I’ve been running as fast as I could, but in a matter of a few moments that monster caught up with me. His black markings were glowing bright red, like lava. He smiled at my fleeing self. I haven’t had time go into sage mode. I summon Tomoko, she looks back and flies besides me. I’m sure she has been looking through that magical ball of theirs. I hop on her back and she flies far above the canopy.
“Now what did you get yourself in Kiyoko,” She whispers to me.
“He came looking for me. I have no idea who he is, but he is on a different level. He’s more powerful than myself.”
“That is not possible. You haven’t unlocked your full potential, trust me there is more to you than we know.”
If only I had that power now so I can defeat this enemy and go home. It’ll be nightfall for an hour or two, hopefully it’ll be at my advantage and not his. I clutched Tomoko’s feathers as the man from the ground flung us jutsus of all natures. We dodged in the air, and heard his laugh. I see the ground push him into the air.
“Tomoko watch out!” I yell as the man came at us at full speed. Tomoko sharply turns to her right, but he manages to grab hold of both of her legs. The sudden weight, makes Tomoko spiral out of control. At this rate, we’ll go plummeting to the ground. I tell Tomoko to go back to the Forest, she’ll only get hurt if she stays. She begins to protest, but I won’t let her. She vanishes in this air, and leaves the man and I fall to the ground. I make shadow clones that’ll help me cushion my fall.
I see the man, use his own shadow clones to get closer to me. Before he can touch me, I create a wooden ball around myself. I’ll land on the canopies of the trees, it’ll hurt but I’ll still be alive. In the few seconds of stillness and concentration I think I will be able to go into the sage mode. I sit and close myself, feeling the nature all around me. In midair, I can sense all of the nature below me. It takes me a few moments, but I was successful. I open my eyes, and I see the familiar green markings wrapped around my body.
“Now, my little flower do not be afraid of me. I want to hold you, let me in.” The man says from outside my little wooden ball. I concentrate on making sure the walls are strong, as strong as I can make them. I soon feel the harsh landing of the ball. I begin to slowly get up, but I hear the harsh banging on the walls of my ball. He’s out there. I blend into the wooden walls around me, and slip through the tree. He takes a while to notice that I’ve put a shadow clone inside there. I take the opportunity to grab hold of his throat with a wooden hand. He jumps in surprise as I separate myself from the tree I hid in, but he smiles.
“I’ve waited long enough. There it is,” He struggles to say. So he’s been waiting for me to get into sage art. Why? I grab hold of his arms and use all of my self confidence to fold them into inhuman angles. The man does not scream, but I am sure that having broken arms are painful. This way he won’t be able to do much damage.
“There is an ending to this world, you know my little flower. It is coming sooner than anyone knows. I wish I would have seen it, but I’m glad that I won’t be around for too long. He’s a deadly one,” He says out of breath.
“Who is he?”
“Someone you’ve seen in your dreams, in your memories, and in your nightmares. He’s there alright. I feel him inside you, after all you do have sweet blood running through your veins. My little flower will wilt.”
My heart beats faster at his words. Who is he? This has gotten me confused far too much. How the hell do I know if he is telling the truth. Perhaps he is delusional, and doesn’t have the right mind? I wouldn’t doubt it. Before I prolong it for too long I create a sharp wooden sword in my other hand, and jab it into his heart. I feel the powerful chakra slowly turn cold. I let go of his body and it lands on the ground with a loud thud. I close my eyes, finally he is dead. It was a difficult start, and he sure was fearful. I still had many questions for him. Like how did he have control of all of the chakra natures?
“What a failure of an experiment,” I hear a smooth voice run up my spine. I look down and feel the nausea creep up my throat. Itachi stood before me, with his cloak, his face as cold as ever. HIs eyes were no different, this time he did not have his sharingan activated. I curse, he has seen my sage art. No one is supposed to see me like this, and to make things worse he is an Akatsuki. My life will be in further danger if he the others know about my abilities. It will make them weary about my true powers. I can’t have that.
“I’m sure you have many questions for me, and as do I for you. Unfortunately I am in a tight schedule.”
I see his hand get closer to the man’s dead body. I watched as he dug into the man’s eye sockets and pulled his eyes out. I feel myself almost fall as i see it. A ripple pattern, the one like the ocular power on the ancient large book we found on the night of my father’s raid. The man had that ocular jutsu? I grip the trunk, it isn’t true. This must be some kind of genjutsu or something. I was told that power is of the gods and is not real. It is nothing but a legend.
“One day you will understand what this is. You do carry the Uchiha blood inside of you. I do wish however that, that day never comes. This isn’t power that should be used so carelessly, I hope you keep that in mind. For now I will go quietly, until we meet again. Kiyoko,” He says as he fades away. I curse, he’s gotten away with my secrets.
I sense no one else around and finally let my empty stomach empty once more. I vomit there, with a pounding headache. He has the Rinnegan. The man I killed was just an experiment, he could not control that power and at the end it resulted in his death.
“Kiyoko!” I hear Kakashi’s voice! I turn to see his figure come closer to me. I feel my sage jutsu come to its limit and I suddenly feel weak. He holds onto me as we get to ground level. Using sage art was still tiring. Sage Moriko said once I truly master it, it will no longer use more energy than needed.
“Did you kill him?” He stares at the dead man.
“Yes, it wasn’t easy. He came looking for me, I never knew why.”
“He escaped from prison, so I went to track him down today. His name is Sho. He’s been in prison for nearly three decades. He got to you before I could. You used sage art. Thank god you are not harmed.”
“Itachi showed up not too long ago,” I say. He tenses and stares at me.
“So that was the chakra I felt. What did he want?”
“That man had the Rinnegan Kakashi! He used all of the chakra natures, and he moved quickly like he was bending the space between us when we fought. That legend is true, and once I killed him. Itachi immediately showed up and took his eyes. He was only an experiment, and he could not control the power. He was out of control.‘ I will come to understand’ Itachi said.’ If Sho had control over that power I know I wouldn’t have won this battle. He’s overpowering, much like a hokage.”
His eyes brows furrow together. Kakashi stared at the man for a long time before let me rest among the trunk and got a scroll out. I watched him smear a blood sample on the scroll. I’m sure it will come in handy later. He weaves his hands and soon there is a barrier around the body.
“I think its time to tell Lady Tsunade about all of this. She can look into this body, and I think it’ll open a lot of closed doors.” I nod. I think it was time too. She knows a lot about the old history of the Senju and Uchiha. I hope she can help me too. Kakashi helps me to my feet, but instead carries me in his arms. I smile, these situations were plentiful, it seems like he’s always coming to rescue me or carry me back home at the perfect time.
“It looked like a tough battle, considering the area is altered a bit. I sense enormous chakra in this direction. I’m relieved you aren’t hurt.”
“I thought he would do more damage. I had to send your mother with a shadow clone away from the apartment. I wanted to make sure he was as far away from the village,” I say. Kakashi jumps from branch to branch, getting closer to home with every step. I am so glad that I could do my job and protect the Leaf. For the first time in a while I felt that I was actually fulfilling my active role.
When we arrived at Lady Tsunade’s office I was tired and hungry. My stomach rumbled loudly as I was set on my feet. Kakashi kept a hand on my back to keep me from falling. Kakashi knocked twice before he heard Lady Tsunade's voice. We walked in and closed the door behind us. I hope Sage Moriko will not be too angry with me after telling the hokage. Lady Tsunade stopped drinking her tea when she saw me. I’m sure I look a bit worn from battle.
“What happened to you Kiyoko?” She asks. I look at Kakashi and then at Shizune.
“I would like to discuss with you about important information. Privately.”
Lady Tsunade takes a notice at my seriously and nods at Shizune. She leaves quickly and closes the door behind her once more. I grew nervous, how will she react to everything.
“Tell me this is all about. You sound serious, has something happened to the seal?”
“Well that wasn’t what we came to discuss, but the seal is no more. I broke the seal a while ago,” I bravely say. She stands in one fast motion and slams her hands on the desk.
“What!”
“I know it is dangerous, but the tailed beast, Ryuu is not harmful. We are on talking terms, and if he wanted to take me over he would have done it by now. I do have so much to tell you so will you please listen.”
Lady Tsunade sits again, and folds her hand. Kakashi brings me a chair to sit myself, I’ll probably be in here for a while. I proceeded about it all. About my first encounter with Tomoko and Sage Moriko. About my mastery in wood and almost sage art. I told her about my father, and my questionable origins. I even told her about the book we found in that house in the Uchiha district. I didn’t leave anything out, and by the look on her face, she was having a hard time believing me. Her face when pale about my most recent fight. She gripped the desk as best as she could as I told her about Itachi and the pair of Rinnegan in the man.
“How is this possible? Who are you?” She stares at me. My stomach plummets when a pair of ANBU ninja grab hold of me. I knew this was going to be too much all at once, but she had to know and I had nothing to be afraid of because I told her the truth. I just hope that they will let me stay in the Village.
“Lady Tsunade-” Kakashi begins to say, but she snaps at him too.
“You let your affections get the better of you Kakashi. You knew for a long time and you never reported anything to me. Do you realize the danger she is to the village.”
“I apologize, but Kiyoko is not a danger to anyone. She had control of herself, if she didn’t then the beast would have gone wild a long time ago. I will stand as a witness, she doesn’t release the beast unless its dire and even then she had control over him. Kiyoko is a jounin of the Village and she knows the responsibilities that come with it.”
Lady Tsunade flicks her head, and the to ANBU black ops quickly weave their hands and slam their palms on my wrist. There was an electrifying sensation that was overcome by a burn so intense I bit my lip so hard it drew blood. It was a seal, to keep me from using chakra in my arms. This way I couldn’t fight back even if I tried. Kakashi stays where he is, but he looked conflicted. He wanted to stop them I know he did, but he was being smart about it. We had to go along with what she says so that she can believe me. I put up with the roughness and let them lead me down the hallway.
I was taken to the basement of the hokage building, it was cold and concrete. I was getting a bit nervous, but I wasn’t scared. I shouldn’t be afraid of the villagers of my home. This is just a misunderstanding, I’ll answer all of her questions and then she’ll understand. That is all I can ask for.
“Again Kiyoko? You can’t trust people, now they are doubting your loyalty and they doubt your ability to control me. I knew this wasn’t going to last too long,” Ryuu says within me.
“She’ll understand. Its just that I threw a lot at her without a warning. Plus if everything I said is true I don’t have anything to fear.”
“Right, because you have total control over me.” He smirks and rolls his eyes. He pushes his chakra into my body, and I force myself to not react. What they hell is he doing?
“Ryuu!” I hear him laugh but keeps his chakra to himself. I was angry at him, but I was glad that he was laughing with me now. I guess after everything we’ve been through we’re getting more comfortable with each other.
“If they prod around in my space, I’m letting you know that I won’t let them. I’ll give them a little scare like last time. I don’t like having company.”
He goes back into the blackness of my mind, where he laid to rest. I felt myself being sat on a chair in an empty room. I could feel my empty stomach turn as the memory of my time in the Moon Village. I was in a small room like this one, and I sat on a chair like this one. I looked around the room, there was one color I saw, gray. Gray everywhere, if I was in here for too long I’ll go insane.
Its okay, its not like last time. I’m fine, I tell myself. After this I can go home and see Kakashi. The thought of a warm house and a relaxed Kakashi made my nerves slowly go away. I can get through this without a problem and then everything will go back to normal.
I waited in silence for a while, there was no clock down here, but I guessed it was almost midnight. My stomach grumbled, I really wanted to eat something. Lady Tsunade walked into the room with an ANBU black op. I really didn’t want to have more people know about me, but they were ANBU and they knew how to keep a secret, I hope.
“I’m going to ask you questions, and you must answer truthfully. We can’t use jutsus to go into your mind because of the tailed beast, so make an oath of truth. If I later find out false information I will have to take drastic measures. Understood?” I nod.
“I swear to tell you the entire truth.”
“Very well. You said that you first remember talking to the beast on your tenth birthday. What did it try to do?”
“It tried to take over my body to destroy the Moon Village, but I didn’t let him and I had a seal at the time.”
“Your father sent ninjas after you. And you said that when you were fourteen years old, a team of Moon ninja managed to break the seal. What were they planning on doing with an unbroken seal?”
“Capture the tailed beast. They resorted to their last option and decided that they would find a new body to harbor the beast.”
“What is this vision the Sage foresaw?”
“She saw a powerful being that would use it to end the world. I am destined to save it from destruction that is why in three years I have to master wood, sage, beast art. I have already mastered wood style, and I am currently working on mastering sage art.”
“Can you please show me your sage art?” Lady Tsunade asks. My head was hurting from the lack of water and food, if they wanted me to use sage art, I don’t think it would be now.
“I’m too weak to go into the phase right now. I’m sorry.”
The interrogation went on for what felt hours. She asked me about my childhood and my father. She asked about the ancient book Kakashi and I have found. She insisted to have it and after sending an ANBU to Kakashi she got her hands on it. It would be safer in the secret vault, and I let her have it. Lady Tsunade give me permission to see at any time under her supervision. I nod my head, things were getting solved and that is all I could ask for.
“One more question Kiyoko. How is your control over Ryuu, the tailed beast.”
“Hmm, I don’t think I control him like you think I do. He’s willing to help me. I guess you can say we became more like friends than me being a tyrant for his power. I undid the seal to fight Orochimaru, and he kept him promise to not go on a killing spree. He helped me with my father, and he’s been doing a great job of staying put. There really is no need to be alarmed for him to unleash its wrath on the village. Ryuu would have done that the moment I let him roam in my head, he hasn’t. In the beginning he would have done anything to kill humans for a reason I don’t know yet. But now something has changed. He’s not very open with me.”
Lady Tsunade nods, and closes the notebook she was writing in. When she finally asks me all the questions she has, my head is pounding. I wanted to go home right now.
“If I may ask, can you please keep this situation a secret. Sage Moriko never meant for anyone to know, but things got out of my control and I needed help. If word got out about my abilities, I’m afraid more enemies would attack the village because I am here,” I say. Lady Tsunade agrees, and thankfully only a couple ANBU know about me. I’m sure this would be all. The ninja escort me back to the main hall where they disappear and leave me be. I sigh, thankfully it is out of the way for now. I’ll be under supervision of those two ANBU but for now I was fine with it. I’ll give them a reason to trust me. I’m not a danger to the village.
“Kiyoko.” I hear my name. I see Kakashi waiting at the end of the hall, he sighs in relief and comes quickly. He cradles me in his arms and rubs my cold arms. I just wanted food, a warm bath and sleep.
“They didn’t do anything to you did they?”
“No, it was just a very long interrogation. Can we go home?”
Kakashi held onto me and we walked through the empty streets. It was still dark out, but in a few hours the sun would be rising. We walk in silence, since we couldn’t talk freely about our situation.
When we finally arrive home, we see a large dinner set on the table. Ume was sleeping on the couch. She must be worried. She wakes when I close the front door behind me.
“Oh my Kiyoko, Kakashi are you two okay? I was so worried, please sit. I’ll get you glasses of water.” Ume scrambles to the kitchen and brought me water. I sat in the living room, exhausted, but grateful that I was permitted to stay in the village.
“Thank you mom,” Kakashi whispers and gulps his glass. Ume brings me fruits and warm rice. After a while of resting and eating I was beginning to feel like myself again. I never had a mother who doted on me, but Ume kept treating me like a glass doll. It was unusual, I didn’t complain one bit. After a long warm bath, it was morning and the outside was lively again. I didn’t care, I crawled into bed and tried to get some rest before I had to face the monster of Sage Moriko.
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Chapter notes: Here is another chapter. I didn't want to let you guys to wait too long for this chapter. Thanks for reading I really appreciate the comments too.
Chapter end notes: Thanks for reading. I'll update when I can. Love you guys.
Until next time!
"I believe that the day will come when people can truly understand each other."- Jiraiya.