ϟ—Chapter Seventeen — Nanabi—ϟ
Cold… both of her suns were shrouded. Seeing Ka'rai worried, panicked, sad. It affected her more than it was supposed to. Kay tried to comfort him, but he brushed her off and rushed himself into the clinic. It made sense, she wasn't a medic, there was no way she could help. It was funny, in a sense. The sight of Yowui and Hane severely injured didn't move her at all. Aside from healthy alarm and questioning.
That sand Jinchuriki… Gaara. He wasn't to be trusted.
But, to be fair to herself, when Ka'rai was injured she never felt truly moved emotionally. It was par for the course of a Shinobi. There was never a time where she saw Hane sad; it was during the invasion plans when she first saw the girl without a smile on her face. Yowui… was often down. Because it was so common, she barely paid it any mind. But, he seemed to be doing better after spending more time with Team Cee.
Kay let out a sigh. Ka'rai had healing abilities, and Konoha was home to Tsunade Senju of the Sannin, their medics were the best in the world. Yowui and Hane would be fine given time. Her attention was brought when she heard footsteps approaching.
A man approached her. His skin was brown, eyes ember, with his hair black and shaggy. He wore the uniform of a Konoha Jonin, but his flack jacket was gray instead of green, and the orange of flames was painted on. "I've been seeing you around a bit, where's your team?"
Ryujin Hiyenzo… The Kyuubi's other Jinchuriki. Kay sat up straighter, tightening the cross of her arms. "They recently passed the second exam. Some were injured. They're in the clinic as we speak."
Hiyenzo went silent for a bit, analyzing her. He pocketed his hands. "I was a Jonin at your age as well."
"So I've heard." Kay hated to admit how inexperienced she was compared to most other Jonin. All she had was a talent for Shinobihood. There wasn't the experience of a war behind her. Most of her Ninjutsu weren't battle-tested. Hell, her journey to Yakedo was her first actual combat experience.
She was just an assassin.
Hiyenzo was a true soldier.
He looked down on her with a neutral gaze. "Well, good luck, I suppose," he murmured before walking off in the opposite direction.
Kay's eyes narrowed. The Konoha Jonin here were all far above her caliber.
Ryujin Hiyenzo. Student of two of Konoha's most infamous monsters: Minato Namikaze and Orochimaru of the Sannin. Even before becoming a Jinchuriki, he was an exceptional Jonin and gained notoriety as the Avatar of the Sun; all because of the ferocity of his Fire Style.
Kakashi Hatake. The Copy Ninja of the Sharingan who's hailed to know over a thousand jutsu. His Raikiri was rumored to be able to cut a bolt of lightning in half before it touched the ground.
Miya Uzumaki. The Lady of Infinity. Both her physical prowess and complex seals were capable of toppling armies individually. Together… they created a foe uncontested.
Asuma Sarutobi. Son of the Sandaime Hokage, former member of the Twelve Shinobi Guardians of the Land of Fire, and with Fire Style so powerful it choked battlefields with a smoke so thick it rivaled a volcano's and earned him the moniker of The Ashen Gale.
Might Gai. A master of the Eight Inner Gates, a technique so powerful it was forbidden in every Shinobi Nation.
Kay bit her lip as she mulled over what exactly Kumo would be facing. None of the Kages beside the Hokage and the Kazekage would be in attendance. Even still, that didn't mean Shinobi of a Kage's caliber wouldn't be there to face them. Lord Killer Bee, and two other experienced Jinchuriki from Iwa would be there during the attack.
Other Shinobi such as Lord Darui, Lady Chinoike, and many others would be there to topple Konoha. Even with such powerful Shinobi in their ranks… Konoha barely stood a chance. There was one woman who gave them that chance.
She wasn't in the tower, but her legend shook the world, nearly as much as Lord Killer Bee's did.
Her name was Yosei Senju, the Thorn Wraith. She was the Shodai Hokage's direct descendant. Hashirama Senju was the man who battled the Nibi and won. Battled the Kyuubi and the strongest Shinobi other than him, and won. Then battled the Yonbi, Gobi, Nanabi, and Hachibi simultaneously and won.
All within the span of a few weeks.
The Thorn Wraith killed the Sanbi's Jinchuriki and Mizukage Yagura. She was but a teen when she killed him and ended the Second Great Ninja War. As she grew, during the Second and Third Great Ninja Wars, entire armies fled at the mere mention of her name. When an enemy force faced her, not a single soul would live to tell the tale.
She without a doubt lived up to her descendant's legend. Maybe, just maybe she could contend with Lord Killer Bee in combat. Kay doubted that… but, it wasn't out of the realm of possibility, as insane as that sounded.
With a sigh, she decided to move to a more secluded section of the tower… that would calm her nerves.
⁑ —ϟ— ⁑
It'd been a day since Team Kay entered the tower. Ka'rai refused to leave the room where Hane and Yowui were being healed. Once he displayed his Jinsei flames and their healing effectiveness, the doctors became less apprehensive. Because of Jinsei, the medics never tired and Hane and Yowui received hours of straight healing.
They managed to attack the sand as it attacked them; that combined with the speed of which Ka'rai cut off the sand… they would be able to participate in the final stages of the exam. Plus, the invasion was a month from then. Hane and Yowui should be fine by then, especially if Ka'rai gave them Jinsei baths every day.
Ka'rai heard that Cirru, Sami, and Clowui were hurt pretty badly as well. It was a Konoha team that did it. A Hyuuga, nearly single handedly defeated. Cirru's back was broken by Sasuke Uchiha, one of the targets. It was on his list to track down that other Hyuuga Girl he heard about and Sasuke. Fighting them would be fun…
But, that was for later. Hane and Yowui could finally walk after twenty-four straight hours of care. They chose a room in the tower near the top. It felt the most secure. He needed to keep them safe… guard his weaknesses.
Even through his navy blue face paint, his eye bags showed themselves like the sun behind clouds. Yowui seemed too unsettled to notice. He crossed his arms and got his own room, separate from Ka'rai and Hane. It was the one right next door, but Ka'rai couldn't help but feel paranoid about it. Hane tried to cheer both of them up… but Yowui was adamant about being by himself.
But, before Yowui left, Ka'rai made one thing clear. "Both of you! The moment you guys are in the right shape, you're going to be training non-stop!"
Yowui looked back toward Ka'rai, his eyes quivering in their sockets. "Huh?"
"You guys are fucking weak!" he said blatantly. Yowui didn't seem too bothered by it—wouldn't have been the first time he was called that. Hane flinched at the statement, though. "Because you guys are weak… strong people can take advantage of you—people like Gaara."
"You're saying that the sick fuck that tried to kill me and Hane is right?!"
Ka'rai's fists clenched as he shrugged. "I don't know! Kinda?! It doesn't matter! You guys aren't getting hurt again! I was barely strong enough to protect you guys and…!" He shut his eyes. "I'm scared."
Hane went silent as her hand wrapped around Ka'rai's. With a shake of his head and a cynical chuckle, Yowui spoke up. "That's probably a new feeling for you. Luckily, I experience fear a lot. I'll help you."
Ka'rai opened his eyes and met Yowui's gaze. A fearful glare… almost a bit envious. "Deal with it. Believe me… I've tried to be as strong as you are. I let Cirru beat my ass so many times. I trained until I couldn't move anymore. All because of what happened on Yakedo. I almost died. I couldn't do a damned thing to help. I was just… there. And well, when I faced someone actually strong, it happened again. I faced death for a second time.
"No matter how hard I try, I'll never be able to be as strong as you. I won't be able to fight the same people that you do. And If I try?" Yowui let out a breath. "Well, you saw for yourself. I'm sure Hane's tried hard to become strong like you, too. But we just can't. If you don't want to be scared, then just leave us behind to be strong on your own. If you care about us that much, then learn to live in fear… like I do."
Yowui turned his back and left, shutting the door.
So, Ka'rai and Hane were left alone in that room. Ka'rai let out a shaky sigh, hanging his head. Hane pulled him closer, hugging him.
"Is… Is Yowui right? Are you sad that you can't be as strong as me?"
"...Sometimes."
"You seem a lot sadder than you act."
"It's my version of being strong. The world is sad… so I try to fight against it with happiness."
"But… what's the point of you can't fight it for real?"
"Because when you fight fire with fire, you just make a bigger fire."
"Yeah… that makes sense. But, if you have your own strength… then why do you want mine?"
"Because it's more useful. Power like yours gets things done makes a difference. I can be as happy as I want, but it won't do much unless I have real power."
"So, you need both…"
"And that's why I think we're together."
Hane pulled back from the hug. His black eyes shimmered with the reflection of her brown. She made sure to look deep into him before she spoke. The weight of every word would be felt fully.
"I have the strength of happiness, you have the power to make that happiness matter. Without your power, my happiness isn't going to amount to much. Without my happiness, your power is just going to make the world an even sadder place than it is."
Ka'rai stared into her eyes unblinking as he felt the love and weight of her on him.
"You said you don't like to be sad?"
Ka'rai nodded.
"I'm sure the world doesn't like being sad, either."
"So… we have to stop it?"
"That's right!" Hane smiled at him. Ka'rai couldn't help but smile a bit himself. "Together we have to turn this sad world, happy."
Ka'rai nodded again, slowly this time. "I like that plan."
From there, Hane hugged him again, falling back into the bed they sat on. "You should sleep."
No response.
Hane looked over to him, and saw that his baggy eyes were closed already. She couldn't help but laugh a little. While he slept, she pressed a kiss on his cheek then joined him in sleep.
⁑ —ϟ— ⁑
She never got to retrieve her glove. So, she took some of the bandages off of her face to wrap her hand. Her mark was hidden—the darkness was unable to be seen. Sami took in the air of the clinic then let it go. It smelled clean… but morbid. Almost like the orphanage.
For once, using her power didn't make her feel ashamed. Clowui would've died if it weren't for her. That Hyuuga girl was ruthless. Just thinking about her sent shivers down her spine. It was for sure the most terrifying fight she'd been in ever. The good she did using her power almost fooled her into thinking that she do it more. She managed to touch someone—multiple times—and not kill them.
But, no… she refused to take a risk with her Void Style.
Sami clenched her now bandaged palm.
Never risk it.
Cirru was still in his bed. Clowui's jutsu kept his spine together; it was the bones that made blood, so she could control it to a certain extent. She made sure the two halves of the spine stayed together, that blood continued to flow. All that was left to be done was for the medics to make that permanent. Well, permanently, unless he broke his back again… she hoped he didn't.
"I'm… sorry," managed Cirru.
She looked up at him, brow raised. "For what, exactly? You have a lot of things to apologize for."
"Funny," he said with a strained chuckle. "I'm apologizing for my lack of strength, my lack of will, my lack of power… it's not befitting of someone like me." Even through the bedsheets, she saw his fists clench. "I won't let it happen again. I know you may not like me all that much, but I do appreciate you. It's entertaining to hear you complain about my behavior."
Sami couldn't help but chuckle at least. "It's fine. Plus, you did help." She rubbed her throat. "That girl was gonna slit my throat had you not… wind blasted her."
"I suppose…" he admitted. "I shouldn't have been so paralyzed by fear. Clowui was unaffected utterly."
"I was scared too." Sami sighed. "But, I couldn't let my friend die."
"I couldn't let you die, either."
Sami managed a small, genuine smile. "Thanks."
⁑ —ϟ— ⁑
Cee and Kay were gathered with Clowui and the rest of the Kumo Genin. Ka'rai grumbled, annoyed at being awoken from his catnap. Hane was suspicious. Yowui had his arms crossed, standing next to Cee and Sami. Sami herself seemed to know what this was going to be about, Cirru as well.
Clowui activated her Ketsuryugan, to check if there was anybody near the private room they gathered in. "I had to fight a Hyuuga girl—Kusari Hyuuga, is what I learned her name is. During our battle, she displayed a power I believe our ally would be interested in. Forward it to them, so we can add her to the no-kill list."
Everyone nodded along.
"However, during the battle, Sasuke Uchiha activated his power." Clowui pointed to the mark concealed under the tight collar of her top. "I was forced to use my own to escape."
Kay and Cee's eyes widened. Ka'rai, Yowui, and Hane were left confused. Cirru and Sami knew what she was referring to.
Clowui dramatically clenched her fists. "It's a shame that I'm not the only one who was cursed with this bastard power. The mission that went wrong… it is my greatest regret. I am grateful that I was able to learn control over it."
Clowui's teammates were confused for a second, but Kay and Cee caught on immediately. Cee placed an 'assuring hand' on her shoulder. "It can't be helped… But, it is unfortunate that such a power fell into the hands of a rival nation."
"Let's just hope he's not as talented as you," Sami added, catching on to the lie.
Cirru crossed his arms and huffed. "He's an Uchiha… that bastard will at least be a rival to her."
"As long as I get to fight him, I'm happy!" Ka'rai boasted with a huff of blue flame. There was no catching onto the lie. Just genuine craving for battle.
Kay shook her head with a chuckle as Hane patted his shoulder.
"Is that all?" asked Cee.
Yowui shook his head. "No. Gaara…"
Hearing his name made Ka'rai burn. "Fuck him."
"Ah…" Cee let out a sigh. "There isn't much we can do about him. We know how important he is… being a Jinchuriki."
Ka'rai chuckled out blue flames. "Oh… I can do something about him."
"Ka'rai," Kay warned with a dangerous gaze. "I understand your anger but do not do anything rash."
"I won't," he said under his breath, the glow of the Nibi's eyes made it through the shadows covering his face.
Kay pushed her gaze into a glare. "You better not."
Cee sighed once again. "Is that all, this time?"
Silence.
"Alright, you are all free to go."
WIth that, everyone went their separate ways. Ka'rai made his way toward the lobby… the nap made him hungry.
⁑ —ϟ— ⁑
"Y'know! The day the Old Man brought Shinrai to my house, it felt like I was blessed by angels!" wildly recounted Naruto, sitting on a couch between Shinrai and Ka'rai with a grin. It was in the lobby, and an empty bowl sat on his lap.
Ka'rai responded to Naruto's statement with a raised brow. "Dunno… he seems more like a hellspawn to me—"
"Aren't you possessed by the fire demon of death?!" questioned Shinrai incredulously. "That's basically the devil."
"I… I mean—" spattered Ka'rai.
Shinrai's arms crossed as he huffed in satisfaction. "Point proven."
"C'mon! Shinrai's like, a sheep in wolf's clothing!" defended Naruto.
"I'd rather just be a wolf," admitted Shinrai.
Ka'rai pointed his finger at Shinrai. "SO A DEVIL!"
"Yeah, angels seem like bitches, to be honest."
"...Shinrai—I was trying to deFEND YoU!"
Shinrai grinned in response.
Ka'rai chuckled at that. Honestly, I'm the real devil… trying to burn down their village and all. He chuckled again, nervously. I guess it fits, according to Shinrai! …Plus! I have a hell sword! I really am the devil! Ka'rai laughed to get the guilt off his chest.
Both Naruto and Shinrai looked at him like he was crazy. "You good bro?" asked Shinrai.
With a quick and giddy nod, he grinned in an attempt to ignore the growing pit of shame in his stomach.
"Then why were you laughing like a crazy person?!" Naruto asked.
Ka'rai gulped. "Nibi… told me a joke…" he lied.
Shinrai disbelievingly tilted his head. "Uh huh… and what was the joke?"
"What does a Bijuu do when they lie? They tell tall tails."
An uncontrollable wave of laughter washed over Naruto and Shinrai.
Such a terrible utterance of words… assigned to my name.
Technically, it's assigned to your title since I didn't say your name.
Nibi didn't dignify him with a response.
Still laughing, Naruto wiped a tear from his eye. "Tell Nibi to make another joke!"
Fuck—NIBI! Please tell me you have some sort of humor—
I find it humorous that you must deal with the consequences of your actions.
DAMMIT NIBI!
Nervously, Ka'rai scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, she said she doesn't have any more."
"Lame," muttered Naruto.
Shinrai chuckled. "I never thought a Bijuu would make a pun, though."
"I said they're sentient…" Ka'rai scratched harder, and chuckled even more. Naruto and Shinrai stared as his obvious discomfort.
Nanabi's Jinchuriki has entered the tower… talk to her soon.
By soon, you mean right NOW! Ka'rai suddenly stood. "Nibi says I have some Bijuu—Jinchuriki stuff to take care of! Gotta go!"
Naruto gaped in awe. "Ooooh! Can I come come—?"
"No!" Ka'rai answered as he dashed away from his Uzumaki brethren… the weight of guilt didn't hold down his chest anymore. Nibi directed him toward the Nanabi Jinchuriki. Her team abandoned her the moment she entered the tower. She was alone in another lobby, staring into space on the couch. Make sure to get her name… "Hey!" called Ka'rai.
She rolled her eyes at the sound of his voice. "Not you again."
"Yeah, it's me!" he confirmed before sitting down next to her. She growled out a frustrated sigh. "Sorry, I never got your name… I'm Ka'rai!"
"You want to know my name?" she asked, going silent afterward. Her brows furrowed before she finally answered, "Fuu, I think—yeah… Fuu."
Ka'rai tilted his head bemusedly. "You think? You don't know your own name?"
"Well, it's not really used all that much, so I guess I have no reason to remember it." Fuu crossed her arms and sighed. "Useless knowledge."
"Weird," he murmured. "Well, I think Fuu is a great name to have! You best remember it as long as you live!"
Confusion and almost discomfort crossed her face. At least she didn't look depressed anymore. "You said your name is Ka'rai?"
"Yuh huh!"
"Sounds dumb," she mumbled as she looked away from him.
He scoffed in offense. "Hey! I just complimented your name!"
"So? That doesn't mean I have to compliment you back."
Ka'rai crossed his arms and huffed.
Ask to see the Nanabi.
Wait! Let me be friendly first!
"So… what's it like being a Jinchuriki?"
Fuu scoffed. "You're… asking me? Even though you're one too?"
Ka'rai nodded giddy. "Yeah! It's fun, right?"
"Fun?!" she questioned in outrage. "What the hell are you on about? Nothing about having a demon is fun."
"But, you get really strong—"
"I don't care. You've experienced it too, right? People never look your way if it isn't to fucking hate you! It's terrible!"
Ka'rai's smile faded and he scratched the back of his head. "Well… people only didn't like me because I kinda almost killed three people because I got mad—but it's fine! I think people are starting to see how great Nibi and I are!"
She stared at him… utterly dumbfounded. "What? What are you—you're making no sense!"
"Well, I guess people in Kumo like Jinchuriki. The Nidaime Raikage had the Nibi like I do, and Bee-sensei is one of the greatest heroes in our village!" he explained, putting his smile back on.
The girl kept up her baffled stare. Her cynical laugh hit Ka'rai's ears. He responded with an uncomfortable chuckle. "So, I was just born in the wrong place?! Is that it?!"
"Uh…" He shifted. "I guess? I don't know how Taki is…"
"Well, let me tell you about how Jinchuriki are treated where I come from." She crossed her arms and her depressed expression hardened with years of resentment.
"The moment the Nanabi was sealed inside of me, my parents abandoned me. Years ago, The Nanabi turned Taki into nothing but a crater. Since then, every Jinchuriki was just thrown into a cage. Nothing but training. I only get breaks to eat, sleep, just so I can function to be their weapon."
Fuu's fists clenched with rage. Hell, even Ka'rai was pissed simply hearing about it. A glare from Fuu was shot toward him. "So, now do you know how Taki is?!"
"Yeah, I do," he affirmed before balling his hand into a determined fist. "That's why I think you should just come to Kumo."
"What?!"
"Yes." Ka'rai's gaze was serious, he broke it with his usual smile as he forced a laugh. "Taki sounds like a pretty shitty place to be. So, come to Kumo, Bee-sensei will train you up, and then for revenge on how your village treated you, you can turn them into a crater again."
Fuu went silent… then she cackled. "You're serious?!"
"Why wouldn't I be?!" he responded with a wicked smirk.
She kept on laughing. "You really are fucking insane."
Ka'rai stuck out his fist. "The first thing we should do then, is talk to Nanabi. Nibi's been screaming at me to do this since I saw you the other day."
"So… how do I talk to it?"
"Her," he corrected. "You just bump my fist, then call upon Nanabi's chakra. I'll call upon Nibi's chakra, and then we'll talk with our Bijuu!"
Fuu let out a reluctant sigh. "Alright…" She made a fist with her hand and hit Ka'rai's. In a flash, the world went dark for both of them. Just as quickly, a golden light from Ka'rai's side and the clanking of clashing metal echoed from Fuu's side.
Once everything was clear, Ka'rai stood on the golden light. Fuu stood on clumps of rusted chains. Behind Ka'rai, the Nibi stared from behind her golden cage. Growls of rage shook both Ka'rai and Fuu to their cores.
Nanabi was confined with chains of rust. Six gigantic wings the color of the rising sun were wrapped with massive chains of rust. A single insectile tail was bolted to the floor of metal by rusted nails. The rest of Nanabi's body was free, an exoskeleton the color of storm clouds. Six comparatively miniscule legs reached out for Fuu, but the beast was unable to move.
Fuu screamed and ran toward Ka'rai's golden light. Mandibles clacked and teeth shifted on Nanabi's mouth. "You bastard!" she screamed in a futile attempt to attack her jailer.
Ka'rai's skin crawled at the sight of the gigantic insect. He resisted the urge to say 'ew.' Instead, he cleared his throat. "That's fucked up. Fuu… why do you have her chained up like that?"
"I DIDN'T MAKE THE SEAL YOU IDIOT!" she yelled back. Her eyes made contact with Nibi's. A shot of malice brought her to her knees. Chills enveloped her, and so did the claws of death. "Where did you bring me?!" she screamed to Ka'rai.
"Nibi… be nice to her please—if you're really mad about Nanabi's situation, then we can help Fuu blow up Taki!" he proposed with a nervous sweat. I'm supposed to be used to this…
"You are?!" questioned Fuu.
Ka'rai cursed. "Dammit—I forgot you guys can all hear my thoughts in here—" He let out a sigh, walking across the edge onto the rusted metal. "Hey, Nanabi! Sorry about…" he pointed to the inhumane way she was sealed into Fuu. "Don't worry about it for long! The moment I get Fuu to Kumo, I'll have my mama put you in the same seal that Nibi's in!"
He pointed back to her. "It'll be nice and cozy!"
"I'd prefer not to be in a seal at all," sneered Nanabi. Her voice sounded like the voice of a thousand insects speaking at once.
It made his skin crawl even more. "Yeah… I wouldn't want to be in one either. But! After Fuu dies in like—I don't know—seventy years or something, I'll make it so humans and Bijuu don't hate each other anymore, and we'll all be able to coexist again! You won't have to worry about being sealed again after that!"
An attempt to flutter her wings nearly blew Ka'rai off his feet. "Nibi… your new Jinchuriki is a fool, isn't it?"
"He is," agreed Nibi. She gave an underhanded look toward her sister. "You should give him a chance… The same with your own Jinchuriki."
Another constrained flutter pushed both Ka'rai and Fuu to the floor. "You, Nibi? Vouching for humans? Especially an Uzumaki?! I never thought I'd see the day…"
Nibi's heterochromatic eyes shone with otherworldly intent. "You know I wouldn't do so without a reason."
"Uh huh," Nanabi followed along, twitching her insect head into a tilt. Her mandibles continued to snap together, faster as the Bijuu's thoughts raced. "What do you suppose I do with it?"
"Ultimately… it's your choice," said Nibi as if it was final—even though it wasn't. "But, Ka'rai has helped me secure my domain, even by a minor amount as my Jinchuriki. Your domain, the sky, is in shambles at the moment. If you cooperate with your Jinchuriki, it will be fixed sooner rather than later."
Nanabi let out what was supposed to be a sigh, but it sounded like a swarm of super-sized locusts. "Come here fleshling." Her gaze was focused entirely on Fuu. She gulped, but Ka'rai put an assuring hand on her back and smiled.
"You'll be fine!"
Fuu forced out a chuckle before walking toward Nanabi. The gigantic insect peered down on her, eyes the color of the sun glowing behind the helmet-like armor of exoskeleton. "What do you think of me?"
"I think you're scary," admitted Fuu with drops of sweat beading down her face.
"Is it because of how I look?"
"You're a giant bug that can flatten a village—why wouldn't I be scared?!"
Nanabi went silent for a moment. "Fair enough…" She leaned down as much as she could—it wasn't much—and the sun of her eyes glowed. "Do you think I'm… disgusting?"
"No…?"
A sudden twitch made Fuu jump out of her skin. "Good. Because I'm not disgusting… I think I'm quite beautiful… don't you agree? I'm like the soaring clouds, the warm sun, the cool breeze… don't you think those things are wondrous?"
Fuu shrugged. "Dunno, I don't really get to see those things…"
"Such a tragedy!" screamed Nanabi. "The next time you're outside… go fly as high as you can. I miss my domain."
"So… are we working together?" asked Fuu.
Nanabi twitched about three times. "Fleshling… don't be a fool. I'm simply working for myself through you. You humans are truly disgusting…"
Fuu just looked down at her feet. "Okay…"
"Aw, you're not going to tell us your name?" asked Ka'rai.
A gigantic confined buzz would've blew Ka'rai off of his feet had he not expected it. "You're an idiot if you think I'll tell you my name!"
"Sorry…" he muttered, scratching the back of his head.
Nanabi twitched again. "I believe that you're done here," she said to both Ka'rai and Nibi. "Thank you… Nibi for providing me with this opportunity."
"Of course…" she responded before the golden light flashed and Ka'rai and Fuu returned to the real world.
Ka'rai grinned at her immediately, but Fuu seemed to need a few moments to readjust. "So… I'm schizophrenic now…"
"Congrats!" he cheered.
Fuu chuckled slowly. Then she let out a breath. "I can't want to incinerate Taki…"
"And I can't wait to help!"
Fuu laughed, and so did Ka'rai. They sat in silence afterward. Despite his guilt, he found himself looking forward to things to come.
⁑ —ϟ— ⁑
Night fell, Ka'rai was fast asleep in his bed, Hane next to him. Fuu was as sleeping as well in her own room. Nibi, however, was not. Her plan worked. When she sensed for her own Chakra, there was a piece not in the seal or in Ka'rai's system. The piece was in the seal that trapped the Nanabi. Nibi closed her eyes, concentrating on that piece of her chakra…
When she opened her eyes again, a two tailed feline the size of a house cat sat on a bed of rusted chains. Blue fire brought Nanabi's attention. She looked down toward her sibling. They greeted each other by name.
"So, my senses weren't incorrect when it felt like you never left," realized Nanabi with a twitch.
Nibi nodded in affirmation. "Indeed. I left a piece of my chakra in your seal. I told my Jinchuriki that using my chakra strengthens me, because I'm 'weakened.'"
"You lied to it?" asked the Nanabi with a buzzing chuckle.
"Of course I did. There's only so much Bijuu chakra a simple human-made seal can handle before it breaks. Now that my chakra is in your seal, whenever Ka'rai uses my chakra, it will weaken the seal holding you.
"Before long, we'll both be free."
Nanabi displayed the insect's equivalent of a grin. "So, that's why you implored me to allow that fleshling to use my chakra… it will weaken the seal further."
"Precisely."
"In that case, we should all inject our chakra into the seal of any other Jinchuriki we find. It will allow us to have these private meetings, to strategize, and the seal-weakening effect will only compound from there."
"That has been my plan from the start." Nibi said Kyuubi's name. "He is in this village, split into Yin and Yang halves. Freeing him is our main priority. When I was released from my seal, I was terribly weakened, that's how I was able to be captured. When Kyuubi's released from his seal, the weakening effect will barely affect him."
Nanabi hummed—sounding like the beating of a swarm. "Hachibi… what about him? I heard he works with his fleshling."
Nibi's flames burned over with distaste. "He does. Once he sees that we're all free, he'll join us. I doubt his loyalty to humanity runs deeper than his to us."
"I'd hope so," she huffed.
Nibi nodded in agreement. "We both talk to both Kyuubi Jinchuriki and Shukaku's while he's here. From there, we get our Jinchuriki to use as much chakra as possible. We'll be freed, and then the Bijuu will rid the world of our father's mistake."
Nibi's form evaporated into flame and Nanabi was left alone in her confines.
ϟ—Chapter End—ϟ