Naruto Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Stains of the Heart ❯ Chapter Twenty-Three ( Chapter 23 )

Title: Stains of the Heart

Author: Kiba/KibaSin

 

Chapter Twenty-Three

 

Deciding it was best to get straight to the point, as the woman settled into the chair before her desk, Tsunade said, “I have been informed that you are from the Land of Lightning. Tell me, what village do you come from exactly? Kumogakure?”

 

Flickering her cold, blank eyes over the people in the room, Kagome finally shook her head lightly. “No,” she replied. “I do not come from Kumogakure, Hokage-sama.”

 

“You're avoiding the question,” Tsunade scowled. The damn girl really was becoming a thorn in her side, now that she thought about it. Maybe it would have been best to just hand her over to the elders? True, she might have slaughtered them without a second thought—there was actually a high possibility that it would have happened—but it would have been a win-win situation in Tsunade's eyes.

 

“Perhaps,” Kagome said softly, “you did not give me enough time to answer.”

 

“Well,” Tsunade snapped, “I'm giving you enough time now.”

 

For a moment, Kagome caught the eye of the Kazekage. She knew that the information had come from him, but, strangely enough, she did not care that the knowledge she had given to him had been passed along. “I come from a relatively small village known as Tenpigakure.”

 

“Tenpigakure?” Tsunade asked.

 

“Yes, Hokage-sama,” she nodded, her smile mockingly polite. “It is located in a deep valley on the furthest mountain peak from where we now stand. It is rather beautiful, really, when the sun rises up from the east and casts the first rays of light upon the village. And then, at dusk, the entire village is cloaked in a haze of red and purple, as the sun tries desperately to keep its hold on the area.”

 

“As lovely as that sounds,” Tsunade scoffed, “that is not nearly what I wished to hea—”

 

The jinchuuriki of Houkou cut her off, stating, “I will not lie, however, when I say that the village does receive most of its information from Kumogakure. In fact, the two are linked closely as the Raikage calls upon shinobi from both villages to perform the tasks he has brought to him. People from Tenpigakure are more than happy to travel the distance in order to be beneath the Raikage's rule, and none of them question being governed by one of his advisors.”

 

“And your clan, the Higure Clan, did this?” Tsunade asked. The information, if true, could help them in the future if Kumogakure ever decided to attack again. Knowing even that much could help them come up with a fairly solid strategy to defeat Kumogakure quickly and efficiently without losing a large amount of shinobi.

 

Dipping her head, she nodded. Her voice filled with venom, disgust, as she spoke of the people she had slaughtered without remorse. “Indeed, they did. The Raikage called upon us often, requesting our special skills for assassinations, and it is that reason alone that the Higure Clan ruled over the rest of the blundering fools located within the village.”

 

“I see. The Raikage must have liked you a lot,” Tsunade snorted.

 

Kagome's eyes narrowed, but her voice remained calm and collected. “He favored me above the rest of my clan, yes. But, only because he recognized that the rest of the clan was pitiful and weak, unable to complete the missions that I managed to survive without a soul by my side. And, I suppose, it never helped that my father practically threw my accomplishments in the Raikage's face, wanting me to one day overthrow the bastard.”

 

Glancing in Ibiki's direction, Tsunade watched as the man silently nodded. The girl was not lying, yet. “You sound as if you are disgusted with your clan, but that does not surprise me at this point. You killed them, isn't that correct?”

 

Slowly, a wicked smile curved its way onto Kagome's seemingly polite face. “Yes.”

 

“More often than not—” Tsunade narrowed her eyes. The girl's hauntingly dark gaze was locked with her own, and she no longer felt secure. The demon inside the girl might be silent, as she had said, but she was still as dangerous and still needed to be monitored closely. “—people kill those close to them because of political reasons. Was the reason you killed your clan, because the Raikage gave you the order to?”

 

“No,” the jinchuuriki snorted. Then, to amuse herself, she lifted a hand, knowing that the Hokage was watching her closely, and began to play with the strip of red hair that stood out amongst the sea of black cascading down her back. And, strangely enough, she felt rather pleased when she realized the Kazekage was watching her do so as well.

 

“Then you killed them of your own accord?” Tsunade demanded. Damn it, she had hoped that the girl had been given the order to kill the clan because they were becoming too powerful. She had not wanted her to be like Uchiha Itachi, killing those around her in order to gain power and test herself.

 

“Yes,” she nodded.

 

“And you lied when you first arrived,” Tsunade pressed. “Telling me that you had been cast from your clan and were no longer allowed to associate yourself with their name?”

 

“Yes,” Kagome lightly hissed. She had lied about that. It had been the safe thing to do at the time, since she had been trying to control the need beneath the surface of her skin. Telling them the truth would have had her chased away, far away, and she would have turned on them, fed from them, and in the end she never would have come to know that she was actually in control of the powerful demon known as Gobi no Houkou.

 

Now, it really did not matter to her that she had blatantly lied to the Hokage's face.

 

“And, tell me, did you believe that that would protect you?” Tsunade scowled. “Did you believe that lying would solve all of your problems? That you would be able to make connections and stop us from—?”

 

“First, Hokage-sama,” she closed her eyes, “I do not make connections. I have never made connections, and I never wish to make connections.” After a pause, she opened her eyes and locked gazes with the Hokage once more, saying, “I was raised my entire life to be a weapon for my father. I kill those that oppose me, and I wipe the world clean of those that think they are capable of restraining me. I do not make connections, I break them.”

 

“I see,” the Hokage muttered. That was definitely not what she wanted to hear. The young woman clearly had some childhood issues that haunted her, and there was a good chance that it could mean devastation for Konohagakure. “You hate your father, I take it?”

 

“Hate him?” The polite nature disappeared completely from Kagome's form as she laughed. “Hate him? Oh, that is a laugh, Hokage-sama. No, I do not hate my father. I loathe him and everything about him. He believed he could control me, that I would always be daddy's little girl, and it was because of that that I wished to rid the world of his existence. And I did, but I did not just kill him, Hokage-sama, no, I ripped him a part.”

 

Recognizing the rise in danger, Tsunade instantly demanded, “You will calm down right now.”

 

“Why?” Kagome chuckled. “What are you going to do about it, Hokage?”

 

“You do realize,” Tsunade straightened her back, pressing her authority upon the other woman, “that I could easily have you shipped back to the Land of Lightning to be executed, do you not?”

 

Allowing her head to fall forward, Kagome hid her face in shadow. She appeared to be contemplating whether or not Tsunade would stay true to her word, until a small chuckle escaped her lips. Then, as Ibiki narrowed his eyes, on edge due to the girl's switch in mood, she spoke. “And, you do realize, Hokage-sama, that the Raikage would rather slit his own throat than believe a thing that comes from you mouth, do you not?”

 

“I am—!” Tsunade began.

 

“I do not particularly care,” Kagome scoffed. “It is a matter of fact, Hokage-sama. The Raikage hates you, this village, and wants to one day see you lying in a pool of your own blood at his feet. He wishes to make this village fall. He wishes to rid the world of the power that could, theoretically, be his downfall. And because of that, he would never listen to a word that fell from your lips.”

 

“You think so?” Tsunade suddenly smirked. Two could play Kagome's little game, if she wished to try and push her into a corner. “What if, theoretically, I sent a message to the Raikage and explained to him who exactly destroyed the clan that was so precious to him? Surely, after hearing that his prized assassin from that clan killed them, he would wish to seek retribution. A life for a life, if you will.”

 

“Perhaps he would,” she nodded. “But, you're still forgetting one little detail, Hokage-sama.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“The Higure Clan specialized in blood, true, but they were also known for their ability to deceive those around them and avoid deception in return.” Kagome's eyes twinkled. She knew she had won. “And I, having been born and raised within the Higure Clan, am able to use that talent quite well. Much better, in fact, than almost all of those that called themselves my kin.”

 

Tsunade remained silent, waiting. Any information that she could obtain would be useful in the future, and she was happy to let the young woman continue if she chose to do so.

 

“It would be so easy, Hokage-sama, to convince the Raikage that your village was the cause of the massacre.”

 

“Ridiculous,” Ibiki finally snapped. “The Raikage is no fool.”

 

“Really?” Kagome asked. “You do not think he would believe me?”

 

Ibiki remained firm in his decision.

 

“Please.” The desperate whisper echoed into the room, miserable and sad, and it soon became apparent that the plea had come from the previously calm Kagome sitting with her face shadowed. “Please, Raikage-sama, I'm sorry. I didn't want to do it. I didn't mean to. Please, please,” the young woman looked up, her eyes reflecting her sadness with ease, “don't let them hurt me anymore.”

 

Gaara shifted. He knew that she was proving a point, despite the fact that she was basically digging a hole and getting ready to lie in it, but her tone affected him. His sand stirred slightly with the feeling in his chest, and he recognized the area briefly as the spot that had urged him to rip into Orochimaru when he believed the snake had managed to curse her.

 

“I didn't. I didn't—”

 

“Enough,” Tsunade commanded. “I see your point.”

 

Within a moment, Kagome returned to normal. Only a small smirk shadowed the corner of her mouth, while she said, “Though I despise those that once said they loved me, they did manage to teach me a few useful tricks. And that one, I assure you, would be effective. The Raikage hates this village and he loved the Higure Clan's power, and my little act would be more than good enough for him to decide to once again wage war with Konoha.”

 

Tsunade nodded curtly. It seemed that the threat of execution, unless she planned to follow the elder's wish and do it upon Konoha soil, was not going to work with Kagome. So, she decided it was best to redirect her attention back to where she wanted it. “The Higure Clan was a clan of deceivers, correct?”

 

“Yes,” Kagome replied, rolling her eyes for good measure. Had she not just said that?

 

“And, you were the heiress?”

 

“I think you misunderstand, Hokage-sama.” The jinchuuriki shifted a little, leaning completely on the left side of her chair. “I am the sole survivor of the Higure Clan, true, but I am still the one that controls it.”

 

Tsunade narrowed her eyes in confusion, asking, “What do you mean?”

 

“Your next set of questions will, no doubt, be about the techniques that I am able to use,” Kagome began. “But, in order to understand the one that I am about to tell you about, you must first know a little about the Higure Clan's history.”

 

“Go on,” Tsunade said.

 

“It is said,” Kagome closed her eyes, “that long ago the clan worshipped shinigami. I know this information to be true, though the clan twisted the information through the years in order to appease the other residents of Tenpigakure. The clan knew that what they practiced was a forbidden art, a sin, if you will, and they hid their callings and sacrifices from the rest of the small village. They knew that they could have easily destroyed the rest of the village, but they did not dare risk the wrath of the ruler that had come into power.”

 

The young woman shifted a little more. “One day, though, the clan decided that they wished for something in return for their constant devotion. They called upon the shinigami they worshipped, begged, and in the end the shinigami gave into their demands and gave them what they wanted. But, what the shinigami gave them had a price. True, at that point, they were able to extract the souls of their opponent and kill them instantly, but the soul was instantly given to the shinigami and thus defied the will of the Gods by taking the life of those that did not yet deserve to die.

 

“Those that used the technique began to fall into madness. They did not understand why, but soon they began to take the life of those around them. And as more and more clan members were executed, the clan became furious with the shinigami they worshipped. They felt that the shinigami had given them a horrendous gift, that the shinigami wanted them dead, and finally they cut ties with the supernatural. They destroyed the shinigami's image within the clan, toppled shrines, and made sure that every ounce of the shinigami's presence was gone.

 

“But, despite the fact that the shinigami itself was gone, the clan could not get rid of the sudden thirst they had developed. They wanted the ability the shinigami had given them a taste of. They wanted to be able to extract souls, but they did not wish to give them up to the being that had cursed them for a short time. So, the most intelligent of the clan and those that were capable of developing new techniques with ease came together. And, though it took many years, and many died in the attempt, eventually they managed to create a devastating technique that reminded them of what they had once been given.” Kagome paused, before stating, “They called this technique the Soul Extraction.”

 

“So, you are capable of stealing a soul?” Tsunade already knew that information, having had it told to her by those that had been on the battlefield. Higurashi Ayame had been one unlucky soul when she was born into the Higure Clan, and even more so when she decided to seek revenge.

 

“Of course I am, Hokage-sama,” she nodded. “I can easily take a person's soul and anchor it down to this world for later use. That is the reason that I said what I said. I captured every soul within my clan, ripping them away from the body and keeping them just out of a shinigami's reach, so that I might play with them a little more. Each and every one of them is sentenced to a lifetime of servitude, and until I die, they will be beneath my rule and be forced to do as I wish.”

 

“Why did you do that?” Tsunade asked. “You hate them so much, so why did you anchor them to yourself instead of letting them just die?”

 

“They deserve to suffer, that's why!” Kagome snapped. “Each and every one of them deserves to be tortured a thousand times! They deserve to atone for the sins they committed in life! They deserve to burn and know that I, the one that was raised to protect their miserable hides, am now the one that controls everything that they now have!”

 

The Godaime Hokage straightened a bit more in her seat, taking a tentative glance in the direction of the Kazekage. His sand would most likely be the most affective if the demon inside the young woman was beginning to awaken and take control a second time. Yet, Gaara did not appear threatened. He did not even twitch, while the demon vessel sitting before her sank back into her chair.

 

“Forgive me, Hokage-sama. I should not direct the hatred I feel for those fools at you.” Kagome, truly, did not feel any sort of regret for snapping at the Hokage, but she knew that it was the polite thing to do.

 

Looking back at Ibiki, Tsunade watched as he nodded. He had all the information he needed for now. The rest he would dig up, whether it was from documents or minds. So, she decided that enough was enough for now. “Yes, well, it would seem that we have all had enough for today.”

 

“May I return to my room then, Hokage-sama?”

 

“Of course,” Tsunade waved her hand. She really needed something to drink. “But, rest assured that I will come up with some way for you to demonstrate your skills. I can't have you wandering around with some extra forbidden jutsu tucked up your sleeve.”

 

“If that is what you wish.” Smiling humorously, Kagome added, “Perhaps I could call upon the souls of those that I killed and show you my skills by killing them again.”

 

Gaara watched, silent, as the woman rose from her seat and moved from the room. Briefly, once she exited, his sand rumbled underneath his control, but he was quick to quiet it. The chance of her being attacked within the Hokage Tower was slim to none, and besides, she was more than capable of protecting herself.

 

“Damn girl,” Tsunade muttered, shuffling through a stack of papers upon her desk. Then, finding the one she was searching for, she scanned the scroll. “Ibiki.”

 

“Yes, Hokage-sama?”

 

“Bring me the Academy student Aoki Rin.”

 

Ibiki dipped his head, disappearing almost immediately.

 

OoO

 

“What if I do not wish to go, father?” she asks. She fingers the kimono that was tossed carelessly into her lap. It is rather beautiful, she realizes, but it is also pointless to wear. No one, not even those that silently admire her, will ever overcome the fear and hatred they feel for her.

 

Her father shakes his head. “It is dishonorable for the heir to not attend the clan's annual festival. The elders will be most displeased if you do not show, you know that.” Then, he pats her head, while looking upon the silent garden that she sits and stares at daily. “Why don't you go and find a young man to take you? I'm positive there are quite a few that are waiting for you to ask.”

 

She rolls her eyes. “No one will take me.”

 

“Nonsense,” her father scoffs. “You are the heiress. They will fall at your feet and beg you to take them.”

 

She narrows her dark blue eyes. He is wrong, and he knows it. Yet, like every year, he pushes her forward, demands she does as he wishes, and in the back of her mind she hears a voice.

 

“Kill him.” The voice mumbles mostly. “Give me blood.”

 

“There will be someone.” Her father quietly mumbles her name, and she feels disgusted as it falls from his lips. “And, even if there is not, you are the one that will one day control them. Demand they take you. Demand they show you the respect you deserve.”

 

“Blood…” The voice is almost hypnotic, but she is in control. She will not bend. “Give me blood…”

 

Ignoring the voice, she finds herself watching a tiny black bird. It manages to distract her from the need building beneath her flesh, demanding she do as the voice commands her to. And, though she is pushed to destroy the one obstacle standing in her path, she manages to find a brief moment of peace. But, like always, as soon as she manages to calm her mind, the bird flies away and she is brought back to reality by the patting of her father's hand.

 

“Stop watching those stupid birds, daughter,” he scowls. “They will not help you.”

 

She knows he is right. The garden, and the creatures it contains, will never help her. They will never truly wipe away the feeling in her chest. They will never destroy her need to kill. And, in the same instance, they will never save the man who calls himself her father when she decides she is tired of him. So, finally, she rises while his hand falls from her head.

 

Her father nods in satisfaction. He is pleased that his daughter is finally following his orders, though he had had no doubt that she would. “You will find someone,” he assures her, “and, if you do not, I am sure you can put them in line.”

 

The voice in her head chuckles madly. “Blood…”

 

Knowing that her father has given her permission, though she does not need it, she echoes the voice's demand. Blood…

 

“Do remember,” her father calls her name, as she walks away, “to have a little fun while you're out.”

 

She moves silently, immediately immersing herself in a sea of people once she reaches the outside world. Her senses sharpen, her eyes flash, and she can feel the people around her inching away. They have no wish to be near her. They have no wish to die. Yet, a silent agreement passes through the crowd, as they smile at her face and glare heatedly at her back.

 

Despite how much she has taught them, they still do not understand the meaning of respect.

 

She is above them. They are nothing without her. Who are they to isolate her, the one they should love? Who are they to press their hatred upon her, the one that will one day rule them? Who are they, but a sea of insolent fools that will one day stain the ground as she kills them?

 

The voice chuckles. It sounds as if it knows something that she does not.

 

What a foolish idea, she thinks. They, too, will fall. The one that dares play with her head, hiding just out of reach, will be just like the rest of the pitiful clan that surrounds her. They will become a body, torn a part and no longer identifiable, beneath a tombstone, or, perhaps, if she feels rather murderous that day, only a splatter upon the ground.

 

Again, she hears the distant sound of chuckling.

 

Fool.

 

“Blood…” the voice echoes. It wants only one thing. It always has, and when she is willing to give into the need she feels, she will feed it.

 

At the last moment, feeling the constant gaze of those around her, she glances up. A small group stands just outside the sea of people she has found herself within, all of them within her age range. She knows that her father wants her to find someone around her age, though he would gladly throw it in he Council's face if she found a well-known shinobi to take her to the festival. So, soundlessly, she changes direction.

 

The group glances up, sensing her. They smile, seemingly pleased to see her, though she recognizes the loathing brewing in their eyes. They would not dare disappoint the head by disrespecting his daughter. Though, she knows, they wish nothing more than to watch her burn.

 

“Is there,” a boy waves his hand toward the girl at his side, “something we can do for you?”

 

She recognizes that he states her name with respect when it falls from his lips in the end. He is good. He has managed to say her name without slurring the honorific in disgust. So, she decides. “Yes, you will take me to the clan's annual festival tonight.”

 

The girl standing beside the boy stiffens, and he calms her with a firm hand on her shoulder. He replies, “I'm sorry, but I have already agreed to take Masumi-san here to the festival.” Again, he states her name without disgust. “But, I am positive that I could help you find someone else to take you to the festival.”

 

“No,” she steps forward. “You will take me, do you understand?”

 

He stiffens, understanding.

 

Yes, she decides, he is good. He will take her. After all, not many of the stupid people around her would have understood her silent threat the first time. “Do you understand?” she asks, again, making sure that her point has been pounded in.

 

“Yes.” His head falls, while the girl beside him clasps onto his arm. “I understand.”

 

She turns from them, and then remembers one important thing. So, she calls back, “What is your name?”

 

“H-Higurashi Hojo,” he replies immediately.

 

She nods, pleased, and then walks away. He should be honored, though she can feel the eyes of his little friend, Masumi, digging into her back. This might very well be the only time he is allowed to stand at her side without the threat of being killed.

 

Silently, she slips back into the sea of people on the street, though she still feels as if she is alone amongst the crowd.

 

OoO

 

“It would seem that the Gobi has finally decided to show itself.”

 

“Really?” an excited voice called.

 

Pein was only somewhat amused by Madara's need to act his part. Though, he did continue. “From our current source, it appears that the Gobi has moved from the Land of Lightning to the Land of Fire. The jinchuuriki, a female who has finally tapped into the Gobi's power, is currently being held in Konohagakure.”

 

“Tobi does not like the sound of that,” the masked man said.

 

“So what?” Kisame snorted. “That means that we can kill two birds with one stone. I mean, the Kyuubi hasn't changed location, has it?”

 

“No,” Pein replied. “The Kyuubi still resides in Konoha.”

 

The only female member of the group, Konan, shifted a bit. “It is known that the Kyuubi and Gobi once warred with one another, until the Gobi mysteriously disappeared. With them both in the same area once again, and their hatred so deep, the jinchuuriki that house them might begin to fight as the Kyuubi and Gobi once did.”

 

“Good,” Kisame nodded. “That'll make Itachi's job easier when we go and get Kyuubi, since the Gobi will probably have worn him out.”

 

Konan frowned, stating, “Getting caught in the crossfire, even when they are jinchuuriki, could be devastating.”

 

Kisame muttered, “Then we won't.”

 

“Even so,” Pein said, “because of the circumstances—”

 

Uchiha Madara shifted, the orange mask covering his face turning toward Pein. Behind it, he smiled.

 

“—we will be utilizing a method that will force both the Gobi and the Kyuubi from their current hosts. The technique will require quite a bit of work, but once it has been refined and the tailed-beasts returned to their original forms, it will be simple to capture them both.”

 

“How so?” Itachi finally spoke up, curious.

 

“The technique does return the beast to its original form through the sacrifice of its host, but it also leaves the beast weak for a number of weeks afterward,” Pein explained.

 

“May I ask,” Hidan growled, “why we fucking haven't been using this until now?!”

 

“No,” Pein said. “You may not.”

 

“Tobi wants to capture the Gobi!”

 

“Shut up, yeah!” Deidara hissed.

 

“But, Tobi wants to capture the Gobi!”

 

“That isn't the demon we're assigned to, yeah!”

 

Pein merely sighed in annoyance.

 

OoO

 

KibaSin: Ugh, I got so caught up in finishing my story “More Than Anything” as fast as I could that I nearly forgot that I still need to finish this story. And considering my notes say that I'm nearing the end of plot two of four, I really need to do that. Though, then again, the rest of the plots aren't that long compared to these. Hm.

Despite that fact, though, I hope to get back on track. I started that by getting into a little insight on how Kagome's life was before the massacre she caused, how she basically felt then and acted, and by bringing in the Akatsuki (though, admittedly, I rarely ever use them as a whole and am not familiar with each character completely, so please ignore any ooc-ness). And, now that I've re-checked my notes, I have managed to sneak in another Inuyasha character into the plot. Hopefully I can continue to surpise everyone with who I use.

Kiba

 

Dictionary:

 

Tenpigakure - Hidden Village of the Sun; Village Hidden in the Sunlight