She was standing in the middle of a small village where a boy kept throwing stones at her, his friends laughing, mocking her. She didn't know what to do, didn't know how to defend herself. She didn't have any friends, didn't have anyone to stand up for her. She was alone, isolated, abandoned.
She remembered the day the orphanage threw her out, the day the village drove her away. She remembered the taunts, the insults, the cruelty. She had been abused, had been ignored, had been neglected. She had tried to ignore it, tried to forget it. She had tried to pretend it didn't exist. But she couldn't. She couldn't keep lying to herself, couldn't keep living a lie. She had to do something, and had to act.
And with that, she took one of the stones and launched it at the boy, hitting him in the face. He fell on the ground, his nose bleeding, his eyes watering. He didn't have time to retaliate as Tayuya was already on him, kicking him repeatedly. She didn't know what came over her, didn't know why she did it. But she couldn't hold back, couldn't control it. She was overwhelmed with rage, with pain, with anguish. She couldn't contain it, couldn't stop it. And before long, she was surrounded by a crowd of angry villagers, their fists clenched, their faces contorted among them was the mother of the boy.
"What a horrible girl! You should be ashamed of yourself. You're nothing but a nuisance to this village. "The woman sneered.
Tayuya glared at her, her eyes narrowed, her small fists tightening. "Go fuck yourselves!"She roared.
The woman's face darkened, her lips curling, her teeth baring. "How dare you speak to me that way? No wonder your family did commit suicide after they first saw you."She hissed.
Tayuya's eyes widened, her expression shifting, her breath catching in her throat. She couldn't believe what she had just heard, couldn't comprehend what the woman had just said. She was stunned, she was shocked. She didn't know how to respond, what to say, what to do. She couldn't react, couldn't breathe. She felt as if her entire world was crumbling around her, as if her life was falling apart, as if she was falling apart.
"That's...not true..You're wrong!"She protested, her voice shaking, her tears streaming down her cheeks.
The woman laughed, her voice laced with sarcasm, her lips twitching with amusement. "Oh, please. Don't kid yourself, girl. We all know the truth. We all know what you really are. "She chuckled.
"No, no, no..."She cried, her body trembling, her hands covering her face. She couldn't accept it, couldn't believe it. She couldn't handle it, couldn't bear it. She felt like she was drowning, like she was suffocating, like she was dying. She was nothing but a mistake, a curse. She had no hope, no future. She had been cursed from the moment she was born. She had been cursed her entire life. She had been cursed ever since her parents had decided to have her, to bring her into this world. She was cursed to be alone, cursed to be misunderstood, cursed to be rejected, to be abandoned.
Her hand was tightly holding her flute, pressing it against her chest, her grip so tight that her knuckles turned white. Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions, a maelstrom of thoughts. She felt anger, she felt despair, she felt grief. She was overcome with hatred, with resentment. She hated herself, hated the world, hated her fate. She hated her existence, her presence. She hated that she was alive, that she was breathing. She wished that she had never been born, that she had never existed.
Her eyes were red, her skin blotchy, her body hunched forward, her shoulders slumping. She had never felt so low, so worthless, so empty. She couldn't face the reality, couldn't face the truth.
As the village started to pelt her with rocks, sticks and other objects, she fell to her knees, her hands covering her ears, her eyes squeezing shut. She couldn't take it anymore, couldn't endure it any longer. She wanted it to stop, and wanted the pain to end. She just wanted to disappear, to fade away, to cease to be.
The scene suddenly shifted, changed, morphed. She was no longer in the village, and was no longer in pain. She was standing in front of a cage. The floor flooded with a shallow layer of water; a pale, sickly yellow light filters through the bars. The bars of the cage are far enough apart for her to pass through.
Then she saw it, the glowing eyes of the Nine-Tail fox staring at her from the gloomy darkness of the cage.
"How am I here?..Why am I here?"She thought to herself.
The Nine-Tails' eyes glimmered in the dark, a deep, resonant voice filling the space, tinged with a timeless, almost weary sagacity. "Curious, isn't it, human? You wander into my prison uninvited. Your presence here is as baffling to me as it is to you." the fox's voice dropped, a rumble of ancient power, "But remember, if you ever wander into the brat's mindscape again, keep your memories to yourself. I'm not here for your entertainment."
"My memories? You mean what just…happened?"She questioned, puzzled.
The fox nodded, his voice echoing in the chamber. "Yes, you were relieving some memories of your past. "He grumbled.
Tayuya stared at him in disbelief. "Wait, are you telling me that you saw my memories?"
"Yes, fragments of your past. They flashed before me – unsolicited, I might add. It was like glimpsing through a fractured mirror, seeing snatches of your life. Intriguing, yet uninvited."He shrugged.
Tayuya, trying to mask her unease, replied: "So, you had a front-row seat to my messed-up life. Great."
The fox nodded, his eyes gleaming. ""Oh, it was far from entertaining. More like a tragic drama, really. But enough about your past. After you used that technique while I was sharing some chakra with Naruto. Your technique somehow linked our minds for a brief moment. I saw your past and your mind is now walking in the mindscape of the brat. "He shrugged.
The red haired girl rubbed her temples, her expression strained. "Is that so? There is a lot I don't know about that technique still…Speaking of which, why are you helping him?"She sighed.
Kyubi, with a weary sigh. "Let's just say, it's in my best interest to keep the boy alive. He's... tolerable, for a human. Though, while you're here, let's address a matter. I desire a small measure of freedom, away from this eternal prison. I believe you must know some of the techniques related to the one you used, right?"
Tayuya, intrigued but cautious. "Freedom? You mean you want out of Naruto?"
The fox let out another sigh. "Not entirely, no. Merely a fraction of my soul, anchored to something in your world. A puppet, perhaps. I tire of these shackles."
She scratches the back of her head while looking at the caged beast. "A puppet, huh? You do realize you'll be more like a caged bird than a roaring fox, right? And I can cut the strings anytime but yes I know the technique you're referring to."
The fox sneered. "A caged bird still sees the sky."
Tayuya, confidently: "Fair enough. I'll need specific materials and time. And Naruto needs to master Fuinjutsu for the seals. It's a complex process and I haven't mastered this technique yet."
Kyubi, smirking: "I'll see what I can do. After all, manipulating the boy is one of the few amusements I have left."
–
He sat in his office, his fingers steepled in front of his face, his gaze fixed on his desk. He didn't know what to do, didn't know what to think. He had just received news from his spies that Naruto and his group were headed back to Konoha. He couldn't allow them to enter the village, couldn't allow them to raise suspicions. He had to act, and had to do something. He had to keep his secrets, and had to protect his plans. He had to destroy the evidence, and had to silence the witnesses. He couldn't allow anyone to interfere, couldn't allow anyone to ruin his plans.
"Sir, we have a situation.''One of his men said.
He frowned, his eyes narrowing. "What kind of situation?"
"Naruto and his group seem to have defeated our men. They are heading back to Konoha now. We do not have enough men in the village to intercept them anymore."He said.
Danzo leaned back in his chair, his expression darkening, his brow creasing. "This is a problem. We cannot let them reach Konoha. They may expose us. We must not let them come to the Hokage. "He snarled.
"But we cannot dispatch more men. "The guy replied.
Danzo stared at him, his eyes blazing, his teeth bared. "Find a solution, quickly. Before it's too late. We have to act before they reveal the truth. "He ordered.
"Yes sir."He nodded.
As he watched his subordinate leave, he sighed, his hand resting against his temple. He couldn't allow his plans to be ruined, couldn't allow his dreams to be dashed. He had worked too hard, had sacrificed too much. He couldn't let it end, couldn't let it fall apart. He would not fail, he would not yield. He would not let anyone get in his way. He was determined, he was steadfast. He would do whatever it took to achieve his goals, to fulfill his ambitions.
Kakashi was sitting on the stone face of his teacher, the Yondaime Hokage. He was looking at the village from afar, his expression neutral, his gaze distant. He was thinking about Naruto, unable to pardon himself for the death of his student. For the death of his teacher's son. He had failed to save him, had failed to protect him. He couldn't forgive himself, couldn't excuse himself. He was a coward, a fool. He knew that he couldn't make up for his mistakes, couldn't repent for his sins.
"I'm sorry, Minato-sensei." He sighed.
As he looked at the Hokage Monument, he couldn't help but wonder about his sensei's final moments. He knew that he was in the middle of the Kyubi's attack, knew that he was desperate, frantic. He knew that he had sealed the fox in his son, using a forbidden jutsu to protect the village. But he didn't know how he died, he didn't know the details. He wasn't there when it happened.
"Damn it, damn it all.."He cursed.
He remembered the days when he had been a little boy, when he had first met his sensei. He had been amazed by his talent, his skill, his power. He had been in awe of his abilities. Minato Namikaze was a genius. He had idolized him, had respected him, had revered him. But now he couldn't face him, couldn't look him in the eyes. He had failed him. He had failed him in the most brutal way possible.
"I will redeem myself, sensei. I promise." He swore.
The fox curled itself on the ground while staring at the red haired girl. "Can you get the hell out of here now? I'm done with you." He inquired.
Tayuya rolled her eyes annoyed. "I don't know how to."She scoffed.
The fox sighed dramatically. "Just concentrate on your body and try to imagine it disappearing or returning to the real world."He replied.
She nodded reluctantly. "Okay. I'll try."She grumbled.
The red hair closed her eyes and tried to focus. She imagined herself disappearing, fading away. She thought of herself being in the real world, of being in her own body. She felt a strange sensation in her chest, a tingling in her limbs, a buzzing in her head. She took a deep breath, her senses heightened, her eyes adjusting to the sunlight. Her body was in pain from the battle, from the wounds inflicted by her enemies. She winced as she saw a shadow approaching her and realized it was Naruto.
"Finally! I was beginning to think you would never wake up."He exclaimed relieved.
She nodded slowly, her eyes half closed. She could feel the fatigue washing over her, the exhaustion gripping her, the weariness gnawing at her. She knew that she had to rest, that she had to recuperate. She knew that she couldn't keep going, couldn't push herself further. She was on the brink of collapse, on the verge of collapse.
"How long have I been out?"She muttered.
"A couple of hours,"He said, worried.
She tried to sit up but found it difficult, her body aching, her muscles trembling. She was weak, she was helpless. She didn't know what to do, what to say, what to think.
"I was inside of your mind."She said.
Naruto's eyebrows arched at what she just said. "Uhh, what?" He asked, puzzled.
"Inside your mind."She repeated.
"My mind? Like my head? You were inside of it?"He inquired confused.
"I was in your mindscape. Idiot"She growled.
He scratched the back of his head nervously. "Okay, okay. How did you manage to do that?" He wondered.
She shrugged, her face scrunching up with pain. "Apparently when I used my jutsu it got linked to the chakra that Kyubi landed on you and it briefly linked our minds. "She explained.
The blonde's eyes widened. "Kyubi? Did he say anything? Did he threaten you? He's such a bastard.."He grumbled.
She smirked, her eyes glistening, her voice mocking. "You just called the strongest creature in the world a bastard. Wow, that's a first. You're so brave, Naruto. "She chuckled.
He snorted, his hands curling into fists. "I am. You know, he didn't say anything. Not that it's a surprise. He never talks. He just grumbles and complains and whines. "He said.
"He was quite talkative."She said.
"Wow, really? I mean, he's pretty shy when it comes to talking. What did he say? Anything juicy? Any embarrassing secrets? "He chuckled.
"Actually, he made a deal with me. He wants me to transfer a part of his soul to a puppet."She shrugged.
Naruto's jaw dropped open. "What?! A part of his soul to a puppet? Is he insane? "He exclaimed incredulously.
"Not exactly. More like a tiny part of him. He hates being locked up and would like to have more freedom. It's something I can do."She shrugged.
"Seriously, are you serious?"He inquired.
"Look, it's not a big deal. He won't be able to possess the puppet, I'll be in full control. He's just fed up with being caged up. It'll be like a pet. He'll still be sealed within you."She shrugged.
"Hmmm, okay. I guess it's not a bad idea. He has been lonely. Besides, it could give me a new challenge. I love challenges. "He smirked.
"Sure. Well, let's start practicing once we reach Konoha if we ever reach it." She sighed.
Naruto frowned, his eyes narrowing. "Of course, we'll make it back home."He assured her.
Tayuya sighed, her eyes drifting away. She didn't want to ruin the boy's expectations, but it was clear to her that someone didn't want Naruto back to the Leaf. She couldn't figure out who or why but she had a bad feeling about this. She didn't know what to do, didn't know how to warn him, how to prepare him. She knew that she had to keep her worries to herself, and had to keep her fears hidden. She didn't want to scare him, and didn't want to make him paranoid. She had to keep calm, and had to keep cool.
"Naruto, can I ask you something? She murmured.
"Shoot."He nodded.
"Are you still determined to become Hokage? To take revenge on that Sasuke guy?.."She wondered.
"Of course! I still want to prove to everyone that I'm just as worthy as him. It's not just about revenge. It's about showing everyone that I'm not a useless idiot like they think. I want to earn their respect, their admiration. I want to be loved by them. "He replied, his voice firm, his gaze fierce.
She bite her lower lip at his words. Her childhood memories flashed through her head. She knew how he felt, knew how hard it was to be shunned, to be ignored, to be despised. She had known the same feeling of rejection, of isolation, of contempt.
"Well, I hope you succeed then. You're a weirdo but I don't mind having you as my traveling companion." She chuckled.
"I'm glad you don't hate me. I mean, you did try to kill me when we first met. But I understand it was just because of Orochimaru and you have no bad feelings towards me. Right? "He said sheepishly.
"Yeah, don't worry. It's not like you were the only one who fought me back then."She smiled faintly.