Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Lost Soul ❯ Pain and Pleasure ( Chapter 22 )

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and not me, but I do claim the Yominokunis, Yakubyougami and the Tekigougan for myself!

 

A Note from Katana Haibane: HAPPY BIRTHDAY...hehe, sorry, couldn't resist. It's finally been over a year since I started writing this fic, and I'm glad that as many people have read it as there seems to be. I didn't exactly pick a popular way to approach a fan fic, since it focuses on an OC, and doesn't exactly make anyone into a flashy powerhouse. I guess my erratic updates didn't help either. Also, sorry for having to extend the deadline by two days, only to get the story out after midnight. I hadn't intended for anything like that to happen.

 

Well, the jaw surgery was really a pain. Mainly cause the drugs they put me on afterwards kept me too out of it to write. I think that's why I've ended up having to wait until my own self imposed deadline arrived. That reminds me…

 

THANK YOU ALL FOR THE 100 REVIEWS!!! Now that that's finished, I'll get on to the story.

 

Chapter 22: Pain and Pleasure

 

It felt like someone was slowly pouring a bucket of ice water down his back as his eyes locked on the impressive form of Shinigami. Sasuke barely repressed an involuntary twitch as he channeled the motion into a grab for the energy drink suspended beside his head. Sasuke practically tore the bottle in half as he twisted the cap off before down the entire thing in a matter of seconds.

 

And the entire time the Shinigami's reverberating laugh hadn't ceased.

 

Despite the fact that neither the dojo nor the Shinigami had changed in size whatsoever, Sasuke couldn't help but feel as if they both had started to rise up before him. The incredible pressure the Shinigami could bring to bear even without seeming to be serious about the fight was indescribable. If he wasn't already dead, Sasuke would have sworn that somebody was trying to rip his soul from his body with icy meat hooks and drag it into the awaiting darkness.

 

`How the fuck can I fight death itself?' Sasuke screamed inside himself as his pupils seemed to dilate in fear and everything except for Shinigami faded from his sight, `This has got to be a million times stronger than anything I've ever felt before…Gods…Mikomi…'

 

Something seemed to snap inside of Sasuke as his thoughts drifted back to the girl Orochimaru has forced on him to train. Neither had asked for the other but they were thrown together, lived through thick and thin.

 

Sasuke wasn't going to let something as useless as death hold him back.

 

As Sasuke watched Shinigami pull his enormous tanto back, as if in slow motion, still feeling small and insignificant. The moment Shinigami's white arm, resplendent in a set of metallic black armour inscribed with white lines identically duplicating the black tattoos on the arms beneath, reached as far back as possible, everything seemed to happen at once.

 

With a lurch, Sasuke felt everything jolt back into perspective as the tanto rushed towards his body. Throwing away his fear, Sasuke simply reacted. He shot forward and leapt upon the onrushing blade, feet flashing to displace the distance beneath him. Even as the blade gouged a huge rent in to dojo floor Sasuke shot up Shinigami's blade and snapped a spinning kick into its face.

 

Just as suddenly pain erupted in Sasuke's head as everything went black…or was it after everything had gone black? Sasuke blinked as he felt himself crash down onto the destroyed dojo floor and rolled. Sliding to a stop on his hands and feet Sasuke pushed off the ground and back into a crouched stance.

 

`What the hell just hit me?' Sasuke barely stopped from screaming out loud, `I beat Shinigami's tanto thrust and was gonna put my foot through its damn grinning face…' Sasuke's eyes widened as he realized what he had seen. `It was grinning! Dammit I was so worked up that I didn't even notice that it was clearly expecting that! Its head is the only part of his body that isn't covered in that plated armour and instinctively aimed for that weak point!'

 

Shinigami's grin never left its face as it pulled its tanto from the floor and slid into a perfect thrusting stance. And then Shinigami's tanto seemed to grow, elongating into a massive katana with a midnight black blade.

 

A familiar smirk passed over Sasuke's face as the Sharingan came spinning into his eyes, `At least this time I'll be able to see what hit me.'

 

Shinigami released what looked like a cloud of mist as it breathed out and lowered himself even further to the ground. The vaporous white mist ebbed and swirled around its body and blade, subtly obscuring it from Sasuke's view before it moved like a living thing and snaked up from the ground and created a wall of white in front of the God of Death.

 

Even before anything happened Sasuke started charging toward the Shinigami, wanting to get past the obscuring fog before the Shinigami could do anything else. Then the blade burst through the fog light a bolt of shadowed lightning, streaking Straight for Sasuke despite the fact he began his charge after it went up. Thanks to the Sharingan, Sasuke was once again able to read the lightning fast thrust despite having even less warning and shot up Shinigami's extended arm once again, aiming another kick to the Shinigami's grinning face.

 

Again Sasuke's world exploded in pain as something struck him in the face. This time as he rolled onto his feet his eyes showed less of their usual confidence. He'd seen what had him this time, what had caused that blackness to appear before his eyes.

 

Despite the fact that it should have been impossible, Sasuke couldn't deny what he had just seen. He had been struck with his on attack.

 

Only his foot seemed to enter into on pool of darkness and emerge out of another at an impossible angle and his disappearing leg seemed to grow out of it and crash into the side of Sasuke's skull. Sasuke felt another shiver go down his spine as Shinigami calmly laughed and twirled its katana in its hand.

 

“To target such an obvious weakness Uchiha…I thought you'd know better than to do something that stupid by now.” Shinigami said as its laughter continued to rain down upon Sasuke, “Many shinobi leave obvious openings like a lack of armour on their head to lure an enemy in. Well, clearly you're going to have to come up with something far better than that if you want to have any hope at all in lasting a full hour.”

 

A quick flick of Shinigami's head sent its long hair whipping around and over his left shoulder, Sasuke's Sharingan watching it suddenly forming into an arching whip of razor sharp spines. Ducking into a quick sideways shoulder roll, Sasuke spun onto his feet and twisted through a small gap in the razor sharp hair. Plucking another kunai from his hip pouch Sasuke channeled his chakra down the blade to extend his cutting reach before he spun into a three hundred and sixty degree slash.

 

Shinigami's hair retracted back up to its head as hundreds of wispy strands floated down around Sasuke. Releasing the chakra he'd extended from his kunai, Sasuke had barely taken another step when a stinging pain shot through his right cheek causing Sasuke to duck down and glance behind him.

 

Sasuke's eyes widened when they fell upon another black disk of space, but this time Shinigami's hair was knifing out of it. Acting on instinct Sasuke immediately leapt for the ceiling. From twelve other black portals other strands of hair had shot out and impaled the exact spot Sasuke had been standing. Then another black portal blocked Sasuke view of the ground.

 

“Good, Sasuke, good!” Shinigami rumbled as he looked approvingly up at the edgy teen, “These should make the fight a little more interesting. Let's see if you can use your smaller frame to your advantage.”

 

Sasuke felt as if the ground beneath his feet had been pulled out from under him as the roof and walls of Shinigami's created dojo disappeared, leaving only the light that still emanated from non-existent light sources behind. Sasuke dropped through the portal directly beneath him and found himself shoot out behind Shinigami in a dive.

 

Surprised, Sasuke was forced to dodge another frighteningly fast slash from Shinigami's Katana. The wind and backlash from the blade still nearly threw Sasuke off of his feet as he shot low, mere millimeters beneath the blade. Sasuke had another close call as the blade started passing through the portals and suddenly seem to slash from multiple locations at once.

 

“I'll make you another offer Uchiha,” Shinigami rumbled, a grin of pleasure etched on its ageless face, “If you can land a decent blow anywhere on my body in the next hour and survive, I'll reward you with more than just your life.” Another rattling laugh came from Shinigami, “Let's see how well you can deal with the unknown. These…portals will continue to shift their exit locations throughout this fight. I want to see it all, every last ounce of power that you can dredge out of your body and hurl in my direction. I want to see what you've got boy!”

 

The next ten minutes were some of the hellish he'd ever been through. As hard as he tried he couldn't seem to get any sort of grip or handling on the timing of Shinigami's attacks. The portals only made things worse. There seemed to be an endless number of ways that Shinigami could use his body to attack or disrupt Sasuke: a thrusting hand would suddenly switch to an arching path for its blade to descend from. Big sweeping strikes could transform into concentrated flurries in the blink of an eye.

 

The speed and size of Shinigami was mind boggling enough and near impossible to adapt to if it wasn't for the Sharingan.

 

However, every ultimate advantage can draw as equally alarming disadvantage, one that the portals forced upon Sasuke. He has needed to see every attack that comes his way, preventing Sasuke from gaining any solid focus upon Shinigami. Every second that Sasuke didn't move his eyes an attack would come speeding out or a portal from an unpredictable direction and angle. No matter how random the exits to the portals seemed, Shinigami never seemed to miss an opportunity to lash an attack at Sasuke. Sword tips, fingers, hair, everything seemed to come from everywhere at once. Sasuke could feel the chakra burning behind his eyes as they tried to continuously take in the overwhelming amount of data that was being forced upon him by Shinigami's tactics.

 

The grin remained plastered on Shinigami's face, `You're showing that you truly deserve this chance Uchiha, you've kept up with me for eleven and a half minutes so far. I'll give you a push into the next stage of this fighting test…'

 

Sasuke dove and slid to the outer ring of the black portals as it looked like Shinigami's hair sliced through every portal at the exact same time. Slipping through the sudden razor sharp web that filled the area, Sasuke leapt onto his feet as his eyes took in the entire display in an instant. There were three dark portals directly behind Shinigami that didn't have a single strand of hair stabbing through them, and the one he was in front of also didn't have any hair come from it. Sasuke smirked as his eyes finally picked up on the web of chakra that pulsed from the Shinigami's back, as if it was mapping out everything behind him. Just as quickly the few remaining strands of hair sharpened and struck at those unused portals.

 

`That's where I can make my move,' Sasuke though as he dove low through the portal and shot out of the portal highest from the ground at Shinigami's back, `Through the portals that he can't immediately see because of the disruptive web his hair makes! I'll just deal with that chakra gird later.'

 

Shifting his weight in mid-air, Sasuke landed on the diamond shape cluster of hair beneath him and sprinted straight up the strand. Eying the field as it swept over him Sasuke's eyes noted that even though he had leapt through an open part of the grid the chakra still seemed to react to his presence. This was verified as Shinigami already was turning around to face Sasuke.

 

But Sasuke had already started sealing for his attack, “RAITON: LIGHTNING STRIKE JUTSU!”

 

Sasuke aimed the lightning bold for the slight gap where the armour and Shinigami's neck met. Shinigami just leaned forwards and the lightning bolt seemed to just disperse down though a ripple of light that traced the tattoo patterns on the armour.

 

“Not good enough Sasuke,” Shinigami muttered before he whipped around and back-fisted Sasuke into a nearby portal.

 

The entire world seemed to lurch before Sasuke's eyes as the fist struck him out of the air. He'd done everything he could to try and control his reaction to the attack but he still had been sent flying. Blasting through three different portals that weren't even on similar line with each other only enhanced the disorientation.

 

Getting back to his feet yet again, Sasuke ignored the burn that had made itself known throughout Sasuke's body. He wasn't going to lose this chance to take back his life.

 

 

With less than five minutes left to survive Sasuke found himself wheezing, his chest pumping like a bellow to try and force non-existent air through his body. All over his entire body nicks and scraps marred the surface of Sasuke's skin. His shirt was in tatters along with having most of the left leg of his shorts torn away from repeatedly getting struck by hair, sword and nail.

 

That wasn't all. Sasuke could feel his right leg take on a stiff limp as he tried to keep moving. Although small, there was a deep hole right in the middle of his left thigh muscle, slowing him down greatly.

 

`Shit shit shit!' Sasuke thought, holding back from screaming out loud in frustration and wasting precious energy, `This is insane! I was only managing to hold out before because of my speed and I still couldn't get in close enough strike him, it whatever! I can't even dodge Shinigami cause of its sheer size! What they hell do I have left?'

 

Sasuke saw Shinigami's foot coming around in a sweeping kick and tried to jump over it as he didn't have time to move back out of the way. A cry of pain escaped Sasuke when the kick managed to clip him in the lower part of his injured leg, sending him tumbling to the ground yet again.

 

`To hell with this!' Sasuke screamed to himself, `I can't run so I'll just have to pick up the slack with every jutsu that I can think of!'

 

The faintest traces of a smirk started to spread across Sasuke's face as he made a cross shaped seal that he would never forget, even if he didn't have the Sharingan, “KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!” In a cloud of smoke, ten Sasukes stood where only one had begun, and Sasuke hopped onto the back of one of his clones as they scattered.

 

As draining as the jutsu was, Sasuke just smirked as the barrage of jutsu began on Shinigami. Sasuke had nearly used up more than half of the chakra he had left to make sure that they could keep the death god busy. Fireballs, lightning bolts, and even blasts of wind rained down on the armoured Shinigami. Rather than fight the shadow clones off, Shinigami's hair simply wrapped around his body and formed into a massive wall of spiked hair.

 

Shinigami just laughed as the attacks that had caused it to actually rock back slightly merely exploded harmlessly on the armour of hair. “The jutsu that your clones can produce aren't anywhere near strong enough to break through my Underworld Spines!”

 

Sasuke's Sharingan once again saved his hide as he began to seal even as the wave of chakra passed through Shinigami's hair. His clone through him up into the air even as he surged his chakra towards the remnants of the dojo floor, “MOKUTON: TREE REGENISIS JUTSU!” The hair spines tore Sasuke's clones to shreds, returning the remaining chakra that had been stored inside them to the last Uchiha as he channeled the chakra into the ground from a distance. The spines clipped the tops of the sprouting tree as it surged up to catch its summonor in its limbs. Sasuke force his body to leap higher into the tree as Shinigami's katana pierced through the tree where he had been standing before. Slamming his hand back onto the tree bark, Sasuke forced the tree go through another growth surge, wrapping up and around the sword and up Shinigami's arm.

 

For the first time during the entire fight, Sasuke swore that he caught the faintest flicker of surprise in Shinigami's pitch black eyes. When the branches reached the armour's edge at Shinigami's neck, Sasuke forced them to plunge downwards and try and slip into the gap between body and metal. Sasuke noted Shinigami pulling back his other arm and directed the branches to surge back down Shinigami's arm.

 

With a screeching wrench, the tree branches seemed to swell up and tear the armour right away from Shinigami's right arm even as the left slashed straight through the limbs holding it in place. The wind that was created from Shinigami's hand was enough to blow Sasuke from his tree as the last of his chakra had been used to pull the armour away from Shinigami. Twisting in the air, Sasuke managed to level and as he landed, only to have his right leg collapse beneath him.

 

It took a couple seconds before Sasuke realized that Shinigami wasn't already bearing down on him. The silence that had fallen also registered in Sasuke's mind as he looked up towards Shinigami.

 

A thin, black, dripping line marred the pattern of Shinigami's tattoos near the wrist. Sasuke's eyes widened as they traveled the full length of Shinigami's right arm and saw the damage his desperate attack. Although there was only a single cut on the Death God's white arm, faint purplish marks crisscrossed up its entire length. The metal that was at the armour's shoulder junction was a ragged mess where it had been torn away from the other plates. Sasuke couldn't tear his eyes away from the damage that he had managed to do to a being that should be - by all reasoning - impossible to resist in its own realm.

 

Then the God of Death began to laugh once again. Not the cold, merciless laughs he had been taunting the Uchiha with since the beginning of their fight, but a laugh that was strangely full of warmth and humour.

 

“I don't know if you actually thought that attack all the way through Uchiha,” Shinigami breathed through his laughter, “But you couldn't have picked a more perfect ability to use. After all, new life is the antithesis to death, just as much as death is the antithesis to life. Congratulations Sasuke-kun, I think you've just earned your passage to the land of the living.”

 

Relief flooded throughout Sasuke as he allowed himself to collapse on the ground in a boneless heap. Even as the heat of pride and victory seeped through Sasuke's body, he didn't smile. That fight had been far too close, too unpredictable to feel as if he had actually won. The entire time Shinigami kept on adding new levels of difficulty to the task before Sasuke. Only dumb luck had allowed him to survive this ordeal.

 

Sasuke may have been granted a second chance at life, but it felt more like charity from Shinigami than anything else.

 

 

Pale, white hands calmly performed unusual hand seals, casting a wavering shadow of the woman strapped down to the table beneath them. Those pale hands had yet to touch the unclothed woman, but blood was already coating the table. Her wrists had become raw and bloodied from tearing away at the steel cuffs holding them down. Her waist was covered in what looked like a bunch of long paper-cuts. Her ankles had been torn up so much that the cuffs had begun sliding up and down her calf using the blood as lubricant. Yet, only faint cries could be heard coming from her gagged mouth, even if terror in her eyes shone like miniature suns.

 

“Now, now, enough with the crying,” The cold voice belonging to those hands floated down like a repulsive caress, “I told you that things would only get worse if you didn't behave, and now look what you've made me do. You've lost your tongue, and can't even get out of volunteering to be my next test subject.”

 

Tears streamed down the woman's face as those pale hands finally stopped sealing. Reaching out towards the woman, the white hands sunk right through the skin as if it wasn't even there, causing the woman to cry out in excruciating agony.

 

On any other day, Orochimaru might have enjoy his experimentation with the hand seals and jutsu he had discovered hidden in the ruins he'd been excavating. Wallowing in the pleasure in depth understanding of all the intricacies and pains that jutsu could teach him, the power it afforded him. He would have relished being able to plunge his hands with her body and feel the living tissues and bones from the inside out. If only he wasn't distracted.

 

Two…ideas had been circling inside of Orochimaru's head, plans or perhaps desires. Everything was already in place for him to get rid of the Village hidden in Rock and simply expand his own territory and influence. But what he really wanted right now, now that was what was still eluding his grasp.

 

Hogosha, the Tsuchikage clearly wasn't willing to enter into another conflict with any of the other major villages any time soon. The weak willed worm. Still, this gave Orochimaru the perfect opportunity to put into motion his designs to seize control of the Village hidden in Clouds. The rumours that Orochimaru had heard about the Raikage creating a personal library of jutsu was just icing on the cake to power he would acquire with the multitude of bodies he would have at his disposal.

 

Orochimaru's hands closed over the woman's intestinal tract and tried to pull them from her body with the jutsu still activated. He grinned as the woman screamed in agony and the entrails followed his hands from her body.

 

Yes, he'd done a great deal of research into the Village hidden in Clouds, especially now that it seemed likely to abandon the distracting conflict that Sasuke and his weapon had started all those months ago. All he needed was a way to get inside the village and make sure that he was placed at the rank of Jounin and everything would be set.

 

A grin spread across Orochimaru's face as he absently used the jutsu to turn the woman's digestive tract transparent for closer examination.

 

He'd discovered an incredibly useful insight into the laws of village. Nearly as old as Kumo itself, a law had been in place to ensure that the Raikage truly was the strongest warrior in the entire village. To keep their leaders on their toes, the first council Kumo had created had enacted a law the essentially boiled down to: if anyone who had achieved the rank of Jounin or higher and believed that the Raikage was not strong enough to maintain his rank as leader of the village that he could be challenged directly for his position in a private deathmatch, presided over by the entire council and a select Anbu guard.

 

The perfect way for an outsider to size control with minimal effort…provided that they were strong enough of course.

 

Orochimaru licked his lips as a splash of blood and fluid flew up towards his face as he pulled a little too hard oh the woman's left eyeball, accidentally tearing the nerves in the process rather than pulling them out with the eye. Oh, the plans that he had for the future. He couldn't wait to get his hands back on his weapon, that traitorous little bitch. Mikomi should have realized by now that Orochimaru would always own her; that her life was in his hands. After all, the only reason that she was alive was on Orochimaru's whim.

 

Yes, Mikomi had been able to remain out of his reach for far too long a time, and he had every intention of rectifying that mistake with the first opportunity that arose. In fact, Orochimaru wanted her even more than he did when he had first discovered the information regarding her ancient bloodline in the ruins of the Village hidden in Shadow. Before he had bothered to truly pay attention to the situation he had believed that the three he had sent into Konoha were simply far more incompetent than he had been lead to believe. But Tegatai…he was an elite who had all but annihilated everyone except for the upper echelons of Sound Shinobi before Orochimaru had taken the time to instill some serious training into the brat.

 

And yet Mikomi had still nearly killed him when they squared off in the finals of the Chuunin exams, ignoring what Tegatai managed when all the attention was off of him. She has grown even stronger since she escaped his grasp, and that strength was something he wanted back under his control once again. She had proved to be a valuable investment while under his care and he had no intention of any other village profiting from the fighter he had created out of that sniveling girl he had…acquired.

 

Orochimaru pulled back slightly when he realized that he had accidentally broken the woman's left radius and ulna bones, disfiguring that forearm prematurely. He was becoming frustrated and he was actually showing it. No mater how long he had waited after the Chuunin exams ended, Tsunade had yet to send Mikomi on a mission that even approached the boarder of Rice Country. What made things even more infuriating was the he couldn't even try to enter Fire Country alone, or with any kind of team as he couldn't afford Konoha's alertness rising any higher than it already is without jeopardizing his future actions in that area.

 

He didn't like it, but if need be Orochimaru was willing to be patient. Being able to conveniently enter Sasuke's soulless body at his leisure was simply the icing on the cake. He didn't mind taking the extra time to ensure that Sasuke's body wouldn't reject him, even if there was no other soul to fight him for control. The last Uchiha was the culmination of a great deal of time and planning, his true ace-in-the-hole. After all, he'd get what he wanted eventually. He had all the time in the world, and the excavation of Shadow would only give him even more weapons at his disposal…

 

 

Darkness really was an enigma for Mikomi. For the last several years of her life, all of her worst memories had occurred in darkness: Orochimaru kidnapping her from her home, being stored in a dank and moldy cell till Sadisuto decided he wanted to beat the crap out of her, Sadisuto's … assault on her. Her own father had tried to kill her and her friends in the darkness of the Akatsuki cave. Ever near death experience and tragedy always occurred in the darkness, be it underground or at night. Darkness haunted her body and soul, always following Mikomi wherever she went.

 

But it still was the greatest source of solace available to her. Mikomi didn't have to let anybody near her or even see her in the dark. She could remain hidden from the world and let her problems melt away in the darkness. It had swallowed her whole, but it could also swallow her memories.

 

So Mikomi had found herself hiding away from the world on Team Seven's training grounds in the middle of the night. She couldn't sleep. She could rest. She couldn't bear to bring her problems crashing down on her friends. Hinata and Sakura had been worrying almost obsessively about her for the entire month and Mikomi didn't want to trouble them any more than she already had. She didn't want to have to deal with anything more than she already had to.

 

In truth, Mikomi just didn't want to have to think anymore.

 

“Ninety-eight…Ninety-nine…One hundred.” Mikomi counted out as she finished of a set of one-handed push-ups. It was so much easier to concentrate on working out than trying to sleep. She remembered to many horrible things when she was asleep.

 

Getting to her feet, Mikomi immediately began punching away at one of the thicker training poles in the area, careful not to use any chakra and simple shatter the pole in a single blow. No matter how hard she worked herself it never seemed to be enough.

 

`Why…why did he leave me for so long.' Mikomi thoughts betrayed her even as she started punching even faster to drive them from her mind with exhaustion, `Practically left to rot in that fucking hellhole…and he could have been there fore me! `Tou-san is strong enough…' Mikomi's eyes started to water against her will, causing her punches to slowly start to miss the center of the post, grinding her knuckles against the rough wood. `Kaa-san...dammit Otou, Okaa-san would still be alive if you had just fought that bastard from the Sound the same way you fought me!'

 

Chunks of bark started peeling away from the post as Mikomi's stress slowly deprived her of chakra control. More and more thoughts kept swirling through her mind driving Mikomi to punch harder and harder. Her knuckles had been torn away and were bleeding all over the place and still Mikomi refused to stop. With a loud crack, the wooden post shattered under Mikomi's fists.

 

Mikomi just couldn't stop her thoughts from continuing the same downwards spiral they had taken almost every night for the past month. Giving punching up, Mikomi sprinted up the nearest tree and latched onto the under side of a thick limb a good twenty feet off of the ground and frantically started doing a continuous set of sit-ups. No matter how much they burned Mikomi refused to stop, even when the blood from her knuckles trickled onto her neck. Mikomi just wanted to do anything to clear her mind and to stop thinking about the crap that had happened in her life.

 

Inevitably, Mikomi's concentration slowly began to wane as her doubts and memories continued to flood her mind. First one foot's chakra dwindled until it slid free from the bark of the tree. Shortly afterwards Mikomi accidentally send a chakra surge into her other foot, causing the bark to crack and send her tumbling to the ground.

 

Mikomi had just enough time to tuck her head and roll her neck out of the way before she crashed the ground. The force of the impact forced the breath from Mikomi's body in explosion whoosh of breath leaving her stunned for a few seconds. Finally, Mikomi slowly hauled herself onto her knees and crawled over to the trunk of the tree and sat down leaning against it.

 

With most of her energy spent, Mikomi just sat there against the tree, tears finally falling from her eyes. Mikomi curled into a ball and pressed her tear-soaked face into the crook of her arm, her healing knuckles still bleeding onto her knees. Over and over again Mikomi moaned the same words, “Tou-san…tou-san…tou-san…”

 

 

Late at night, Kitoushi had managed to slip past the night watch and into the training ground within Konoha. It had been easy enough without the Aburame clan constantly scouring the forest with their bungs. He had come to Konoha for one reason: to get another chance to see his daughter. Kitoushi knew that if he was spotted, or is the Akatsuki found out what he had done tonight there would be hell to pay. But at this point in his life, Kitoushi hardly cared what could possibly happen to him.

 

Yominokuni Kitoushi was finding it harder and harder to keep of the façade of Yakubyougami, cold blooded killer of the Akatsuki. It had been easy to maim and kill anyone who had gotten in his path while his hatred for Orochimaru had festered deep in his soul. But now…now nothing seemed to make sense anymore.

 

 

When he had awoken after being attacked by Kimimaro from the Village Hidden in Sound Kitoushi had felt incredibly confused. He had no idea how long he had been unconscious, let alone how the hell he had survived what was supposed to be a fatal wound. His entire body ached - especially his back - and he felt incredibly exhausted. In his confused mind he had wondered why nobody had come along and noticed that his entire family had been murdered. He had even vaguely wondered if he was actually dead. But even though his mind was unable to think properly, one thought slowly brought him around like a guiding beacon of light in the darkness. Orochimaru would pay for this.

 

As Kitoushi struggled to heal himself and to find some way to keep himself alive his hatred grew. When he was finally able to get up and actually walk again he came across the decaying body of his wife and despair had gripped him in its icy cold claws.

 

It was at that moment Kitoushi had decided he would never do ever again since the day he had met Shizuka. He would remove the chakra restraints that covered his body and take up the mantle of a ninja once again. He would kill and kill again if it meant being able to get his hands around the Snake Sannin's skinny little throat. He once again silently thanked the old retired ninja that night, thanking him for giving him the training all those years ago to act on his hatred.

 

A single stroke of the same chakra reactive tattoo paint that he had originally used to seal off his abilities removed the restraints on his body. The rush of power that had filled him had nearly been intoxicating. The pain in his back and body disappeared in an instant. His chakra sense that he had thought was dead for years seemed to resurface in an instant, suddenly filling his body and mind with an awareness that he had forgotten about. It had been quite the rush.

 

Kitoushi's feelings of hatred for Orochimaru finally pushed aside his moment of euphoria. He went into the middle of his surgery room and heaved the operating table to the side with little effort. Not bothering to try and find the slight recess he had hidden in the wood, Kitoushi had smashed through the wood covering the hidden compartment beneath. Inside were his sword, black cloak, and the remnants of his hip pack. Not feeling bothered to buy more kunai, Kitoushi had donned his cloak and sword, and filled his hip pack to the brim with senbon from his medical practice.

 

It was at that moment that Kitoushi had become Yakubyougami, the angel of death.

 

 

From the day he had awoken, half dead and trapped in the same house his family had been murdered Kitoushi hadn't doubted his decision to break the vows he had made to his wife. She was dead. He couldn't possibly hurt her any more than that bastard from the Sound had. Finding out that his daughter was alive and in Orochimaru's clutches had hardly changed a thing. Instead, Kitoushi felt a twin hatred for himself growing alongside the simmering hatred that he held for Orochimaru. His daughter had been in the hands of a mad man who had done god knows what to his little girl, only now there was nothing that he could do about it. He was under Akatsuki's thumb.

 

He had originally approached the Akatsuki and obliterated Sasori the puppet master so that he could gain the power and information to be able to crush Orochimaru in his own hands. Indeed, his strength had grown almost exponentially from the moment that he had earned his right to become a member. Of course, that was as long as he did what he was ordered to do by their leader. The restrictions had meant very little to Kitoushi as he could wait for the right moment to eliminate the man who had defected from Akatsuki in order to pursue his own ends. Finding out that Mikomi was alive hadn't changed that either.

 

Until, that is, he had learned of her escape from Orochimaru. That had been one hell of a bad day. It had also been the first time that Kitoushi had ever had any doubts about joining the Akatsuki. There always was little doubt that most members of the Akatsuki pushed the boundaries of what the Leader wanted them to do, it was almost expected with as many powerful missing-nins working together as there were. But he had done nothing. He hadn't tried to nearly enough to at least get in contact with his daughter. The worst part was that he hadn't really fought against the decision to stay put in the Village Hidden in Sand either.

 

And it he nearly had to pay a price that he would never have even dreamed of having to pay. He had nearly killed his own daughter.

 

The moment that his eyes had locked on Mikomi's his heart had nearly burst in his chest from fear. To this day he still hadn't figured out how he had managed to stop his sword from taking Mikomi's head off, but he thanked whatever power there was that he had.

 

Two things had happened after that day. One, he decided that the Akatsuki could rot in hell if they stood between him and his daughter again. Two, It had also forced him to really examine his life, and what he had done these past years. In truth, Kitoushi hadn't liked what he had seen in himself. Who had become and what he had stood for before Orochimaru had destroyed his life had nearly been destroyed. He had degenerated into the kind of killer that had disgusted him during his early life after he had been trained in the ninja arts. It hadn't mattered who it was, he just cut the person down without a second thought if they got in his way.

 

 

Kitoushi finally pulled himself back to the present as he neared the training area where he had sensed Mikomi's chakra coming from. He had enough regrets already. He didn't want to add to them by punishing himself constantly for them. It was time to start trying to make things right.

 

As Kitoushi neared the clearing he could hear the noise that Mikomi was making. The steady thudding noise of someone hitting wood could be heard, and Kitoushi allowed himself a faint smile. He remembered doing the same drills when he was learning the ninja arts. The noise had started to become more erratic as Kitoushi finally moved close enough to be able to see Mikomi on the far side of the clearing. A renewed pang of guilt struck him as he laid his eyes on his flesh and blood for the first time since he had almost killed her.

 

Indecision struck home as Kitoushi stood there watching. He wanted to speak to Mikomi, but he was started to find that he was actually frightened of what she would say to him; have every right to say to him.

 

When Mikomi's punches seemed to loose any sort of consistent rhythm or accuracy, the blood drained from Kitoushi's face. Mikomi was scraping her knuckles raw against the bark, even though she had started tearing it away from the pole in the ground. Instinctively focusing chakra into his eyes to enhance his vision, Kitoushi could see the damage that was being done. At the same time, he also witnessed the same miraculous healing ability that he had been gifted with as a child. An empathetic longing seemed to wash over Kitoushi as he watched his daughter train, not realizing how long she had been working out.

 

Hesitantly, Kitoushi started to head out into the open clearing when Mikomi shattered the pole into a thousand splinters. Startled, he stepped back into the shadows and peered across the clearing to see if he had been discovered. Mikomi hadn't reacted to his presence at all. She had just run up a tree and started doing hanging sit-ups. Transfixed, all Kitoushi could do was watch.

 

For several minutes Kitoushi didn't move, just watched and listened. That was when he realized just how hard Mikomi was breathing, coupled with the fact that sweat was pouring down her beet-red face. A small corner of his mind couldn't help but feel a little out of sorts as his fatherly instincts cried out for the first time in three years, urging him to convince his daughter to rest and to find out why she was working herself to death.

 

Still, Kitoushi didn't move. Even when Mikomi fell, Kitoushi stood transfixed, as if he was watching a boat smash against a reef, too far away to prevent anything from happening. He stood, frozen in horror even while Mikomi crawled up to the trunk of the tree and began to cry.

 

Then he heard her. “Tou-san…tou-san…tou-san…” Over and over Mikomi moaned out as she cried, each call feeling as if somebody was stabbing Kitoushi in the heart.

 

Kitoushi couldn't take this anymore. He had, to talk with her. He had to try to get Mikomi to understand. He didn't want to loose her completely. Especially since he had already lost her once before.

 

As Kitoushi started towards Mikomi he had to consciously think about being open about his movements so as not to startle her too badly. It was almost a challenge to keep from moving through the shadows rather than into the moonlight. In the center of the clearing for Training Ground Seven, Kitoushi felt a stick shift under his foot as he moved towards Mikomi. Rather than let his foot slide over top of it an continue to move noiselessly through the clearing, he deliberately stepped on it, making a cracking noise that echoed across the clearing.

 

Mikomi's head snapped up and her hand immediately dropped to her weapons pouch at the unexpected noise. Her eyes fell on the figure dressed in black in the center of the clearing. Jumping to her feet, Mikomi nearly attacked him. However, there was a disturbing familiarity about the man, his dark hair and sharp features.

 

“What the hell…no, who the hell are you?” Mikomi demanded, advancing on the Kitoushi as if he was a stranger.

 

An audible sigh filtered across the clearing as Kitoushi's shoulders slumped, “I was hoping that you'd be able to recognize your own father Mikomi-chan…”

 

Kitoushi barely had the chance to pick the kunai that was thrown at his forehead out of the air before Mikomi was on top of him. Despite being several inches smaller than him, Mikomi grabbed Kitoushi by the seams of his cloak and lifted him right off the ground. Unresisting, Kitoushi hauled across the clearing until Mikomi slammed him hard against a tree. Finally, she got a good look at who she had grabbed.

 

Nerveless hands released Kitoushi's cloak. “No, no, no…tou-san?” Mikomi asked as she backed away from the man before her. The man who had tried to kill her. Her father.

 

Before Mikomi could turn to run, Kitoushi called out to her, “WAIT MIKOMI-CHAN! Please, don't go.” Kitoushi couldn't help himself as his voice dropped to a near whisper, “Please don't run away Mikomi.”

 

Mikomi just kept shaking her head, but her feet had stopped moving. She just stood there staring at the man she knew was her father. Her father was supposed to be dead because of Orochimaru. He wasn't supposed to be alive. He wasn't supposed to be this strong. He wasn't supposed to be a killer…

 

“No…” Mikomi muttered under her breath as she began to back away again, “No, no, no, no NO!” Tear's curled down Mikomi's cheeks again, one tracing the scar on her left eye, “YOU CAN'T BE ALIVE! YOU CAN'T BE THIS STRONG!” Mikomi was feeling hysterical, silently crying even as she continued to raise her voice, “WHERE WERE YOU?”

 

Kitoushi flinched back at the accusing in Mikomi's voice, “Please, I can explain this to you! You have-”

 

“NO!” Mikomi nearly screamed this time. A shudder passed through her body before she spoke again, barely keeping herself from screaming again, “You can't be my Tou-san…you just can't be…”

 

Kitoushi just bowed his head in shame, “But I am. Please, you have to believe me Mikomi, I am. Oh Kami…I never wanted to leave you. I…I thought-”

 

Again Kitoushi was cut off by Mikomi as she advanced on him, “You didn't want to leave me? THEN WHAT DO YOU CALL WHAT YOU DID!” Mikomi felt burning anger rush through her, causing her to flush as much as she had been near the end of her sit-ups, “You left me to rot in Orochimaru's cells…y-you left me…with that sick fucking bastard…YOU DIDN'T SAVE ME! YOU WERE STRONG BUT YOU JUST LEFT ME THERE!” Overwhelmed by emotion, Mikomi collapsed in the center of the clearing with great sobs wracking her entire body.

 

He may not have been a father for the past three years, but Kitoushi knew what he had to do. Mikomi had barely started crying before he knelt down in front of Mikomi and pulled her head onto his shoulder and holding her close as she cried. Two tears rolled down Kitoushi's own face as he held Mikomi tight to his chest, her limp body shaking with sobs.

 

“I'm so sorry Mikomi,” Kitoushi whispered in his daughter's ear as he kissed the top of her head, “I'm so sorry…” For several minutes neither of them said a word. They just sat there rocking back and forth, taking in the comfort of the other's presence.

 

Finally, Mikomi spoke again in a whisper, “Why Otou…why didn't you come and get me.” Anger resurfaced in a flash and she threw Kitoushi bodily away from her, “If you're so fucking strong and so fucking good at killing people then why the hell did you not save kaa-san!” Kitoushi's face was ashen when he sat back up, “WHY DID YOU LET HER DIE! You should have killed those bastards for trying to hurt us and you did nothing! You just let them slit her throat and carry me away! WHY DIDN'T YOU SAVE US?”

 

“BECAUSE I COULDN'T!” Kitoushi exploded, shocking Mikomi into silence, “I just couldn't. I never dreamed that somebody like Orochimaru would attack us.” Kitoushi stared into Mikomi's eyes, trying to make her understand how he felt, “I was weak then. The day I met Shizuka…that was the day I decided to give up my strength. I gave up everything to be with her. She was a healer and I had been trained to kill. So I sealed it all away, everything except for my ability to heal.” Kitoushi swallowed hard as continued to try to maintain eye contact with his daughter. Her eyes looked so lost and haunted it almost hurt. “I was trained to be a ninja by the same old man who was training you when you were nine. Kami I…I never thought things through. Seeing Shizuka get killed caused me to snap. I couldn't even think straight. I wanted to cry…I wanted to scream…I wanted to the bastard who killed her to get back up so I could kill him again.” Kitoushi hung his head in shame, “I wanted to get you out of the house. I wanted you to be safe in case somebody else had come with that first ninja. When I saw you fall…kami, I thought that bastard Kimimaro had killed you.”

 

A mirthless chuckled came from Mikomi as she looked up at her father, “Well, he's dead now. The Kazekage apparently finished him off if the rumours that I heard in the sound were correct. One of the few pleasurable memories was watching him collapse to the ground in agony before Sad- my first trainer went to work on me.”

 

For another long moment neither of them spoke. When they did, it was Kitoushi who broke the silence, “When I…I thought saw you get cut down I couldn't hold on anymore. I was able to temporarily release the chakra restraints on my body, but all it did was release the chakra I had at my disposal, not my ability to use it. Kimimaro he stabbed me. Truth be told, I thought that I was going to be dead before the sun rose. I should have been. I honestly don't know how many days passed before I fully came to my senses, but when I did I had already lost everything. I thought you were dead. I knew Shizuka was dead. Only then did I break my vow to Shizuka and released the seals I had put on my body.” Kitoushi just looked at his daughter, “Had I known you were alive the first thing I would have done was come and try and rescue you. I…I joined the Akatsuki so that I could get revenge. They were after Orochimaru too, but for their own reasons. I just wanted to take him out for what he did. And when I found out you were alive…it was too late for me to easily do anything about it. I was already too consumed by revenge to save you or even myself by the time I found out you were still alive. I'd thought you were dead for the longest time…”

 

Kitoushi sat up under his knees and bowed his head down before his daughter, “Please forgive me Mikomi-chan…forgive me for…for the huge mistakes that I've made. Please…I didn't even discover you were alive until a year and a half ago…”

 

Mikomi froze when she heard those words, “You've known I was alive for over a year and…and you didn't do anything?” Mikomi felt her anger surge once again and her voice rise, “Why the hell didn't you save me then? Why did you leave me with Orochimaru? WHY DAMMIT?”

 

“Because I…” Kitoushi found himself swallowing again as he remained prostrated before Mikomi, “Because I could escape my own need for revenge enough to break away from the Akatuski. But I swear, if you just give me a chance I'll break from Akatuki, break away and be with you.”

 

“No,” Mikomi said harshly as fresh tears welled up. Tears that Mikomi ruthlessly quashed. “It's too late for you to make things up to me. I would have gone insane if it wasn't for a person that I met in the Sound, even if I did meet him close to when you say you discovered I was alive. You have no idea what they did to me in the Sound. You'll never make up for that. Get, the fuck out of here.” Kitoushi sat straight up at Mikomi's words, but she interrupted him before he could speak, “NOW!”

 

“Alright,” Kitoushi said quietly before getting to his feet. He pulled a small disk from his pocket, its face glowing with a digital readout of location coordinates, “But at least take this. If you channel some chakra into it, it will contact me, letting me know where you are. I don't…I don't want to leave you again, but I will. I've already hurt you too much. Contact me with it if you ever feel like speaking to me again.”

 

With that said Kitoushi placed it in Mikomi's hand and vanished from sight in an instant.

 

Mikomi paused, rearing back to hurl the device away into the woods, but stopped short. Instead, she slipped it into her pocket and began the long walk back to the Hyuuga compound.

 

 

From the edge of Training Ground Seven another figure emerged into the moonlight muttering after Mikomi and Kitoushi left, “She's definitely up to something. The council needs to know.”

 

With that thought in mind, the lone Anbu that the council had called upon to keep an eye on Mikomi vanished from sight, bringing word to the Konoha Council about the events of the night.”

 

 

Tsunade just stared dumbly ahead as the two eldest on the Konoha Council forced there way into her office completely unannounced. Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu looked incredibly angry, and Tsunade couldn't figure out why. She hadn't done anything lately…well, anything that bad lately. Besides getting a little drunk last night.

 

Homura stormed over to Tsunade's desk and slammed his hands down on it as he leaned over to glare at Tsunade's face, “I told you that Mikomi girl was a foreign spy, that she'd just turn around and contact somebody from outside the village!” Reaching behind him he took the scroll from Koharu's hands and throwing it in Tsunade's face, “There's all the proof that we're going to need. That's a written report from an Anbu member the council assigned to keep tabs on the girl and he caught her talking with someone clearly not of this village last night. And, even though he had a black cloak covering it, the red cloud pattern on the cloak beneath clearly shows that she not only has ties to Orochimaru, but to the Akatsuki as well! What the hell do you think you are doing?”

 

A cold rage had swept over Tsunade after Homura had thrown the scroll in her face, “You're insolence has been noted councilor.” At that, Tsunade grabbed Homura by the neck of his kimono and pulled his face close to her own, “I can vouch that Mikomi has absolutely nothing to do with Orochimaru. I can give you a full historical account on her in that regards if you want. Hyuuga Shiro and his team already has done an excellent documenting her past.” Tsunade's voice also took on a dangerous tone as she tossed him away from her, “And another thing: whose to say that I haven't already arranged for an informant inside Akatsuki. I wouldn't exactly want that to be knowledge that could be leaked to the wrong ears now would I?”

 

“You're overstepping your authority Tsunade,” Koharu said, purposely dropping all forms of respect for the Hokage, “From the beginning the Council has had doubts about Mikomi and yet you have failed to bring any of this information before us. I don't think your so-called evidence will carry much weight with the council anymore. You've hardly bothered with our concerns at all and carried on doing whatever you pleased.” Koharu gave Tsunade a reproving glare, “You know, Danzo-sama was right about you from the beginning. Maybe we should have given the position of Hokage to him after all.”

 

Tsunade ignored Koharu's last jibe, “I haven't overstepped a damn thing. You've just wanted me to do things your way. Well, deal with it. I seriously hope that the council agreed to have an Anbu unit placed on one of my kunoichi. The Council doesn't have the authority to interfere with Konoha's military force barring anything but a unanimous decision for the course of action. That's why there is a Hokage appointed in the first place. Now, get out of my office.”

 

Rising up, Homura and Koharu tried to leave Tsunade's office with as much dignity as they could muster, slamming the door on the way out.

 

Only a few moments later, timid knocking sounded from the door to Tsunade's office before being opened. Hinata stepped inside looking pale and worried.

 

“I-I'm sorry for listening in Tsunade-sensei, but I just couldn't help it. The council is dead wrong about Mikomi-chan! You can't let anything happen to her!” Hinata was wringing her hand in worry by now as Tsunade gave a huge sigh.

 

“I know Hinata. I'll be doing everything I can to stop them from hurting Mikomi more than she already has been.” Tsunade frowned, “Problem is keeping the council, or at least those two from doing anything rash before I can sort everything out. Look, I'll need you get in contact with Team Seven and call them in here. I have to get them out of Konoha for a while so that I can keep as much distance as possible between Mikomi and the council.”

 

Hinata nodded and turned to leave the room when she stopped at the door, “Tsunade-sensei, what about giving them my team's mission? The Daimyo from Fire Country will be arriving tomorrow and it should keep the team out of Konoha for a couple of weeks at least.”

 

Tsunade couldn't help but nod in agreement, “I hadn't thought of that yet. Tell Kurenai that she'll have to report here to get another mission as I've had to reassign it to Team Seven. Also, don't forget to send word to Kakashi as well to bring his team in. I'll have to get them up to speed on the situation as quickly as possible.”

 

 

Kabuto couldn't help but smile as he knocked on the door to Orochimaru's chamber. Their spies around Konoha were starting to get even better.

 

“Enter,” came the usual reply from within the room and Kabuto entered quickly, eager to report the news to his master.

 

“Orochimaru-sama,” Kabuto said as he bowed low, “The Anbu troops that we positioned around Konoha have managed to pull a gem of information out for us. Yesterday, they received word that Mikomi, along with her team will be traveling with the Fire Damiyo outside of Fire Country. They couldn't get an exact route of travel, but they were supposed to leave today on a three week diplomatic trek to Rain Country. There couldn't be a better opportunity to capture Mikomi than right now.”

 

“Kukukuku…” Orochimaru's gleeful chuckle echoed around his shadowed chamber, “That's is good to hear Kabuto. Very good indeed. I want you to inform any teams that you have told to prepare for this mission to stand down. I plan on handling Mikomi personally. In two weeks, I'll have everything prepared.” Turning around, Orochimaru headed for the door in the back of the chamber that lead to his personal laboratory, “For now, I'm not to be disturbed.”

 

“Yes, Orochimaru-sama,” Kabuto said and headed out to call off the party he had arranged to bring Mikomi in.

 

Orochimaru just grinned and headed towards the stasis cell at the back of the chamber, allowing his eyes to briefly watch the gentle swaying of Sasuke's body within it. Pricking his finger with a kunai, Orochimaru began to draw the seals required to prepare Sasuke's soulless body to accept his soul. After all, he didn't want anything as unseemly as muscle atrophy to slow him down if he could avoid it.