Third Person Point of View
"Sakura!" Naruto caught up with Sakura before she could leave without nobody in sight.
"How did you..." Sakura in shock to find Naruto with her. However, she believes he's here to stop her. "I know what you're thinking! That there'd be nothing I could do even if I were to go...! But I hate myself just standing here doing nothing! Always being a hindrance to and taking advantage of everyone... Not being able to do one single thing respectably... It's useless to stop me!"
"Who said I'm stopping you?" Naruto words made Sakura at disbelief. "You should do it until you're satisfied... But... I'm going too!"
"But..." Sakura's head went down. She wanted to do this alone. Even if Naruto wants to come too, it doesn't feel right to only have just the two of them.
"It's become just the two of us... But we're a four-man squad, right?" Naruto said smiling. "You coming out, (y/n)?"
(y/n) appears next to Naruto. She has her Fire Shizengan on so they wouldn't notice her. Yet, Naruto notice her anyway. "How did you know I was following you guys?" She asks him.
He laughs and scratches the back of his head, "I was just guessing really... Hehe... But I know you're not going to stop us either!"
(y/n) honestly wanted to stop them. The moment she saw Sakura's face, she knew her comrade is planning to go after Sasuke. (y/n) still hates how Sasuke had hurt her so coldly and a part of her doesn't want to see him again. After she heard the mission failed, she partly feels sad that Sasuke didn't return. Soon enough sees that it's too late and believes to never see him again due to him being a new vessel. She couldn't tell Naruto and Sakura that it is impossible now. However, she wants to see it for herself if it is too late. As well as make sure he doesn't harm them.
"Of course I wouldn't stop you two," (y/n) said to them. "Did you think you two can leave without a fellow member of Team 7? Besides, I'm a chunin now, so someone's needs to take lead in this mission."
"Ha! Like we'll ever leave you!" Naruto said.
"Right!" Sakura agrees.
"Hello, you three!" Master Jiraiya appears out of nowhere mkaing the team surprise.
"Pervy Sage? What the heck!" Naruto shouts complaining.
Sakura looks at him being amazed, 'This person... Is Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin?'
"If you go without permission, you know what would happen to the three of you...? If you go across of the border of the Hidden Leaf Village, it means imprisonment and forever as a rogue ninjas!" He said trying to scare them.
"It's no use stopping us!" Naruto shouts at him. Letting him know their goals won't change.
"I won't stop you!" Master Jiraiya words puts the three confuse. "There been Investigate and reports on the Land of Rice Paddies where the village Hidden in the Sound is and where Sasuke has been taken away."
Naruto, Sakura, and (y/n) are amazed to what they heard. Amazed to hear he has found a location of the Sound Village. Where Orochimaru and Sasuke are located.
Master Jiraiya continues, "The mission is set to be carried out in a group of four. As of now, you will be working under me. Got a problem?" Naruto and Sakura didn't have any problems of it. Master Jiraiya looks at (y/n). "You got a problem, girly? I know you just become a Chunin, but better I lead."
"I got no problem with it," (y/n) said. Then the team start their mission.
Orochimaru's Lair - (Y/N)'s Point of View
So far, since we left and arrived at the Land of Rice Paddies, has been a little crazy. My money was taken away from me by the pervert Sannin before I could even check how much was in it. Chanced out of the village by an angry mob. A girl named Sasame attacked us due to mistakenly thought we worked for Orochimaru who'd got tricked by her team when she double crossed us. Then put her faint in our hands to find her cousin named Arashi who is somewhere in Orochimaru's lair. Along with freeing her clan which is the Fuuma clan. Finally, found Orochimaru's Lair. However, after a few minutes staying hidden and not getting caught in traps, stopped at the sight of three way tunnels. Meaning one of them could lead to Orochimaru and Sasuke or maybe all of them are just traps. Either way, it left us no choice but to split up. Master Jiraiya went to the tunnel on the right while Naruto and Sakura went to the middle one. I went to the one on the left with this talking frog named Gamakichi.
"Don't worry, girly," Gamakichi said while hoping ahead of me. "I'll lead the way and let you know if any trap has been set. No problem-"
Gamakichi was cut off in seconds when he had triggered a trap floor. He fell in seconds before I could thought of helping him. I hear a noise from above me then look up to notice a metal wall coming down from the ceiling. I jump over to the other side of the trapped floor. I rolled around on the floor and made it before the walls came down. Blocking my way back to where I came from, but I can think about that later.
I sigh and got up, 'Too bad Gamakichi is gone now. Well, he can disappear on his own will and be summon again like nothing happened. So, he's kind a safe. I hope.'
I turn away from the wall and continue to walk through the halls again. To keep my guard up at all times, I activate my Fire Shizengan. Since this lair is covered in stone and under ground Earth would've been a best option. Sadly, it would mean crushing Naruto and Sakura wherever they are. Fire seems a bit safer since I can hide in the dark and bend fire when I need it. Which is right now. I flip my palm hand up right and a fire appear to help me see where I am going as I walk deeper. I soon come to see a big door. Before I could walk towards it, I notice another room with a normal size door. I wanted to walk pass it, but something tells me I should go in.
Choosing to listen my curiosity, I open the door of the room which appears to be a small library or study room. I leave the door open as I slowly walk inside. It's a dark room with only candles that are soon running out. Five rows of book shelves all neatly stack. Also, two tables with so many opened scrolls. When I walk by the table, a last name caught my attention. I look over to read what it said and saw a photo of a little girl.
Name: (l/n) (adoptive name) Touka
Age: 14 (Last updated)
Height & Weight: 149 cm & 125
Hair, Skin, & Eye color: Purple Blue, pale, & Green
Located: Land of Tea (Found), Village Hidden in the Leaf (Lived).
Status: Unknown
02/14
During my start of creating a mark that would make a ninja so power, I'd come across a new research after my mission. I had ran into a loving traveling family who lived in the Land of Tea. A wife, husband, and daughter named Touka. They were an interesting family with a special and very rare jutsu. It had costed the poor girl's eye when she tried to prefect it. How it saddens me to see such an empty hole on her face.
'So... She's not from my clan... But why does she have my name?' I ask myself as I continue to read.
3/11
After a week of testing the parents with the (l/n) eyes I had 'borrowed' from the (l/n) clan's home after I took a visit. In my opinion, it seems fair to take them since (l/n) Sonja took it from Naku, a rogue ninja. After the parents had failed, I was told that the (l/n)'s Shizengan must work if the chakra nature matches with the nature element of the Shizengan. The eyes I 'borrowed' , or to be proper, Naku's eyes were Water which means the girl must have water as her chakra nature if it works.
'Seriously... That psycho old lady again?' I thought to myself.
4/02
The subject passed. I implanted the eye in her once empty left eye. I made her eye the other eye as a reward. Sadly, she doesn't like it. She seems to be about to control water, but not enough. She even tried to escape without proper training or full used of the Shizengan. The countless number of time I have to punish her for trying. It made me feel terrible for her that she's slowly starting to go insane.
'Okay, so my grandmother kept Naku's eyes this whole time. Then somehow, Orochimaru got his hands on it... Then implant it by force.'
6/02
A mission happens to be near my secret lab that I hid the girl in. The naughty girl escaped and went out of control. Using her special jutsu on Mei and I when we found her. When we were able to knock her out, Mei thought it would be best to take her to the village. I agreed because I want to continue studying her more. However, I sadly cannot let her remember a thing. So, I gave her a drug to completely wiped all memories. It worked the next day when she woke. The third Hokage soon enough accepted her to live in the village. Before I could offer to take her under my care, Mei thought it would be better to have the (l/n) Zuu look after her. Due to having one Shizengan on her. It makes more interesting to see how far she would go.
'My grandfather took her in? Why did he never told me about her? Does Shun know?' I continue to read the last page.
03/02
The years of watching her grow as she gets used to her eye and train hard. Like every day genin would do. Until that one mission that went wrong. It seems that she used her special jutsu on enemy and fellow Leaf Ninjas. I wonder what made her go insane. Meeting her was impossible as she was held in jail for her possible crimes she may or may not commit. Either way, I knew it was eating her alive being locked in a cell for weeks. The night I visited her, she went crazy the moment she laid eyes on me. The drug I gave her must have finally wore off after so many years. Sadly, the subject disappears without a trace. I believe she's still out there, but I will not waste my time on her. Time will tell when she reveals herself to me. Most likely for revenge.
I stop reading about this girl. It's so cruel that Orochimaru can do such a thing. Especially to a child and her parents. I look at the shelf books to wonder if each book are about his subjects. The innocent people he tricked to do his work. It's definitely too many to count. Maybe he has the power to trick clans other than the Fuuma clan. I walk around to check every books titles which are mostly about clans and journal entrance about every subjects. Then I stop at one that said "Kaguya".
'That's Kagome's last name...' I thought to myself. I reach out my to take it.
However, with my slightest touch, the door slammed shut by itself. I turn to see it now closed. I take the book off the shelf and run to the door. Before I could reach for the door knob, my hand couldn't more and started to feel numb. Then my whole body fell to the floor feeling so much ache. I look around the room to notice small smoke coming out of the walls.
'Poison...? It's not even a lot... How is it affecting me a lot already...? What kind of poison is it...?' I thought to myself.
I try to hold breath and cover my nose with my jacket. Then I struggle to get up and reach for the door knob again. Hoping I'll be able to open it while turning on my Earth Shizengan so I may break it down. Sadly, the poison is taking a terrible affect that It is hard to move and use my kekkei genkai at the same time. Once I was able to touch the knob, my whole body got in shock the moment I felt bolts of lightning all over my body with one touch. Screaming in killer pain and fell back to the floor again. My body in a new level of pain from the air of poison and lightning shock all together. The poison entering my body killing my body while the lightning making it quicker to slow my heart rate and forcing my to breathe in the poison air. So much ache that I don't even know which is killing me more. Soon enough, I could feel nothing but cold and eyes forcing to close.
'Not... Again... Will there be a chance someone finding me... Hell no...' I thoughts run around in my head for the last time. 'You're right Sasuke... I'll be dead... Anyway...'
Death Count 6 - Third Person Point of View
A young girl jumps from tree to tree with three cats by her side. She copies their movements by jumping with her hands and feet. Momo did a spin and flip then she copied that cat. Hina extended its nails long and sliced a tree. The girl did the same. Then Denka did a sneak attack, but the girl dodged and both attacked with their nails as swords. After they were done, they went back to the ground.
"Perfect, Kya!" Denka said.
"Yes, you had just turned ten not long ago and you're able to use the claw creation technique," Hina praise her.
"Hm, I say she needs more training," Momo said not wanting to admit she agreed with them.
"It's thanks for all of your training! I am very thankful!" The young Kya said with a big smile.
"How is your eyes, Kya? Are they still hurting you?" Hina asks her in concern. "I heard you whine a little before we started training."
"Yes, I am all fine!" Kya answer Hina. "It just feels weird as always when it rains. Even a short one like earlier. But it's more weird then before. Like I got a tiny shock. Like the time with I rubbed my feet on the rub and secretly shocked Momo behind her-"
"I knew it!" Momo shouted of angry and jumps to Kya at the attempt to scratch her face. However, she failed when Kya caught her in time and started to hug her.
"Oh, Momo~! You know our love is like a spark~! Besides, you can't hurt your partner~!"
After hugging Momo to death, Denka and Hina went off somewhere while Kya and Momo go straight to Nekobaa. When they went inside the room, Kya saw her and two strangers she never met before. They turned to look at Kya. She quickly understands they are shinobis from the Village Hidden in the Leaf based on green vests and village symbol on their headbands. The man with a friendly face smiles at her and she smiles back. She then looks at the woman who is blind, but smiles anyway as if she sees her. She walked to her and kneeled down to her level. Placing a hand on her head.
"Hello, what is your name?" The woman asks her with a smile.
"I'm- I'm Kya... What is yours?"
"I'm (l/n) Sonja and I'm here on a mission with my husband, (l/n) Zuu," Sonja answers the young Kya. "You have very messy hair, but I bet it's not the reason why your eyes are hurting you. Tell me, do you know who your family is?"
"Nekobaa is my family! And so are the cats here!" Kya answers her. "Wait... How do you know about my eyes hurting...?"
Sonja get up, "Shall we go, Zuu? The mission won't take care of itself. Plus, we can't let Kai wait for us too long."
"Yes, dear," Zuu said to his wife and both left the room.
However, instead of staying with Nekobaa, Kya went off the couple and keeping her distance from them. She heard them discussing about the mission they are assigned to and continued to follow them. She followed them to another village not far from where she lives. She watched them stop and plan.
"Kya!" Momo came out in front of her. "What are you doing-"
"Shhh!" Kya shushed her. "Keep it down. I don't want them to know I'm following them."
"Why are you following them?!" She shouted in whisper.
"I want to see how missions work. Plus..." the girl looked at the blind woman again. "I don't know why but she somehow know my eyes are hurting me... Their clan name sounds familiar too..."
"That is the first time you ever heard of their clan. They might be just nobodies. Let's go home!"
"No!" She said to her. "I won't get in their way. I'll just watch. If their in trouble maybe we can help them."
"We!?!?"
"Yes, 'we' now shh!"
.....
....
...
..
.
(Y/N)'s Point of Vew
I wake up coughing and breathing in air. While breathing in the air was when I realized it's clean. I open my eyes to see that I am not in the room anymore. I look down to see lizards all over my arms and legs. Even though I should panic at the sight of this, I just don't have the energy. Then I notice their color changing and puff of smoke appear making them disappear one by one.
"Oh thank heavens," I hear a familiar voice. I turn my head to see Momo and Spicy. "I knew the scroll Lady Mei gave me be useful."
"Meeeeoooowww" Spicy meows like he's calling her a liar.
"Okay, you said it was useful. Hm," She walks to my left side. "However, that room killed you in time, but at least we got you out before you get a chance to die again."
"Momo... I'm-"
"Save it," she cuts me off. "Your personality is different from your mother, but when it comes to missions and journeys, you go without thinking of others, but have a good reason anyway."
"Mother... She followed my grandparents on their mission and that's how she got her Lightning Shizengan and know what clan she belonged to," I tell her.
Momo laughs to herself, "The moment she unlock her Lightning Shizengan and moved to Hidden Leaf Village, she started calling herself the Lightning Cat. Such an odd one she was," She smiles at the memory. "Even said our love is a spark..."
I didn't say a word. That's not due to wanting to hear more. It's mostly because I can still feel leftover lightning I was shocked with tingling in my body. I raise my left hand to look at it. Amazed at my mother who has a rare Shizengan and was talented. Even use extended her nails to steel claws.
"It cost her life you know..." Momo words grab my attention. "When she wanted me to come with her, she wants to make sure we die together. So, I told her about the Cat Nine Lives Seal. I gave her one of my lives to give her the seal. Years later, she fell in love and had two children..."
"How many lives did she have when Shun was born...?" I ask her.
"She had two before she had Shun and thought it would be best to give him the seal, so he may live long. Which made it into only have one life... Then she had you..."
"She... She gave me her last life...?"
"Yes..." She answers. "Her pregnancy with you was a struggle. She was rushed to the hospital when you were not yet eight months. Not even better after you were born... On the last few minutes of her life, she sealed you with her last life."
"Meow..." Spicy walks close to me with a sad look.
"Some Ninneko don't bother wanting a partner. However, this one, wants to be yours and you're not treating him like one," Momo said and I feel guilty for it.
I do feel bad for not letting Spicy be a part of this mission. Even worse when I asked to be alone. I'm a terrible partner to him. I put my hand on his head and rubbing him. Then I feel something weird on in my body again. When I lift my hand a bit away from his head. Noticing hairs are standing straight up.
"Momo... Mother's Lightning Shizengan... What was it like?" I ask her curious.
"Well, it was electrifying," She answers me. "Her being praised by your grandparents for having a rare Shizengan is very special. Not many have it."
"Do you know its hidden special jutsu is?" I ask her again.
"From what your grandmother said since she had all five natures before she went blind, she absorbed electricity. She also said another she knew who had it can redirect it. However, your mother couldn't do both of them."
I raise my hand and look at it again, "Couldn't do them, huh? Maybe... it's because she found a new jutsu... Maybe... it's based on who you are-"
"(y/n)!" I hear Naruto voice in the halls. He runs to me with Gamakichi and Sasame. "What you okay? What are you doing on the floor?"
I didn't answer because Naruto is right. Then we heard a scream that sounds like Sakura's. I force myself to get up from the floor. Once I'm on my feet, that's when the feeling grows again.
"Momo..." I only said her name.
"I understand. This is a mission you and your team must finish alone," Momo said understanding.
"Spicy..." I called out before they both left. I turn around and look at him. Then I extended my nail and show it to him. "You're my partner, remember? So, why are you leaving?"
"Meow!" He runs to my side.
"Wow! What the heck! What are those nails!? Oh god, your toes are crazy long too!" Naruto shouts surprise to see my new steel like long nails.
"It's a move only Ninneko and some ninja used as swords... Now it seems to be a second jutsu for the Lightning Shizengan," She said and looks at me when a smile. "Bright yellow... The color of the Lightning Shizengan. How I miss it..."
"The... What now?" Naruto asks, but we all ignore and heard Sakura's screams again. It was no time to explain. Naruto, Gamakichi, Sasame, Spicy, and I start heading to Sakura.
After the Mission
We failed again. We failed to bring back Sasuke. We did found Sasame's cousin who was brainwashed by Orochimaru and gave us useful information. I lost a life again and almost lost two more lives with Naruto joining me. Not to mention, Orochimaru and Sasuke were already gone before we were even there. However, like I said, we got new information now.
Apparently, Orochimaru couldn't wait for Sasuke to become his new vessel any longer due to being closer to death. He ended up taking someone else's body, but it will only last for three years. Meaning in three years, Sasuke will be ready as a vessel and be possessed by Orochimaru. Although, it will give us time to find him, it still doesn't feel like we did not fail. Naruto, even with his injuries, was all ready to start training right away. Sakura kept a happy face on, but she was still down. For me, I honestly don't know.
Instead of joining Naruto and Sakura at the hospital, I decided to to go the cemetery. Where all fallen ninjas and villagers of the Leaf are located. The last time I've been there was for the Third Hokage, but I didn't visit my family after I paid my respects. I walk past every grave markers and tombstones until I stop and found it.
"(l/n) clan... Sonja, Kya, Zuu, and Kai..." I said the names of my family out loud. "Hello, family..."
Just looking down didn't help me much as expected. Mostly because Sasuke's last words replay in my head. As well as what Momo told me about my mother giving me her last life. Top it off, saw my grandparents in my mother's memories. As well as an unknown person who used to lived in our home and an ex subject to Orochimaru.
'I wonder if I'll join you all very soon...' I thought to myself. Picturing my name added to the grave.
"You know," I hear a voice said. I turn my head to see Lady Mei with four single flowers in her hand. "It's rude to not have flowers to give to love ones after visiting their graves," Lady Mei kneels down. Putting the flowers on the grave and stands next to me. "When I heard from Tsunade that Jiraiya went on a mission with you three, I couldn't help but be impress. Not when Momo and Spicy wanted to follow you and I had to give them a scroll of my lizard friends. For medic reasons-"
"How did you know my family?" I ask her a question.
"When I first arrived to this village, I was just an ally agreement. I joined a team under the Third Hokage as my sensei at a young age," She tells her story.
"An ally agreement?" I repeated her.
"I was..." She said to me. "I became homesick and even got into a fight with Tsunade. At the attempt of running back to the Land of Iron, your grandfather caught me before I could go. Convinced me to join him for late night tea so I won't struggle with hunger. What a lame excuse to stop me, right? Anyways, we talked and it made me rethink my decision. To repay him, I join him for weekend tea. Even taught your grandmother how to walk and attack blind since she lost her sight. How weird it felt for me to have to be a sensei for someone older than me."
"So, you were close with my grandparents and my parents..." I mumble to myself.
"What is the real reason you decide to visit them?" She asks me a question this time.
"I..." I couldn't answer.
"Is it because you miss them...? Or you're wondering when are you really going to die?" I didn't respond. "So, you want to die, huh? It's sad since you can come back to life, but your friends can't."
"What-"
"You're wasting your lives that your mother gifted you!" She shouts at me. "What kind of ninja just gives up and die after failing a mission? None of them. Even samurai, like myself, push forward before we could even die. You may come back after death, but can your team do the same? No. They still push forward while you lay on the ground!"
"That's not true! I fought hard-"
"After your death!" She shouts then pulls out her sword. It points at my throat as I froze. "Since I met you, all I see is death lingering behind you. So let's decide once and for all; I'll kill all your three remaining lives here and now and you can watch your friends die afterwards. Leave you do nothing but watch. Or you train under my wing and I can show you moves where it makes it less likely for you to die. From an enemy attack and even your Shizengan..."
I look at her as I gasp, "You have a way to control the Shizengan?"
"No, but I have a way for you to not rely on it so much in battle. So you won't have to stop yourself in battle to cough blood when it just started," She looks at me seriously. "If I train you, you can't die anymore nor give up. You must think of ways to continue living."
"What if... If I couldn't do it?"
"Think of your friends and family... Do you want them to die? Having their blood in someone's hands?" She said to me.
Before I awoke from my sleep at the hospital, I had a dream of Sasuke killing Naruto and Sakura right in front of me. I don't want that at all and I admit unable to control my Shizengan is a problem. Now have all five natures is a bigger problem if I'll cough out more and more blood. I wanted to find a way, but I was accepting that it can't be helped. Maybe I wasn't looking for the right way to control it. Maybe the problem was that I'm relying on it too much. The Shizengan thinks I'm using it for greed and power. Maybe it's best if I don't use it so often. Then I was reminded of Kiba's injuries and how he fought for me. He's stupid to do that, but it really hurt me to see him hurt and in the hospital. If I want to live, make sure Sasuke doesn't hurt Naruto and Sakura like he did to me, and never see Kiba in the hospital again. I have to stop using my Shizengan so much.
"Lady Mei, please train me." I made my decision.