Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Shinobi and The Miko ❯ Stirrings ( Chapter 2 )

Edited June 18, 2010.

 

“Sasuke! Orochimaru-sama has summoned you! He wants to see you. Now.” The voice that drifted through the thick wooden door was sharp and more than a little irate.

 

Sasuke sighed. And he'd been trying so hard to ignore Kabuto's persistent knocking too. “Yeah, ok, whatever. Tell him I'll be there in a few minutes,” he replied in his customary monotone.

 

The knocking stopped. Honestly, Sasuke had had about enough of this. Orochimaru might have been strong enough to defeat Itachi once, but if that was the case, he certainly wasn't any longer. The young shinobi was pretty sure that if the curse mark weren't keeping him here, he'd have left already. As it was, he needed just a bit more time and he'd be leaving anyway, with or without his “master's” consent.

 

He exited his spartan room and made his way down the hall. Orochimaru would probably be in the underground section of the hideout, where he kept all his experiments. Frankly, it was kind of creepy how much time he spent down there.

 

The hallway gradually grew darker and danker as it sloped away under Sasuke's feet. The smell in the underground rooms was putrid, and it took effort to endure it without reaction. Sure enough, Orochimaru was there, examining one of the tanks that had something- what, his apprentice didn't care to know- suspended inside. He didn't seem inclined to immediately speak, so Sasuke went ahead and asked.

 

“What do you want, Orochimaru?” He watched with a twinge of amusement as Kabuto tensed up. He always got a little hot under the collar when the younger ninja didn't show what he deemed the proper degree of respect. Since this was pretty much all the time, Sasuke wondered how much longer it was going to be before the guy had an aneurism. Then again, it was probably better if the bespectacled shinobi remained alive for the time being, if only because that meant that he did the grunt work while Sasuke devoted his days to training.

 

The ensuing glaring match was interrupted by a snake-oil tone. “Ah, Sasuke, as impatient as ever, mm? Well, Kabuto here just came across a nice little tidbit of information. Would you like to know what it is?”

 

The youngest Uchiha sighed inwardly, letting his eyes wander over the grimy walls of the dungeon disinterestedly. Better than looking at whatever languished in those fluid-filled tanks. “Just get on with it.”

 

Much to his annoyance, this order was met with dry, hissing laughter. “My, my, we are testy today aren't we? Well, as it happens, your little Hidden Leaf Village still wants you back, and it looks like they're going to try and find us again.”

 

Sasuke shrugged. “I suppose you'll want to move again then?” This was the usual routine. Whenever one of Orochimaru's enemies got too close to finding them, they would simply transport themselves and all necessary equipment to one of the snake's other hidden lairs.

 

“Hhm…I think it would be much more fun if we let them come, don't you? They can be a... test for how much you've improved, eh? It might be nice to fight against some flesh-and-blood targets for a change…” he trailed off suggestively.

 

The young ninja looked up sharply, meeting Orochimaru's reptilian eyes. What is he planning? “How long?”

 

The Sannin waved a hand carelessly, though his eyes lost none of their keen focus on the minute changes in Sasuke's expression. Conscious of this, the young ninja was careful not to betray anything. “Oh, a few weeks, at least. I thought you'd appreciate the advance warning, though. Take a little time to prepare, see if those bonds are actually severed after all, hm?” He smiled wickedly, looking ever like the snakes he kept.

 

Sasuke turned on his heel and was about to walk away when Kabuto spoke. “One last thing: the Leaf Village recently welcomed a most unusual guest, someone who said they know you.”

 

The black-eyed boy looked back over his shoulder. “Oh?” He hoped he sounded as unconcerned as he felt. Why would he care about some ninja who had known him once?

 

Kabuto nodded knowingly. “A girl. Quite unusual, as I understand it. She's blind, apparently. Goes by… what was it…?” He allowed his sentence to trail off.

 

Sasuke answered before Orochimaru could. “Minamoto Kaguya. I met her a few years ago. She's nothing special. You'd be better off concerning yourself with the people who might actually be showing up here in a few weeks.”

 

“That's why I mentioned it,” Kabuto replied smartly. “She's with them.”

***

 

Tsunade found herself at a loss for words. In all her life, she'd never seen something quite like this. When she had told Kaguya she'd like to test her healing jutsu on some patients in the hospital, the girl had simply walked silently through the double doors behind her. For the next few hours, Tsunade had watched in wonder as the strange child had healed every person in the injury ward without so much as a passing bout of nausea.

 

The Hokage passed her hand over her face. “That much Chakra…how do you possibly have that much chakra? Not even Naruto…” She trailed off, not quite able to believe what she had seen.

 

Kaguya sank into a chair in Tsunade's office, apparently more exhausted than the Hokage had originally thought. Kakashi was present, but she had sent Naruto and Sakura to make some preparations for their mission. The girl was silent for a time, then spoke. “I don't. The chakra I use…it's not mine. At least, it mostly isn't.” She shook her head. “It's kind of hard to explain. I'm just…a channel. I take the energy within people's own bodies, and just sort of…transform it. Make it what it needs to be, then use it to heal.”

 

Tsunade regarded her with something approaching fear. “You can…use someone else's chakra?”

 

The girl nodded gravely. “Everything in this world is made of energy. I can convert anything into chakra, if I must. The energy in people is easiest, since I don't have to change it all that much. I just…repurpose it. If it's from plants or a stone or something, then it's harder.” There was a pause, and Kaguya took several shaky breaths before adding: “It… it's tiring.”

 

Tsunade was silent for a moment, then, when she was sure Kaguya wasn't going to speak again unless prompted: “How much energy can you take?”

 

Kaguya bit her lip. “I don't create energy, I just use it. If I take too much, the source…dies.”

 

Interest piqued, the older woman prodded again. “Does it have a combat application then?”

 

Kaguya started sharply, and her expression seemed surprised, as thought the thought had never occurred to her. Tsunade wondered if she'd said something she shouldn't.

 

“I don't think so,” she said slowly. “It requires a peaceful and highly concentrated state of mind.” The white-haired girl tilted her head to the side as though considering something, then shook her head. “Even if I could manage to use it in battle, I wouldn't. It would… it's just wrong, somehow. And it might kill me- or the other person- to forcibly remove it from someone trying to use it themselves.” Her voice grew bitter. “I'm a leech, pure and simple. The least I can do is make sure that nobody suffers for it.”

 

Tsunade was taken aback. Something about the girl's tone was chilling. This was the greatest amount of emotion she had seen from Kaguya. The Hokage shuddered to think about what she must be like when angry.

 

“You know,” interjected Kakashi, “Leeches have a great number of medicinal uses, from removing bad blood to curing infection.” He shot Tsunade a look that the woman could not decipher.

 

Kaguya seemed to relax a little, and the tense moment passed. She dipped her head, a small acknowledgement. “This is true. Thank you. And forgive me my outburst, Lady Tsunade. It was irresponsible.”

 

“Don't worry about it. But… irresponsible? In what sense?”

 

More hesitation, though this time it seemed as though Kaguya was merely searching for the right words. “As a channel, I am naturally receptive to the energies of others, including strong feelings, even those of…non-sentient beings. If someone is angry, I know it, and to an extent, I feel it too. As it stands, I can't avoid this. Nor can I avoid…certain reciprocal effects. It serves me best to control my…emotions.”

 

“So do you feel pain? When you heal someone?”

 

“I'm quite glad that nobody in your ward was seriously injured.” An indirect response, but all the answer Tsunade needed.

 

“A most peculiar skill set. Can you do anything else?” The leader of Konohagakure asked laconically.

 

A small smile touched Kaguya's lips, if only briefly. “Basic taijutsu? I am not a shinobi, Lady Tsunade. I can throw a shuriken, if the situation calls for it, but I doubt I'd be much of a match for the children of your village, let alone the adults. My abilities allow me and those around me to survive; I am not skilled at maiming or killing.” She shrugged, a gesture that seemed odd on her.

 

Tsunade looked down at her desk, pensive. Certainly, that limited her usefulness. Then again, such a talent should not be risked in the field, not when it was so useful here. Still, she had to be sure the girl could at least defend herself. On a hunch, Tsunade picked up the orange laying on her desk (a remnant from lunch) and tossed it in Kaguya's direction. The girl's arm went up, catching the fruit with a seemingly unsurprised demeanor.

 

“I don't suppose you read thoughts or tell the future?” She knew the effect of her raised eyebrow was lost on the girl, but surely her tone sufficed.

 

The corner of Kaguya's mouth twitched. “No, my lady. This is simply analysis. You were curious, you tensed the muscles in your left arm, and I felt the orange's energy move. That's all.”

 

Tsunade sat back. “Hmph. I think you'd do fine against most ninja. I tried not to telegraph that.”

 

“Most ninja do not throw fruits, lady Tsunade. If only one opponent has the desire to kill or do real harm, it is that one that will win nine times out of ten,” her newest charge replied matter-of-factly.

 

There was an odd sound from the corner of the room. Kakashi had apparently been trying to obscure a laugh, but succeeded in making a noise reminiscent of both a snort and a sneeze. Tsunade raised an eyebrow, and he appeared to look back down at his copy of Jiraya's latest…book, but she could still see the amused smile underneath the mask.

 

“As you say. Well, you're not a shinobi; I'm hardly comfortable sending you on this mission. However, you helped many of the injured in the hospital, and for that I shall honor your request. However! If my ninja see you becoming a burden, if you can't keep up, they have every right to leave you behind. Do you understand?”

 

“Yes, Lady Hokage.” Kaguya bowed, then left the room.

 

As soon as the door had clicked shut, Tsunade rounded on Kakashi. “And just what is so funny?” she demanded.

 

“Oh nothing…nothing.” His tone became serious. “Do you trust her?”

 

Tsunade sighed, and pursed her lips thoughtfully. “I don't believe she means us any harm, but that doesn't mean she won't cause any.”

 

“Fair,” Kakashi's tone was even, and she briefly considered asking for elaboration. No, if he had something more to say, he would have said it. He may keep his own counsel if he chooses.

 

Decided, she adopted a more formal tone. “Your last squad member will be back tomorrow. See that when that happens, all of you put in some hours teamwork training together. It's important to know how useful she's actually going to be.”

 

“I have a feeling that if she causes anything, it will be our success rather than our failure.” Kakashi turned and walked out.

 

Tsunade grimaced. Perhaps, but… success may be more troublesome than failure this time.

 

***

 

Kaguya. Sasuke allowed himself to fall onto what passed for a bed in the hideout, limbs sprawled wherever they landed. Damn. He tried unsuccessfully to block the image of a twelve-year-old girl in miko's robes from his mind. He still remembered it perfectly, seen through a feverish haze as it was. After the fight with the Mist squad, his curse-mark had flared up out of nowhere, and he'd lost consciousness. The next thing he saw was the wraithlike white-haired girl. Truthfully, he had thought himself dead at that point. His anger had stirred then-how could he have died without killing Itachi?- but it had quickly been replaced with a sort of tranquility he was quite sure he'd never known. The girl had told him what had happened- gone as far as to call him a hero.

 

He scoffed even remembering it. Him, a hero. That was something people called Naruto. He wasn't a hero. He was an avenger, and fine with that way of things. At first, he had thought her some kind of awestruck fool. Perhaps she'd never seen a proper ninja before. But she'd told him that no, her people were quite familiar with shinobi, and not in a good way. And then he'd realized, to his chagrin, that she had seen nothing at all.

 

But what good were these memories now? In all likelihood, Kabuto was toying with him, trying to stir him up somehow. He'd given the bastard nothing to show for it of course, merely made a noncommittal noise and walked off. Hopefully that was little enough reaction to keep Kabuto out of Kaguya's business. She wasn't part of his old life, not really. Just someone he'd met in transition. No need for her to be involved. She was no ninja; she didn't belong in this world, his world of darkness and vengeance.

 

Forcing his thoughts away from that tangent, he began to think instead of training and killing Itachi- both of which had come to consume his musings of late. He was still working on a modification of chidori which allowed him to use his otachi to conduct the electricity. A useful modification, since it required less chakra. He'd been working on the Sharingan as well: it was now able to detect even the swiftest of movements, and the genjutsu was getting stronger. Yes, when they came, he'd be ready to fight them. But would he be ready to kill them?

 

He drifted into a waking slumber, old memories flitting nightmarishly across his vision.