Prologue
"Little fox," a women says her red hair flowing behind her. Her room was lit by one candle, making her pale skin glow. "Is something new?"
"Sasuke has gone on a trip with Jiraiya," a brown fox said, sitting on a plain wooden desk. The women's blue eyes widened, before a smile settled on her red painted lips. "Sakura is training with Tsunade."
"So my dear aunt hasn't killed her?" she asked hands on her hips. A large black shirt was the only thing that covered her form. "To think, so much can change in a few months. And this is only the start."
"Start to what Mistress?"
"Little fox, we're going to pull the grandest illusion."
"Trick?"
"One that most will fall for. Sadly, Tsunade knows the truth. Though she is the only one, everyone else thinks I've gone traitor."
"Almost everyone."
"Is my precious fox hiding something from me?"
"Mistress Anko knows you'll never betray the Leaf," the fox said, golden eyes looking at the door. Orochimaru didn't know she held the fox summoning contract, and she planned to keep it that way. "Mistress Kyoko is loyal to those loyal to her."
"Yes, but sadly, this might be the only way to get rid of him," Kyoko told the fox. The stone walls were cold under her touch, everything about the hideout was cold. Empty. The stench of death traveled through each hallway. "If I didn't go with him, he would have found someone else."
"Of course Mistress."
"Runa, I'm guessing she wants an update." Kyoko knew Tsunade too well. When Runa nodded her head, Kyoko smiled. "Orochimaru has taken another body, but this one was, well this one was able to hide things. He had a terminal illness, and now he's trapped in it. For what, three years?"
Runa only nodded, while keeping her paw on a large scroll. Kyoko always kept one open on her desk, along with a medical book. No one went into her room, not without the risk of dying.
"Three years, and in that time, I should be able to pick off that drop the pervert was worried about. I don't know when, or if, I'll return. But for now, that's all I can report. Tsunade, don't worry. I'll be fine."
"Of course Mistress," Runa said as she disappeared taking the scroll with her. Kyoko only rolled her eyes before replacing it, everything had to be in a place, or else someone might be tipped off.
"Happy twelfth birthday," she whispered to herself, sitting on her bed. "Make a wish, a tiny wish. Send it far, far away."
Chapter One: The Stage is Set
"Clones," Kyoko whispered to herself walking down the candle lit hallway. Other then whilst on her mission, she never saw light made by anything other then a candle. Orochimaru had told her that it was 'so they didn't give their location away'. "Gotta love them."
"So Kyoko, have you found a cure," Orochimaru asked her, sighing she only pulled her hair into a ponytail, brushing her white dress of any dust. "Well brat! Don't test my patience."
"Orochimaru, you're not going to be leaving your bed," Kyoko told him, going through the carpet she kept in his room. It was easier to keep his medication in his room, since if he needed it, he could take a painkiller. "Stress will cause you get sicker, along with movement. We can't have the cancer moving from it's primary location."
Orochimaru only looked at her with narrow eyes, he wasn't able to train her, but had to give her training to his men. From what he had been told, she picked up anything they threw at her. She only had to be shown something once, then be left alone for an hour or two and by then she'll have damn near mastered it. "Brat, don't test my patience."
"And don't test mine. I'm here to heal you, and to do so, you need to stay in bed." Kyoko didn't know why she bothered fighting with him, he was like a child, one that wasn't allowed to get the toy they wanted. "This should be able to attack the cancer cells, it'll also prevent it from growing on any virtual organs."
-IceQueen-
"Such a drama queen," Kyoko whispered to herself. She had thought Sakura was bad, she knew the girl still liked Sasuke, but was now more worried about her skill set. "Akatsuki, huh, they don't hide themselves well enough. Or Jiraiya is getting worse at his job. Itachi, you owe me more then you'll ever know."
She had to careful, Orochimaru had asked about Sasuke a lot in her first year, but since she had started to give him medication, she added a seal to the pill, one that blocked his memory.
One that required, she'd give him the same pill at least once a month. It wasn't perfect, but it kept her old team mate out of the snakes hands. She was pretty sure he didn't even remember the Uchiha clan.
"Mistress Kyoko?" Runa said as she entered her room, she always chose one as far as she could from the pale skinned male. He didn't have to worry about her not getting to him in time, since she had increased her speed in the last almost three years. "Mistress Tsunade has sent you some information."
"I'll sent her what I've found out about the treatment for cancer," Kyoko told her, while slowly writing what she had found with various medication. It helped that the person she was planning to kill was her guinea-pig. Through she made him take two pills, one to heal his cancer and the other to make sure he didn't notice himself getting any better. "The last one worked, but didn't prevent it from taking over other cells. It got rid of them, just not fast enough."
"Of course Mistress."
"Runa, please call me Kyoko. 'Mistress' makes me sound old."
"Of course Kyoko."
"Better," she told her, while adding the paper to her collection. She had no doubt that Danzo was planning her death, further affirmed by the fact she had already found two of his little spies in Orochimaru's ranks. "Now take this to Tsunade, and make sure no one else sees it. My report has been added."
She only smiled as Runa went back to the summoning world, it was her prized secret. Only two people knew about her contract with the fox clan, Anko and Tsunade. Shaking her head, she looked at the two files Tsunade had given her. Sasori of the Red Sand and Deidara, both of them were S-rank shinobi.
She had started to slowly pick off the Akatsuki, since they always went off in pairs, she made sure she wasn't seen. Even she wasn't able to get down two S-rank shinobi in a face to face fight, but she was a killer, and thus was able to pick them off using various tricks. She was sure most of them didn't know they were killed, until after she had finished with them.
She had to thank Zabuza, since he had taught her a lot of his 'silent killing' techniques, which helped her more then he could ever know. The war in the mist was starting to show it's end, and it wasn't looking good for the Mizukage. Mei, on the other hand, was acting more and more like an excited puppy. Through she didn't blame her, she would too, if she was stuck fighting a war for the last six years.
"But who are they after?" she asked herself, she would have to send clones to check on them, but she had a feeling that she had seen the two. "Gaara! My clones had seen the two around Suna, but why didn't they grab him then?! He spent more then enough time outside those godforsaken stone walls."
Something wasn't adding up, why would they wait to grab their targets? As strong as she and Gaara were, two S-ranked shinobi would have easily defeated them. She knew overestimating the enemy was good, but oneself? That lead one to an early grave, she had seen it time and time again.
"For some reason they're after the tailed beasts." She had known that much, since Tsunade was able to get the information out of Jiraiya. She had made sure her fellow Jinchuuriki knew about the threat. "But I don't know what their doing with them, the 'immortal' pair kept their lips shut tighter then Tsunade's hold on her alcohol. And the rest of them are most likely going to be willing to share that information... there's more changes of Jiraiya never spying on a woman's bath house. So it's not going to happen. God damn it!"
Chapter Two: Strings that Pull the Puppet
Kyoko loved her blood clones, since all it took was a drop of blood and she'd have a solid clone for about a month or two. She didn't know how long they lasted, since she was never away from Sound for more then a few weeks. Three at most. It was the reason she started her hunt so late, since she had to make sure Orochimaru never caught her leaving.
No one was to know that she was hunting Orochimaru's old group, no one. It made plans harder to make if anyone knew she was leaving, as it was, she had to make sure to henge her clones so they could leave.
"It's good to be free," she whispered to herself, she had just left Sound Country. From her sources, both of her targets were going to be in Grass in a few days. It gave her enough time to set up a trap. "This should only take a day or two."
The bridge in front of her was perfect, forest covered either side. She was sure this was were Konoha had their turning point in the third shinobi war, but she could be wrong, since she was sure they already blew up that bridge.
"Must have replaced it," she whispered to herself thick, while black lines appeared on the metal. It was a basic seal, she was sure Deidara would love it, since his life would be going out with a bang. She wasn't so sure about Sasori, she heard they argued about the meaning of art. She was also pretty sure some of her clones overheard some of those arguments.
"In the end. This bridge might be replaced for the second time in twenty years. Maybe I'll ask Tazuna, it's been awhile since I've seen the old man. Maybe even Natsu and Inari. She missed the two, both were like her little brothers.
She kept their presents in a bracelet. One that she never let leave her sight, it was her biggest weakness, and hell would freeze over before she let anyone touch her little brothers. She was getting stronger by the day, and she knew Orochimaru was getting weaker. Soon everything would be in place.
-IceQueen-
Both Deidara and Sasori looked at each other, before looking at the giant seal on the bridge. Neither of them could move. They both tried to send chakra into the black design, but found that neither had enough and their stores were getting lower by the second.
"Don't worry," a voice said as a red haired girl appeared in front of them, her hands pulling up fishnet gloves. "Sasori, I won't keep you waiting long, through it is quite odd. For someone who believes that art is eternal, one would think you had more patience."
"Let us go, un," Deidara told her, while trying to destroy the seal, but she only rolled her eyes. She had placed a drainer at the start of the bridge, it wasn't her fault they didn't notice their chakra stores vanishing before she trapped them in a 'freeze' seal. She had turned their muscles, and joints, slowly into ice. They weren't going to move, for a very long time. "Art is an explosion."
"Then you'll love this," she told them, pointing in front of her, they could see a small seal on the bridge. A giant smile on her face, as she walked towards them. "But I'll be taking your belongings. Also, the names Kyoko. You might already know, since I'm a target. Hate to break it you, but the moment you came for Gaara, you signed your own death warrants."
"You little brat," Sasori growled, he had killed thousands and yet, he couldn't kill this pitiful teenager.
He knew about the nine tails, they said she was a nightmare among missing nin. The boogeyman of the land, the same one parents would tell their children. She was also Itachi's target, and yet, it looked like she was hunting them. Successfully, if what Pein had told them about Kakuzu and Hidan was true.
"And now you'll go out," she said, hands on her hips a smile on her face. She had paused to draw their attention back to her, she couldn't let them notice the dull glow of the seals next to them. "With an explosion and your blood will be eternally painted in the rock, and sand of the land. See ya."
-IceQueen-
Kyoko only giggled as she walked away from Grass, she would go back to Orochimaru, but she had to get some herbs from Fire. Activating her henge seal, she ran her fingers through thick brown hair.
She wasn't going to get caught, after all, she was pretty sure Jiraiya was close to Sasori and Deidara's final resting place. She wondered who their leader was, and how pissed off he was going to be. She had taken down four of his members, and if she remembered correctly, Tsunade said they believed there were nine rings. Orochimaru having the tenth. She had seen it in his room, she would have to steal it later.
Blinking, she only sighed as she saw Sasuke and Jiraiya. It was most likely karma for playing with her prey, especially since they couldn't do anything back. She could kill A-ranks with ease, S-ranks were another story all together.
"Hello there," Jiraiya said to her, and Kyoko was glad she was using a seal. It wasn't like he knew it. "What's a pretty thing like you walking by yourself."
Kyoko only blinked at him, before looking at Sasuke. He looked like he was ready to hit the man with any blunt object, not that she blamed him. She wanted to stab him with any sharp object. "I was making my way to the trading post. Herbs."
"A healer then?"
"No, I make tea."
"Tea?"
"Yes, tea." Kyoko didn't know if he bought it, but she did know how to make tea. Kurama had taught her how to make older, more forgotten, blends. Ones his father would have enjoyed. "Father ran a trading business, so I opened a shop, but I must be going now. Have a nice day, shinobi-san."
"Why don't we escort you," Jiraiya told her, he had found a battle site and he didn't know if the person was in the area. He didn't know who did it, but he had a feeling that it was Kyoko, since it had Uzumaki seals written all over it. She should be glad that most people had forgotten how bad a Uzumaki seal was, along with how much damage they caused. "Two S-rank shinobi were killed in Grass, it'll be better to be safe then sorry."
"Thank you," she told them, while cursing. It was karma, there was no doubt about it, she would have to stuck to civilian speed. God damn it. "If it's not too much trouble."
"It's nothing, I'm Jiraiya of the Sannin..."
Kyoko blinked and tuned him out, turning to Sasuke she gave him a small smile, before asking, "is he always like that?"
"Hn," Sasuke replayed while nodding, he did this every time he saw a 'pretty young women', but he doubted she was going to fall for his tricks. In fact, to him, she looked slightly unnerved. Brown eyes wide, as a tanned hand went over her mouth. She was pretty, but he wasn't interested.
"I'm going to have to take that as yes, huh, Uchiha-san."
"How?"
"The back of your shirt," she told him. "Papa said I read to much, but only the Uchiha clan has that fan on their clothing. We better get going, I'm Mika."
"Sasuke," he told her. Nodding his head, before going towards the trading point, if the Hokage was annoyed at them, he would point her in Jiraiya's direction, maybe even Mika's. "Let's leave the moron behind."
Chapter Three: Team Seven and the Replacement
"So you're Kyoko?" Sai asked, black hair neatly cut and she didn't know what annoyed her more, the hand he was holding out, or the fact he had a fake grin on his face. He sucked at tricks. "Dickless and Butch have told me about you."
Kyoko only sat down on her bed, she didn't know why he was there. But there was something about him... Root. With Hiruzen gone, her going missing. There was nothing standing in his way, well... besides herself.
"And you are?" she asked, Orochimaru was gone. She had some of the Sound shinobi take him to another base, she stayed behind to deal with the invaders. "I've seen Danzo's little robots before, you seem to have a little more character then they do. Nicknames? Huh, what have you been reading a book?"
"I'm Sai and I've come to bring you back to the Leaf."
"Why in the heaven's would you want to do that?"
"Bonds. Butch told me about the bond between you and her."
"And Duck-butt? I doubt he'd want me back."
"And makes you say that?" Sai asked, she was impressed that his tone stayed flat, even she couldn't do that. "Tomato."
"Tomato?" Kyoko asked pushing herself up, hair raising into nine tails. "Did you call me Tomato?! I'm going to kill you!"
-IceQueen-
"Oh look it's Team Seven," Kyoko said glaring at the dark haired male sitting on his ass. "All together again, then again, we weren't really together in the first place."
Sakura only looked at her with wide eyes, while Sasuke remembers the mark on Mika's neck, it was the same one on Kyoko's. A small seal.
"You were the women, Mika, the one sensei and I ran into," Sasuke told her, it was no wonder that she had tricked the two of them. When they had arrived at the trading post,she had given them the slip. Disappearing into the crowd, while he had trained to be a sensor, Kyoko could get away from ANBU when she was a child, so it was hardly a blow to his pride knowing that it was a A-rank missing nin that had given him the slip. Not a small girl who owned a tea shop. "Who knew, a missing nin knows how to make tea."
"I don't even know what you're talking about," Kyoko told him, she didn't know what gave her away, but she would have to be careful next time. She can't allow herself to be caught, not when Orochimaru was still at large.
He didn't know she had been the one who caught Kabuto, her only crime was being the one who stopped him from getting Sasuke, which he can't remember. Along with fighting against him with the third, but she had excuses for that reason.
She didn't want to get caught. Kyoko didn't know if Orochimaru brought it or not, in the end, she knew he only cared about getting her body. Nothing more, nothing less.
"Come on, Kyo," Sakura said. She had missed the girl. Her pink hair was short, since it got less in the way as she worked. She wore a dark pink, instead of the bright pink she wore as a child. "Why don't you come back with us? The Leaf is your home, Orochimaru only wants you for your body."
"Why would I come back? You do look up the word I have you?"
"You have the nine tails sealed within you."
"Which is why I won't come back. Treated like trash as child, the Leaf was only holding me back."
"Hold you back? What about our friendship."
"What friendship."
"As we trained with Tsunade," Sakura told her, her hands going into fists, she would bring the red head to her level. If she had to, she would break the bones in Kyoko's body, then drag her back. "You might have the nine tails sealed in you, but your not alone. Anko doesn't care, nor does Tsunade. I don't care, Hinata, Lee and Neji don't care. None of us care, we only want you to come back home Kyoko."
"I don't have a home." Kyoko only looked at Kakashi, he knew who she was. He knew who her parents were. Yet, he never helped her. Only Anko helped her for so long that she had lost faith in others. "Not then and not now. You ask me if I knew Orochimaru wanted my body. I know, and I don't care. I'll get everyone who had wronged me, and I'll make them pay."
"Kyoko, you're my baby sister," Sakura told her. She didn't know if it would work, but she only stared as Kyoko's body started to turn into fire. So this, this was her sister's skill. "And nothing's going to change that. We'll bring you home. Kicking and screaming if we have to -"
-IceQueen-
"Bonds, huh?" she asked as she leaned against the wall. She had something she had to do, but first had to make enough medication to last her little trip. So Orochimaru won't figure out she had been leaving without his permission. "Anko, please forgive me."
Tears ran down her face as Sakura' words hit home. While Anko had told her she didn't care, neither Lee nor Hinata knew.
"They don't care," she whispered herself, placing her hand in front of her left eye. Her biggest fear, and Sakura had proven it was false in a few seconds. "They don't care, why am I even crying? Crying is for the weak. I'm not weak, I'm not!"
Placing her hands against the stone behind her, she took in a deep breath and locked away her feelings. She didn't have time to think about their words, she had a mission, she could deal with emotional baggage in her free time.
"It doesn't matter." Picking herself up, she put her hand back on the wall, she would have to leave in the morning, it was better to be alert for her next all, she had to create five ice pillars to kill Kakuzu, while Hidan was more of a pain in the ass. She had to use five different seals. One to destroy his cells, another his charka network, along with his brain. "I have a mission, to take down Akatsuki. They'll never touch those like me, not while I'm still breathing. That's all that matters at the moment, and Orochimaru's death. Then I can go back, and never show my face again."
Chapter Four: Hidden Rain Village Part One
Kyoko knew he wasn't going to be happy when he found out, but she had her reasons. She was also fifteen years old, and wasn't about to pushed around by someone she saw as an older brother till he went 'missing' when she was five. Through, if she knew anything about the Uchiha in front of her, 'upset' was putting is mildly, since behind his mask, he was downright pissed.
"Kyoko, why did you leave the safety of the village?" Itachi asked, Kisame was happily enjoying a all you can eat buffet.
"You're not any better then I am," Kyoko told him. She knew he wanted to protect Sasuke, but she knew one day there was a chance he would learn the truth and she didn't want to have to answer his questions, but she had a feeling she was going to have to. "For awhile he saw nothing but revenge. I was close to just ignoring him Itachi, so close. I have my reasons, and they're close to your own."
"When are you going back to Leaf?"
"I'm enjoying my freedom. So I might or might not."
"Kyoko."
"I don't know, Itachi, I don't. Orochimaru's dying, there's no point in denying it," Kyoko told him. Tsunade had told her that they had found information about the Hidden Rain Village, and Jiraiya was going as soon as he could. "Maybe when my target's been reached, but you know they'll only want me back because I'm the daughter of the fourth, along with the fifth's niece. I don't trust the lot of them."
"Both Sasuke and Sakura want you back," he told her, onyx orbs looking at the sky, black hair being picked up by the wind. He knew he wasn't going to be able to change her mind, she had been like this as a child, but it hadn't gotten worse after she started to train with Anko, but he was glad she was claiming down, somewhat. "Just think about it, you've already destroyed this part of the forest, I'll tell him you got away."
"He'll be jumping with joy once you tell him that," she told him. She had a clone spy on Tobi once, he was like a child, until he thought no one was around. "Be carefully, Itachi, he might act like an idiot around you lot, but it's like he has bipolar."
-IceQueen-
Kyoko only sighed as she spied the iron buildings, she had a plan, but first thing she needed to do was, find more information. She didn't have enough to find Pein, not by a long shot.
She knew that they're sensors were some of the best, so she sealed off most of her chakra, along with Kurama's. Acting her henge seal, her hair turned a light blonde and her eyes a dark green. She had changed her clothes from a blue kimono with a short fishnet bodysuit, to a light blue kimono shirt and a long black skirt, with black biker shorts underneath.
"Hello," she said as she walked up to the front gate, a letter between her fingers. She had killed a missing nin with this piece of paper, so it was perfect for her purpose. "Am I at Rain Village, I've got a letter with me."
"Welcome to Rain," one man said, a smile on his face. When he took her letter he only smiled. "It's nice to meet you Nakoma Yuki."
"It's nice to meet you to." Kyoko was glad she could use her Ice jutsu, along with water and wind elements. "Is there anything I need to do, can you point me in the direction of the hospital, Mama trained me as a Medic, before she was found and killed."
"Go on through Ma'am," he told her, telling her where the hospital was, along with telling her about an blue haired angel. That he was sure she would be checking her out, to see if she was lying, but Kyoko knew she was one of the best. She had to trick Kurama, and she had came close a few times. So very close.
"You must be Nakoma," a voice said, making her jump a little, she knew she was coming, but she had told them she was a medic, not a sensor. "I'm Konan. Welcome to Rain."
Kyoko only nodded as her checks went red, she had to remember to thank Hinata if she ever returned to the village, since she was the one she had copied to get out of tricky stations.
"I was just going to the hospital," she told her, playing with the end of her sleeves. She missed the strings that were in the sleeves of her kimono. "I've never been good in a fight, Mama said I was a better healer."
"Is that the reason you accepted our letter?"
"Yes Miss."
Konan only looked at the blonde in front of her, she didn't seem like a threat, her chakra was at Chunin level at best. She acted too nervous to be harmful, but she knew better then to judge someone on their first appearance, since she could be hiding many things under large green eyes. "I'll show you were it is."
Chapter Five: Hidden Rain Village Part Two
Kyoko only looked at the small girl in front of her, she had been in Rain for about a week, and knew the act Konan gave her when she first arrived was only a mask. Nothing more, nothing less.
One thing she found strange, was the fact that dead bodies were taken to the tallest building in the village, and no one was allowed to see them. Not even grieving family members were allowed to see their loved ones bodies. Through, she knew it explained why there wasn't a grieve yard.
"Nakoma, your shift is over," Ai told her, she had a habit of working over time, since she wanted to see if the pain killers would loosen anyone's tongue, she had learnt a few things and she was sure Pein was the reason no one saw the bodies of the past. "You better get lunch, it's going to rain soon."
"It always rains here," Kyoko told her. She didn't mind Ai, but she couldn't stand her at the same time, the other blonde loved gossip, but she wasn't able to get a thing from Kyoko about her past. Only that she was part of the Yuki clan, and didn't want to think about her past. "I better get going. So little lady, how's the knee?"
The small girl in front of her only smiled and nodded her head. She had fallen off her families staircase, brushing and cuts covered her skin when she came in.
"Go back to your parents. And be careful of those evil stairs, you never know when their going to jump up and trip you."
"Yes, Nakoma."
-IceQueen-
Kyoko kept an ear out for any rumours, but something caught her eye. A sign for a new restaurant, but she was sure that the spot was empty when she arrived. Smiling at two males, she took a seat.
"Hello kind sires and madam," a white haired man said as he cleaned a glass in his hands, Kyoko only blinked. She knew him, she knew him well. Ditched him at the traders point, along with pointed him out to women at some bath houses. "Is there anything I can get you?"
Before they could say anything, she could feel something go around her arms. She knew she would have to change her clothes after this, as something went down her top, she was going to kill him after this. She really was, he had henged a frog to look like a building and now they were in a frog's stomach.
"So who's in control of this village?" Jiraiya asked dropping his own henge. He didn't know how much they knew, but they were the first three he could get his hands on, and he was on a time limit. He knew Tsunade would have his ass, but this was something he had to do. "Not going to talk? I have ways to fix that."
"I'm never going to betray Pein-sama," one of the males said, as the other kept his mouth shut and nodded. "So do your worse."
"He will," Kyoko told them, she had a small smile on her face. She knew what was going to happen, so she wasn't surprised when he had turned into a frog, the other male looking at him in fear, before telling him everything he knew. "See? Now we have two more little frogs."
"So little lady, what do you know?" he asked her. "Are do you want to follow their fate's, I'm gently with women."
"You never change Jiraiya," Kyoko told him, she might as well just tell him the truth. After all, it was the first she had seen him serious. About anything. "You know that? I don't think Tsunade's going to be happy with you. She had ordered you to go to Suna, not Rain."
"Who?"
"You broke my heart. So now I must break you, or leave it to Tsunade. She almost killed you once, if I recall the story correctly."
"Kyoko!" Jiraiya said as he realised her arms. He doubted she was going to run anytime soon, when he blinked she had taken her henge off. "You little brat! You have some nerve, ditching Sasuke and myself at trading point."
"So you do now."
"You know I should have killed you."
"Should have, but you didn't."
"Tsunade's hiding something from me, and it concerns you."
"S-rank mission."
"To?"
"Can't tell."
"Kill Orochimaru."
"If you knew what was the point of asking?" she asked tipping her head to the side, she never could get Jiraiya and she didn't know if she wanted to. "You know what, I don't want to know. So you're my godfather? Where the hell were you."
"I sent you presents."
"Presents? What presents."
"Never mind."
"Anyway. You want to find Pein, I want to find Pein." She didn't know what he was talking about, but her baggage didn't matter. She had a mission to finish, then she would join ANBU, or truly turn into a missing nin. "I know where he is, along with a women named Konan. It's better if they think Nakoma had been killed, it's this that much easier."
"Nakoma?"
"I'm not an idiot, unlike yourself."
"Yea! I'm a super pervert."
"I don't go by Kyoko."
"Kid, I don't like this," he told her. He doubted Tsunade had told her much, but he didn't know how they were swapping information, but his summons had been spotting small brown foxes darting in and out of the Hokage's tower. "Pein's planning an attack on the village."
"A show of power?"
"He most likely doesn't know your not in the village."
"Look his not just a threat to the Leaf, he's a threat to everyone," she told him while looking at her arms. She was going to need a change of her clothes, she wasn't going to be able to get the small of frog off her for awhile. "So can I have my arms back, I must I really ask Tsunade to kick your ass for me? Because I will, if I try, I'm afraid I might kill you."
"What are you planning?" he asked her, while slowly freeing her. He knew both her mother and father, he knew the look on her face. One Kushina wore when she thought of something crazy. "Kyoko? It's not crazy is it?"
"Just follow me. You'll see when we get there."
Chapter Six: Hidden Rain Village Part Three
Kyoko stared at the tallest tower in the village, she had seen bodies being taken into the medal walls, only to never been seen again. But she had a feeling she knew the answer, and it was one many would think impossible.
They were there, she could see the blue chakra strings hanging in the air, it was almost like the ones puppeteers used for their jutsu. Leaning against the wall, she waited for the man to leave.
While she knew Jiraiya was seen as a brilliant shinobi, but she knew he was no sensor. He wasn't able to sense her when she was near him, but then again, she had gotten away from some of the Leaf's best sensors.
"He's left," Kyoko whispered, pushing herself from the trash can she was sitting on. They would have to wait till he left the village, but she knew they wouldn't have to wait long. "You won't have to suffer my presence for that much longer."
"You know everyone missed you?" Jiraiya asked, he had tried to talk Sasuke out of trying to convince her to come back. He had tried like hell for three years, he knew killing his brother was his second motive, 'rescuing' Kyoko was the first one. Tsunade also told him that Sakura had been training just as hard for the same reason. "Kakashi blames himself, same with Sakura and Sasuke. He was your parents teacher and wonders how he missed."
"Almost everyone did," she told him, she knew they were blinded by grief. But that didn't mean she had to accept how they treated her. "He was blinded by grief. You don't see things you don't want to. That's how people's reality will always be different."
"Almost?"
"Itachi and Shusui saw it, along with most of the Uchiha clan." She knew it was the reason Fugaku and Mikoto didn't mind her training with Shusui and Itachi. "I trained with them till I was then, then Danzo made Itachi kill his own clan. How do I know? That's for me to know, and you to find out."
"I didn't..." Jiraiya didn't know the reason behind the clan's massacre, and he knew Sasuke didn't know the reason. Through he guessed it was a good thing, since it stopped Sasuke from going one of the elders. "No one knows. Through the elders might know."
"Like Danzo or any of those old bags will admit being part of it."
He only sighed. Her voice had turned dark and she looked ready to kill someone. He could only hope it wasn't him, or the Leaf Village as a whole.
He didn't know if she could saved, he hoped, but Kakashi had told him that she had been like as long as he had known her. She wasn't like Orochimaru or Itachi, no one saw them going traitor, but it was like the village had seen her leaving them. "How long?"
"He's almost left," she told him, tipping her foot against the ground, smiling as she saw a blue haired female walk back into the building, rain falling from the sky. "Then we can attack."
-IceQueen-
"Naguto?" Jiraiya asked spotting the red haired man. He knew that hair colour, along with his uniquely coloured eyes. Eyes that had only been since the sage walked the earth. "I can't be."
Kyoko knew he was part of the Uzumaki clan, but she didn't care. Her clan might as well be dead, they were tightly knitted anymore. Not like they were before the attack before the Third Shinobi War.
It wasn't like they knew who was part of the clan, the red hair was only a hint. She knew it was hard to care about people you didn't know existed your whole life. Where the only link you had was genetic.
"Konan?"
"So you knew them?" she asked pulling her hair into a high ponytail, so she guessed it was better if she dealt with them. She didn't think Jiraiya would have the heart to kill them, but they needed to die.
"They were old students."
Kyoko sighed and walked up to them. She knew the male was dying, it was easy to sense. Most medics would sense, at least, she thought they would. Either way, he was going to die, either by her hand or by the poison that ate away at his chakra system.
"Kyoko?" Jiraiya asked as he followed her, he didn't know what she was doing, since she only placed her hands on her hips. "What are you doing?"
"So you're the pain in my ass."
"Kyoko?!"
"Who are you?" Naguto asked, he knew she was part of the Uzumaki clan. His mother had told him about her old clan.
"I'm Kyoko Uzumaki," she told him a smile on her face, as Konan stood in front of Naguto. She had seen Sakura do the same for Sasuke when he was bitten by Orochimaru, so she was going to protect him. Or try. "Guess you didn't fall for my clone, poor thing. To bad I had to kill her."
"What do you want?" Konan asked keeping her orange coloured iris' locked on her form,eyes narrowing as she recognised her as Orochimaru's medic. "I doubt the snake let you leave his side."
"You make me sound like some loyal puppy, I'm hurt. Sweetheart, whose to say I won't leave him? Left the Leaf in a heartbeat," Kyoko told her. She was known as a missing nin for a reason. She didn't have any known ties, to any village or person. "Whose to say I'll let him live? Or that I wouldn't leave him just as quickly? You don't know me, but let's cut to the chase, we're all busy people. I'm not going to hand the nine tails over, and it's be over my dead body before you any of the others. You understand? Peace is something that's hard to achieve, we have a war, then some people might have peace and then everyone's back at war."
"They'll learn through pain," Naguto told her, one of his eyes covered. "We learn others pain, by going through the same pain -"
"Oh, sweet checks, let me stop you there," Kyoko told him raising an eyebrow. She didn't know if he thought everyone reacted the same, or if someone had convinced him of the idea. "That's not going to work. Yes, putting people through the same pain will make them understand, that part is correct, but they're not going to react the same.
"Some might try to make sure others don't through it, help those who do go through it. But then you have some who want others to go through the same misery, will spread their pain onti others. Then you some fucked up ones who will find sick pleasure in making others suffer. So no, you sick little isn't going to work."
"What do you mean?" Konan asked, she had a feeling that her friend's plan wasn't going to work, but no one had told them outright that it wouldn't work. She was sure Itachi thought it wasn't going to, but he never said anything.
"Take the pain of losing a loved one, either through death or them going moving away." She understood, only slightly. Since she never really had anyone to lose in the same way, but she had watched others lose their loved ones. She had lost her Mama when she moved on. "There are those who'll go into depression, blame themselves. Others who'll live on in the person's memory. Then you have those who'll kill those responsibly for their loved ones reactions. There might be others, but those three are the ones I've seen. See same problem, different reactions."
Chapter Seven: Memory Lane
"Did I have to kill them?" Kyoko asked herself as she looked at her room, she would allow her blood clone to take over her duty for awhile longer. "Stupid Jiraiya, how dare he compare to the Fourth?!"
Wrapping her arms around herself she glared at her desk, she knew there wasn't a point to being pissed off at his words. "All that foul's kindness ever got him was dead?! They only want me back because I'm his daughter, nothing more, nothing less."
Leaning her back against the wall, it was almost like that time she had first jumped her 'team'.
-IceQueen-
She only watched as they completed one of Kakashi's training exercises, but she knew neither of them were paying any attention. They were acting like they did during the bell test. Sakura only caring about Sasuke.
"Now this won't do at all," she whispered to herself, she had checked up on Team's Ten and Eight, compared to them. It was pitiful. "A trick, a prank. Little fox is coming to play."
-IceQueen-
"There reactions were so worth it," Kyoko whispered to herself. Sakura had screamed when she knocked Sasuke over, before running towards with a wooden sword, whacking her in the elbow before leaving. "What the best part was, I was able to knock Kakashi was on his ass. He didn't even see it coming."
Sitting on her bed, she placed her arms over her face. She didn't know to remember it, she didn't need to think about it. All she should be thinking about was her mission, not about her Genin days, not about the rare few days Hinata would drag her away from her tree to play, before what-his-face dragged her away from her.
She didn't need it. She didn't need them as much as she didn't need the horrid memories, the ones that kept her up at night. Blood, those who laid dead underneath her feet. She had killed at two, and it hunted her ever since.
-IceQueen-
"Kyo, Kyo," Hinata said as she took her hand, pulling her away from the large tree she was napping at. She found that she was less likely to be attacked at playgrounds, so she would nap at the larger ones. "Come play, come play. Play with me."
"Okay!" Kyoko said as she followed the girl around the playground, before a man with brown hair took her hand pulling her away.
"Hinata-sama you need to stay away from her!" the man told her, glaring at her as he pulled the purple-haired female out of the playground. "She's a demon."
"Bye Kyoko, we'll play later!" Hinata shouted at her before she left. "I promise. We;re friends forever."
-IceQueen-
"Friends forever?" she asked herself. That was the last time she saw Hinata until the academy. It wasn't until much later she learned what happened on her third birthday, even through she was still playing with her for the next year. Her cousin started to live with them.
She never did hate Hinata for never going back, she had expected it to happen. After all, everyone left her at some point or another. She expected it happen, she doubted Sakura and Sasuke would continue looking for her, but she thought they had given up years ago. How wrong she was. Three years, it had been three years since she left. She didn't know if Anko still thought about her. She couldn't even tell herself that Hinata remembered a silly promise she made when she was four.
Her 'playdates' were the only things that kept her going, until she figured Hinata just got bored with her. Same with Ino, the blonde played with her three times before outright ignoring at her. So she didn't know if she could count them as friends.
"Why am I crying?" she asked herself hands going to her checks as water ran down them. Why was she crying? It didn't matter, it never mattered. "They were going to leave me at some point. Same with everyone else, they'll leave. You'll see, you'll see. They'll be like everyone else. I'll get my hopes up and then they'll leave. Nothing's ever going to change, fate doesn't exist, but if it did. She's a bitch."
-IceQueen-
"Did you have to kill them?" Jiraiya asked her, eyes wide as he looked at both Naguto and Konan's bodies. All he could see was there faces when they were children, his first book was based on their will.
"Why does the sun have to raise? Why is the moon the colour it is?" Kyoko asked him as she looked at her sword. She knew he didn't care about her, so she hide the cut on her side. Konan had gotten her in the side, along with her left leg. "They were a threat. Don't deny it, you said so yourself. They were going to destroy the Leaf. You're really sad, you know that? I thought you had learned, you're emotions and past ties will forever cloud your judgement. Go back to the Leaf before someone tried to kill you."
-IceQueen-
"He can hate me all he wants," she said to herself. She knew how to deal with hatred, acceptance was something she'd rarely had in her life. She didn't know how to deal with people if they accepted her as a person, rather then hating her for something she had no control over. "He can, it doesn't matter. It's never matter. Why can't I convince myself? Just why?"
Walking to her bathroom, she looked into the mirror. She looked like a mess, her eyes were heavy and she wondered if she was going to any sleep. Not with her dreams never leaving her alone. "This isn't working. This can be dealt with later, get some sleep and complete your mission."
Chapter Eight: Tobi and Orochimaru
Kyoko froze when she felt someone going into Orochimaru's room, and she knew that chakra. It was the man who was with Pain, she had taken the man's eyes and they were sealed in one of her bracelets, before she sealed into her skin. They would have to kill her, but by then, none of her seals would be able to be unlocked.
Anything and everything she had in her bracelets, sealed in her skin. They would be lost, but only she knew that. So it wouldn't do her any good in the long run, she would die either way.
"Tobi's a good boy," a voice said and she leaned against the wall, a hands going behind her back, so no one could see her create a weapon out of her blood. Water slowly weaved around her feet, ready to go around the person she commented them to. "Tobi killed the snake."
She was glad she had a habit of hiding herself completely, or else she was sure this 'Tobi' would have found her, along with Kurama. Most sensors couldn't pin point her and she was glad, since it made her time training that much easier, through people thought she was planning her next prank.
She knew Orochimaru was dying, she had been planning to kill him, since Itachi had tld her, he and Sasuke would be fighting soon and he didn't think he would live. When he left, she went into his room, were he laid. Dying.
"He didn't kill you, just left you half dead," Kyoko whispered as she walked towards him, the man was muttering about taking her body, so he could use her bloodlines, but she knew in his state. He wouldn't be able to take over a bunny. "Hello, Orochimaru."
"I need a new body," he whispered, but she only shock her head. He wouldn't feel his death, she would make it painless and then she would flee. She didn't need half of sound on her butt. Placing a seal on his chest, she only waited until his stopped breath, warmth leaving his corpse.
"Don't worry, Orochimaru. I'll sent your body back to the Leaf Village," she whispered, there he could be buried with his parents. She was sure his name would be hidden until some generations had passed, after all, he was one of the Leaf's biggest traitors. "Tsunade and Jiraiya will make sure you're buried with your parents. Even if you don't deserve it, I would want to be buried near my loved ones."
-IceQueen-
Looking at her old room, she waited for the first shout of rage before leaving her room, she had already taken everything with her. She didn't know if they would think she did it, but she knew Sound would be busy trying to be less like a prison, and more like a shinobi village.
She had already sent the scroll to the Leaf, she could only hope she could get away without someone finding her, but knowing her luck, that wouldn't be so. Fire going around her body, she quickly took herself to the forest outside of sound.
"My mission isn't over," she whispered to herself, running towards wave. She didn't know were to start, but she knew Itachi would be somewhere in that direction and maybe, she'll be able to take out his partner before Sasuke knows she's there. "Now it's time to get rid of some pests."
"Tobi found someone," a cheerful voice said, and Kyoko wanted to throw him off the nearest cliff. He spin around, sleeves longer then his arms and she knew she had to get away from him, before he tried to kill her. One way or another. "Tobi knows Kyoko has what Tobi's after. Kyo was in Rain."
"So you noticed after all," Kyoko told him. She needed to give Sasuke time to get away from Itachi's body, she wouldn't let a mask wearing moron get hands on Sasuke, if she did she might as well wasted the last three years before under the moron snake's care. "Such a shame, you couldn't do anything about it. Good job on the poison, it must have been killing him for years. You got a puppet, two puppets and to think. I got rid of them both."
Before Tobi could say anything, she only glared at him. She could sense Kakashi and the others heading in their direction. She guessed someone had sensed the moron in front of her, it wasn't like he was hiding his chakra. Her body turning into water, she disappeared into the ground and she watched as he disappeared. She knew he wasn't worth it, but the last words sent shivers up her spin. "Tobi knows that Sasuke killed Itachi."
-IceQueen-
She knew she needed to get to Itachi, but she seemed to be having a slight problem. She was able to get away from Kakashi, Sakura, Sasuke and Sai, but she was cornered by both Hinata and Kiba.
She didn't even know they were looking for her, but by their faces. She could tell they were as obsessed as her old team.
"Hinata, Kiba," Kyoko said no emition in her voice, she needed them to stop looking for her, but she doubted they knew about her mission. It was the reason it worked, since no one knew about it. "What a pleasant surprise, I'm guessing we're waiting for the others, through Sasuke will be the weakest."
"Kyoko, I know you're not like this," Hinata told her, she was glad she didn't stutter anymore, it looked like she had improved under Tsunade's teaching. "I know you wouldn't leave Anko alone, she knows you're not a traitor. They know, please, I know you don't care what they think."
"I see," Kyoko told her, her mask was slipping and she could feel emotions wanting to bubble to the surface. She had to control herself, she could break down later. "You've both gotten stronger. Well done."
"You're coming back with us," Kiba growled at her, he was prepared to break her bones, knock her out and have Akamaru drag her back. "Even if we have to break your bones to do so."
"Sorry Kiba, Hinata," Kyoko told them, her told team was coming. And even through she wanted to hug Hinata, she had to go and keep her image of a cold hearted killer. "You'll see, it's better if I don't come back to the Leaf. This way, you're safe from them and everything to do with the nine tails."
Chapter Nine: Itachi's Death
"So you really did die," Kyoko asked as she looked at the collapsed wall. She didn't have to worry about the other Jinchuuriki, since she was sure Tobi wouldn't have enough men to try and kidnap Gaara, who was now safe somewhere in Suna.
She didn't know where he was, but then again, she wasn't looking for him. The less people who knew about his location the better. That and Kurama would tell her if his brother was in danger.
Looking at Itachi's body, she could feel her anger raise. She knew Sasuke wasn't happy with his brother, but he should know that someone was after their eyes, or was she the only one alive who knew about Danzo's plan. "And now I have to kill him, oh joy, now I'm really going to become a traitor."
She looked at her brother's body, before sealing him into a scroll, she had killed his team mate, he never saw her coming, it looked like he was too busy eyeing off one of the roads, and she guessed it was Team Seven's exit.
"Tobi's happy to find Kyoko," Tobi said as he showed up behind her, he was starting to annoy her, and she knew she was going to have to kill him. But he was going to be harder then the mummy duo. "Tobi's happy that Kyoko came for Itachi, Tobi sad that everyone left him."
"I wouldn't be surprised. You didn't touch Sasuke, Itachi would have had another plan," Kyoko told him, she would make sure her brother's annoyance was looked after. Like he did her. "Remember boyo, you made a promise and I'm here to make sure you keep it."
"Tobi's a good boy."
"Tobi's a giant pain in my ass."
"Kyoko mean to Tobi."
"Oh dear lord," she told him, she knew it was wasting energy, but she needed to get away from him. He was going to die, but she was pretty sure she had almost gotten everyone and their plan will fail. She had seen drafts for it, and she was glad she was stopping it. "You're not worth it at the moment. One wrong move, and you won't see the sun. Uchiha."
-IceQueen-
"That was too close," she whispered to herself, she had a feeling that 'Tobi' was just a nickname. One for the second, who Madara Uchiha hated, so she was sure he was part of the whole thing. Somehow. Afterall the giant blue fish had seen him, she had searched his memories, Orochimaru had notes about it and she trained to the best of her abilities. She was just glad it worked.
She knew it wasn't Tobirama himself, since he was there when Orochimaru had attacked the Leaf the first time, his plans for a second attack placed on hold because of his cancer, one that was only placed in his lungs.
If she wanted to, she could have killed him. But she didn't want to, and he was truly dead and she didn't even know what to do with herself anymore. Tobi's plan was almost done, and she was sure Team Eight would have told Team Seven about their meeting.
"It doesn't matter. Tobi, if you spell that backwards it's 'Ibot'," she whispered to herself, but it sounded to much like 'idiot' to be correct, but she remembered Kakashi going to the stone. "Bito. Obito Uchiha! Now I feel like twelve year old Sakura, Obito died. The same year I was born if I remember correctly."
But it was the only thing that made sense, Madara would be well into his hundreds if he was still alive. But with Obito, only two people knew he had died. Knew were his body was, but they couldn't find it. He was killed in action. "Uchiha's. Something else is going on, Itachi, you knew didn't you? The Warring eras, the reason for the warring era. I'm thinking to far back aren't I?"
Kyoko looked at the trees and sighed, she was away from sound, but she was almost in Sand. She had to get to Whirlpool, at least to one of the old temples, she had to talk to the old Hokages, since they would be the ones who knew what was going on.
"Great, it means I have to talk to daddy," she whispered to herself. She wanted to whack her head against the nearest tree, it looked like she was being tracked. "The hell do you want?"
"So Tsunade told me the truth," Jiraiya told her, he had ways to track her down. He wasn't the one who did, but he needed to talk to her. He had to bring her back, she was in trouble, if anything what she told her two friends sent him deeper into panic. He wasn't going to let his Goddaughter suffer. Not anymore. "And Hinata and Kiba told me what you told them. So you have a heart."
"I killed your old students," Kyoko told him standing up, placing her hands behind her back and jumping down. She needed to rest, she needed to get rid of Obito. "Don't you want to kill me? I let Itachi die, I let an innocent man get killed by his brother's hand, so you know I'm killing Danzo."
"No need." Jiraiya didn't know what was going on through her head, but he knew she needed help. It looked like she was killing herself slowly. "Tsunade found proof, I also removed the marks from their tongue."
"You might have to kill them." Kyoko didn't know how she felt about Tsunade getting to him first, but she knew they wouldn't tell anyone. He was old and could die with natural causes at any minute, and she didn't know many who had the balls to question her on a medical issue. "I'm not going back, if that's what you want. Sorry, I have thing to do. People to get rid of. Good-bye Jiraiya."
"Brat, we're going to get you know," Jiraiya told her. He knew almost all of her friends were tracking her down, they were getting better and with how much sleep it looked like she was losing. She was going to be caught soon. "You have three, five, teams looking for you. I don't know of all of them."
Chapter Ten: The Bell Test
Kyoko only looked at the field in front of her, she had gone to Uzu, but she didn't think she'd ran into a field that looked like the training ground were everything started. Where she met both Itachi and Shusui, where Kakashi held the bell test.
She was starting to think that training spot was cursed, through she was glad she met Itachi, she was glad to have met the Uchiha clan. Now they were turning around to be a giant pain in her butt. But when she was six years old, they were the reason she had food, they were the reason she had a place to sleep at night.
"Why did it have to happen?" she asked herself. She wanted to kill Danzo, she wanted to get revenge, but she had seen what it did to Sasuke and she didn't want to go down that road. "Itachi would kill me if i did, Kurama more so, since I would be copying the man he hates so much. Damn you, Madara, damn you."
-IceQueen-
"Now only two people will pass this test," Kakashi said as he held out two bells. Kyoko only rolled her eyes, even she knew teams were made out of three. There wasn't a Genin squid out there that only had two genin's for very long. "You have until noon, and the person who loses will get tied to the post."
Kyoko only watched him, she knew he was lying. He knew he was lying, but she guessed there was another reason for the test, but she knew if it was team work they were fucked and she would be back at the academy before she could blink.
"Ready, go."
She knew were the two were, it was like they weren't even trying to hide. Her hair was red, but she could easily spot Sakura's and she could spot Sasuke's shorts. Oh how she'd love to help her 'sensei' and jump scare them. They'd never see it coming.
"You going to do something?" Kakashi asked her, but she only rolled her eyes.
"Sorry, but if this is about team work, you'll have better luck getting apples to work together," Kyoko told him. It was the truth as harsh as it was. "But then again, we're going to pass either way. Sasuke's on this team, sorry, it seems you'll have to put up with a team that wasn't meant to be one."
-IceQueen-
She didn't know that would be a good memory, both of her team mates were found and taken care of. She was glad they had improved otherwise she would have screamed, along with wondering how they were breathing.
Sure, she would admit it. She sometimes helped a few of Sasuke's missions, but only at the start. Kyoko knew she was starting to get into a bad habit of placing her nose were it didn't belong, but she owed Itachi. She owed Tsunade, and if making sure neither Sasuke or Sakura kicked the bucket before they could help themselves, so she guessed she'd have to pull the helpful team mate.
"You know Itachi," she said to no one, she wondered if he could hear her in the afterlife, since she was at the right temple, or close enough to the bloody thing. "You can't hide the truth forever, someone's going to find out. And I'm not sealing myself in the Naka shrine when I die. Just to save your bloody ass, again."
-IceQueen-
"Who are you?" Kyoko asked the weird male, he had messy black hair and dark grey eyes. He was also looking at her like she grew another head. "I'm Kyoko Uzumaki, and even I know staring is rude."
"Sorry, I'm Shusui Uchiha."
-IceQueen-
"Why does everyone have to leave me?" she asked herself, she had to stop thinking about the past, since she knew it would bring up both the good and bad times, but she guessed the good times were the only reason she stayed sane for so long. "After this, who knows what'll happen. But at least everyone will be safe. That's all that matters. Their safety."
-IceQueen-
"You know you're an odd one," Shusui told her, a smile on his face as he messed up her hair. She only smiled as she slapped his leg. "Almost like my cousin, he's just passed the exams."
"It's not hard to be smarter then you," Kyoko told him. He wasn't the dumbest person she ever met, but he was pretty close. Through she didn't have many people to compare him to, it's been awhile since she's seen Hinata, but she wished she'd came back to the playground and play with her. "Why are you talking to me? Everyone else just glares, you know I've killed someone."
"Join the club, so have I," Shusui told her shrugging his shoulders, she wondered if killing effected him, like it did her. She hadn't been able to get much sleep since her first kill, but she was getting scared.
Each time she was forced to kill someone, it was getting easier and easier. She didn't want to be like the monsters who tried to kill her. "Does it bother you?"
"You learn how to deal with it," he told her, while going through his bag. Handing her a book, blank pages stared at her. She didn't know why he gave to her, but she just looked at him. "Just write down the person's name, if you know it, if you don't write down what Village they're from. Only open that book when you've killed, these are the lives you're the reason for ending. I prey for their souls when I wake up."
"Will this help?"
"It might kid, it might."
-IceQueen-
'It's funny,' Kyoko thought as she made her way to the temple. She had answers to find, and a land to save from being thrown back before chakra was born. 'I still use that book, no it's was filled a few years ago. But don't worry Shusui-nee, I'll keep your really weird tradition going.'
Chapter Eleven: Past Hokages
Kyoko only looked at the four figures in front of her, she knew they wouldn't be able to leave the temple, but she guessed that was the point. She knew no one needed those who have past to come back to life.
She didn't need the death god pissed at her, she'll stick to annoying the living, Gods she'll leave alone. She found things are easier if you don't annoy them. Thinking about the Sound-Sand invasion, she only smiled as the Second glared at her, it wasn't like he'd know that she left the village.
"Kyoko Uzumaki, what's going on?" Hiruzen asked he didn't know were they were, but it looked similar. He guessed it was one of the Uzumaki temples, since they were like the Uchiha in one aspect, they never let outsiders into their temples.
"What's going on indeed," Kyoko told them hands behind her back, she wasn't impressed by any of the men in front of her. She had thought they'd be smarter then this, but she had been proven wrong before. "The world is on the edge for another war. One that could destroy everything we hold dear, but it seems I'm missing a virtual piece of the puzzle. The start. Neither Obito nor Nagato are in charge of this little scheme, but it also seems neither is Madara. But I don't know what happened with him very well."
"The Uchiha clan are a clan of evil," Tobirama hissed, before Kyoko kicked him in the chest. She knew he was going to annoy her, but Hashirama only blinked at her actions and tried to grab her arms.
"I doubt an entire clan is either good or evil," Kyoko told him as she went back to her first spot, one away from the Hokage's, they could hear her and she could hear them and at the moment. That was all she cared about. "A battlefield is not the place to judge one on character. You only see one half of a person, the half they have to show to kill and destroy. One can't hold hands and sing nursery songs while someone is trying to kill them. To you they were evil, but it would be the same for them. You were the reason they lost fathers and brother, as they were the reason you lost them as well. They were only trying to get back alive to their families, the same as you. So just that make every clan evil? Major shinobi clans, were the reason the war started in the first place. The reason it continued, so your logic is mute and pointless, unless you place everyone under the same terms."
"Obito died during the last war," Hiruzen told her. Minato had told him that Obito had died protect his team mates, the death of a true Leaf Shinobi. But she only placed her hands behind her back, she was almost sixteen. In a month, she would be hiding on her birthday, like the last fifteen. "So what would he have anything to do with this."
"That isn't the point," Kyoko told him, she didn't bring them back of have a debate. If she wanted one she could have saved her energy and found Sakura, who would have tried to convince her to return to the Leaf. She might, but like she told Itachi. She was enjoying not being glared at ever five minutes, or seconds, of her life. "I have questions, one that might help this mess become a little clearer."
"Why should we answer them," Tobirama told her, he didn't like her the first time he saw her, and he didn't like her now. She had the wrong mind set for a shinobi, she let her emotions control her, like his idiotic brother. And like his idiotic brother, she had somehow made it past childhood.
Since by the looks of it, she wasn't part of the Leaf. The village's symbol wasn't on her person, instead he could see a metal plate with a music note. She barely even had the Uzumaki symbol on her. If she had either they weren't in plain view. Which annoyed him more.
"Because of your wrong doings, an entire clan was killed. A founding clan was picked off like they didn't matter anymore," Kyoko told him annoyed. She knew he didn't know about the Uchiha massacre, and wasn't apart of it. But he was the reason the stage was set, the blocks were started to be pulled apart. "Because of your own fear, your own blindness of an entire group of people, painting them over with one brush. The Uchiha clan was murdered, torn apart because of it. And worst of all, the Third made one of their own do it, either by his orders or not, Danzo made Itachi Uchiha kill his own family. But you would know all about that, wouldn't you, Hiruzen?"
"I see, child. You're still bitter," Hiruzen said, he had failed many times in his life. One being with his students, letting Jiraiya learn his skills from his summons while he focused on Orochimaru. Itachi and Kyoko were also among his many failures, and unlike Jiraiya, he didn't see Kyoko forgiving him any time soon. Or ever. "One day you're going to have to let it go."
"To forgive and forget. Sorry, not really, but it's not going happen any time soon," Kyoko told him, she didn't hate the Leaf Village, children who hadn't done a thing to her. She hated her own generation, along with the older ones. They were the ones who made her life hell. "Besides, it's my and your generations I really can't stand, those who born after I left are fine. You know, the ones who think it's a good idea to beat a three year old to near death, because of their own fear. But never mind, that wasn't the point at all. I wanted to ask about Madara, why he left and how he was treated. They must have been a reason, people don't snap without one."
"His brother was killed," Hashirama told her, before Tobirama could say anything. He loved his brother, but he thought he was the best person to kill her about him. Dark clouds hanged over his form, he had built the village to protect children. She had just told him she was beaten to near death at three. "During the clan wars, Tobirama killed Izuna."
"And how long was that before the village was built?"
"Two years."
"That couldn't have been the only reason."
"What did I miss?"
"A lot. If I'm correct, then Madara was being controlled long before his brother died," she said leaning against the wooden pillar. "And they were only able to get him to do anything, because of multiple events, not just the one."
"Controlled?" Tobirama asked glaring at her, but she only glared back at him, crossing her arms under her chest. "What makes you say that."
"It's a guess, but I might tell you more or I might not. First, Hashirama, can you tell me more about Madara?" Kyoko doubted he went crazy when Izuna was killed, she also knew that the clan didn't lost all sense when a loved was killed. They reacted like anyone else, everyone was different. "If you don't mind, I might be able to figure out what went wrong, maybe even fix the mess your stupidity as left behind."
"Of course," Hashirama said as he sat in front of the Hokage's, he didn't know who the blond man was, but he guessed he would have time to ask later. Along with how the Leaf was at the moment. At the moment, he had to save this girl from her darkening heart and what was starting to look like, a breaking will of fire. "But to tell you what happened, I must start at the start. With the clan wars."
Chapter Twelve: 180's Don't Happen
"Hello 180," Kyoko whispered as soon as Hashirama was done. Now she was glad she took Pein's eyes when Jiraiya wasn't looking. She was sure his eyes were glued on the blue women's dead body. "So two years between his brother's death and the creation of the village, but how long did he stay?"
"Madara stayed for three years," Hashirama told her. He was wondering where she was going with this, after al, he had a feeling she knew more about the Uchiha clan then she was telling them. "He left a few days after his birthday."
"Three years is a long time to be hated," Kyoko told him, if he was right. Madara was hated by his own clan in the last year. Everything she had read about him, painted him a negative light. "A year is a long to be hatred you your own clan. It's hard to go from one to another. Hated to loved. Or loved to hated, it's drive most people around the bend."
"It is. Sadly, there wasn't much I could do about it."
"How about. Growing a backbone."
"Huh?"
"I don't know, don't you let your moronic brother push you around as much."
"I don't push him around," Tobirama told her. He didn't push Hashirama around, he what was best for the Leaf. He would do anything for Hashirama's dream for peace, even when he himself couldn't see it.
"Sure, you didn't. Besides the fact that everything that left Hashirama's mouth suggested that you did," Kyoko told him a smile on her face, as she put an arm behind her back, it was what he had done to Madara. Just listened to stories without getting to know him, rumour was useful to shinobi, but like anything else. It was only to be taken with a grin of salt, and never at face value. "But isn't that what you did to the Uchiha clan?To Madara and Izuna? Only listened to stories without going to check if they were true or not, cause I know people don't do 180's, 360's in a short amount of time. If his brother's death didn't sent him over the edge in two years, then I doubted it would do so in six."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning, you're a blind moron. There's more to this then first catches the eye." Kyoko knew people thought the second was smart, but she was starting to think he wasn't the brightest apple on the tree. "But of course, you let your feelings cloud your judgement, who would have thought, the person who thought they were useless, was the one who was the most controlled by them."
"So Madara was controlled?" Hashirama asked his eyes becoming larger, he could have helped him, but instead he was the one who was most likely drove him over the edge. He was the one who pushed him away, for the village. But his best friend was suffering and he couldn't see it. "But by who? Who was controlling my best friend."
"That I don't know, but I will find out," she told him. She wouldn't promise, since that meant keeping it. She would keep it, she would, but he didn't need to know that. It meant she was going soft. "I have the answers I need, bother Madara in the afterlife, in fact, ask Mama to point you in the right direction. I'm sure she'll be happy to help."
-IceQueen-
"I'm going to have to get rid of Obito," she whispered to herself as she looked at the large books in front of her. She doubted the seal she used with Hidan would work with Obito, since it felt like Hashirama charka was in his body, like someone had used his cells to recreate limps. She knew it was most likely Madara's doing. "Before Kakashi founds out, hate him. But not even deserves to re-lose his friend. It'll be like Jiraiya all over again, I'm going soft. I really am."
She had to make a new seal, one that wouldn't be as painful. She was sure Rin and Minato were waiting for him to go to the afterlife, but first things first. He had to die, she had to kill him. And then her mission would be over.
She would have stopped a mad man's plan without anyone knowing. But she didn't care what people thought about her, in the end, her loved ones would be safe. And that was the only thing that counted, the only thing that mattered.
"Both Sakura and Sasuke would be looking at you oddly," she whispered to herself as she picked up an old book, a smile on her face. The older seals were forgotten, since enemy clans knew about them, but now, they were forgotten and they were perfect. "Perfect, now all I need to do is learn them. And Obito, you'll be free from whoever is using you, but there's always that black and white thing. I'll have to make two seals then."
She followed the old lines, glad that Kurama could read the old text, since she didn't understand a single word that was written. She was thankful that her clan was paranoid, since only she was able to unlock the old scrolls and books. All of them bearing blood seals.
The entire room was covered in dust, but that didn't mean a thing to her, she already summoned around fifty clones to clean the mess up. She would also be sealing these into one of her bracelet's, that way no one will have the ability to misuse or to destroy them, she didn't want to lose what was left of her clan's history. It was bad enough that most of her generation didn't even know the Uzumaki were a clan. To them her last name was just that, a last name. Something she had picked when she was younger.
Chapter Thirteen: Team Seven and Eight
Kyoko only sighed as she sensed eight people who were becoming a thorn in her side, she didn't know how to feel about people actually caring enough to look for her. She also sighed when she felt the moron's chakra, only with someone else's.
Pausing her eyes only widened once she sensed Hashirama's chakra, along with who she guessed was Madara. After all, she had found his old fan and it still had some of his chakra in the thing.
"This is getting more and more interesting," Kyoko whispered to herself as she gently jumped down, she might as well try to keep her friend's away from the orange weirdo, in case, he tired to kill them. "Taking a deep breath, she walked towards the nearest cliff, her hair blowing behind her. She had barely slept in the last three days, but she could only hope that it didn't show. Or that they weren't look close enough to see through her illusion, since so far, they had guessed, but they hadn't seen through her. Not yet. "Isn't is, well, well. They're all here. Kurama, why don't we have some fun?"
She only smiled as she looked at them, Sasuke was the first one to look up, dark eyes narrowing at her, before they turned red. She knew if he used that to often he would go blind, but she was the one who Itachi's eyes, so she had a feeling she was going to have to knock him out before she changed them.
"Well, well," Kyoko said catching the others attention, her kimono falling of her shoulders, she had lost some weight, but she didn't have time to find smaller clothes. "What a surprise, Team Seven and Eight."
"Kyoko," Sakura said as she looked at her, she knew something was wrong. She knew Kyoko was always thin, but it looked like she was ill. Sick. Something was wrong and it looked like the red head didn't care about her own health. "We're here to bring you home, I'm sure Lady Hokage will forgive you."
"So come with us, before we start breaking bones," Kiba said, but she noticed that there was someone missing. Their sensei wasn't with them, this sparked some of her curiosity, but not enough to actually ask. "You know you can't continue like this."
Hinata only placed her hand over her mouth, her friend and sister was sick. She needed rest, food. But she also knew that neither of things could happen if she was on the run, never being able to rest. "Please come back, we can look after you. Kyoko, they don't matter. We're your friends."
"You went to Orochimaru," Kakashi told her, he didn't know if he knew the man's goal, but he also knew he didn't have to worry about it, since she had killed him. "And then you killed him. Did you know his plan."
"I did. I mean Sasuke and Sakura have already told me," Kyoko said, putting her hand under her check, but she was keeping an eye on Tobi and he was getting closer, and she doubted she could fight him, and keep them away from said fight. "I was never planning to let him take my body, never liked the guy."
"Then why go with him."
"Because the village's fear was holding me back. I couldn't become stronger with people trying to kill me all the time."
"But they didn't understand," Sakura told her, she had talked to her parents. They thought she was the nine tails, until she explained how seals worked. They were scared and didn't understand. "They were scared and lost loved ones."
"Because of that," Kyoko said she knew that, but that didn't mean she was any less bitter about. She was beaten more times then she cared because of their fear, because they didn't want to understand. "It's already they tried to kill me for something out of my control? That they tried to kill before I could walk? Ignorance can only take them so far, so why don't you leave? Cause I'm not coming back."
"I'm afraid that won't be the case," Sai told her. He might not understand emotions, but he knew something was going on. She didn't mock as much as did last time, didn't mention anything about Sasuke and Sakura's strength. In fact, he was surprised when they started dating. "I've wanted to learn more about bonds. The ones that Sakura and Sasuke mentioned they had with you. They want you to come back, they care."
Kyoko's eyes widened as she looked behind both Team Eight and Seven, he was coming and she didn't get rid of them. They were going to be caught up in something that they shouldn't even know existed. It was her problem and not theirs.
Tobi looked at her, the plant like creature next to him. She knew he was smug, and she knew he was annoyed. If he could get rid of her, then nothing would stand in his way to get the others.
"Tobi's so happy to find Kyoko," Tobi said drawing attention to his person, Kyoko with her hand on the seal, she had both of them ready, but she had to make sure that the others didn't get caught in the seal. "Now Tobi is going to kill Kyoko. Tobi's a good boy."
Chapter Fourteen: Perfection of Seals
Kyoko could only look at Obito before cursing under her breath, she doubted he was going to blow his own identity anytime soon, and she knew that Kakashi wasn't going to recognise him anytime soon. Or else, he would have, by now.
She had to get away from the others, but she doubted he would go with her, at least not without a fight. Looking at the tall tress near him, she didn't know how she would keep the people behind her out of the fight.
She would have the time to create a barrier seal, she would have, if she had made one before coming. But she didn't, and now if she did make one, it would be harder to put it up, since she might catch one of the seven people behind her. Kyoko wanted to punch the nearest tree over, but she had seen Tsunade so so, and nothing was solved.
She knew she had been staring at him for five minutes, but he hadn't moved either. And the two different chakras she felt earlier were getting closer and closer, she didn't two more people to deal with. Obito was bad enough, but she also had to be careful not to say his name, like she had to make sure she never told any of minions that she knew of their plans, since that meant they would know her goals. Through, in the end, it didn't matter, since she killed all of them.
"Tobi," she said moving to the left, making sure to stand in front of her old teammates, she didn't want to show them her back, but she didn't have the choice. She just hoped no one looked closer into it, then necessary. "The giant pain in my ass, what do you want? Cause if it's the Nine tails, then you'll have a better change of me kissing your ass and calling you 'God'. And let me tell you, over my dead body."
She only smiled at him, if only. She needed to prepare, if she could argue with the moron for a minute or two, then her seal would be done. Both the barrier and the one she created to kill him. She only blinked as he twirled around like a child, arms free, but she wouldn't be fouled.
"Tobi's a good boy," he told her, and she didn't know what was going behind his mask, he could be glaring at her for all she knew. "Tobi's going to kill Kyoko for Zetsu. Say bye bye to foxy."
"No. Tobi's a giant pain in my ass."
"Kyoko mean to Tobi."
"Tobi a giant moron," Kyoko told him before freezing and glaring at him, she was starting to pick up his fake-childish speech patterns. "Now you me doing it, god fucking damn it."
"Kyoko's mean to Tobi," Obito repeated, cheer clear in his voice, but she knew it was fake, everything about him was fake. "Kyoko mean to everyone, Tobi now remove mean person."
Carefully she controlled the water in the air, they didn't know about her skill level, but she guessed soon they would, since she wasn't going to kill them. Tobi only dodged her water beams, and she was sure some of her attacks were going through him. Like he was never on this plan to start with. She didn't need handseals, so she continued to attack him with water, but none of them would hit him.
"Kyoko attacking Tobi," Obito cheered as he dodged another round of water bullets, before she started trying to attack him with her sword, her barrier blocking the Leaf shinobi out of the fight. It wasn't her strongest, but she knew they didn't know that. She doubted they would attempt to break through it. "And now it's Tobi's turn."
Kyoko only rolled her eyes at his words, removing the seals from her body. She knew she was going to have to stop holding back, they might found out about her bloodline, but she would rather they did, then all of them end of dead because of her own dear. "I would like to see you try."
-IceQueen-
Sakura wanted to curse, she really did. She should have done something when the red head started fighting the orange masked weird-o. And now she could only watch as her skin started to go red, cuts and brushes healing faster then she cared to time.
"You think she's going to be okay?" Hinata asked. Sakura was happy for her, since she had Kiba had started dating, she knew her teacher would make sure her clan didn't try stopping her from finding her happiness, and if Kyoko lived through this, she didn't doubted she'd do something.
"We can only hope," Sakura told her. A smile on her face as she placed her hand on her shoulder, her hair half way down her back, while she kept hers short. "Kyoko is strong and she'll be able to hold on."
"Hn," Sasuke hummed keeping an eye on the two, his eyes slowly showing his bloodline, the odd shape would catch most who knew his clan off guard, but he felt something off when he used it, like his sight was getting slightly weaker each time. He knew she was his teacher's god-daughter, but after he was told that, he wondered were he was, until the white man told him he thought she was safer in the village. "The Uzumaki clan in strong."
"The Uzumaki are a clan?" Kiba asked looking away from the scene in front of them, if they weren't being dragged into the fight in the last twenty minutes, he doubted they were going to be anytime soon.
"Yes," Sakura said she had looked up Kyoko's last name, since she had a feeling that was more to the girl then she told them, but she was pretty sure Kyoko had told them the Uzumaki were a clan, she couldn't remember if she did or not. "It's the reason the third shinobi war started. It took three nations to almost kill them off, we only won because of the fourth and the fact they had suffered huge losses from invading Uzu."
-IceQueen-
Kyoko hated Obito, she really did. She didn't care what he was like after his 'death', she wanted to sent him to the death god, she really did. She didn't know how long they had been fighting for, and she didn't know how many times she went through him before she figured out what was going on. He had a five minute time limit, so she had to work with that.
"You know," she said as she jumped back, a strange black and white creature looking at her from a tree branch, the same one she had been on only a few seconds away. "You're both big pain in the backside, but your also cowards, hiding behind everyone else."
"Tobi is a good boy," Obito said as she dodged one of his blows, her arm going through his before grabbed it. Black lines started to shin through her kimono.
Kyoko only smiled as she removed the seal on the ground, focusing her attention and energy on the ones on her arm. She didn't hear Hinata scream at her, but she felt something go through her other arm, a black thing. "It doesn't matter. You're too late, this will either take the two of you, or all three of us. I do hope you enjoy dying."
Epilogue
Sakura only stared at Kyoko's unmoving body, she had been like that since they found her. While she didn't know why she had left in the first place, some things weren't adding up, through it could have to do with the fact they had nothing to compare her to, she had been like that even before she left.
She was one of the few to look after her, she had a feeling her teacher didn't trust the other nurses and doctors not to hurt her niece. So she, Hinata and Ino were the ones to check on Kyoko, to make sure her skin didn't get anymore pale.
"You're so silly," Sakura whispered to herself, as she ran her hands through her long hair before checking her health. Something was off about her cells, like her DNA had changed, but she had nothing to compare it to. "Kyoko, why did you hide? They would have loved to know you had a bloodline. On second thoughts, they might have feared you more."
Sakura noted that nothing had changed in the last month, at least in her heath, but she had came into the habit of telling her everything that had happened with their friends. She didn't know if Kyoko could hear her, but if she did, then she couldn't complain when Sakura told her, her fears and worries.
"You know Hinata's pregnant, so you might be hearing less of her," Sakura told her, before giggling slightly. She was happy for her once shy friend, she was glad that Hinata grew out of her shell. It was one good thing about Kyoko leaving, everyone wanted to get stronger to bring her back. "Not hear less, but she won't be here as much. Or more. If you know, she wants to rant to someone about Kiba, your the perfect person to talk to, since well, you can't really say anything, but I'm sure we'll all be getting a hear full once you wake up. You, Kyoko, hated being used by anyone.
"We still haven't told Natsu or Inari what happened, so don't die. They'll be miss they're big sister, also, you little sneak. Now everything from wave makes sense, you really didn't want to be seen in a good light. Anyway, Ino has gotten together with Sai, no one saw that one coming. Choji's dating a girl from one of his favourite places, you know it has something to do with food. Neji and Tenten are together, Lee has found a nice girl, and Shikamaru has started to go out with Temari, so she'll be moving to the Leaf soon, don't know about Gaara and her other brother."
Sakura only smiled as she replaced the flowers on her bedside table, they were the same colour as her hair. The same deep red, along with soft blues, she and Ino brought flowers in every two weeks, just in case she woke up and they weren't there. Through she thought that Kyoko would be used it, it didn't matter. They wanted to be there for her, she wanted the red head to be around for her children.
"I haven't told Sasuke yet," Sakura said as she sighed, her hand on her stomach. She would continue to visit, but soon Tsunade and Shizune would have to look after her, since she thought Ino had put on a bit of weight as well. "But I'm pregnant, four weeks along. I'm hoping for twins, since Mum was one. So I have a higher change, so you have to wake up. You're going to be their Godmother, I would to think of someone trying to hurt them with you around. You'd most likely boil then in hot oil, or reuse that seal. After you got them to safety of course, heaven's forbid you allow a child to see the things you saw, but after you wake up, you're coming home with Sasuke and I, he's already set up a room for you."
Sakura almost screamed for joy when her fingers moved, it was a small movement. But it meant she was coming back. Her little sister was coming, and she wasn't going to let her go. Not again, Kyoko Uzumaki was never going to be left alone. Not if she, Sakura Uchiha, can help it.
Hidden Shadows
Twenty years have passed since Kyoko had finished her mission, eighteen have passed since she joined ANBU and ten since she's been in the village, but barely anything has changed. Her friends may have had a few more children, but she can sense something in the shadows.
'There will always be fighting, no matter how much you try to avoid it. People don't get along, not completely, and it'll never happen.'
I hope you enjoyed the second book to the series, I know it's shorter to the first book, but I will go back and edit it, once the series is done. So Book 1, 2 and 3. I don't know about a fourth, I'll see how I do with Hidden Shadows. Also for those who are confused about the last chapter, Kyoko's in a coma, why she's in one, you'll have to find out, but she was in one for around three months. I have some cannon children, but most of them will be OC, since some of the pairings aren't cannon.
Oh well, either way, the prologue is up for 'Hidden Shadows', so enjoy.
BrittanyWilton