I awoke to find Kiba gone. I sat up and sighed, 'back to training' I thought. So I went out to my usual spot in the woods, right in front of the river. I sat down, and began to focus on ice-style ninjutsu. It was nice being able to use this chakra-type, and I could use it against the Toshiki Clan. I never did have a chance to train though.
A puff of smoke came out of no where, and out of it appeared a large creature with slit-eyes; a great blue snake.
"Kogo, what are you doing here?" I asked curiously, wondering why the great snake was here when I hadn't summoned him.. Kogo lifted his head up,
"Yumi, I've come for your training" Kogo replied. I grinned, 'extra help for training! And I could use some help' I thought absolutely thrilled. 'Maybe some more ninjutsu, or maybe some new taijutsu techniques' I wondered. Some taijutsu techniques sounded ideal. Better, easier ways to pound Kiba into the ground.
"It's time you learned senjutsu just as your father, Orochimaru, learned senjutsu" Kogo told me with a serious tone.. My eyes narrowed at my fathers name. 'My father learned senjutsu' I thought, now really wanting to learn senjutsu. Orochimaru may have been evil, but he was my father and a great ninja if you judged him by skill and his past in the Leaf-Village.
"I'm ready then" I replied. Kogo's jaw unhinged and from his mouth came a huge scroll. After signing it he disappeared, and then in a flash I too disapeared. Darkness, all around... so much darkness. Nothingness and a sense of being paralyzed, unable to move. It was frightening, but then it ended. I fell flat on my behind on a cold surface.
"The Ryuchidou" Kogo breathed, and we took in the large snake statues in the dark cave. A snake towards the middle of it sat, eyes closed, tongue darting in and out of its mouth every so often. It wore a black hat with points at the ends, an orb sat on the top of it, and it also wore a chain with a simular orb on it, too. In the snakes mouth was a cigar, smoke going up in small pillars. The snakes face wasI stood their, not gapping at the the sights all around, more like trying to see where the hell I was going or what I was looking at. Kogo chuckled a hissing-snake-like hiss.
"Stay near if you can not see" Kogo said. I put my hand on his back as he glided through the dark, damp cave. Once of twice I nearly slipped on a puddle. I just saw darkness and the small light of large snake ahead with a cigar in its mouth. I bit my lips nervously, feeling scales brush past my side and a tongue darting out flicker across my side.
"Sssssscent is how one another identifiesssss another" Kogo hissed quietly. I nodded my head. My own nose twitched, but I wasn't sure what one scent was from another. My senses were blind. All of the sudden I felt another form slither by causing me to jump into the darkness.
"Kogo?" I whispered. A snake hissed, and it wasn't Kogo. I felt a snake encircle me, and glowing beady eyes starring at me. It's tongue darting out back and forth. It hissed before slithering away. I sighed softly, and blindly found Kogo. We neared the large snake.
"I am the Great White Ssssnake Sssage" the snake hissed. Kogo bowed his head respectfully,
"I am Kogo, and this is Yumi Yakaushi" Kogo introduced us. I bowed my head also, not wanting to disprespect such a large snake. The snake bent his head down, set the cigar down, and looked me in the eyes at an equel level. All of the sudden his eyes glowed purple and I found myself in a new dark room. It was dim, but I could somewhat see. I was... looking at myself. There was a misty, bright aurora around me. I felt something behind me, but I didn't need to turn around to know it was the snake sage. I watched... the other me across the room. The aurora seemed to shift from a bright, pure white aurora to a purple. I felt a sense of pride when it changed to that color. Pride, purple. Then it changed again. There was a low, faint red aurora, and that made me angry. Though the red light was faint under the green one. It felt... natural, and it was stronger. The red was further blocked by a swirling pink. The pink made me feel compassionate, loving. It made me think of Kiba, the leaf village... my father, too. All those colors I saw swirled around like a perfect harmony, it was me. Behind the figure that was another me, different though. With one snake eye, and another eye like that of a cats.
There were multiple feelings; hate for everything. Hatred for me, all than I loved the most; Orochimaru, Kiba, and the Leaf Village. My jaw dropped at this hatred for them. Was this inside of me? Did I hate them? Or was this the Matatabi, the three tailed cat demon? The darker me smiled, showing long canines. Its claws slashed through the brighter me, and I could physicaly and emotionaly feel pain in my uper body that made me double over as if I had been punched in the stomach. The dark-me was coming forward, lunging, claws poised to strike!
I was back in the cave, on my hands and knees. Everything was back to normal.
"The Snake Sage can see into your psyche" Kogo muttered quietly. I slowly stood up, my knees shaking. The Snake Sage slightered away, its back towards us.
"I shall not teach her, but she may learn sage mode if you wish to teach her Kogo" he said quietly.
"But sensei I d-" Kogo began to protest, but the Sage had slithered into a dark hole in a statue. Kogo sighed and closed his eyes.
"Kogo?" I began to say,
"We shall begin your training. I understand why..." Kogo's voice trailed off. Even I understood. Orochimaru who trained here, had ended up using senjutsu for evil purposes. That wasn't my intention though. All I wanted was to protect people, to protect the leaf village. Most importantly I wanted to be able to defend myself, so Kiba wasn't always putting his life on the line for me.
"Yumi Yakushi" Kogo said suddenly, his voice sharp and serious. I snapped out of my thoughts.
"Yes Kogo" I replied.
"I will teach you the art of being a ssssssage, to use senjutsu. The training will be innntessssne, can you handle iit?" Kogo hissed. I gulped nervously,
"Yes Kogo" I responded sharply.
"And so we begin" he replied. And so did my hard, intense training bugun.
Kiba:
The air was still when it hit. A large, giant centipede struck the village, but Yumi was no where to be seen. I was worried, but unfortunantely I had to just trust that my little Yumi could handle herself where ever she was because at the moment I had to focus on defending the leaf village.
