?￢ﾜ ? ~ Chapter Fourteen ~ ?￢ﾜ ?
?￢ﾜ ? ~ Awakening and Answers ~ ?￢ﾜ ?
He opened his eyelids, yet he could still see nothing. His entire body ached and his skin felt as if it was smoldering. Despite that, all he felt was cold. With a groan, he sat up from the rough, rocky ground of the cave.
How long was I out…?
Three days.
Oh, so you want to talk to me still?
No, I don't want to die.
Ryujin couldn't help but chuckle. The action made him clench his chest from the jolt of pain.
If you took my offer… then you would've been awake earlier. You'd likely be in your pathetic village by now.
Ryujin shook his head, forcing himself to stand. And you'd also be in control of my body. You know as well as I that after the four tails, I can't even use one tail without extreme risk.
The Kyuubi snarled. Just get back to that damn village so you can heal properly.
Ryujin ignored the Kyuubi's words. That was his plan, after all. Slowly, he drew on slithers of the demonic chakra inside. His entire body burned as if he was using the three tails.
It was only enough chakra to slit his eyes crimson. His predatory senses detected nothing nearby. Quickly, he released the chakra back into its seal. He walked out of the cave and was greeted by the night of black clouds.
He couldn't see the star nor the moon.
That made it harder to find his direction. Where he was, he needed to find out what direction Konoha was in—
You're facing North right now. Konoha is to the east, informed the Kyuubi bitterly.
Ryujin narrowed his eyes. Why are you helping me?
Because I don't want to die, the Kyuubi growled. NOW HURRY UP!
His entire body shook, and he fell to his knees.
Get up and go, barked the Kyuubi.
The only reason Ryujin followed that order was because that was his plan in the first place. He could barely manage a body flicker with his ravaged chakra network. So, he simply ran eastward through the pitch black forest.
—⊱✿⊰—
After hours of pretending that he was okay, he was finally able to process the second notable thing that happened in Grass. His fucking Sharingan. If Ms. Miya was telling the truth, both of his parents were Uzumaki, so he didn't have an Uchiha parent.
The thought made his skin crawl. The fact that he had the eyes of that bastard clan filled him with hate. Yora and Shinrai were his only company on the dark road he walked. That ash didn't stop falling… was Ryu's destruction of Blade really that bombastic?! Eh, that was besides the point.
It was a gut feeling, but he just knew that his eyes had something to do with what happened eight years ago. It made sense why the Uchiha kidnapped him now. They thought he was one of them.
He scoffed. As if…
Soon after, he entered Konoha's library. He went to the modern history section, picked out the thickest book he could find, and read. He skimmed through the pages and stopped when the timeline roughly hit nine years from the present.
Ignoring the tinge of shame he felt mimicking Gosei, he dissected each event leading up to eight years ago. Nothing notable… until he reached a certain section which matched up perfectly.
Defection of Orochimaru of the Sannin, read the text.
That name made Shinrai's skin crawl. So, he read it again. Again, again, and again. He was sweating by the third time, his heart raced by the fourth.
Something relating to Orochimaru was what he was looking for. He read forward, and the book skimmed over most of the relevant details. It only said that Ryu, The Sandaime, Ms. Miya, and Lord Jiraiya tracked him down and were unable to take care of him.
Narrowing his eyes, he shut the book. He went to a different section of the library labeled Historical Figures and went to the letter O. The books on Orochimaru were few and thin. Shinrai grimaced.
He picked out the thickest book—which was barely as thick as half of his fingertip—and read. In the book, they simply went over his exploits in the Second War, the Third War, his successes and triumphs… he barely had any failures.
There was only one thing that caught his attention. It was the most momentous thing he'd seen that night.
Ryu was once a disciple of Orochimaru.
"Hey," a voice interrupted his focus. "You better be researching so you and your bastard brother can get the fuck out of our village."
Shinrai glared back at the man. His eyes itched with chakra. "Go kill yourself before I off you personally."
He stepped back before scurrying off in the opposite direction.
Shaking his head, Shinrai returned to his book. Barely noticing how his heart was beating out of his chest, the tremble in his fingers, how drenched he was in sweat. He kept reading.
Before he could make it another page, he was grabbed by the arm. A Chunin guard glared disgustingly at him. "You're disturbing the peace of the library. Leave, now."
He flashed a frantic glower at the Chunin, pulling his arm out of his grip. His eyes burned as sweat poured into them. Short and choppy breaths restricted the oxygen that made it to his brain.
Shinrai looked the Chunin in the eyes. They were golden, slit, and sadistic. The golden eyes of a snake that wanted him.
Shinrai went frigid. He bolted out of the library, stumbling over his steps and barely breathing. Running into a nearby alley, he tripped himself and knocked his head on a metal trash can.
Gasping for air, he looked into the night sky with his head aching. The night-time clouds twinkled red.
"Your eyes… they're beautiful… too."
His hand instinctively grabbed his midnight blade. Flashes of a girl with a pierced heart. Phantoms of a midnight man. Memories of rage and horror.
Yora's corpse was at his feet.
Shinrai collapsed onto the concrete and crawled into the scarlet depths of the alleyway.
He didn't come out. When he shut his eyes… he only saw hers.
Her eyes.
Scarlet eyes.
Yora's eyes.
Slowly but surely… he calmed.
—⊱✿⊰—
Night fell and Miya had finally reached the no-man's-land. It took a few hours of non-stop traveling, yet she was barely fatigued. A cloud of dust plumed as she landed in the dirt. With a breath, she suppressed the sickening worry that threatened to overtake her.
As long as she was in control, as long as she was on this mission, nothing would waver her focus, especially on a mission where Ryu's life was on the line. By herself, she wasn't the best at tracking.
Even an S-Rank Shinobi had their weak spots.
Luckily, she had some friends to help her out. Miya weaved a short series of hand seals. "Summoning Jutsu," she whispered.
From a cloud of smoke on the floor, appeared a midnight-colored feline. Her eyes were white like the moon. "What am I needed for to gain the honor of being summoned?"
"Runa, I need you to help me track down Ryujin," Miya requested. "You remember his scent, right?"
Runa nodded. "I do." She sniffed the chilling late-night breeze, closing her eyes to focus. "He's in the area for sure. He's within a mile of here."
"A mile…" grumbled Miya with rising frustration. "Where is his scent the strongest?"
"The east," Runa answered.
"That's where Konoha is…" Miya noted. Her eyes lit up. "If he's in that direction, doesn't that mean he's alive?"
"It could also mean he just so happened to die in that direction."
Miya's eyes darkened. "Right… Let's go."
The two set off eastward on the search for Ryu… or his corpse.
—⊱✿⊰—
Twenty-six Iwagakure Shinobi traveled east. All of them were shrouded in black hooded cloaks, but only twenty-six wore masks. The two at the front kept their faces exposed.
Yoru Otoko and Hosu Otoko.
The husband and wife duo that ravaged enemy forces during the Third War. Yoru had a hammer strapped to his back over the cloak and Hosu wielded a mace, which was held at her waist.
"Granite," Yoru called. An ANBU with a mask made of the stone of his namesake flickered beside him. "Do you sense the target or any disturbances?"
"The target is moving eastward," answered Granite. "I sense one other presence of note."
"Who?" Hosu asked.
"I do not know, but they're strong," Granite said. "They're moving east as well, so I assume that they're a Konoha Shinobi tracking Hiyenzo."
Yoru furrowed his brow. "Konoha must be arrogant to only send a single Shinobi after him."
"Or perhaps that Shinobi is exceptionally strong," Hosu said, bringing such a possibility to attention. "Any ideas?"
Yoru pondered. "It could be one of the Sannin. Orochimaru is a deserter, and I haven't heard anything about Tsunade in over a decade. Perhaps it's Jiraiya?"
"I've sensed him before; it's not him," denied Granite.
Hosu nodded slowly. "The Thorn Wraith perhaps?"
"I hope not…" murmured Yoru, a chill going down his spine. "I never want to face Yosei Senju again in my life. The Lady of Infinity?"
Hosu shrugged. "She should be just as much as a challenge as the Thorn Wraith. The Uzumaki and the Senju are closely related clans, after all."
"The Thorn Wraith took down Yagura. The Lady of Infinity hasn't done anything close. I would bet my life on the Uzumaki rather than the Senju," Yoru reasoned with a huff.
Hosu tilted her head. "I guess I could see that. The Copy Ninja, then?"
"Not him either," Granite said. "I faced him myself once… I left without my left hand."
Yoru let out a sigh. "It doesn't matter who we're facing—unless it's the Thorn Wraith—we're gonna kill whoever they are along with Hiyenzo."
"Damn right!" cheered an ANBU.
Hosu smiled. "I like that mindset."
—⊱✿⊰—
Enclosed in an arena of trees, three Senju stood. Natsuyo's back faced the rising sun as she stood across from her brother. Gosei was more or less recovered from the events in Grass. All he truly needed was a good night's sleep.
"You two," began Yosei, who loomed above her children like a sentinel. "In order for me to formulate how I should train you going forward, I need to see where you place with your skills."
"So, you want us to spar?" asked Gosei.
"Exactly," their mother confirmed.
Natsuyo shrugged. "Should be easy enough."
"What?" questioned Gosei. "You've never beaten me once."
Natsuyo grinned. "I've been training! You do remember that conversation we had right?"
Gosei felt like he was supposed to know what she was talking about. He didn't.
A frown banished Natsuyo's grin. "Of course you don't."
The elder sibling remained silent as the twinge of guilt grew.
"Well, I told you that we'd have a battle of destiny, that I'll be the stronger of us two," Natsuyo declared, resembling her mother with the command in her tone and the hardness of her expression.
"I will win this fight." Natsuyo glared at her brother, dead set on victory.
I can't underestimate her this time, noted Gosei as he slid into his battle stance. "If that's the case, then I won't hold back."
Natsuyo couldn't help the smile that split her face.
"Begin," ordered Yosei.
Natsuyo bolted forward, her hands clasped into the Tiger before crossing into the Clone Seal. "Fire Clone Jutsu!"
Seven clones came to life with the roar of an inferno. By the time they took a step toward Gosei, he was prepared to douse them. Before he could do so, the calling of, "Wind Release: Zephyral Storm!" stopped him.
Gosei's eyes widened as the clones surrounding him erupted into humanoid fire avatars. They pounced on him with the burning wind behind him. He barely finished his hand seals before spouting a Lakeland Rush at the conglomerate of fire.
Even still, one clone of his sister made it through. He barely had time to widen his eyes before he was struck by a kick. The clone detonated into a bombing blaze. Gosei growled as the flames burned him. He hated that feeling.
"Earth Release: Bedrock Explosion!" he yelled. Natsuyo yelped as she was with the brunt of the jutsu. My timing was correct. Gosei repeated his Lakeland Rush and spewed the water at his sister.
The bark cracked from the impact. Gosei bolted forward, only to be met by raindrops of fire pouring toward him. His eyes widened. She can still fight after that?!
He bobbed and weaved the fire drops. The sheer density and amount forced him away from his sister's location. Footsteps pelted the dirt below and Gosei looked up. Natsuyo's face was split with a grin as her right hand burned with an infernal fist.
"FIRE PUNCH!" she shouted with a pyromaniacal cackle.
Gosei shielded his face with his arms, and the fist plumed into a blazing torrent. It scorched the elder sibling nearly black. Gosei growled and pushed his sister off.
Alright, I'm sick of these games, seethed Gosei. Seallessly, he slammed his hand on the ground and it split into a Fault Line Strike. The ground quaked as it struck at Natsuyo. She leapt over the jutsu, but a few hand seals later, the entire fault line erupted.
"Faulting Bedrock Eruption!" screamed Gosei. His sister was blown farther into the sky by the sheer amount of force. Shrapnel of rock, dirt, and stone drew blood from her exposed skin.
The pain she felt only served to fuel her smile. She blasted through hand seals and inhaled. "Wind Release: Zephyral Storm!"
Gosei's earthen shrapnel was gusted down at him. He shut his eyes and guarded using his charred arms. His body seared as the dust cloud enveloped him entirely. The pain didn't stop him.
Soldiering through the jutsu with gritted teeth, he stood his ground. Even the main gust from Natsuyo's Zephyral storm didn't topple him. Once Gosei had enough, he flared his chakra and banished the remainder of the dust back to the ground.
Natsuyo smirked at him with a kunai in hand. "The Fire Punch is the Jutsu I used to defeat my sensei!"
"I can see how it worked," murmured Gosei. "How the hell did you get so strong?"
Natsuyo chuckled haughtily. "I trained!"
"Hmph," he grumbled as he pulled out his own kunai. I obviously haven't been training hard enough.
The siblings charged each other, dodging the other's kunai strike. Natsuyo flung her leg into Gosei's arm. He blocked the hit with a growl and grabbed her leg with the other hand. He threw her to the dust-filled ground. Natsuyo kicked his gut with her free leg.
Standing his ground, Gosei simply tossed her into the fault. As expected, Natsuyo caught herself before she could fall in. She landed on her feet and tossed a flurry of shuriken at Gosei.
He responded in kind, throwing double the amount of shuriken. With widened eyes, Natsuyo sliced the shuriken out of the air with her kunai. One made it through the assault, flying directly toward her face.
Running on pure instinct, she caught the metal with her teeth. Even Yosei was surprised. Natsuyo inhaled and propelled the shuriken out of her mouth. Its area of danger was amplified by the wind chakra that rotated it at subsonic speed.
Gosei was barely able to block with his kunai. Sparks flew as the wind-enhanced shuriken cut against—even into—Gosei's weapon.
Natsuyo weaved the Tiger seal.
Gosei paled.
Before Gosei could deflect the shuriken, his sister ignited it. The white-hot shuriken melted his kunai in half and would've done the same to his arm if he didn't dodge.
"Sorry!" apologized Natsuyo as she prepared another way to cause him pain.
Gosei grumbled in response. Then he charged. Natsuyo hadn't moved from her location in front of the fault line. He forced his way through another wind blast, using his charred arms as a shield.
He leapt forward once the jutsu ceased and Natsuyo guarded herself with a kunai. Her eyes widened once Gosei weaved his hand seals. "Water Release: Lakeland Rush!"
She barely had time to move out of the way. Even still, it wasn't enough. Her leg was caught in the flood and she tripped. Gosei simply moved his head to redirect the jutsu. Natsuyo was washed into the fault line, which soon filled into a miniature stream.
Once he finished his jutsu, he fell to a knee. "Damn…" he murmured.
Soon after, Natsuyo crawled from the water out of breath and soaked. She reached into her kunai pouch only to find it empty. Smirking, she balled her hands into a fist.
Gosei shook his head as he stood. He balled his fists in kind, not being able to help but return the smirk.
The moment they took a step forward, they stopped at the sound of their mother's voice. "I've seen enough."
"Aw!" Natsuyo pouted, allowing her hands to fall limp at her side. "I could've kept fighting!"
"I'm aware," she stated. "This fight would have lasted for hours; we're Senju. I saw all I needed to see to assess your abilities."
Gosei nodded. "Who would you say won the fight?"
"The 'winner' is not important," Yosei dismissed.
Gosei grumbled, and Natsuyo let out a sigh.
"Anyway. Natsuyo," she began, gaining her daughter's full attention. "I'm proud of how far you've come in such a short amount of time. You're certain to surpass me one day."
She grinned with one so large that it took up half of her face.
"Gosei, while I am proud of how far you've come with your character—you displayed that greatly in this fight—I did… expect more in regards to your Shinobi ability. You're strong, my son, you always have been. Don't let that make you complacent."
Gosei clenched his fist, but bowed his head. "Yes, mother."
"I'll let you two rest for the remainder of the day," Yosei informed as she walked off. "Your training begins tomorrow."
With that, the Senju siblings were left to themselves.
"I totally won," quipped Natsuyo.
Gosei looked at her incredulously. "No? I had you under ten feet of water."
"Which I swam out of!" she defended. "If I remember correctly, you were on your knees while I was standing with a kunai in hand."
He let out a breath. "And then I got up to face you."
"Well, mother said that she's prouder of me than you! Checkmate."
Gosei had nothing but a grumble to respond with.
Natsuyo laughed. "Plus, look what I did to your arms," she added, pointing at them.
"Says the one bleeding all over," rebutted Gosei.
She looked at her cut-up hand in realization. "Yeah, I think we should get this taken care of…"
"Agreed…"
—⊱✿⊰—
The sun was just beginning to rise, and Shinrai had yet to return home. He sent a clone to his home as to not worry Naruto. His search still wasn't done. Luckily, he managed to find a lead.
Orochimaru.
He left the village eight years ago. Shinrai woke up with no recollection of his past eight years ago. Ryu was Orochimaru's student. Eight years ago, Ryu was banned from being near Naruto.
Eight years ago, Ms. Miya went on a series of missions outside the village, right after being involved with chasing down Orochimaru alongside Ryu, the Sandaime, and Lord Jiraiya.
Coincidence? Shinrai asked himself. I think not.
Another question crossed Shinrai's mind. Ryu certainly knew more than he was letting on. Despite that… he told Naruto everything about his past, but not him? At first, he gave him the benefit of the doubt; he simply didn't know about his past.
However, the discovery of his past association with Orochimaru on top of the fact that he was directly involved in trying to capture him meant that he knew more than what he said.
What he said was nothing.
Ryu would be back in the village soon enough. He would ask him about it then. For now, he made his way to the Hokage's office.
If anyone could provide answers, it would be him.
He snaked his way through the crowd at the base of the tower. Then he slithered his way up the stairs. Eventually, he made his way to the door of Hiruzen's office.
Shinrai knocked.
A beat of silence passed.
"Come in," answered the Hokage.
A click signified the opening of the door, and Shinrai entered. "Hey, Old Man. I have some questions for you."
"Make it quick, Shinrai," requested Hiruzen with a puff of his pipe.
Shinrai nodded dismissively. "Sure. So, Orochimaru of the Sannin…" he spoke, a shiver going down his spine. Hiruzen narrowed his eyes at his subordinate. "I know that my past has something to do with him. I want answers."
"You are not ready for them," the Hokage said simply.
Shinrai couldn't hold back his glare. "Why… not?" he asked in a carefully controlled tone. Showing the full brunt of his rising anger wasn't exactly a smart idea.
"You've made it clear to me by asking," Hiruzen started with a wise yet commanding voice. "You're obsessing over it. Naruto knows of his past and you don't. Jealousy overtook you, so you went searching for answers yourself."
Shinrai hid the clenching of his fists. The Hokage wasn't incorrect, per se, but he was blowing it all out of proportion. Shinrai opened his mouth to speak, but he was silenced. "No matter how much you try to hide it, your frustration is as clear as day."
Shinrai looked away.
"The circumstance of your past is of such a magnitude that if you learn of it with your current mindset, it will lead you to ruin."
"And who are you to decide whether I'm ready to hear about my past?"
"Your Hokage. Leave my office, Shinrai," he ordered.
With his teeth gritted and his fists clenched, he left. Fuck him! he roared internally. Was it so wrong for him want to know where he fucking came from? Why was finding this out so difficult?
Ryu didn't tell him jack shit.
The history books gave him hope.
The Hokage shattered them.
Shinrai picked up the pieces and made his way home. Once he was there, he'd put them back together and try again.
At this point, what he had to do to find out meant little. He just wanted to know.
Why he had these damned eyes.
Why was he the way that he was?
Who even was he?
Why…
Why did Yora have to die?
Gripping her hilt, he sped toward his home. Pretending everything was okay around Naruto would make him feel better… for a little bit, at least.
—⊱✿⊰—
When exiting the Hyuuga Compound, Kusari thought it smart to take a different, more secluded route. Neji went out on a C-Rank before they were able to train for long. She promised him that she would train.
However, she decided to train outside the Hyuuga Compound. What was supposed her home… didn't feel safe. In Training Ground 5, she practiced her Juken. Her goal after the Sixty-Four Palms was the One-Hundred and Twenty-Eight Palms.
It would take time, but she needed to master that Jutsu. Kusari didn't even want to think about her Ingoken. She planned to never use that thing again. Maybe if the life of someone she cared about was in danger…
She'd never forgive herself if she let someone die when she could've stopped it.
The origins of how she managed to unlock such a technique were something she wished to remain ignorant about. She just wished for things to return to normal. She even planned to dye out the white streak in her hair after training.
Normalcy would bless her once again, and she wouldn't have to think about this ever again. Despite her wishes, an abnormality approached her. She paused her training and focused her Byakugan a couple dozen meters to the southwest.
Sasuke Uchiha was walking toward her.
Why…?
She had no clue. With a sigh, she walked toward the southwest and decided to meet him halfway. He remained neutral at the sight of her, and she did the same.
"What do you want with me?" Her words came off harsher than she intended.
Sasuke didn't seem to care. "You know, our last battle ended off with you knocking me unconscious while I was off guard. I'm afraid I can't let that slide."
"You won that fight," Kusari disagreed with narrowed eyes. "I was simply saving my teammate for the sake of the team battle."
Sasuke shrugged. "I guess you could see it that way. Either way, are you down for a rematch?"
Kusari pondered. She barely began training, so she wasn't exactly fatigued. If anything, she was warmed up. She had an advantage… if Sasuke wasn't smart enough to do the same. Her Byakugan spied the pumping of his heart, the slight flare of his chakra, he was warmed up as well.
Anyway, a spar should make training more exciting. "I agree to your proposal."
"Great, once I beat you, I can move on to Senju," said Sasuke as he crouched into a battle stance.
A rise of heat swelled in Kusari. It's that disregarding attitude… "As long as you see me as a stepping stone." Kusari crouched into her Juken stance. Her Byakugan glared with a pulse of chakra. "You'll never defeat me."
Sasuke simply smirked in response. His coal-black irises swirled into crimson. One eye had a single tomoe, the other held two.
The Sharingan?! exclaimed Kusari with widened eyes. This'll be a harder battle than last time.
Another beat wasn't missed and Sasuke charged. Kusari blocked his strike with her arm. It hurt, but no real damage was done. She struck back with her palm. Sasuke dodged the strike with utter ease. Her Byakugan spotted Sasuke's leg rising for a kick.
Kusari ducked. Then she spun. Before she could even utter the name of the jutsu, Sasuke was on a branch above, weaving hand seals.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Luckily, the jutsu was launched before Kusari could fully start her rotation. She leapt out of the way of the fireball. It burned a crater into the forest floor and the heat whipped her face.
She saw Sasuke charge with her Byakugan. Her eyes pulsed as she entered the Eight Trigrams stance. Sasuke's fist struck her face before she could even start her jutsu. Pain radiated throughout her face, but there was no real physical damage.
He can't truly hurt me with taijutsu, she realized. She bent her knees in a ready position. But I can. Kusari charged into Sasuke's assault. His eyes widened slightly, but that didn't slow him. Another punch hit her. Her legs buckled, but she stood her ground. A palm strike narrowly hit Sasuke's side. Ignoring the follow-up fist to her chin, she struck again.
Sasuke leapt back, and Kusari bolted after him. They both kicked, and their shins collided. The Uchiha winced while Kusari remained unaffected. Good.
Kusari sped after him, but Sasuke kicked her skull this time. She couldn't stop herself from collapsing to the dirt. The over-activation of her seal still made her head a weak spot.
She barely dodged another hit from Sasuke. Grabbing him, she began to spin. "Rotation!" she called, whirling Sasuke in a vortex of chakra before releasing him. He flew into a tree and the bark shattered.
Canceling her jutsu, she ran after Sasuke. She was greeted by dozens of small fireballs scorching the air toward her. The shuriken inside of them were spotlights in the flame due to her Byakugan.
Quickly, she leapt back and performed a Thirty-Two Palms to disable the fire and knock away the shuriken. Midway through her attack, a Great Fireball Jutsu barreled toward her.
Her Byakugan pulsed. She continued to disable the Phoenix Flower Jutsu. Once that was finished, she turned her attention onto the great fireball. Twenty palms remained. Neji taught her that jutsu had weak points just as people did.
The visual prowess of the Byakugan should make that clear. In the split second she had before the fireball hit, thirteen points appeared on it. She smirked. Thirteen palm strikes later, and the jutsu washed over her as mere hot air and chakra.
Seven palms remained, and she charged at Sasuke. The Uchiha was visibly surprised that she disabled his jutsu, but the state of his chakra signified no genuine distress. Kusari struck at Sasuke with her palm, but it was caught.
Distress flared her chakra as the momentum of her jutsu was canceled. Sasuke pulled her in and kneed her in the nose. It wasn't the top of her skull, so her pain was minimal. Her leg skid across the dirt from another one of Sasuke's kicks.
She fell to her knees and glared at Sasuke. He glared in kind with those eyes. Those Sharingan eyes. That anger rose again. The same rage that arose when she sensed the heiress. The same fury that overtook her against Clanless.
Somehow, it was stronger.
Like a seal holding a demon back was weakened just that little bit.
Kusari flared with chakra and the pure burst launched Sasuke back into the tree.
No, no, no stop it, she commanded—almost desperately. She trembled with a rage that wasn't even hers. It was true that Sasuke got on her nerves, but the thought of taking his life never crossed her mind.
Not like it did now.
Sasuke didn't attack. He simply stared at her with furrowed brows. Confusion and even alarm spiked his chakra. Kusari clenched her fists to cease the tremble and took deep breaths to quell herself.
Quell… wasn't the right word. Whatever this anger was, this power was, she could at least use it to put Sasuke in his place. Kusari bolted toward Sasuke with her Juken. He held back a scream as the arms he used to block had the muscle ripped off the bone.
Sasuke kicked her in the gut, only temporarily giving him the space to weave hand seals. "Fire Style: GREAT FIREBALL JUTSU!"
Point blank, Kusari was engulfed in the blaze. With a growl, she spun and whipped the flames into an infernal tornado that burned the leaves off the trees and reduced the grass to ash.
Smoking and smoldering, Kusari fell to her knees. She was searing. Not because of the fire. It was fury that enveloped every ounce of her being. The shake of controlled rage shook her to her core as she inhaled, and exhaled, inhaled, and exhaled.
"This fight is over," she declared, shakily getting up.
Sasuke clenched his fists, and anger flared in his chakra. "What? Why?!"
"Because I do not wish to kill you!" Kusari snapped with a glare so intense that it even gave Sasuke pause.
She allowed her Byakugan to recede as she walked away. It seemed that being unable to see him calmed the rage inside of her just a little bit. Against an enemy that threatened her life, such a fury was warranted.
However, against an ally—a frustrating one, but an ally nonetheless—it was unacceptable. The fact that it appeared in a competitive sparring match terrified her. What if this came up against Neji?
If she killed her brother…
Kusari shuddered and buried her hands in her pockets.
She needed to go home.
—⊱✿⊰—
"We're getting closer," Runa informed, dashing through the forest with Miya in tow.
Miya nodded. "Good…" She had to slow herself down so her companion could keep up. It was a bit frustrating, but necessary. Runa gave her direction; there was no point in moving fast if it was aimless.
They spent minutes purposefully traveling before they heard a commotion. Miya narrowed her eyes. "Runa?"
"Shinobi attacking a small town," the feline answered. "None of our business."
Miya looked down. "Does the town have any Shinobi for themselves?"
"They don't," informed Runa wearily. "What are you getting at?"
The Jonin didn't answer. Clenching her fists, she asked another question instead. "How many and how strong?"
"I can't give a good gauge of their strength, but there are about a dozen. Now, can you answer my question?"
"Lead me to them," Miya commanded, indirectly answering Runa's question.
"With all due respect, you can't be serious," incredulously questioned the feline. "What about Ryujin?"
Miya narrowed her eyes. "It won't take more than a single minute."
I refuse to leave the helpless unhelped.
Runa sighed. "Yes ma'am."
They shifted direction northward. It didn't take more than thirty seconds for them to reach the outskirts. Miya grit her teeth as she assessed the situation. Iwa and Grass Nin were harassing the town, stealing resources, kidnapping anyone they deemed 'strong.'
So, this must be Blade, she theorized. I can't waste too much time here.
Seallessly, she flickered in the middle of the enemy Shinobi. They barely noticed her before she slammed her hand on the ground. A gigantic sealing complex expanded from the palm of her hand.
All the Iwa and Blade Nin froze. They couldn't even scream in the area of spatial distortion generated from the seal. From her sleeve, she pulled out a dagger. Its amethysts shimmered like stars as the violet blade became soaked with blood from the neck it sliced.
In a blink of an eye, every Shinobi was dead. Miya was gone without a trace.
—⊱✿⊰—
Aiko sat alone in the apartment the Hokage gave her. He was even gracious enough to give her a weekly stipend until she got on her feet. It wasn't much, not compared to what she was used to, at least.
The apartment was a studio. Just a small bedroom with a kitchen and a door to the bathroom. It was cramped, but it was something; so she was grateful. She was grateful that she had something…
Because she lost everything.
Her father was dead, his fortune was lost, even Ryu could be gone. She had too much time to herself just thinking about all of it. She was tired of rolling in her own guilt, pity, and sorrow.
She was sick of being herself. She was sick of being the Aiko that got Yoraika killed. She needed to kill that Aiko.
After that… her rebirth into the Aiko that threw the knife at a Shinobi would begin. She would become a Shinobi.
The problem was that she had no idea where to start. She had connections with Team 5, but… she couldn't really use any of them at the moment. Both Kusari and Gosei were part of prestigious clans, and her as a civilian, just showing up to their respective clan compounds probably wasn't allowed.
She could go to Shinrai. But that was a terrible idea. Guilt churned in her stomach again. If she saw either Gosei or Kusari in the street, she would ask them for help. All she could do was hope they'd help.
However, she couldn't just laze around in the meantime. She needed to do something. With a shuddering breath, her next action became obvious to her.
She needed to kill that Aiko.
That Aiko bloated her and weighed her down. That Aiko wracked her with depression and guilt—she held her back with sorrow.
She needed to let it all out.
She leaned into herself, trembling to the core with every breath she took. Her hands clasped over her aching heart. She inhaled deeply. Once she let out the breath, she sobbed.
—⊱✿⊰—
The fact that he was weak enough to be in this position was fucking pitiful. He barely scraped out a tie to another Jinchuriki… that should have never happened. He had the Kyuubi. The beast that was supposed to keep all others in check.
Ryujin clenched his fists as he ran toward Konoha. He should be with his team right now—he should be with Aiko.
It was his fault that he wasn't.
The familiar burning sensation of rage engulfed him. It was all directed at himself because he was the one who deserved it.
What have I been doing…?
Day in and day out, when he could have been training, he was just wasting away. All he amounted to was a waste—a disappointment. He wasn't worthy of himself.
No more, declared Ryujin.
No more.
For now, he just needed to focus—
RYUJIN!
He flickered to the left, dodging a massive pillar of stone. It shattered the earth of the open field as it crashed. Ryujin flickered upward to evade a man in a black cloak.
Drawing upon the Kyuubi's chakra, he weaved hand seals. "SUMMONING JUTSU!"
From the cloud of smoke that erupted under his palm, brown scales coiled with a hiss. Ryujin landed on the scales. A serpentine tail whipped the smoke away. The smoke's place was taken by green flames, which spewed with venom.
"You've gotten yourself in quite the predicament, sir," answered the snake, its slit green eyes glowing.
Ryujin narrowed his eyes. "You think?" he murmured, looking upon the twenty-six Iwa Shinobi surrounding him from his vantage point.
"Hiyenzo!" called a large dark-skinned man. "Remember me?!"
His eyes widened in realization. "Yoru Otoko," he stated.
If you don't draw upon my chakra, then you'll die.
I beg to differ.
The only other unmasked individual there, a woman—no… "Hosu Otoko," he muttered, seeing her stand beside her husband.
"Kelhaar, we need to focus on an escape," said Ryujin to his snake.
He hissed. "Got it."
Before Kelhaar could move, he was bombarded by a multi-elemental attack from all sides. Water enhanced by the cutting gusts of wind doused Kelhaar's venomous flames. From the steam of the doused rock came a barrage of flame-covered rock.
Like a spring, the serpent sprung into the air. Sparks flew in his throat and they ignited into white-hot fire. They were dyed green by the venom spilling from his man-sized twin fangs.
"Earth Style: Bedrock Dome!" shouted Yoru with only a single hand seal. Kelhaar's firestorm was blocked by the earth. The imbued venom dripped into the dirt, killing any plant life it came in contact with.
"Earth Style: Shooting Star Shower," said Hosu. Yoru's shield shattered into shrapnel, which launched itself toward Kelhaar and Ryujin.
The snake hissed as his scales were cracked by the super-heated rock. He sprung to the ground and slapped an ANBU into oblivion. Another ANBU attempted to crush Ryujin with a spiky earthen sphere.
Ryujin leapt back and allowed Kelhaar to tank the hit for him. The serpent was unaffected. Green predatory eyes narrowed on the ANBU and the snake struck. The ANBU screamed as his body was impaled on Kelhaar's fang. With a huff, he was melted by harlequin flames.
"ROCK ARMOR!" Yoru roared as he bolted toward Kelhaar. Pellets of earth coalesced around Yoru, forming around his body as an invincible body shield.
Kelhaar spewed his flames at Yoru, not holding anything back. The Living Mountain simply charged through the venomous inferno. His armor was searing—yet unaffected. Yoru slammed his earth-clad fists into the snake's eye.
"Lightning Style: Buzzsaw Shocker!" Ryujin yelled as he threw an electrical saw from his hand toward Yoru. As Kelhaar stumbled to the dirt, the jutsu hit Yoru and it did nothing.
Yoru set his sights on Ryujin and bolted forward. The Konoha Nin barely dodged. The hair on Ryujin's neck rose as the calling of, "Crystal Style: Amethyst Senbon," hit his ears.
He flickered into the air, the back of his knee pierced by a senbon alongside his opposite ankle. "Fire Style: Phoenix Flame Bombs!" Following the name, a bombardment of avian fire bombs rained down on the Iwa duo.
Kelhaar spewed his venomous flame onto Ryujin's jutsu and they cried into harlequin. The phoenix's power didn't reach its ceiling, however. One last gust of wind from Ryujin blinded all onlookers with a flash as the jutsu detonated.
Kelhaar's fire resistant scales were unaffected. However… so were Otokos. Hosu encased herself in her own Crystalline Armor while Yoru stood unphased in his Rock Armor.
"Dammit," cursed Ryujin as he flickered to Kelhaar's head. Both were forced to dodge an assault from the ANBU squad, but the serpent quickly melted anyone who came close. The Armored Otokos were unphased by Kelhaar's attempt to shake them off.
Ryujin, however, leapt off of Kelhaar's head. He summoned enough of the Kyuubi's chakra to enhance his senses. His slitted brown eyes narrowed onto an ANBU. Him.
With a slit throat of a different ANBU and a flicker later, the ANBU he identified as the weakest was locked in a chokehold.
Predictably, he was pounced on by the Otokos. He used the ANBU as a human shield, and they stopped immediately.
"Granite!" Yoru called, clenching his rock-covered fists.
Ryujin called upon more of the Kyuubi's chakra. Just this little bit.
His eyes glowed crimson, and his nails grew into claws. Ryujin placed his claws into Granite's neck, just enough to draw blood as he grew a sadistic smirk. He subtly weaved a half seal behind Granite's back.
One… Two… Three.
The Kyuubi's vestige erupted behind Ryujin. The Jinchuriki's smirk grew into a grin as he played up his act. Yoru and Hosu remained unphased. The rest of the ANBU, however, stepped back with growing terror.
A sudden scream was heard as an ANBU was stabbed by one of her allies. Another fight broke out between two seeming comrades, destroying the organization of the ranks.
Yoru looked back just in time to have a kunai shatter on his face. All it took was a punch to the gut to incapacitate the seeming traitor. "Genjutsu…" his wife muttered.
They looked back to where Ryujin was. He was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Granite.
—⊱✿⊰—
Kusari traveled the route of seclusion through the Hyuuga's Compound. She was covered in soot, another shower was needed. Hopes of never having to deal with her Ingoken were squashed in that spar with Sasuke.
I don't know if I should thank Indra or damn him for this… she muttered. Then, her brow furrowed. What did I just call him?
She shook her thoughts away. Sasuke wasn't important. What was important, was figuring out whatever the hell this rage inside of her was. Today revealed that it wasn't her rage.
Before then, it had been harder to make that distinction. She despised the heiress, but something inside of her amplified that. She despised Clanless—despite her sympathies and shame—but that same thing magnified it.
She was similarly frustrated with her sensei as she was Sasuke when they first met. Why hadn't that thing snapped at Ryujin-sensei, but did at Sasuke? Was it because of whatever she called him in her head just now?
I… In… Dammit! she cursed. She had already forgotten what it was.
Kusari sighed. I just need to figure out what this thing is and get rid of it. I don't need it interfering with my destiny any longer. My destiny to serve the Main Branch.
She paused. For once… saying those words caused discomfort. They felt wrong. Serving the Main Branch felt wrong—
—Kusari screamed. She clutched her head as waves of searing agony burned. The scab on her forehead burst under her headband and she collapsed to her knees, writhing.
She forced her eyes open. The last thing she saw before a Juken strike hit her heart… was the one-eyed elder. His single Byakugan glared with his face contorted with hate.
Before her fury could rise, the world cut to black.
?￢ﾜ ? ~ Chapter End ~ ?￢ﾜ ?