Disclaimer!
I don't own Naruto. If I did, then Tayuya would somehow be alive.
~oOo Prologue oOo~
Rain poured down the valley as if washing away the burns and marks of the battle that had taken place. The Final Valley, the place where two of the greatest shinobi in time fought till the other was dead: Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, and now, Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki. The two friends had battled each other with all their might. Both were willing to go all the way for what they believed in. One was for power while the other was for friendship. It was a true test for both shinobi but also a loss. Perhaps this was a repeat of the past or an event that foreshadowed things to come. Either way, Fate was very cruel.
The aftermath of this grand battle resulted in two bonds being severed: One was the ties that bound a shinobi to his village while the other was a bond that tied him to a friend. Sasuke left the scene with his village and former friend behind his back. He never wavered and only looked on ahead; eyes singled on revenge. The bond between him and his older brother was now stronger than ever. In order to attain his lifelong goal, he must sacrifice whatever he must in order to achieve power. This was what a true avenger must be, but the road ahead was sad and lonely.
Naruto tried everything in his power to stop him from going to that snake. He was even willing to unleash his inner demon just to stop him, but it wasn't enough; his call never reached his friend's ears. Sasuke was too submerged in his own search for power that he failed to notice what was important. He severed a bond that was so precious and irreplaceable. Battered and defeated, Naruto lay face up to the weeping sky; his eyes closed in deep slumber.
Rain continued to cleanse the land as two forms dropped down near the unconscious boy; a silver-haired man wearing a mask and his little ninja hound. Kakashi looked down at his student with guilt, sadness, and regret. He kneeled down and gently took the boy in his arms. He was too late. He was always late. When it mattered the most, he had failed them.
Dark clouds spread ever so slowly up the valley to the surrounding forest. It washed away the battles that had been laid, cleansing all the sweat and blood that was sacrificed to achieve one's mission. In a forest of bones, a lone boy stood and died proudly for what he believed in. His eyes were still wide open as the rain cried for his lost soul. It spread even further to a wide open field of sliced trees where a redheaded girl lay dead underneath a stack of human-size logs. Water from the rain trickled down her form, washing away the blood dripping down her mouth, as if wishing her a final farewell from the world.
However...
The girl let out a small cough; new blood coming forth. Gradually, the rain ceased, making way for a bright light to pierce through the dark gloomy sky. The first ray of light kissed her lips where a scowl could be usually seen, but right now, her face was peaceful like Death's touch.
A new beginning awaited.
~oOo My Red Thread of Destiny oOo~
Three black-cloaked shinobi quickly flew through the trees. Rain fell down over their black cloaks and porcelain animal-styled masks. All were silent and focused on their mission. It wasn't until they reached an opening in the forest that had them stop on a low lying branch; their posture rigid in anticipation. Ahead of them was a great expanse of numerous leveled trees. It was as if an angry, vicious, and rampaging beast had passed by, laying waste to wherever it went.
"How can an entire forest be decimated like this?" One of the cloaked shinobi said. A male, judging from how deep their voice was.
Beside him, the second cloaked shinobi kneeled down and examined a sliced trunk nearby. "These logs are cleanly cut through. Judging from the range of this destruction, I'd say this was done by a high-level wind jutsu."
"Must have been quite a sight to behold."
"No one could have survived an attack such as this. And if someone did, they're better off dead. Then again, we might find a clue somewhere within this mess. However, this is a lot of land to cover."
"Right. And this isn't the only area we were assigned to."
The third cloaked shinobi jumped down on one of the logs, grabbing the two conversing shinobi's attention.
"Have you sensed something, Tsuki?" the second cloaked shinobi asked.
Tsuki shook her head. "No. Nothing. No signs of human life, but..." She glanced back at her companions. "You two go on ahead. I'll stay behind and have a look around."
"Alright. Stay sharp."
The two disappeared to the surrounding forest. Alone, Tsuki jumped from log to log, looking for anything odd in sight. The Lady Hokage had formed a search team regarding the Recovery Team sent yesterday. The Medic Corps were sent to aid the Recovery Team and get them back to the Hidden Leaf Village safely. The Anbu Black Ops search team, however, were sent to capture any of the Sound shinobi they come across: Either they be dead or alive.
The rain slowly died down until they were nothing more but light droplets here and there. The dark clouds above gradually dispersed, making way for warm rays of light to touch the cold wet ground. Everywhere, there were puddles that shone as light reflected on their surface. It made a beautiful scene to behold even with the amount of destruction, but that wasn't what caught Tsuki's eyes.
A few meters away was a person with long red hair, but they were crushed by two larger than human-size logs. They're most likely dead from the impact, she mused.
Dashing through the obstacles, she arrived at her destination. What she found there sparked her interest. Based on the description of Anbu Captain Zō, the redheaded girl was one of the Sound shinobi from the joint Hidden Sand and Sound invasion, one of the four that had a hand on the Third Hokage's death, and now, one of Sasuke Uchiha's escorts.
Hidden beneath her cloak, Tsuki clenched her fist as memories of that day came to mind. She remembered the sound of crows, the ominous birds flying overhead a body splattered in blood, how her world turned upside down when she beheld his lifeless body, how she wanted to cradle him in her arms and cry in anguish, but she couldn't afford to have a breakdown; not with her squad of Anbu beside her. Her hands were numb as she picked up his precious sword. She had promised to aid him if he needed help with his mission to track down Kabuto Yakushi, so sure she would see him again the morning after, but she was too late. Hayate was already dead when they had found him.
Taking a deep breath, she exhaled all the negative feelings inside of her and took a look at the dead redhead underneath the logs. Now was not the time to reminisce about things better left in the past. Right now, she needed to take this girl back to the village. Her corpse might tell some information about Orochimaru.
Suddenly, the redhead coughed out blood, startling Tsuki from her thoughts. This girl is still breathing? But how? I didn't even sense her chakra. "Even now," she whispered. The girl was crushed from the waist below, and her breathing was labored. Internal injury perhaps.
The redhead coughed again, and Tsuki immediately went into action, crossing both index and middle fingers in a cross pattern. In a poof of smoke, a shadow clone stood beside her. As her shadow clone moved by the girl's head, the real Tsuki took down her hood, revealing purple hair beneath. Drawing out the sword on her back, she channeled her chakra into it, making it sharper and deadlier. With a quick diagonal slash, she cleanly cut through logs, missing the redhead by just an inch. As the large logs gave away, her shadow clone quickly pulled the girl out before any more damage could be done.
Sheathing the blade and dispelling her shadow clone, Tsuki kneeled by the redhead's side and placed her right hand over the girl's chest, palm starting to glow green. She knew the basics of medical ninjutsu, but she wasn't as proficient at it as any of the medical-nin. Her hand moved up and then down to the redhead's lower body where it seems the most damage was done. She couldn't heal something like this. The most she could do to keep her alive was to...
Moving her hand back to the redhead's upper body, Tsuki placed both hands over the girl's left lung, treating her injury. When her breathing evened out, Tsuki took off her cloak and carefully put it over the redhead's form. "That should at least keep your body warm," she said, before lifting the girl up and carefully maneuvering her body so that she was riding behind the Anbu's back. With everything set, secure, and in place, Tsuki jumped off the logs and out of the damaged forest, making her way back towards the Hidden Leaf Village.
~oOoOoOo~
Kakashi flew through the trees with Pakkun following right behind him. They had found Naruto at the Final Valley and were heading back to the Hidden Leaf Village. Of all the places where both his students had battled, it had to be at the place where the First Hokage finally defeated Madara Uchiha. This time though, the Uchiha won the fight. Sasuke won, but at least he spared Naruto. It gave Kakashi peace of mind to know that both were still with him in the land of the living. Death was such a permanent thing. If losing any one of his students would feel as painful as losing Obito and Rin did, he never wanted to experience such a thing again if he could help it. He couldn't afford to lose another comrade.
What did you feel, Minato-sensei, when we both lost Obito and Rin? When I lost you to the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's attack, I... He stopped his train of thought and looked back at the unconscious blond he was carrying on his back. Naruto was sound asleep with a serene expression painting his features, so unlike his loud and hyperactive persona. His wounds were serious, but they were already healing at a fast rate. He would be alright thanks to the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox inside of him. That at least comforted the jōnin. Naruto would be alright.
Kakashi quickly looked ahead as he spotted movement due south-west. An enemy perhaps? No... Is it her? He couldn't tell for sure, but it looked like her.
Kakashi quickened his pace, following the blur he had seen.
~oOoOoOo~
Tsuki sensed a presence coming towards her. She reached for her sword, gripping the hilt tightly, but soon let it go when she realized just who the chakra signature belonged to. Their mission was supposed to be kept secret from the others. She could boost her speed and minimize her chakra's presence to somehow lose him, but this was him she was talking about. He would just catch up anyways. He was her senior after all, but the question in the air was, Why is he here?
Tsuki maintained her speed, waiting for her former Anbu Captain to catch up. Moments later, a silver-haired man dropped down the trees from her left, emulating her speed level. "Kakashi," she greeted.
"Yūgao." He eye smiled.
"Pakkun." The ninja hound suddenly interrupted.
Both shinobi sweatdropped.
Yūgao faked a cough. "Kakashi, during missions, I would ask that you call me by my codename, Tsuki."
"Hmmn?" Kakashi blinked back an eye, looking thoughtful. "Ah, I see. That won't be a problem, Yūgao."
The Anbu shook her head with a chuckle. She glanced at the jōnin beside her and then at the genin on his back. "What are you doing here Kakashi? I thought the Medic Corps were the ones supposed to assist the Recovery Team."
Kakashi looked back at the blond he was carrying. "They are. But I couldn't just stand by doing nothing while both my students fought."
"So Sasuke Uchiha managed to escape." It wasn't a question. She noticed that he was only carrying one. His silence was an answer to itself. "I'm sorry."
He sighed, "It doesn't matter now. Nothing would change no matter how much I want it to." He shifted his attention back to her and then at the passenger on her back. "That girl you're carrying..." He narrowed an eye. "I'm guessing the Lady Hokage sent an Anbu search team to capture any of the enemy ninja."
She nodded. "I don't know if you knew. But this girl is one of Orochimaru's bodyguards. They're the ones responsible for erecting that barrier ninjutsu to hinder us from helping out the Third."
"I see. If she's one of Orochimaru's bodyguards, then she must know some of his secrets. We might be able to track down Sasuke's whereabouts once the Intelligence Division —" A sudden cough from the redhead cut him off.
Yūgao felt liquid dripping on her left shoulder. She stopped on a large branch; Kakashi and Pakkun followed suit. She carefully laid down the redhead and moved the cloak's flaps to examine the girl's upper body; hands starting to glow green.
"What's her situation?" Kakashi asked.
"Her lower body is badly damaged. Both her legs are fractured if not broken. However, the cause of internal bleeding comes from her punctured left lung," Yūgao answered.
"Then you shouldn't have carried her on your back."
She stopped her jutsu and stared at the jōnin. "My mistake. My medical capabilities still need a lot of work." She looked back at the girl. "I thought I healed it properly."
He sighed, "Well, what's done is done."
"Kakashi." Pakkun called.
"Hmmn? What is it, Pakkun?" Kakashi looked at the ninja hound closing in on the redhead and taking a whiff of her scent.
"It's this girl." His big pug eyes narrowed. "Her smell is familiar. Although I can't remember when, I know I've tracked her scent before."
Kakashi kneeled down beside the redhead with a narrowed eye. Yūgao was getting curious as well as she examined the girl properly for the first time. She was young, maybe a year or so older than Naruto Uzumaki, with long untamed red hair. For someone so small, Yūgao couldn't grasp that this kid is...was...one of Orochimaru's close bodyguards. Then again, she and her comrades were strong enough to beat Genma and Raidō, both jōnin-level shinobi, almost to their death.
Yūgao clenched her fist as she remembered Hayate and the Third Hokage's death. She knew that she should place all the blame on Orochimaru for the bad things that happened before, during, and after the Leaf Invasion, but she couldn't help but hate the person who murdered Hayate and these child bodyguards that helped kill the Third, yet as soon as these feelings welled within her, she forcefully shoved them down. This girl was a tool used by Orochimaru. Just as the Hidden Sand Village was used and thrown away when they were of no use to him anymore. It's the sad truth of the life of a shinobi, she mused, but then her train of thought was cut off as the redhead was seized again by another bout of coughing with more blood coming forth out of her mouth.
Alarmed, Yūgao carefully turned the redhead to her side, so she wouldn't choke on her own blood. "We don't have time for this. I need to get her to the Fifth Hokage immediately."
"Why don't you let me take her?" Kakashi offered as he laid down Naruto beside the redhead.
A still moment passed as a sudden thought came to mind. Both Kakashi and Yūgao pictured a certain blond man together with his lovely redheaded wife, but that image soon faded away, and the jōnin picked up the girl in his arms while the Anbu carried the boy on her back as they made their way to the Hidden Leaf Village.
~oOoOoOo~
Tsunade opened the door leading outside the Intensive Care Unit 6. Three figures were already waiting there in the hallway: One was the oldest of the Sand Siblings, Temari, while the other two were from the Leaf's Nara Clan, Shikaku and his son, Shikamaru, who was the squad leader of the Recovery Team she sent on a mission a day ago to retrieve Sasuke Uchiha. As of yet, the mission was still ongoing as the status of the squad member, Naruto Uzumaki was still unknown. According to Shikamaru, Naruto was the last one who went after Sasuke. The other members were already taken back to the Leaf Village and received proper care. Two of them were in critical condition. It was a good thing they weren't too late. She had just finished stabilizing the condition of Chōji Akimichi.
Letting out a sigh, Tsunade smiled. "He's gonna be just fine." She closed the door and walked towards one of the benches at the side. "The antidote worked. The extermination of cells caused by the pills' effects has been rested." She sat down with a sigh and looked at the head of the Nara Clan. "I couldn't have done it without your help Shikaku. The Nara Clan's sacred medicine guide was invaluable. The work that went into that manual. The years of research. Well, it's quite impressive to say the least."
Shikaku nodded his head with a smile. "Thank you."
Suddenly, frantic footsteps were heard, and a call from a woman's voice took the blonde's attention. "Lady Tsunade!" Shizune appeared from view and stopped just a few ways short from them. "Neji Hyūga is safe. His condition has stabilized. And there's more. I've just heard that Kakashi Hatake and Naruto Uzumaki have returned, and they've been examined. Naruto's injuries are serious but not life threatening. He's going to be okay."
Although Tsunade was relieved to hear that Naruto was safe, she heard the unspoken news as clear as day. Sasuke Uchiha got away. She looked down at her lap, brows scrunched down. "Just two..." Shifting her gaze back at the dark-haired chūnin, she said, "Shikamaru, your mission was a failure." She saw him bow his head, his frame trembling. She closed her eyes. "However, everyone's alive. That's the most important thing."
"Next time, the mission will go perfectly." Shikamaru promised.
Tsunade smiled.
Shikaku approached his son, laying an arm on his shoulder, and together, both men exited the hallway. Across from her, Temari stood up from the bench and nodded at her. "I'll be going as well. I have to check up on Gaara and Kankurō."
"I thank you for responding and coming to our aid."
Temari shrugged. "It's the least we could do after everything..." She bowed her head again, before leaving the hallway.
Tsunade leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She wanted to get some rest at least for a bit from the recent events, but it was interrupted when she sensed someone approaching. She opened her eyes and saw Shizune looking at her with a troubled expression. "What is it, Shizune?"
Her attendant looked around the area first, before leaning in conspiringly. "Lady Tsunade, I didn't mention it earlier, but it wasn't just Kakashi and Naruto who returned to the village."
That got the blonde's full attention. "What do you mean?"
"According to one of the Medic Corps who received them, Kakashi came in with a member of the Anbu Black Ops. They were probably a member of the search team you'd sent earlier."
Tsunade furrowed her brows. One of the Anbu search teams, huh. Did they find something of importance? "I take it that we got something valuable."
Shizune nodded an affirmative. "Yes. Before I came here for my report, they told me the enemy shinobi was going to be placed in Unit 4. They could very well be in critical condition."
"I see." The blonde stood up. "Lead the way, Shizune."
"Yes, milady."
Both women walked down the hallway and followed the path leading to the Intensive Care Unit 4. As Shizune opened the doors, Tsunade saw a member of the Medic Corps doing a check up on a person lying on a bed. She couldn't properly see the person's face from her view, just that they had red hair, so she walked closer. That was when she noticed an Anbu leaning on the far side of the wall. It was Yūgao Uzuki, codenamed Tsuki (Moon).
Tsuki disappeared into the shadows and appeared a second later, kneeling before Tsunade. "Lady Hokage."
"Tell me the situation."
"I've encountered a Sound shinobi in a forest near the Land of Fire's border. Based on the reports of the three Anbu present during the Lord Third's encounter with Orochimaru, she was one of the Snake Sannin's bodyguards, most likely the very same who escorted Sasuke Uchiha out of the village. I would have delivered her to the Intelligence Division had she not needed immediate medical attention. I've arranged for one of the Medic Corps to help stabilize her condition."
"I see. Is there anything else?"
"There is. I came back to the village with Kakashi Hatake, and while we were together, his ninja hound mentioned that he knew her scent from before although he didn't remember when that was." Tsuki looked towards the enemy ninja. "I also don't know if this is her ability. But for some reason, I can't sense her chakra. Even now when she's right there asleep. It's like she's hiding them subconsciously as a form of self defense."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes and shifted her attention to the redhead lying on the bed. Curious. Someone Kakashi must have met some time ago, as well as possessing an ability very rare to see even among sensory type shinobi. Where the hell does Orochimaru even get these types? She walked towards the girl, and the medical-nin moved aside when he saw her approach. She expected this encounter to be quickly dealt with. She would check up the redhead's condition, making sure she would survive, and then hand her afterwards to the Intelligence Division to gleam out any information they can about Orochimaru. Never did she expect to see the enemy shinobi to wear a familiar face. She heard a gasp coming from behind. She couldn't fault Shizune. She almost did so herself. But why? Why her? And why now?
"Lady Tsunade, is that..."
The blonde made no move to reply; just examined the redhead more fully. From the shape of her face to the color of her hair, if the girl would open her eyes, it would've been brown. There's no mistaking it. It's her. How long has it been? A year perhaps? Maybe more? She gritted her teeth and looked at the medical-nin beside her, nodding her head. The medical-nin bowed and took his leave.
Once the three were left inside the room, Shizune asked, "Do you think she was only there to spy on us for Orochimaru?"
"It's possible. You never know what goes around that bastard's head. But still, I can't believe she's with someone like Orochimaru."
"Who is she, Lady Hokage?" Tsuki asked.
Tsunade eyed the Anbu, before turning back again to the redhead. "She was a girl we met a year ago. Shizune and I were in the Land of Thorns in a town called Kakurishiwa. As usual, I was there to try my luck for a chance of money. But then..."
"So, tell me. Why are you following us...uh? What's your name?"
The redhead crossed her arms. "Isn't it customary to introduce yourself first before asking for someone else's name?"
The only reply the girl got was a poke to the forehead. "Well, brat. It's Tsunade."
The redhead gave her a glare, rubbing her forehead. "I'm not a brat. And it's Tayuya."
"Okay, Tayuya. Why are you following us?"
"You have my hat." She deadpanned.
Tsunade blinked back her eyes. "Hat?"
"Actually, your pig has it."
"Tonton?" Shizune asked.
"Oink. Oink." Said pig piped up.
The smile that memory made was now tainted by dark thoughts of deception. Was it all a lie? Was she with Orochimaru all this time? Did he send her to keep an eye on me? That thought troubled the blonde. "She was just somebody we met. I helped her, and she helped me later on. I don't know what had happened to her after that, but I never expected for it to be this."
"Lady Tsunade, what are we gonna do with her?" Shizune asked, "Even though we knew her in the past, she's still an enemy shinobi."
"I know." The blonde closed her eyes with a furrowed brow. "But we need her to survive first. After that, she'll be handed to the Intelligence Division."
~oOo 3 Days Later oOo~
Her name was Tayuya.
A girl of fourteen.
Red hair. Brown Eyes.
Orochimaru's bodyguard: Tayuya of the North Gate.
...Inoichi was looking down at a flute she held in her hands, but as she placed it to her lips, a slicing sound from behind made her turn around. "Huh?"
Coming towards them like a raging bull were swirling winds that cut through everything in its path. She immediately closed her eyes as the powerful wind washed over them. There was a scream, her scream, but the sound was soon drowned out by the hounding roar of whirlwinds.
The next time she opened her eyes, they were falling. Everywhere they looked was filled with nothing but thick blurry wind and flying wood. Everything was being sliced, and the dimly lit forest gave way to the bright blue sky above. Eventually, they landed on her back with a deep thud. She coughed up blood, but even though she was disoriented, her eyes immediately fixed up to the sky as multiple large logs came crashing down towards them. Her breath hitched, and tears started to blur their vision...
Inoichi frowned but moved onto the next memory.
...she jumped high above, overtaking a blond shinobi, Naruto Uzumaki, and falling down to his level where she slugged him hard right in the face...
...Sasuke Uchiha clutched his shoulder as glowing marks crawled up his skin, covering his entire left side. He glared at them with hate-filled Sharingan eyes. "Come and try it..."
...she walked up the stairs and opened the double doors as she reached the top. A bright light pierced through the darkness, blinding them for a second. Once outside, she glanced back at the hideout she came from...
Inoichi opened his eyes. A hideout. This is where they were going to take Sasuke Uchiha. He motioned his fellow Analysis Team member, Tonbo Tobitake, to fetch the world map pasted on a wall. Once he got it, he marked the general area where the hideout was located, the Land of Rice Paddies or better known as of now, the Land of Sound. "Give this to the Hokage. It's where the location of the hideout Sasuke Uchiha went to. Also..." He took out a pen and paper inside a desk drawer and drew a rough sketch of the hideout's entrance."
Tonbo took both items, rolling the map. "Amazing. As expected from you, Inoichi."
The blond waved him off and headed back to the unconscious redhead. The girl, Tayuya, was encased in a domed semi-circle with three sets of seals surrounding her. He placed a hand back on top of her head and closed his eyes.
...she made a half-handed ram sign, releasing the energy that held up a barrier made of purple flames. After that, they quickly passed through a forest of trees, jumping and landing beside a black-haired man with rotting dead arms, Orochimaru. Her companions were also there. The blue-gray-haired boy and large orange-haired boy took their master's arms around their shoulders. Together, the five jumped up to the sky...
...she opened the door, and they saw two people doing something intimate in the dark. She quickly slammed the door shut...
Inoichi cleared his throat, blushing slightly. He moved onto the next memory.
They looked over at the Hidden Leaf Village and at the civilians walking and smiling by. Tayuya sighed and closed her eyes. Inoichi wondered what she was thinking. Even though he could see through a person's memory, he couldn't hear their thoughts during those times. Eventually, Tayuya opened her eyes and looked at the far-off mountain where the faces of the past Hokages were carved, the Hokage Monument. She sighed again, before shifting her gaze at the main gate where shinobi from different countries entered the village...
Inoichi went further back to the next memory sometime before the Chūnin Selection Exams.
...there was blood everywhere: On her hands, on the walls, and on the corpse underneath them. Tayuya was tightly gripping the kunai embedded on the dead man's chest; her breathing heavy. "He's...dead," she said, her voice small. "He's dead. I did it. I...finally got my justice." She slowly stood up and quickly left the room, gliding down the halls until she reached outside. It was snowing...
"Who are you?" an agitated voice suddenly whispered.
Inoichi stiffened and cautiously looked around, but there was only darkness that greeted him. The memory he had previously seen was nowhere to be found either.
There was nothing.
He frowned and continued searching through her memories.
...at the center of the room was a velvet chair. Sitting on it was Orochimaru. "It's been almost two years since I gave you my gift. Over the years, these four little scrawny birds have grown into deadly predatory eagles. With every kill, they go stronger," he said the last part with vigor. He chuckled. "Do you want more power?"
"Yes," Tayuya whispered immediately...
"Why are you here?" The unknown voice whispered again.
Like before, the memory he was viewing disappeared, and Inoichi whirled towards the direction of the voice he heard. "Who's there?! Show yourself!" he asked loudly; his words echoing all around him. That was when he noticed a redheaded girl nearby holding a single pill. What made his eyes open wide was that instead of looking through Tayuya's eyes, he was seeing her from the outside.
Tayuya swallowed the pill. Suddenly, she gasped and clutched her neck; her body quivering until she fell down to her knees. Dark mists crawled up to her legs, to her torso, and eventually enveloped her entire being. From there, something took shape: First were arms that shot out and pushed itself out until a torso was formed, next were legs that slowly stood up, and from its bowed position, there came a head. Inoichi wasn't sure what it was, but it looked like a person. Once it solidified and the mist gradually dissipated, he was shocked to find another Tayuya. The only difference between the two was that this one had marks all over its skin, the curse mark. It leaned down and whispered something to the kneeling redhead, but what made his skin crawl was while it was doing that, its golden eyes were locked on his.
Inoichi took a step back, but suddenly, he felt a heavy pressure being brought down on his shoulders, making him fall down to his knees. He saw that Tayuya had collapsed as well and that the other one stood up and approached him.
"You aren't welcome," it said, reaching out and grasping his neck.
Inoichi's eyes widened as he felt his chakra being slowly pulled out of him. He clutched its wrists, trying to pry it open, but it wouldn't budge. It was too strong. It got stronger even when the marks all over its body glowed and spread out. Its body started to change: Its skin turned brown, its hair grew longer and turned from red to pink, horns shot out of the top of its head, and the whites of its eyes turned black as ink. What remained the same was its golden eyes. Golden eyes that made him stare into the deepest darkest abyss. It was as if he was drowning into its dark pools.
A hand suddenly yanked its hold off of his neck. Coughing, Inoichi looked up to see a woman pushing the thing out until it slinked back into the darkness. She lowered her arms and walked towards Tayuya, kneeling down and caressing her face. From this angle he couldn't see the woman's features as they were hidden by her long red hair.
Coughing, Inoichi asked, "Who are you?"
The woman shifted her head slightly and raised an arm towards him. There was a force that pushed him away. The last thing he saw before he went out was blue eyes.
Inoichi gasped as if he was breathing air for the first time after being submerged underwater for so long.
"A-Are you alright?" Tonbo ran back and helped him up from the floor.
He clutched his head and gritted his teeth. "What happened?"
"You suddenly collapsed. And the Sound ninja... It's her curse mark. It suddenly activated."
"What?!" He looked at Tayuya and saw glowing marks receding from her face. She was still unconscious, so she didn't activate it on her own, but she was breathing heavily as if she ran a mile. He frowned. What the heck was that I just saw? That was no memory. Neither was it a barrier ninjutsu. It's something else. Something sinister and foul. Orochimaru. Was it the curse mark? And who was that woman I just saw?
Approaching the girl, he placed a hand again on the top of her head, closing his eyes. He tried to enter that particular mindscape again, but for some reason, he couldn't go back. He tried again to enter through a memory, but it had the same result. He tried again for the third time, the fourth time, the fifth time...
Nothing...
Inoichi opened his eyes. "Impossible."
"What's wrong?" Tonbo asked.
He shook his head. "Nothing. I can see nothing. It's as if her mind is locked to me."
"But...how? Just a few minutes ago you could—"
Tayuya's breathing suddenly quickened in short breaths, grabbing their attention. Her head lolled to the side; her eyes dazed and mouth ajar. The marks from before creeped up again, covering the entirety of her face.
"We can't proceed like this," Inoichi said grimly, "We need to seal up that curse mark."
~oOoOoOo~
Tsunade followed Tonbo Tobitake inside the Intelligence Division. Once they walked inside the room, her eyes immediately landed on Tayuya who was convulsing uncontrollably on a makeshift bed. Two people were holding her down: One was Inoichi Yamanaka while the other was her apprentice. "Shizune? What's going on?!"
The black-haired medical-nin turned around and met her master's gaze. Her expression slightly softened, but they were still on edge. "Lady Tsunade. Inoichi called me." She turned back to the struggling girl she held down. "Tayuya's having seizures, and it's been like this for ten minutes. It stops, but it resumes again after a while." As the words left her mouth, Tayuya slackened. She lay unmoving with eyes looking dead straight ahead and mouth hanging slightly with saliva dripping down the corner of her lips
Tsunade approached them and saw the curse mark covering most of Tayuya's body. She placed a hand over the girl's face.
No response.
She closed Tayuya's eyes. "Do you have any idea what might be the cause of the attack?"
"We have a theory that it might have something to do with the curse mark." Shizune nodded her head at Inoichi.
Clearing his throat, the blond explained. "It started after viewing some of her memories. There was a figure I saw inside her mind, and I suspect that it was a representation of the curse mark's chakra."
Tsunade raised a brow. "Chakra?"
He nodded. "I've been theorizing this for some time now. I suspect that the curse mark Orochimaru implants on his targets contains some of his chakra. I can sense that the girl's chakra and the curse mark's chakra are different. It's much darker. More foul."
"I see. But there's still the question of what triggered this reaction. From what I've heard, the other person who has Orochimaru's curse mark never experienced this kind of reaction.
"Yes, Anko's records didn't show any of this," Shizune agreed, "We've read Tayuya's scans, but nothing seems to show up. Even my medical ninjutsu doesn't work." Her shoulders slumped down. "We just don't have much information about the curse mark."
Tsunade placed a thumb between her teeth and examined the redhead again. Her breaths were rapid and shallow. She was sweating and shivering. The blonde placed a glowing hand over the girl's upper body, then to the lower body, and then back again to the chest area. She narrowed her eyes. Nothing. There isn't anything wrong externally or internally, except possibly... She turned to Inoichi. "I want you to search for the nearest Hyūga in the vicinity."
Inoichi immediately made a set of hand signs that ended with a ram sign. He stood still in silence for but a moment but then shook his head. "There aren't any Hyūga nearby but..." He dropped down his hands. "Kakashi is somewhere around the vicinity."
"He'll do. Send him in."
He nodded his head and turned to his fellow division member. "Tonbo, I want you to head out a few meters northeast from the building. You'll find Kakashi somewhere along that area with Guy."
"On it." Tonbo quickly exited the room.
Tsunade sighed, "Inochi, you said that you viewed some of Tayuya's memories before this happened."
The blond nodded. "Yes. I did see some, but they were mostly after the Chūnin Exams. Actually, Tonbo was about to give you the location of Orochimaru's hideout."
Her eyes widened. "What?"
Inoichi took a map on top of a desk and gave it to her. He pointed at the land he encircled earlier. "I believe this is the location where they were going to take Sasuke Uchiha."
"The Land of Sound. Of course, Orochimaru did say he built a Hidden Village. There were Sound ninja that entered the Chūnin Exams, right?"
"He did. But the Hidden Sound Village isn't a village at all. Our Anbu never found anything that remotely resembled a Hidden Village. But with this girl's memories, we might have a chance to locate the hidden base and recapture Sasuke Uchiha."
"Good work. Is there anything else?"
He rubbed his chin. "I did see some of her memories before the Chūnin Exams but..."
"The curse mark's chakra..."
He nodded, narrowing his eyes. "Yes. But also I encountered a third chakra inside her. It was shaped like a woman with long red hair. It didn't look like the girl because this one looked older and had blue eyes."
Tsunade cupped her chin in thought. Another chakra...
Suddenly, there was a knock on the doors which opened immediately afterward. The three looked as Tonbo entered with Kakashi Hatake right behind him.
"What's up?" Kakashi raised a hand in greeting. "Sorry for the slight delay. Guy wasn't going to stop until either one of us wins."
"No time for excuses. Kakashi, I need you to use your Sharingan to check the state of Tayuya's chakra." Tsunade stepped aside to reveal the redhead behind her.
Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "The curse mark." He lifted the headband hiding his left eye. His eyes widened. "What? Even Sasuke's wasn't like this."
"What is it?"
"Her chakra is in complete disarray. There's a point in the neck where it's more erratic. It looks like it's eating away her chakra. At this rate, her body will give way. And soon...she'll die."
"Her curse mark is located on the back of her neck," Shizune said, "But the question still remains on why would it act like this right now?"
Tsunade cupped her chin, biting her lower lip. "Something is affecting her chakra system, and it's connected to the curse mark. Maybe something was injected into her. Or something she took in."
Inoichi's eyes widened. "The pills!"
"Pills?"
"From her mindscape, I saw her taking pills. And just as she did, the curse mark's chakra overcame my own."
Shizune suddenly gasped. "Lady Tsunade! I remember she has a small bottle of pills in her possession. Looking at how she's from the Sound, it might've come from—"
"Orochimaru." Tsunade finished.
Suddenly, Tayuya stiffened and convulsed uncontrollably. Shizune and Inoichi immediately held her down.
Tsunade gritted her teeth. "Shizune, I need you to get me a sample of those pills. We need to make an antidote to counter its effects as soon as possible."
"Yes, milady. It's at the hospital. Follow me." Shizune ran out of the room.
Tsunade followed her but stopped by the door, looking back at the three remaining inside. "Tonbo, transfer Tayuya to the hospital. Report to me immediately if anything new happens."
"Yes, Lady Hokage." Tonbo moved over to the redhead and carefully lifted her in his arms.
She shifted her gaze to the silver-haired jōnin. "Kakashi, I want you to organize a search team to infiltrate Orochimaru's hideout. Coordinate with Inoichi regarding any information about it. I'll meet your team in sixteen hundred hours at the gate."
Kakashi nodded his head. "Understood."
...
Tsunade lied awake, sitting on a sofa and staring at the ceiling although looking at nothing in particular. It was the dead of night, but she still couldn't sleep. Her mind was too restless. What filled the blonde's mind was Tayuya, who was sleeping soundly in her hospital room. Three Anbu were guarding her, as well as a few handpicked medical-nin, including Shizune, checking in on her condition which had stabilized hours ago. The toxins inside her body were removed by the antidote they made. From all the reports about her, she was a long-range genjutsu specialist. Her abilities were mostly sound-based. Her skills earned her a place as Orochimaru's bodyguards although they weren't present when he tried to force Tsunade to heal his arms. Still, she was powerful enough to earn her place and to be given the curse mark. The blonde could only guess that it was for that reason that Orochimaru had her taking pills. It probably increased the use and effectiveness of the curse mark, but such things always had a catch.
She must have been taking it for a long time. And just by stopping and being cut off from that supply, her body underwent a severe withdrawal. She sighed, There's also the matter of the Sound hideout. Kakashi and his team left earlier when she had checked up on them after giving Tayuya the antidote. She hoped they would bring back good news, but there was a chance that Orochimaru would be gone by the time they reached it. Only time would tell. Speaking of time...
Tsunade smiled as her thoughts turned to Naruto. It had been three days since Jiraiya told her he would be taking Naruto with him on a two and a half year training trip. Two days ago they'd left the village. He didn't give a specific date, but he said that they would probably return by the time the Chūnin Selection Exams would usually start. Orochimaru wouldn't attack the village again not without taking Sasuke Uchiha's body, but to do that, he would need to wait for another three years before he can use his Immortality Jutsu. They still had time. With all her heart, she believed in Naruto. He would come back strong. And one day, he would attain his lifelong dream of being a Hokage, although...
"Being Hokage is difficult." She commented, looking up at each of the framed pictures of the past Hokage before her: Her grandfather, her granduncle, her teacher, and her predecessor. All had given up their lives for the sake of the village, and now she must do the same. What being a Hokage truly meant was that no matter what crisis may befall on the village, the duty of protecting and raising the little leaves fell on her shoulders. Speaking of leaves to raise. Sakura had asked to train under her, and Tsunade couldn't refuse when she saw the guts and determination the kunoichi expelled. Naruto and Jiraiya. Sasuke and Orochimaru. Sakura and myself. It's a new generation of Sannin again. She closed her eyes. Naruto and Sakura would follow Sasuke no matter what. Jiraiya and I can only support them from their goal. Oh how I wish for a bottle of sake right now.
Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when there was a knock on the door. She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, "Come in."
The door opened, and Shizune entered the room; clipboard in hand. "Umm, Lady Tsunade. I have some...news."
The blonde groaned, leaning back on the sofa. "Please tell me it's the good kind."
Shizune sweatdropped. "W-Well, I think it's good. But kinda slightly bad."
She opened an eye, looking at her apprentice curiously. "What do you mean by that?"
"Y'know how Tayuya is one of Orochimaru's subordinates. I think that status will give us a problem, as well as the consequences of what she's done."
"We've already established this, Shizune. What are you getting at?"
"Well..." The medical-nin scratched her cheek. "You remember telling me to get a blood sample if there are any more of that toxin inside her. The thing is...I have the results. And I think you'll be very surprised at what you'll find."
Tsunade tilted her head to the side as Shizune handed her the clipboard. It read:
Patient Information
Patient ID: 750101
Status: Alive
Name: Tayuya
Sex: Female
Birth Date: Unknown
Age: 14-15
Height: 4.8 ft
Weight: 84.2 lb
Blood Type: A
"It's at the bottom, milady. At the Blood Test Results."
Tsunade scrolled down her eyes, landing at the Blood Test Section. A blank look passed by her face as she finished reading it, but when understanding sunk in, her eyes gradually widened in shock, her mouth hung agape, her back sat straight as she clutched the clipboard tightly. This is... After all this time. It's no wonder why I mistook her for that tomboy when I was drunk. She quickly read it over and over again; particularly the words 'Positive' and 'Uzumaki'.
"Umm, L-Lady Tsunade. Are you alright?"
Shizune's voice seemed to jolt Tsunade back to reality. Blinking back her eyes, she looked back at her apprentice. "Shizune. Tayuya... She's an Uzumaki."
The medical-nin nodded. "It's no wonder. She does have red hair. And she survived Temari's ninjutsu too. Normally, nobody would've lived after that. Should we tell Master Jiraiya and Naruto about this?"
Tsunade slumped back down on the sofa, looking up again at the past Hokages' portraits, particularly the First Hokage. She closed her eyes as she thought of her grandparents, Hashirama Senju and Mito Uzumaki. Together, the Senju and Uzumaki Clan were unstoppable. What happened to the Hidden Eddy Village was a tragedy. She sighed, "I'll tell Jiraiya once they're back to the village."
"And Naruto?"
"It'll depend on her answer."
"Tayuya?"
Tsunade nodded, eyes slightly dazed. "I can't believe we found one. After all these years, I thought their entire clan and culture would just fade away into non-existence. Naruto has a chance to learn about his mother's clan. With Tayuya as an Uzumaki, he might just be able to learn their secrets."
Shizune frowned. "But do you think Tayuya even knows that she's an Uzumaki? It's been years since the Hidden Eddy Village was destroyed. She couldn't have been born before its destruction."
"We'll just have to find out, won't we?"
"Well, that's true. She has to wake up first too."
~oOo 2 Years and 8 Months Later oOo~
A young nurse, holding a clipboard, walked down to a room at the end of the hallway. Inside was a high-level patient/prisoner. The girl had been in a coma for more than two years. It was her job as a nurse to check up on the patient to see if there were any changes to the girl's condition, but as she opened the door, she was in for a surprise when said patient was sitting up on her bed and looking at her with wide eyes.
"Y-You're awake!" the nurse exclaimed as she fumbled at the wireless radio on her shirt's collar. "This is code red. I repeat. This is code red. Patient number seven-five-zero-one-zero-one is conscious. Send the Anbu quickly." She took a quick glance at the patient to see the girl glaring at her. She took a step back when the patient tried to get off the bed but ended up face flat on the floor. With shaky limbs, the girl slowly got up and approached her like those undead zombies in one of those movies that she'd watched a few weeks back. Thankfully, three Anbu came just in time and subdued the girl.
The patient weakfully tried to break free, but it was no use. She could only shout with a hoarse voice, "Let go of me! Let go, you bastards!"
The patient eventually stopped trashing, and the nurse could see that the Anbu were tying the girl's hands behind her back. She placed a hand on her chest and sighed, but her ease was only temporary as she heard a gasp from the Anbu. Glowing chains shot out from the patient's back, swinging wildly and knocking out the three Anbu to the walls and the ceiling.
The girl turned and glared at her, prompting her to fall down on her butt. She tried to get away, but her back hit a wall which left her so scared she embarrassingly slightly pissed herself. She closed her eyes tightly when the patient approached. She waited with bated breath for the feeling of death, but when it didn't happen, she took a peek and saw the girl leaning on a wall; hands pushing herself up for support. The glowing chains from before were also gone. The only thing left was a girl who painfully tried to drag herself forward.
Footsteps were heard, and the nurse saw the Lady Hokage coming around the corner. She was saved!
"Y-You. What are you doing here?" the patient asked.
There was a sudden blur. The nurse recognized the jōnin, Kakashi Hatake. He used his special eye to throw the girl back into unconsciousness.
The Lady Hokage approached the nurse and helped her up. Kakashi joined them soon after with the patient in his arms. Looking inside the room where the three Anbu were knocked out, he asked, "What happened here?"
The nurse gulped and exhaled out her nervousness. Her knees felt like lead. "S-She took out the Anbu with these...glowing red chains."
Both the Hokage and the jōnin looked at her in surprise. "She what?"
Author's Notes:
I know it's been so long since I've updated this fanfic, and I'm truly sorry for that. For a long time, I've lost interest in Naruto. I've started watching the series again without all those fillers. It brought back a lot of good memories and reminded me why I loved the series in the first place.
I've changed some of the plot points from my original draft, so I'm going to rewrite parts of the already published chapters. I hope you guys will still enjoy this story.
My Red Thread of Destiny is a follow-up story of "Lost Uzumaki" which basically tells the origin story of Tayuya up to her demise in Naruto Canon. In Lost Uzumaki, Tayuya is secretly an Uzumaki, and it's the reason why she barely survives her fight with Temari. Tayuya also briefly met with an ANBU Kakashi, as well as Tsunade and Shizune a year before the Chūnin Exams. You don't need to read the prequel to understand this story as I will explain the details in the story itself.
Thank you for your time.
TIMELINE:
July 1 Chūnin Exams
July 2 Forest of Death
July 6 Chūnin Exam Semifinals
Aug 6 Chūnin Exam Finals
Aug 12 Search for Tsunade
Sept 5 Sannin Reunion
Sept 11 Three-Way Deadlock
Sept 17 Sound Four escorted Sasuke
Sept 19 Tayuya vs. Shikamaru
Sept 20 Naruto and Jiraiya left the Leaf Village
Sept 22 Tsunade learned Tayuya is an Uzumaki
May 24 Tayuya woke up
June 30 Naruto's Homecoming