Naruto Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Stains of the Heart ❯ Chapter Twelve ( Chapter 12 )

Chapter Twelve

 

“I want you to take Neji and Kiba with you on this mission.”

 

Naruto blinked, “Ok, ok. What is the mission, though, Tsunade-baa-chan?”

 

“You'll be trying to found out if a certain rumor is true, Naruto. As I said, I only just heard it this morning,” Tsunade sighed. “However, it is of utter importance that you, Neji, and Kiba find out if it is true.”

 

Once again, Naruto asked, “What is the mission, Tsunade-baa-chan?”

 

“Rumor has it,” Tsunade said, “that Orochimaru had come out of hiding.”

 

Naruto became silent, staring at her with wide eyes.

 

“I was told this morning that he might be heading this way very soon.” Tsunade dipped her head, and then looked up at the blonde. “You're not to engage him if you come in range of him, nor are you to make is obvious what you're doing. I merely want you to find out if the rumor is true. Do you understand, Naruto?”

 

Naruto nodded, “I understand, Tsunade-baa-chan.”

 

“And Naruto,” Tsunade hissed, “one more thing.”

 

“Ah, yeah?” Naruto blinked. He watched the way Tsunade rose from her seat, her eyes narrowing a bit more, while her hand twitched a little. He gulped, knowing from experience that something bad was about to happen to him.

 

Tsunade, with great strength, lifted the sake bottle she was holding in her hand, and threw it toward the younger shinobi. Naruto gave a cry and barely managed to evade the attack, as she screamed, “STOP CALLING ME BAA-CHAN!”

 

“B-But, Tsunade-ba—”

 

Tsunade yelled, “Get out, you stupid, stupid boy!” As he rushed toward the door, she added, “And don't forget your mission!” When he was gone, she huffed and sat down in her seat once more. Her eyes moved across her room and quickly caught sight of the paperwork on the floor next to her desk. Twitching a bit, she decided to ignore it for the moment.

 

The door opened suddenly, causing Tsunade to snap her eyes up toward the sound. Shizune stood there, more paperwork in her hands, as she smiled at the Godaime Hokage. However, Shizune sighed when she noticed the way the pervious paperwork from that day was on the floor, and said, “You really need to stop doing this, Tsunade-sama,” as she laid the new paperwork on the desk.

 

Tsunade smirked, suddenly quite happy, “Ah, Shizune. It's so good you're here.”

 

Shizune looked up, not liking the tone of voice Tsunade had suddenly gotten. “And… why's that, Tsunade-sama?”

 

“I need you to clean up this mess while I'm out,” Tsunade smirked a little more, her eyes gleaming brightly.

 

“D-Do you have something you need to do?” Shizune asked, hoping that the gleam she'd seen wasn't what she thought it was. Tsunade would never learn that she just wasn't good at gambling, she owed so much money, and then she tried to put it off on someone else. That and she seriously did not want to go looking for her and find her drunk somewhere. After so many years it couldn't really make her look bad, but it continued to prove time and again that she could and would live up to her title.

 

“Just out,” Tsunade replied, moving around her desk. “Oh, and Shizune?”

 

“Yes?” Shizune smiled uneasily.

 

“Don't be surprised if I come back with a ton of cash,” Tsunade said.

 

Dear lord, no, Shizune whimpered to herself. Turning her attention to the pile of paperwork carelessly shoved onto the floor, she began to work as quickly as she could. There was no telling how much money Tsunade could actually lose in one night!

 

OoO

 

Pathetic bitch, she would not have even lifted a hand against me, she scoffed. Hiding behind a man, it is almost disgusting enough that even I would not wish to spill her blood.

 

“Perhaps she is a smarter girl than you?” the voice laughed.

 

As if you would know, she snapped. You are as pathetic as she is. Hiding somewhere, constantly playing with my head for your own amusement. When will you find the courage to come out and fight me? When will you allow me to see your face before I rip your throat out?

 

“An angry wench you are,” the voice continued to laugh. Large black eyes flashed in front of her eyes, but she blinked it again, annoyed with the images. “Perhaps I have already showed you my face, but you have not paid attention to it? Perhaps I am not playing with your head, but in it?”

 

She snorted. Ridiculous. You're only some stupid moron that's found amusement in following me my entire life—stalking me. If I had known you would not meet your end this early, I would have hunted you down so that you could not toy with me this way. You and that bitch are perfect examples of those who deserve to be on the receiving end of my jutsu.

 

The laughter increased in volume, before it died away in chuckles. “A stupid girl you are, but you are getting more amusing with age. Though, I must admit that you continue to make reckless decisions. Becoming close to the previous vessel of Shukaku,” it snorted, “you're such a stupid girl.”

 

You're no better.

 

“As if I could be placed into the same category,” it growled.

 

Then you're in denial, as well. Soon you will come to accept the fact that it is true, she mocked.

 

“I really hate you, girl. If only you would let me out.”

 

I still have no idea what you're talking about. Perhaps if you tried making your request clearer? Or used different words to show that you hold more intelligence than you seem to at the moment, she replied.

 

The growling in her head increased, the threatening sound not affecting her as she continued to walk. It was annoying to a certain degree, but after many years of having to listen to it, it was no longer frightening in any way. In fact, she was positive that it was not even growling at all, not like an animal, at least, but something entirely different. When she came up with something that might possibly sound the same, she'd begin to call it by that name, instead of growling.

 

Gaara's eyes flickered over to her for a moment, wondering for a brief second what she was thinking about. However, he mentally shook his head, casting his eyes over the people staring at them and the Uchiha following them not far behind. Then, he frowned a bit more in thought, and said, “The Uchiha was right.”

 

“As if,” she instantly replied, “that bitch shouldn't have dismissed me as nothing more than a weakling. Especially not one she could step upon each time she came into the presence of Uchiha-san.”

 

“Such actions could get you locked away in a cell,” Gaara said.

 

“Such actions could get me executed,” she snorted. “Everything is possibly.”

 

He simply blinked.

 

“Just as it is possible for me to easily steal my weapons from Temari—I know she has them—and either escape from this nuthouse, or perhaps decide to kill a few hundred people along the way,” she smirked a little. “As I said, anything is possible, but that does not mean that I wish for things to go that far. After all, if I hadn't controlled myself, that bitch would have had her precious blonde hair ripped from her scalp.”

 

He blinked again, turning his head to the side as his lips twitched. “That would have gotten you locked away,” he added.

 

“Yes,” she nodded. “However, I did not do it, therefore I am not currently locked away in a cell in this village, and I still have a lapdog following my every move.” She made sure that the words were loud enough for everyone to hear, and turned her head to smirk at the dark-eyed male following her. He instantly glared when her eyes settled upon him, obviously not amused by the term she'd given his position. Then she turned her attention back to the near silent Kazekage, and muttered, “Not that I care, though.”

 

“Many would think otherwise,” Gaara said. She hadn't ceased to amuse him yet, which was the reason he continued to follow her, he told himself. She was interesting, unlike any other woman he had ever set his eyes upon. That, and she was very different from them, seeming uncaring to what others thought of her, as she remained herself. Unlike some women he had ever met, she did not hide herself behind a mask, one that showed someone that she was not. She was honest, and he liked that.

 

“They can kiss my ass,” she snarled.

 

“You can be very crude,” Gaara told her, casting his eyes over her again.

 

“I was not raised to be a princess,” she said, sighing a little to herself. Her eyes closed, pushing the anger back underneath her calm exterior. That stupid bitch had made her tongue fly and now she was angry. Being angry never got her anything good, and she did not wish to hurt someone who held an obviously higher rank than she did, for that would get her into a position she did not wish to be in.

 

Obviously, Gaara thought to himself.

 

His eyebrow twitched a little. Lapdog, am I? Sasuke thought. His eyes turned just a bit, looking at the women muttering amongst themselves and knew that the stupid woman's words would spread quite quickly. Her tone hadn't helped much, since he would have thought she was talking about some lovesick teen following her footsteps wherever she went if he was in someone elses shoes. However, he wasn't, and he was not amused by her words or her actions toward him. Though, he had to admit, she had gotten Ino pretty well. Sure, he hadn't liked it when she'd spoken about their village, but Ino needed to train more in order to be a better shinobi, not simply fuss over her hair and wonder if she'd ever catch his attention.

 

Deciding to get her back for the comment later, Sasuke allowed himself to focus on the nearness of the two people in front of him. At first, he knew, they had been at least five feet from each other, but after passing through a large crowd they seemed to have decided to merely ignore the fact that their hands were nearly brushing. Sasuke had known Gaara for quite some time, he knew that the normally stoic Kazekage had never showed any interest in the female population. Yet now, this woman that was obsessed with blood had seemed to have caught his eye, and the Uchiha couldn't help but wonder why. He also couldn't help but wonder if Gaara noticed it himself?

 

Doubt it, Sasuke thought amused.

 

Figuring the conversation was over, Kagome focused onto the road in front of her eyes. As a shinobi she was alert, always searching for possible danger, and she wondered why her attention could be so easily manipulated after so many years of it never happening. It annoyed her to no end, and caused the voice in her head to either laugh a bit, chuckle, or call her stupid. That really ticked her off, especially when she was already knee deep in a pool of bubbling fury. She told herself it was not important, but something told her it was, which made her a bit more irritated at the fact that she could not figure out the reason for her diverted attention.

 

Sighing, Kagome closed her eyes to the world around her once more. However, she soon opened them again, her pupils quickly adjusting to the increased light. Her vision focused and instantly caught sight of a single thing, a simple thing—a tall dark-haired male patting a young girl on the head as she stared up at him. She blinked at the sight, tilted her head slightly to the side, as her instincts told her to turn her head away. Then the girl turned, and she felt trapped, her eyes widening in horror, as she stopped to stare.

 

Gaara turned his head, narrowing his eyes at the look on Kagome's face. Afterward, almost immediately, his eyes sought out the reason for her sudden stop. He found a girl, which he was positive was what she was staring at when he returned his eyes to her. A small girl about the age of six, maybe seven, with long black hair, and deep, happy, blue-gray eyes—nothing out of place, not even as she clasped the hand of the hand at her side and they moved down the street. Yet still, as he returned his eyes to Kagome once more, he found that she was staring at the little girl's back, her chest rising rather quickly.

 

A hand was placed onto her shoulder, pulling her away from the little girl. She turned her head, finding the Uchiha was once again behind her, staring at her in curiosity. His concerned voice washed over her, his question lost, as she turned her eyes to search for the little girl. When she did not find her, she shoved the Uchiha's hand from the shoulder, and snapped, “I'm fine.”

 

Sasuke scowled, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “Whatever.”

 

Gaara's eyes narrowed a bit more, darkening a bit in color, as he looked at the woman passing him. She was not fine, she looked like she'd just seen a ghost, and the color was only slightly returning to her cheeks. Turning his head, he wondered why he was concerned for her health. Quickly telling himself it was because her good health kept her up and in his sight, instead of laying in a bed somewhere, thus being able to amuse him was the reason why, he watched the Uchiha follow her.

 

“I'm going to bed,” Kagome stated, changing course so that she was heading back to the Hokage Tower. The feeling of unease settled upon her shoulders, and she shivered in the cooling air. She did not like the feeling, but the voice in her head seemed to find amusement in her plight. That girl… she whispered to herself, she looked so much like her.

 

OoO

 

The young girl shakes her head, feeling tears washing over her cheeks. “No,” she whispers to herself, before the feeling of a hand on her head pulls her away from her thoughts.

 

“Come,” the girl's father says.

 

She nods in obedience, not knowing what else to do. She knows that it is almost time for her to learn one of the family's more destructive jutsu, but the thoughts inside her head hurt. They hurt more than she thinks they should. The twisting inside her chest hurts so much that she wishes it would stop; that it will simply go away. As she walks with her father outside of their home and into the rest of the district that makes up their Clan, she blinks a few times to stop her tears. She knows she must not seem weak, never if she is to one day be respected by them all.

 

They soon come upon another young girl, who smiles instantly and shouts a name. The young girl she's smiling at hides behind the leg of her father, gripping his kimono in a vice-like hold, staring at the other girl with teary eyes. He frowns at her, but says nothing, as he turns his attention to the other young girl. “I am sure you're mother will understand,” he says. “It will only be for a short while.”

 

“Alright,” the girl says, still smiling.

 

The sad little girl wipes again at her tears, and turns her head toward the other girl when she lays her hand onto her shoulder.

 

“Are you alright?” she asks.

 

She shakes her head, whimpering slightly, as she feels a few more tears spill over her cheeks. The twisting in her chest is increasing, and she quickly pushes away from the other little girl in order to walk beside her father. His hand once again pats her on the head, and she knows in that instant why they have left the Clan's district. Her eyes widen a bit, and she turns to look at the little girl following them with a smile, oblivious to the danger she is walking into. However, the painful twist in her chest reminds her of something, and her teary eyes turn into a glare and it settles onto the other girl, who frowns a little at seeing her look. So, she quickly turns away, hoping that she has not ruined what her father obviously has planned.

 

“Is this the place?” the other girl asks when they stop inside a clearing. She twirls around, and is instantly fascinated by the vibrant colors and many different flowers. However, she frowns a little deeper when she turns her eyes toward the two standing next to each other, the tall father staring down at her emotionlessly, while the little girl glares at her. Her frown deepens, and she takes a step forward, bringing her hands up to clasp together, as she asks what's wrong.

 

The little girl lowers her head. Her hands come up, and she feels her father pat her once more on her head. Chakra blazes beneath her skin, the increasing amount manipulated as she wishes it to be as her hands begin to make hand signs. Her head comes up, and she finds the other little girl staring at her in question, before her hands finally make the last hand sign, and her chakra flares. Pain rushes through her arms, pinpointing itself at her hands, which turn black.

 

The other little girl screams as suddenly hands rip through the ground, each one bleeding through the palm. She raises her head to find that the little girl in front of her also has bleeding palms, and screams a little louder. Blood is not something that scares her, not even something she will flinch at, but the sight of the little girl's vicious eyes scares her. Seeing her mutter, she finds that she cannot hear what the little girl is saying, and quickly raises her hand to grip her hair in a nervous action.

 

“I… I curse your soul to a lifetime of servitude,” the little girl says hesitantly. “I… I chain you to this lifetime and to myself to with as I wish. This is my will, obey it!” She watches as the blood swirls up from where it's flooding from the hands, and encasing the screaming little girl. However, as soon as it happens, the blood seems to shrink in on itself and then finally bursts apart. She stares at the sight, her eyes widening as the other little girl's lifeless eyes stare at her, the silvery-blue substance behind her shooting towards her a moment later. The other little girl's body drops to the ground and is consumed by the blood and hands as they sink back into the ground.

 

The silvery-blue substance slams into her, swirls around her hair, and then settles. She nearly screams at the feeling, but manages to grit her teeth instead. However, the pain that shoots up her arms next does cause her to scream, and she tries to grip at them. She is not able to, and she looks down to find that she cannot move them at all, which frightens her instantly.

 

A hand pats her head, and she turns her head up to find her father standing over her. He kneels down, smiling a little, and pulls up bandages, which he wraps around her arms. “You did very well,” he says, “but you're still young. No one else in the Clan is to know that you know this jutsu yet.”

 

“W-Why?” she asks, as he wraps up the blackening flesh.

 

“This jutsu is very dangerous, it would not please the elders if they knew you could use it. However, you must remember my daughter, you will not be able to use your hands or your lower arms for the next two weeks or more. You must hide this weakness from the others, which is why you will stay indoors until that time has past.” He narrows his eyes, and expects to her nod, which she does. Pleased, he pats her head once more, and turns to leave. “Come.”

 

“Y-Yes, father,” she says, feeling sadness as it grips her chest tightly. She takes a step forward, but cannot seem to move for a brief moment. She frowns, and feels the sadness in her chest increase. She looks up to find that her father has stopped and turned to glare at her once more, and quickly lowers her head. Still, however, she cannot move, and wondering at the reason.

 

“I said come,” her father growls, and is pleased when she finally steps forward a few times.

 

She shakes her head lightly, the sad little girl feeling the words from her father earlier as they crash over her once more. She still does not understand what has changed in her life, but she feels that something big has happened. With each step that she takes away from her once supposed friend's deathbed, she feels the sadness in her chest twist a little tighter. She looks up and catches sight of her father's back, for an instant wondering if he would allow her to hug him, but quickly dismisses the idea. Her father is not one for teary moments or physical contact, only improvement.

 

Finally she comes to a stop, and brings her stone-like hand up the best she can to cover the ache in her chest. She knows her heart lies underneath her fingertips, but she does not understand the reason for her sadness. She cannot find a reason for the twisting in her chest, and she does not understand why she would feel guilt for the little girl who betrayed her first. Even as she bites her lip, feeling a bit of blood as it slides over her chin, she cannot find a reason why she should feel such an ache for someone who betrayed her.

 

“That girl,” echoes into her head, “is not your friend. I only wish to protect you, my daughter, so I watched her. What I saw was a little girl only trying to get closer to the head, hoping to be favored over the rest of the Clan. I found that she laughs behind your back about who you are… and causes the other children to laugh with her. She makes them think you're weak and will one day use you as her pathway to controlling the Clan herself. That girl is not to be trusted.”

 

Already, now that they have reentered their district, she feels the eyes on her. Even knowing that many are staring at her, she cannot make the words leave her be. Her father's words echo again and again, even as she tries to make them go away. She wants to escape them so badly.

 

A tear drops from her large blue eye. The path it makes glimmers in the sun, but no one seems to notice the pain she is going through. No, for she knows that their eyes are filled with anger and hatred toward her. Only if she is to turn her head toward them will they bow in respect and give her bright smiles or eyes filled with the respect they display toward her. She knows it is false, though, and she comes to understand at that moment something that she hasn't before.

 

She feels the need to grip the now red strands falling in front of her face. As she lowers her head, she realized something big, something that she hasn't ever realized before. At the age of six, such a young age, she is alone and hated. She is the daughter to their head, and though she has done nothing to them, they hate her because she can do something they cannot. The members of her Clan hate her because they do not understand her, and believe she will be nothing if they continue to hate her.

 

I am not nothing, she thinks. I will never be nothing! I will prove to them what I am, what I can do. Hatred bubbles underneath her skin, as laughter begins to echo into her mind. She does not know where it is coming from, but she likes the sound for a moment, is comforted by it, as she ignores the glares of her clansmen. I will, for I hate them more than they hate me…

 

…I hate them all.

 

OoO

 

“Hey,” a voice entered her ears. “Hey, wake up!”

 

Startled, Kagome sat up instantly, her hand gripping the arm of her the male leaning over her. Glaring deeply at him, her eyes took a moment to focus in the dark, and then she thrust the man away. “What do you want, Uchiha-san? Especially at this time of night?” she asked, panting a little.

 

Sasuke brushed his arm off, “It's not my fault you were nearly screaming in your sleep. First you were muttering `Amaya', and then you started chanting `I hate them', over and over again. Excuse me for trying to figure out why.” He rubbed at his arm a little, glaring at her.

 

Placing her head in her head, Kagome continued to pant, her eyes wide. Amaya… I am so sorry. She remembered that little girl from earlier, and knew that the resemblance between her and her only true friend, the friend she'd killed because her father lied to her, had triggered her memories. She knew that was the reason, but she could not bring herself to blame the little girl for making it happen. She was only a child, after all, and had done nothing wrong by looking the way she did.

 

Seeing her grip the red strands in front of her eyes, Sasuke scowled. He turned on his heel and returned to his post by the window, having woken up to the sound of her muttering. He would need sleep, whether it was a good idea to sleep in the room with a woman who could kill him or not, there was no denying that, but she'd interrupted the somewhat pleasant dream he had been having. One that did not involve his brother, at least.

 

“It is none of your business why,” she hissed under her breath. Then, louder, she asked, “Why do all of you try to pry into my life? It is mine to know, and mine alone.”

 

Sasuke turned his head, “Temari and a few others might try because they want to become close to you. Another like the Hokage might try because she doesn't trust you. I did it because I was concerned for a second, but I'll know in the future not to be.” He narrowed his eyes and smirked a little, “Another might try, though, because they feel like they can understand you and want to get close to you.”

 

“Ha, ha,” she laughed mockingly, “I'm becoming hysterical in my bed sheets.”

 

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

 

The voice in her head muttered, “Perhaps you wish to know because you wish to become close to one of them… to learn that emotion love. Or simply to mate?”

 

You're a disgusting idiot.

 

“I still think the Uchiha may have been very close,” the voice muttered.

 

Shut up. I do not need to listen to your stupid voice this late at night… or early in the morning. She rubbed at her eyes, and then narrowed them when she realized she would not go back to sleep anytime soon. So, she threw back the sheets covering her, and stood quite quickly.

 

“Where do you think you're going?” Sasuke asked.

 

“The roof,” she replied, smirking at him.

 

“The roof?” he asked.

 

“Yes, I believe that is what I just said, Uchiha-san,” she nodded. “The roof, indeed.”

 

“I'll come with you then,” Sasuke said, standing.

 

“No, no,” she said. “I do believe that Gaara-sama will be there. There is no need for two people to watch me. Besides, I believe a kage is more capable and more entertaining company than a simple jounin.”

 

Sasuke scowled, watching as she moved to the door.

 

“I will make sure to return before the sun rises to wake you if you're sleeping, Uchiha-san,” Kagome smiled a little, her eyes turning calm.

 

Sasuke scowled deeper, watching as she left. However, once she was gone, and her chakra signal disappeared down the hall, he moved outside the building through her window. As quickly as he could he moved as close to the roof as he could get without being on it, and then settled down. His eyes could easily see Gaara sitting in the moonlight, and not soon after the woman he was assigned to watch appeared on the roof and hesitantly took a seat beside him after he cast a brief glance toward her. Though his face had smoothed out on the trip up the building, he scowled once more when he realized he couldn't hear anything that they might say.

 

He nearly fell from the place he'd chosen when he heard, “Yes, I am quite aware that Uchiha-san has followed me up here, Gaara-sama,” from her, as she stared up at the moon. Obviously she wanted him to hear her, but that was a bit much in his opinion. Then again, she didn't seem to think much of his opinion, so that was pretty much shot.

 

Not to mention it was annoying to see the smirk that settled onto Gaara's face after she said it. Stupid woman. Now I think I see why Naruto doesn't like you.

 

OoO

 

KibaSin: I would have had the pervious chapter out a lot faster, in fact about seven days ago, but the site wouldn't let me upload anything for some reason. Hopefully, if it let me upload this, this time, you've enjoyed reading this. And the last chapter… Anyway, I'm tired, since I wrote this early and got it out later, and I'm going to bed now.

 

Kiba