite of the egg and was assaulted by a savory, slightly salty taste.
"So?" Tung questioned as Tayuya sat the egg down into the egg cup.
"It was delicious," Tayuya replied.
Tung chuckled and after he took a bite of his own egg, he said, "I know it isn't everyone's cup of tea, pardon the pun, but it is mine and that is all that matters." He sat the egg down into its cup and sighed. "We can talk about tea and my favorite food all day, but that is not to be, considering the nature and briefness of this conversation."
"Yeah. What the hell am I doing here talking to a dead man?" Tayuya blurted with no shame.
Tung Fu Rue let out a boisterous laugh. "Never one to mince words, are you, Uzumaki-san?" Tung laughed.
"How do you know that name?" Tayuya barrelled through. "I never told anyone, not even Orochimaru, about that name. How?!"
"The second you opened that scroll, I could see everything about you," The old man answered. "Your past, your personality, and the potential you have. I have seen your past. Orphaned and alone after Momochi Zabuza killed your mother and a masked youth killed your best friend during the destruction of your home village, you were saved by a pale, snake-like man who saw potential in you and brought you into his village."
"You are brash, sharp-tongued, blunt, and foul-mouthed to the majority of your village but call the spider-like boy and the ebony-haired girl your friends. Your Taijutsu is lacking, and your Ninjutsu is sufficient, but the area where you shine is in Genjutsu. You can summon demon-like creatures with your flute. Am I correct so far?" Tung asked.
"Holy fuck," Tayuya said, clearly impressed until she realized something.
He said a name she only knew the bingo book.
Momochi Zabuza…He was the one who killed her mother?
How did the old man know that?
"You reveal in battle and disrespect your opponents by calling them "Trash" and enjoy every successful mission. However, that has changed due to the recent mission you were on. You had to befriend and seduce the wealthy but kind-hearted son of the Wind Daimyō. Somewhere during the mission; you began to have feelings for him. But when the time came, you chose your village over your feelings, but now you feel remorse for your actions," Tung finished.
Tayuya impressed feeling slowly faded as a heaviness fell on her shoulders at the mention of her last mission. And then anger swelled in her. "You need to keep your fucking eyes off my memories!" Tayuya exclaimed.
"You asked, I answered," Tung softly told her.
Tayuya huffed.
She knew he was right but it still didn't sit right with her. "Why are you even here anyway?" Tayuya asked him. "Like, shouldn't you be on some fluffy white clouds or something?"
The old man laughed and said, "The rest of my soul is where you know it is. But, I sealed a small piece of my soul away into three scrolls, awaiting for someone worthy to find them to pass on my teachings."
Tayuya felt the jovial air shift around the man and knew something serious was coming her way. "After a century, all three scrolls have been found. One by you, and the other two by the man called Orochimaru," Tung Fu Rue informed. "It is honestly amusing that the two that would find my scroll would be on the same side."
"So, Orochimaru has the second one. Have you spoken to him?" Tayuya asked.
Tung looked at her and while she couldn't see his eyes, she felt his gaze pierce her soul. The world around her began to change. The dark blue sky morphed into a dull orange and the moon turned black and eclipsed the sun. "Uzumaki Tayuya," Tung started, his tone haunted. "The things that I saw in the man's past. The darkness he has…It would break you to discover how vile he is."
Tayuya felt a chill go up her spine.
"The amount of blood on his hands could fill the very oceans of our world. The amount of death and defilement he has caused has set the world back for years. Bodies and souls violated by his hands would make even my own twisted student weep in despair…And that is his past."
Tayuya watched as Tung Fu Rue stroked his long beard and said, "The future, if he is allowed the scroll you wield, will decimate life as you know it."
Tayuya didn't know why, but the words he spoke pierced through her. She knew the man who saved her life had dark goals and willingly carried them out. He saved her from certain death and she owed him that. But whatever the old man had seen had shaken him, and it was shaking her.
"The scroll…It mentioned that if all three scrolls are together, it gives the secret to immortality," Tayuya whispered. "Is that true?"
"It is," Tung answered. "And if it gets his hands on yours, it will spell the end of so many lives. The energy of Hahanarudaichi (Mother Earth) flows through you, and she is never wrong. It tells me that you have the potential to be something grand for the world, Uzumaki Tayuya. And it is that reason why, unlike your master, I appear before you. Willing, and ready, to teach you the remaining style within the scroll, the Ken no Garou Densetsu. But I ask of you just one thing…"
Tayuya watched as the old master moved from his chair, sat on his knees, and bowed to her, his forehead pressed against the sand beneath them. "Do not allow Orochimaru to take this scroll…"
Tayuya once again found herself at a crossroads.
The same crossroad she came across when she decided to kill the kind-hearted son of the Daimyō. Loyalty to the man, the village, that took her in when she was on death's door, or what she felt was right.
She chose the village before, but recounting what the old man had just told her, she knew she would be damning many to suffer.
But at the same time, he saved her…
"Tell me, Old man," Tayuya murmured. "You've seen his past tell. Tell me, why should I care about the world? He saved me from death at the hands of Momochi Zabuza, who slaughtered my mother…Why should I turn on him?"
Tung moved from off the sand and while she couldn't see his eyes, she could he was conflicted about something. "I do not wish to sway you, Uzumaki-san," Tung admitted. "The village you were from. Tsukigakure no Sato was razed and destroyed by a group of shinobi, led by Momochi Zabuza. You, and the girl you cared about, Yasashī Tsukino—"
Tayuya visibly recoiled as the memory of a dark-skinned girl with bright white hair and terrified green eyes appeared in her mind.
"—tried to flee with your mother…Your mother was slain, and Tsukino was murdered by a young man with silver hair and a mask. You believed that Zabuza did this alone, but that is a mistake. He did not work alone…." Tung continued.
Tayuya felt a deep sense of dread fill her.
"No…" Tayuya whispered. "Please…Don't tell me…."
"Orochimaru wanted the body of an Uzumaki that did not have the other half of the Kyūbi repelling him," Tung revealed. "When he stumbled upon you and your mother's existence, he hired Momochi Zabuza and a band of shinobi to destroy it."
Tayuya felt as if someone punched her in the chest.
She wanted to deny it and tell the old man to fuck off, but she could hear the truth of his words in the depths of her soul. He mentioned a name she didn't know, a detail that was never given nor realized to her.
All this time, she worked to get stronger to kill Momochi Zabuza, only to discover the man who saved her life had caused it all.
"I-I need time," Tayuya spoke through the lump in her throat.
"And time I will give you, Uzumaki-San," Tung softly told her.
"Tayuya," Tayuya corrected as tears fell from her eyes due to the deep betrayal she felt. "Please…call me Tayuya…"
Tayuya woke up to the roof of her tent with a gasp and the sounds of crickets chirping.
"Hey Tayuya, you awake? We need to ta-" Kidōmaru paused when she saw her and asked, "Hey, you alright?"
"I-I'm fine," Tayuya stammered.
"You don't look it. You look pale, and you're crying…." The spider-like shinobi replied.
Tayuya's eyes widened as she touched her cheeks.
They were wet with tears.
"Oh…" Tayuya softly realized.
Kidōmaru stared at her before he walked into the tent and opened his arms to her. "Don't be stubborn, you bitch. Come and get these arms," Kidōmaru said before Tayuya could open her mouth. Tayuya closed her mouth and let herself fall into his arms, where Kidōmaru immediately wrapped his arms around her.
Just then, Kin peeked into the tent and said, "Good morning Tayuya-ch-" Kin instantly crept into the ten and wrapped her arms around Kidōmaru's to add to Tayuya's already tight embrace. After five seconds more, the two broke away from Tayuya.
"Thanks…" Tayuya grumbled.
"We never did it if anyone asked," Kin recited with a knowing smile. "I knew something was going on with you. Ever since we left Oto, you've been distant with us…."
"You know that you know you can come to us Tayuya-chan if something is bothering you," Kidōmaru added.
"Yeah…I mean, we know about the scroll and…." Kin looked around briefly before she whispered, "We know that you have it and that Orochimaru-sama wants it, so why be distant? We didn't tell…."
"I know it's just…." Tayuya bowed her head. "I need some advice…."
Tayuya spilled the beans and told her two friends her entire conversation with Tung Fu Rue, including the intimate details of her last mission, and when it was over, both Kin and Kidōmaru stared at her in stunned silence.
"Holy fuck…" Kidōmaru breathed out.
"We work for an inhuman monster," Tayuya finished. "He set it all up. All of it…And the worst part is, I willingly surrendered myself to him….I did terrible things for him, to people that didn't deserve it, all ot give him more power. Never knowing he was the one who led to my mother and best friend's deaths! I can't allow him to have this power. And if that means I have to betray Oto, I will…."
"Tayuya…" Kin sadly said.
Kidōmaru was silent for a moment, his arms crossed in front of his chest before he let out a sigh and asked, "You know that betraying Oto means certain death, right?"
"I know…But it's what I deserve for all that I've done," Tayuya replied with a strong voice. "For all the lives I've taken under Orochimaru's banner…For the shame I bought my mother and Tsukino for siding with the one who orchestrated their murder…, I will never let that pale-faced snake fucker have this power."
Kidōmaru and Kin exchanged glances, and for a moment, Tayuya thought that this would be the moment they would betray her, but instead, the pair said, "Fuck it, we're in."
"K-Kin…Kidōmaru….What the fuck?" Tayuya asked.
"I was getting bored of this place anyways," Kidōmaru said with a grin.
"Yeah. The smell of it sucked, and honestly? The food is terrible," Kin replied with a grin.
"Just like that?" Tayuya asked. "For me?"
"Orochimaru saved us, but he has made us do some damn evil things…You, Kin, and I have been friends since joined the place, and I feel we came out better for it," Kidōmaru revealed. "I would've been a bigger dick without you two and Karin."
"There's no telling what I could have been," Kin softly admitted. "We've been together from the jump. We aren't going to abandon your red-headed ass now that we've come so far. We're with you to the end."
"You bitches aren't going to make me cry," Tayuya said as her eyes began to water before she leaned forward and hugged them both. "Thank you…."She whispered.
"Everyone is still sleeping," Kidōmaru whispered. "If we're doing this. Now is the time before the other idiots wake up."
Kidōmaru took out a kunai and carved a straight line through his Hiate-ite. He handed it to Kin, who followed suit, and then she handed it to Tayuya.
Tayuya stared at the kunai.
Once she did this, she would be marked for the rest of her life.
She smirked and carved a line through her hiate-ite.
"Let's get out of here," Tayuya told her two allies.
And when Jirōbō, Sakon, and Ukon would finally wake up, they would find in Tayuya's tent three scratched out hiate-ite.
Captain Blues: And the mini-arc is done. The next chapter will pick up with Team Seven at their location. What will happen then? Only one way to find out. But, let's chat
So here I was, minding my own business, scrolling through Naruto fanfics and I realized a few things. Where the fuck did all the SasuHina come from? I leave for a year and I come back to that?!
I can understand the potential but wow lol.
The other thing I notice is there are so many fanfics that get alerts and favorites but hardly any reviews, and I feel bad for that because reviews often tell us, writers, if people like what we're writing. I don't remember it being like that back before I left the fandom. I hope that changes. I would hate to lose so many potential classics, you know?
Now, onto this fic. I bet everyone is surprised about the Tayuya swerve that's happened but trust the process. Tayuya, Kin, and Kidōmaru will be great boons for Naruto and the gang and I want to give them the proper development in the "Hungry Scarlet Wolf" mini-arc.
Also, Please check out my NarutoXElden Ring Crossover in Shinobi of the Dark Moon. Please give it a look and enjoy it!