Scarlet Justice [Naruto AU]
- Thread starter FortePlus
- Start date
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- Tags
- naruto action and adventure fantasy slice of life alternate timeline (alternate history) female protagonist lesbians with lasers (lesbian) mildly political original character samurai & ninjas coming-of-age story ham kishimoto did nothing wrong murder murder zoom zoom sisters before misters sneks tiny but fierce
FortePlus
The THRILL from Green Hill
- Location
- Toronto
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Random for the preliminaries. Simulated all the fights based on current and canon knowledge (so basically researching abilities and stats on the wiki). Seeding for finals was a mix of both.
Neji vs. Hinata was thematically important in the original partly because of the gap between them. Hina fuelled by big gay energy is a beast in comparison and the narrative has changed significantly. Felt no need to redo that fight which contributed to choosing random battles.
Also when Kiba/Dark came up I had to have it. Finals Ino would have been big fun but she got a bad draw. Plus having both her and Sakura get dumped in the prelims again is like poetry, it rhymes.
- Pronouns
- he/him
I'm loving phantom the darks character. He's that one side character that everybody likes and finds hilarious.like Bumi from LOK
FortePlus
The THRILL from Green Hill
- Location
- Toronto
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Just imagine Kiba telling his mom how he lost. She'd laugh herself out of the house.
Khona Moshr
Pink Flamingo Cabal Healer(they/them)
- Location
- Alabama
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Ouch
And I'm guessing because Tenten hadn't been able to hurt him Gaara wasnt angry enough to try to kill her.
Well Ino knows how to motivate her friends.
Naruto probably was waiting a few days for that.
Well the question is what will Lili learn to break the through the sand shield.
Chrido will work but it's also a bit boring since it's the canon way.
While if you are fast enough you can get past the shield, so her lightning armor will be good for that. And normally a one minute timer would be enough for a non anime fight but it's low for anime.
The last possible thing is we get a new technique to fulfill the Lesbian with laser tag.
FortePlus
The THRILL from Green Hill
- Location
- Toronto
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Worse, she was too weak and insignificant to waste energy on. Literally irrelevant. Poor Tenten.
it is a mystery
but chunni levels are sure to rise
Kreivan Reyhers
The Edgebringr
- Location
- Canada
- Pronouns
- He
I foresee blood sand and milk in our future, and some sadistic pleasure.
FortePlus
The THRILL from Green Hill
- Location
- Toronto
- Pronouns
- He/Him
STANDING HERE
I REALIZE
THAT YOU'RE JUST LIKE ME
TRYING TO MAKE HISTORY
Lili: Why won't you die?!
Gaara: *Rips off shirt* I'm a Jinchuriki, girl! My sand responds to physical trauma! YOU CAN'T HURT ME LILITH!
FortePlus
The THRILL from Green Hill
- Location
- Toronto
- Pronouns
- He/Him
"Did S-Rank missions, you know."
"In some cushy minor village!"
"Try the Village Hidden in Sand! Could've gone black ops if I hadn't been nominated for Kage. I'm not one of those beltway shinobi. I can break a bijuu in two! With my bare hands!
Don't fuck with this Kazekage!"
"In some cushy minor village!"
"Try the Village Hidden in Sand! Could've gone black ops if I hadn't been nominated for Kage. I'm not one of those beltway shinobi. I can break a bijuu in two! With my bare hands!
Don't fuck with this Kazekage!"
"GAARA! I said my jutsu was tool of justice, not used in anger or vengence. But now, I'm not so sure. Besides, this isn't my jutsu...! Let's dance!"
Kreivan Reyhers
The Edgebringr
- Location
- Canada
- Pronouns
- He
No, instead she will give him ptsd. He'll shiver at the sight of blood after their fight.
Transitions
FortePlus
The THRILL from Green Hill
- Location
- Toronto
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Scarlet Justice - ep. 35
"Transitions"
---
I head home and think about getting into the bath. My hair hasn't been taken care properly for an entire week, my skin needs to be properly moisturized, I need to wash properly and do my nails...so much to take care of and so little time to do it.
"Finally. It's so good to be home." I bask a moment in the cool air filling the apartment.
"Miss Lilith."
"Luna." I turn to see her emerge from her room.
"Welcome home. Please...allow me to take care of you."
I decide not to protest, and head into the bathroom with her. She runs the water and after we undress, she makes sure to tend to my hair with the most precise and loving care. I feel so refreshed already. Her hands are nimble and soft as they run through my hair, and I sit patiently on a small stool as she kneels behind me.
"How did you do?" she asks me.
"All three of us made it to the final round. It takes place a month from now, and by then the location will be selected and notices will be sent out to the participants."
"I expected nothing less than greatness from you, Miss Lilith. And it's wonderful that your comrades are right there with you."
"You should have seen them, Luna. Hina and Shino were fantastic, both as teammates and in their solo fights. I've never been so proud of them."
"I'm so glad to hear it. Lady Midoriko is away, but I will give her a call later. She wanted to know about your progress as soon as possible."
"Yes. I wasn't expecting to stay in that tower for so long, but what's done is done. I'll get to tell her in person soon enough."
"You will. Miss Lilith, I will need some time to properly tend to your hair. I want it to feel just right after your experience..."
"As long as you desire, Luna. Thank you for this."
"I am at your service, always." She hums to herself as her fingers undo my tangles expertly. Washing, and cleaning, and rinsing...there's more to come, but only after I get out of the bath. I've missed these moments...more than that, I've missed Luna. I love being with her so much.
I wash her back and then we get into the tub together, soaking for a while and relaxing quietly. Perhaps a bit too quietly...I might be falling asleep at this point.
"You seem tired, Miss Lilith."
"A little bit. But I want to eat your cooking. The food in that stupid tower was only good to keep me energized..."
"A light snack, then. I can make something quickly for you, along with your long desired milk."
"Oh, I've missed that as well..."
Luna tends to my hair a bit more and we dry off before getting dressed in light clothing. She makes me a snack as promised, and I tear through it before drinking down two bottles of the fortified milk. So delicious...how I missed these flavours. I never took Luna's cooking for granted, but my appreciation has still increased.
"Midori-nee is busy, so..." I yawn as Luna washes my plate. "Is it okay if I...sleep with you?"
"Of course, Miss Lilith. I would be happy to. My bed, or yours?"
"Yours..."
"You still think of me so often."
"I don't know how I could do anything else." I yawn again. Am I really that tired? I don't know, but...I feel like I could just sleep right now. Luna helps me up and shuts off all the lights as we head to her room.
"Luna..."
"Yes."
"I love you...a whole lot..."
She pulls me into her arms as we lie down. "I know. I've always known, Miss Lilith."
"Believe in...me..." I feel my eyes close. "This...mm. Flower...of heaven."
"I always have...and always will," I hear Luna say. And finally, I sleep as my body wants to.
---
I dream a familiar dream. Mom is here again. I can see her face...very cute and rosy, with eyes almost like mine. They're bright and orange. Her red hair is long and swirls around her, shimmering in the strange lights of my dream world.
She holds my face in her hands gently, and I can feel a familiar warmth. It feels so good, but the memory is so painful at the same time. Bittersweet.
"You're doing well, Lili."
"Am I? Really?" I ask her.
"Yes. I'm proud of you."
"Mommy...what about-"
"I meant it. I know about all of that. I am proud of you, Lili." She smiles and her kindness makes my heart melt. "Don't come this way, okay? Not for a long while...I miss you so much, and I would like nothing but to dance with you forever. But I'll send you back with the strength I have left. No matter how much it might hurt to do so."
"Mommy, don't worry. I won't come this way. I have too much to do."
"You do. It's good that you have two big sisters and a strong mother now. Keep trusting them."
"Yes. I understand. You're so remarkable, Mom. You're too good for him. You...always were."
She smiles at me again. "You were the only thing between us that I didn't regret."
"Did...you love him?" I ask.
"Yes. With all of my heart and soul."
I watch my vision fade. I watch her fade away, slowly.
"And that...is why I hate him so much now."
---
My eyes open to the morning light. Luna holds me against her, quietly breathing. I twist a lock of my hair around my finger and look at it. This scarlet shade...a reminder of her. My mother's legacy.
"...yes. I hate him too."
---
It's warm again today, but not oppressively so. Midori is visiting again. I tell her about the exams and my achievements. As always, she's very proud of me and gives me one of her amazing hugs. I wonder how she feels so soft and comfy...but it doesn't matter, as long as I get to enjoy it.
Luna is away at her dance classes. So Midori wants to prepare something special for her eyes only. Well, and mine, I suppose. She finds one of Luna's maid outfits and of course, it fits her snugly. From there we start our photo shoot.
"Raise the skirt a little with your hands," I instruct. Based on my memory, I think I should be able to get the proper angles for this sort of thing. Luna will love it. It's going to be a surprise for later.
"Like this?"
"Just like that. Perfect," I say. I snap a photo and set it on the nearby table as it comes out of the camera. The maid outfit boosts her appeal higher than I could have imagined. Luna is so lucky.
"I've actually never done this before, even if it was my idea. Does...it look good?" she asks gently.
"Very sexy," I say honestly, taking another photo.
"Thank you. Quite the compliment," she says with a light blush. She leans back against the wall, arms above her head. "What about this pose? Good?"
"Good." I snap a few more shots.
"One month to the main event, then. It should be an exciting time," she says. I watch as she sits on the floor, legs behind her as she looks up towards me. I get into a good position and snap more photos, then wait for them to come out of the camera in order. The high socks make her thighs look plump, so I focus on getting those in the shot. "Your first match is Gaara, then. The boy from the Hidden Sand."
"You know about him?"
"Yes. He's a jinchuuriki, like Naruto is...only he's taken a darker path. It's to be expected, seeing how villages tend to treat their hosts. In addition to that, he's the Kazekage's youngest son. His mother is no longer in this world."
"Another discarded," I say with understanding.
"It is so, yes. He certainly has dark designs for the fight with you, especially with all the rumours flying around. The number of people you killed on that one mission keeps increasing."
"Last I heard it was at a hundred. I should have demanded to hear more about it before I killed those two. Unfortunate," I say. Midori stands up and folds her arms underneath her bountiful chest. I have her freeze while I take more shots. Those will do nicely.
"He's apparently never been scratched."
"I kept hearing as much."
"Hmhm...I bet you're excited, Lili. You'll be the first to pop his cherry, you know," Midori says with a smile.
"I've been thinking about it," I admit, blushing. "Putting it like that makes it sound even more scandalous, Midori-nee."
"Hehe. Well...anyways. Maybe you can find some common ground as prolific killers? Or you can just shatter him to pieces since that's always quicker. Far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter much. The Hidden Sand sending someone so dangerous and so valuable to the Leaf is a desperation move, knowing his tendencies. It's bothersome, thinking about it. And there are other similar events, unfortunately." Midori sits on the couch and beckons me closer. She leans back, relaxing herself, and I take more photos in the meantime. "One of these is cause for concern. That man, from the Three Shinobi is here somewhere. The trash...Orochimaru."
I think about the events of the exams, and that feeling I couldn't place. "Perhaps it was him that I felt earlier."
"There's no doubt. He must have been snooping around the examinations for some filthy reason. But...I'm not going to get involved with that sort of garbage until the promised time. There are two conditions for my intervention. First is obviously if he comes near you and tries to harm you. I'll erase him in an instant. Second...if he tries to touch the old man."
"Lord Hokage?" I ask.
"Mm-hm. Nobody knows what something like that will do to the current power structure. I want things stable for my own reasons, so I'll step in at that point. But I have no obligations to help the Leaf, just so you know. If I do step in, don't expect me to be a hero."
"Understood." There are dynamics at play that I feel I would be drowned in if I tried to follow them. For now, I can stay out of them and trust Midori. The time will come when I will be entrusted with responsibility and greater strength.
"As a result of this, don't be surprised at an increase in ANBU presence. If they're aware he's here, I venture a guess that they would like to contain him within the village. It's possible that this is a risky play...after all, he did grow up here."
"Would you know what that man is here for?" I ask. Midori leans forward in her seat and poses for me. I capture her glowing face with more shots.
"Whispers here and there tell me that he's after the Uchiha boy. Perhaps he knows about the Sharingan awakening, or wants him for something else...I can't say at the moment."
Little wonder the higher ups were fussing over him so much. Though...Orochimaru. Did it have anything to do with the injury Sasuke kept nursing earlier? Hm. "Do you think they had a meeting?"
"I wouldn't be shocked."
"Sasuke looked like he was in pain during the preliminaries. He was touching his neck. There's also a woman I saw with the same wavelength as me."
"You mean Anko-chan, yes?"
"Yes."
"I was going to talk to her about you...well, I might do so anyways. It all depends on what you want to do in the end. As for the injury to the neck, it's not that at all. He's likely been branded in the same way that Anko was."
"Branded?" I ask.
"A dark temptation called a Cursed Seal. It gives the user power in exchange for their sanity...I suspect Sasuke used it at least once before, and then was instructed not to do anything to activate it again. Did you see what happened to him?"
"I didn't. He disappeared while we were doing the final seeding."
"Hm. I have to wonder if they're giving him a means to deal with the curse...hopefully it's the case."
This sounds dangerous. And Sasuke...I wouldn't trust him not to tap into that power if it meant defeating me.
"You shouldn't worry too much, my love. Things will fall into order as needed. Now, I think we have more than enough for Luna. She deserves a treat or two, since I've been away a while...hopefully these make her heart race." She giggles. "And perhaps you could take some more photos of her for me to keep."
"I can arrange that," I say. Midori smiles and pats my head.
"Very good. Now, what I meant earlier...you have about a month to do some training for the final round, right? You can very easily go as you are, but I suspect that you want some insurance. Not just for this match, either."
I nod, wondering what she's thinking.
"Since you've improved your skill with lightning chakra and technique, I can teach you something. In particular, a technique that would suit you far better than Kakashi-chan's silly Lightning Edge."
"Hm." A jutsu better for me than that...it does sound exciting, honestly. I can't wait to see it.
"Anko can help you a bit on her own as well, since she owes me some favours for silly things...mm. That's all I really have for now." She pats me on the shoulder. "Don't rush yourself, Lili. Really think on what you want to spend the month doing. Hina has been improving from what you've told me, so maybe you could boost her some more?" I see her eyes sparkle with mischief. "It'd make her a tastier prey, you know..."
Well, Hina is already delicious enough on her own, but...adding a little spice to a possible battle wouldn't hurt either. "I'll think on that, too."
"Good." Midori stands up and stretches. "Now, while I'm in this cute outfit...I'll make something for us to eat, like Luna would. It's been a while since I've cooked, though...so please bear with me."
She hurries to the kitchen and goes through the fridge, and I sit at the table to wait for her.
"Something simple, I think...some steak, vegetables...hm..." Midori puts on an apron over her outfit and smiles to herself before going to work. She's clean and precise with her movements, and I wonder how out of practice she thinks she is.
When she finishes and I take my first bite, I feel like I should be paying for the food in front of me on principle. This is supposed to be 'out of practice'?
"How is it?" she asks me.
"You really can do everything, Midori-nee. It's heavenly," I say with happiness. But she really is amazing.
Not shocking, though...she's my big sister, after all.
---
"Mm~!"
It's the next morning. Still about four weeks left before the final round begins. Hina happily bites into the cinnamon roll that I bought her as a treat, since she loves them so much. Today we're having a quick meeting as Team Eight before training starts in earnest.
"I will be training with my father," Shino says. "For the most part, we will be training in clan techniques, so it's not anything that either of you can help with."
"That's fine. What about jogging?" I ask.
"Pass."
"I figured. That was all that I wanted to ask about, Shino."
"Alright. I'll see you both in a while. Good luck." Shino heads home. It's not that he's being cold, I know that much. He's seriously thinking about how he can fight Temari, with her long range wind attacks. Lightweight insects won't make much headway against that, not directly anyways. Maybe bugs under the earth? Things to consider since we might meet during the tournament.
"Hina, what about you?"
She finishes her chewing and swallows before answering. "Um...I meant to work on clan techniques also. But we can still do things like general footwork together, Lili. That was what helped me complete the Eight Trigrams, anyways...it was all thanks to you."
"That's too much credit."
"Even if you think so...thank you."
I smile and pet her head gently, while she nibbles at her cinnamon roll. I think a bit on what I can do...Kurenai is an option, though I'm not sure if her type of skill set will be immediately useful against the opponents in this tourney. But I'll never truly know until I try.
Kakashi has helped me in the past, but he'll be busy with Naruto...or more likely, Sasuke. If Sasuke is in this tournament, he will be training to fight either Naruto or Neji. Hinata will have to deal with either Shino or Temari. Which brings to mind another question.
"What would you do about long range?" I ask Hina.
"Oh...there are clan techniques for that also. Because Hyuuga is invested in the tournament and their reputation, they've provided me more training for that purpose, along with Hanabi. We'll be working side by side."
That's her little sister, if I remember right. So the Hyuuga have those kinds of contingencies as well? Maybe the boast about being the Leaf's strongest clan isn't just empty talk.
"Lili, what are you going to do?" Hina asks.
"I'm thinking about it. I might train with Midori-nee in the end."
"Ah...you did say she was an elite also. That sounds good for you..." She goes back to her eating.
"Yes..." I sigh and think about what I want to do next. It will take a bit more thinking...in the meantime, there are some things that I want to take a look into.
---
After wishing Hina luck on the first part of her training, I venture out into the village to find Ino. The first place I check is the flower shop, and she's not in...
"Lili?"
"I was looking for you," I say as I spot her coming down the road. "Working today?"
"Nah, I was just in the area. What'd you wanna talk about? Oh, right..."
"Actually..."
"We should exchange numbers," we say in unison. A few moments pass before we giggle together.
"It'd make meeting up a lot easier. Here, I've got cards for stuff like this." Ino takes out two cards and hands me one with a pen. I write my number and trade it for hers. "Perfect. Be warned, I might call in just to talk your ear off."
"That sounds like something I can handle." It's a milestone, really...having a girlfriend that I can talk to freely like this, and who wants to talk to me. Aside from Hina, of course...we do talk on the phone sometimes, and will certainly do more of it as her confidence rises. But it's a different feeling with Ino, really. I suppose all of those high school dramas about feeling important when the popular girl notices you weren't all that far off.
At the least, I know she doesn't like me solely because I'm popular. It's either dislike or fear for the most part...though with the tourney coming up, I might earn some sort of grudging respect among the populace.
"So, what'd you wanna know?" Ino asks.
"I was curious about those two from Team Nine."
"Oh, you mean Erika and Koichi. Or...what was that dumb name he used again?"
I sigh. "Phantom the Dark."
Ino shudders. "That's just too much. I can't believe he's an actual person."
"Say that twice," I mutter.
"Yeah...Koichi Nagano. From what I know, he's part of the Bonus Program that the Hokage set up a long while back. Basically, people emigrate here from other villages and junk, and some kids are already in the shinobi stream. So aside from settling, we have kids from other places who need to get acclimated to the system. That's a normal process by itself. The Bonus Program is for anyone that the Hokage and other officials take note of and think they can fast track, or provide special services to in order to enhance their abilities. Since these are usually Academy or pre-Academy kids, they don't have any detailed knowledge or village secrets. Makes sense since they have to go through a whole process to be approved for emigration and movement of assets without taking huge losses. This is for civilian families with shinobi kids, by the by. Defectors have a...let's call it a different process."
"Ah."
"Your family paid for the opportunity to enroll in the Academy, and you had no previous shinobi connections. Plus the higher ups probably figured you'd be in and out. So you were placed into the normal stream like everyone else who pays tuition, and wouldn't be eligible for the Bonus Program either way," Ino explains. "Koichi was from Earth originally, and on hiatus from his schooling for a year because of an illness. Nothing too bad, he got cured and by the time he came here, he was healthy and ready go. Bonus kids are in a different stream so we don't see much of them."
"That explains him, I suppose. Did he learn that technique we saw here?"
"Yep, we've got all kinds of books on stuff from different nations, 'cause of research, espionage, things like that. So I wouldn't be shocked at him picking that up here."
That makes sense. Lightning Release isn't particularly common here, but I did get access to the chakra mode because of research done earlier. And it wasn't a particularly easy technique, either.
"Erika...she's from the Bonus Program too. I talked to my dad about her earlier, but...well, she's a mystery to a lot of people. So it seems like she's under the wing of the Hokage."
"It would explain some things. The sense I got from her was that she was at least as strong as me, but I suspect she was suppressing her chakra," I say.
"Really, eh...hm. I wonder what it is with all of you cute girls lately. Showing up in town and just blowing everyone away with some kind of monstrous strength," Ino says with a smile.
"Perhaps it is simply the will of heaven that we gather here."
"Maybe. Ah, I dunno...hmm." Ino crosses her arms and thinks for a moment. "You know, if she's on Kiba's team...then his mom would have to be in the loop somewhere. You know a bit about Tsume, right?"
"Not much, I would say."
"That's Kiba's mom, and she's pretty high up in the Inuzuka Clan. Her husband left for reasons when Kiba was young...I say reasons because nobody really knows, and Tsume has pretty famously kept her mouth shut about it. Kind of wild that she's kept that secret for so long, but the world's an amazing place sometimes. Anyways, if Erika has a secret role or something, she would know about it for sure. The Hokage wouldn't put a clan kid on a team of un-vetted rookies, I know that much. Yeah...sorry that I couldn't help more."
"You really should have some perspective sometimes. That is a lot of information, Ino."
"Really? Huh." She rubs at her head. "I mean, Dad does a lot more, so..."
"Ino." I take one of her hands in mine. "You're young. Remember that you have time, alright? You'll be okay...I promise."
"Yeah. Thanks, Lili."
"You're welcome. If you still feel down, call me tonight. I'll listen to you go on about boys as much as you want."
"I really want to rant about that Dark guy. And his horrific aesthetic! It's actually the worst! The worst!" she says as she throws her hands up in the air.
"I'll see you later, Ino." I laugh to myself as we part ways.
"And what was with that guy with the face paint? And those other guys with the weird cloths over their faces? The gods of fashion weep with despair! And does nobody know what to do with their hair?"
---
I figured that I could find my way towards the district where the Inuzuka live, and sure enough I make it there. No real idea where Kiba's place is, but this part of the village is built with lots of space in mind. There are plenty of clan members with their dogs, and some civilians from what I can see. This must be known as a safe place for dog lovers. Even if some of them can easily tear a human to shreds.
"I assume you have business here, snake child."
I turn to face the the ninken who has appeared behind me. A good deal larger than normal dogs, with a wolf-like appearance. He has an eyepatch over his right eye, and is missing his left ear. Black with a white underside...I can guess at his name, if the clan's schemes for that sort of thing are correct. But I want to be polite.
"I hope I'm not trespassing," I say to him. It didn't cross my mind until now that most of the ninken around can't actually talk. Communicate with certain humans and understand them, yes, but not directly speaking to others like me. But talking animals aren't unusual for me at this point. He seems to take note of this and his initial scrutiny fades off.
"Not at all. But the pack has taken note of you. Your aura is potent..."
"I see. Pardon my intrusion, either way. My name is Lilith Kobayashi, the Scarlet Viper of the Leaf. Lili is perfectly fine as well."
"Hm. You are not intruding, my child. I simply wanted to see what was going on. My name is Kuromaru. My partner is Tsume Inuzuka."
"I was actually looking to speak to her. There were questions on my mind, about a certain person that has been working with her son Kiba."
"The delusional boy?"
"Not him...I doubt he can be explained by any mortal."
Kuromaru chuckles. "Well said. You must mean the panther kitten, then."
I raise a brow. "Panther kitten? You mean to say that girl..."
"Half human, yes."
"Hm. That's a hefty bit of information. Kuromaru, sir. Is Miss Tsume busy at the moment?"
"She should have some time for you. Come, I will take you to her."
"Thank you very much," I say with a bow. We walk through the area, and everyone seems to have relaxed now that Kuromaru and I have established a rapport. We move up to a house with a big front yard and a big tree in it. The trunk is worn from weapons practice and climbing attempts, among other things.
There's another person nearby with three other dogs, who look to be triplets and have fur the colour of ash. Their heads pop up and they head over to see me, sniffing at the air.
"Oh, welcome home. You've brought a visitor, Kuromaru."
"She requested an audience with your mother."
"Hm, that's new." A young woman with long brown hair, tied back into a ponytail. There are two locks of hair that frame her face neatly at the front. She has the same markings on her cheeks as all the other members of the Inuzuka Clan, and light pink lipstick. Her face is notably soft, unlike Kiba's, but I can tell that they're related. This must be his sister, then.
"Very nice to meet you," I say with a bow. She nods and bows back for me. A good choice of outfit too, I would say. Very casual, and close-fitting. But I shouldn't get ahead of myself so soon.
"You as well. You must be Miss Kobayashi, right? I've heard a bit about you. Some wild tales, but mostly good things. Kiba talked about the day you beat Sasuke in sparring, and I remembered that."
"Thank you. Lili is also fine as well, if you'd like."
"Lili. I really like it," she says with a smile. "I'm Hana Inuzuka. Tsume is my mom, as you might have guessed, and Kiba's my little brother. A bit disappointing that he didn't make it to the final round of the exams, but we're proud of him for surviving. Though Mom was...more than a little mean to him."
"She laughed at him for losing," Kuromaru says. "And insisted that it was because he didn't train hard enough."
"It wasn't just mean. It was cruel," Hana says, frowning. "That's not going to help him grow any. Honestly, she just wanted to blow off steam and used him as a way to do it. I know that Kiba needs to work a little harder, but you're not gonna motivate him by making him cry."
"You coddle him too much, Hana."
"I do not." She pouts at Kuromaru. "There's nothing wrong with being protective of my little brother, and I wish you and Mom would get off my case about it sometimes."
Kuromaru sighs and leads me into the house.
"Tsume. You have a guest."
"Yeah?" a voice calls back. "I'm assuming they're worth my time if you brought them all the way here."
Kuromaru brings me to the living area, where a woman with long, untamed and spiky brown hair is laid out on her couch. She yawns and sits up, her sharp teeth glimmering in the light. Her flak jacket is thrown off to the side, and she wears a simple black shirt and pants with the legs rolled up a bit.
Her face looks exactly like Kiba's, so there's really no question who this might be.
"Good morning, ma'am."
"Morning." She sniffs once. "What business you got with me, Red?"
"I wanted to ask some questions about your son's team, and their make up. If that's not prying too much, ma'am."
"Shouldn't be." She grins. "I was just pushing you around a bit, anyways. I know who you are. Scarlet Viper, right? Hell of a job you did on your first mission, and all the rest after that. Smashed the record for the Forest of Death, too. Usually a pain in the ass talking to other shinobi, but I always have time for an elite. Have yourself a seat, Red."
I do as she says and sit on the couch opposite her.
"I'll be outside, Mom. Try not to harass her too much."
Tsume frowns and waves Hana off. Her daughter rolls her eyes, and leaves with the triplets following faithfully.
"Hana's a good, smart kid. But she might be too soft sometimes. That and she fawns over Kiba way too often. At some point she's gotta let him take it on the chin, you know."
"She seems very sweet," I say.
"She is. Wouldn't change her for the world, but...you know. I have my standards, all that. Kiba really should have trained harder. Maybe he did get a bad draw, but seriously. Dunno what I'll do with that kid. He and Akamaru are thick as thieves. But you're probably not here for all of that, huh."
"It's always nice to hear. Family is important," I say to Tsume.
"Damn right. So, let's formally introduce ourselves. Tsume Inuzuka, special jounin and member of the Inuzuka Clan. You've met my partner Kuromaru, my daughter Hana, the Haimaru Brothers that follow her around, my son Kiba and his partner Akamaru."
"My name is Lilith Kobayashi, genin student of the Hidden Leaf, and known as the Scarlet Viper. Lili is also fine, if you would like."
"Good. Lili works for me. So, what did you want to talk about? Not that weak performance by my kid, I hope. God, how could he lose to that chunni idiot..."
"I was wondering what you knew about Erika Kotowari, Miss Tsume."
"Kotowari. The chocolate kitten, eh. Well, it's not super classified stuff. But it would be nice if you kept it to your chest."
"Understood."
"Good, good. Erika's part of the Bonus Program, I'm assuming you know a bit about it?"
"Yes."
"She came here a while ago, but her mom and little sister went back to the Cloud and made her a ward of the state. So basically she's got no real paper trail back to the Cloud or Lightning country other than her name. There wasn't anything she learned or carried over, so she got to start fresh and worked her way up from the bottom. Good kid, quiet, smart, ice in her veins. Talks pretty sparingly, and she's got a sharp tongue when she needs it. The Third wanted a homegrown kid to help anchor the Bonus Program, so when they put the rookie teams together they considered Kiba and gave me the details. I said yes, because it would be a great opportunity for him to learn and take this stuff more seriously than he had before."
"I see. That makes sense."
"Erika's a bit special. She's got power in spades, you can smell it coming off her like I can with you. Kuromaru must have picked up the same thing, I'm guessing."
"I did, yes," he says.
"You've also got a similar scent to Anko, from what I recall. A snake contract, then?"
"Yes."
"Huh. Interesting." She scratches at her hair. "What I was saying...Erika's dad used to be a shinobi for the Cloud. He died on a mission when she was very young, and the family ran into some bad luck. Seeing as the situation in Leaf was improved compared to being out in the Lightning Country sticks, they went over. But...well, from what I remember, the climate was too much for the little sister, whose other half is dormant still. Going back to Cloud would solve their problems, but Erika was starting to fit in. So...Erika got a new life, a fresh start without her family. She wasn't abandoned, mind you. Her mom and sis send messages and postcards every week, little treats here and there. And they talk on the phone, too. She knows what she's here for, and she's pretty happy with it."
"That's very good to hear."
"Yeah. I think she's a little lonely, doesn't like to talk or make friends much. But she keeps Kiba in line, and deals with...what the hell does he call himself, Dark the Edge or some shit like that? I don't care. She deals with the chunni kid damn well, because heaven knows I would have punched his face in by the end of the first day." Tsume sighs. "Far as the other stuff, the Hokage has that under wraps. It's something else in addition to the Bonus Program. Maybe special ops from what I can tell."
"..." I wonder if that was the reason the Hokage suggested ANBU. Placing me with an even-tempered individual like that...we might have been a truly unstoppable team. I don't regret my choice one bit, but I start to wonder.
"Not much else, I think. She quit because she didn't need to finish the exams for her designation. The Hokage's got the power to promote anyone at any time he wants, with evaluations and the like, and the exams are just a place to do it on the world stage and show off to potential clients and investors. Spill red to get green. That's how it is. I don't worry any about her, and really, nobody should. A Leaf baby through and through."
"...do you think there was another angle?"
"Another?"
"Her mother. I would assume she's a full blooded cat person."
"...thinking about it. Yeah. She might have been spooked by that part of it. I'm not clear on how they were treated back in the Cloud, but judging from the material situation, they might have been cut off in some ways after losing status after the dad died. Good catch."
"The important part is that she's here with us, and safe."
"Yeah. No thanks to little monsters like you," Tsume says with a smile. "Hey, come by any time you want. Hana's usually home, and I think she's taken a liking to you. But, uh...she's off limits, if you know what I mean."
I sigh dramatically. "Yes, ma'am."
"Oi, don't you start with me. I know how dangerous you gals can get. Actually, I can't let you leave without making you a bit of breakfast. I'll get Kiba up and he can spend the rest of the morning being jealous of you. Oh, you can tell me about your fight with Choza's big boy! The jounin were going off about it from what I heard. You're a real star, Red. You don't mind if I call you that, do you?"
"Not at all," I say with a smile. Tsume gives me a sharp-toothed grin.
"Great! Tsume's fine with me, whatever you like. We'll get our bellies filled up. Hana! We're cooking!"
"Be right in, Mom!"
"And get that slacker brother of yours up!"
Breakfast should be exciting. Another new ally...it feels as good as always.
"Transitions"
---
I head home and think about getting into the bath. My hair hasn't been taken care properly for an entire week, my skin needs to be properly moisturized, I need to wash properly and do my nails...so much to take care of and so little time to do it.
"Finally. It's so good to be home." I bask a moment in the cool air filling the apartment.
"Miss Lilith."
"Luna." I turn to see her emerge from her room.
"Welcome home. Please...allow me to take care of you."
I decide not to protest, and head into the bathroom with her. She runs the water and after we undress, she makes sure to tend to my hair with the most precise and loving care. I feel so refreshed already. Her hands are nimble and soft as they run through my hair, and I sit patiently on a small stool as she kneels behind me.
"How did you do?" she asks me.
"All three of us made it to the final round. It takes place a month from now, and by then the location will be selected and notices will be sent out to the participants."
"I expected nothing less than greatness from you, Miss Lilith. And it's wonderful that your comrades are right there with you."
"You should have seen them, Luna. Hina and Shino were fantastic, both as teammates and in their solo fights. I've never been so proud of them."
"I'm so glad to hear it. Lady Midoriko is away, but I will give her a call later. She wanted to know about your progress as soon as possible."
"Yes. I wasn't expecting to stay in that tower for so long, but what's done is done. I'll get to tell her in person soon enough."
"You will. Miss Lilith, I will need some time to properly tend to your hair. I want it to feel just right after your experience..."
"As long as you desire, Luna. Thank you for this."
"I am at your service, always." She hums to herself as her fingers undo my tangles expertly. Washing, and cleaning, and rinsing...there's more to come, but only after I get out of the bath. I've missed these moments...more than that, I've missed Luna. I love being with her so much.
I wash her back and then we get into the tub together, soaking for a while and relaxing quietly. Perhaps a bit too quietly...I might be falling asleep at this point.
"You seem tired, Miss Lilith."
"A little bit. But I want to eat your cooking. The food in that stupid tower was only good to keep me energized..."
"A light snack, then. I can make something quickly for you, along with your long desired milk."
"Oh, I've missed that as well..."
Luna tends to my hair a bit more and we dry off before getting dressed in light clothing. She makes me a snack as promised, and I tear through it before drinking down two bottles of the fortified milk. So delicious...how I missed these flavours. I never took Luna's cooking for granted, but my appreciation has still increased.
"Midori-nee is busy, so..." I yawn as Luna washes my plate. "Is it okay if I...sleep with you?"
"Of course, Miss Lilith. I would be happy to. My bed, or yours?"
"Yours..."
"You still think of me so often."
"I don't know how I could do anything else." I yawn again. Am I really that tired? I don't know, but...I feel like I could just sleep right now. Luna helps me up and shuts off all the lights as we head to her room.
"Luna..."
"Yes."
"I love you...a whole lot..."
She pulls me into her arms as we lie down. "I know. I've always known, Miss Lilith."
"Believe in...me..." I feel my eyes close. "This...mm. Flower...of heaven."
"I always have...and always will," I hear Luna say. And finally, I sleep as my body wants to.
---
I dream a familiar dream. Mom is here again. I can see her face...very cute and rosy, with eyes almost like mine. They're bright and orange. Her red hair is long and swirls around her, shimmering in the strange lights of my dream world.
She holds my face in her hands gently, and I can feel a familiar warmth. It feels so good, but the memory is so painful at the same time. Bittersweet.
"You're doing well, Lili."
"Am I? Really?" I ask her.
"Yes. I'm proud of you."
"Mommy...what about-"
"I meant it. I know about all of that. I am proud of you, Lili." She smiles and her kindness makes my heart melt. "Don't come this way, okay? Not for a long while...I miss you so much, and I would like nothing but to dance with you forever. But I'll send you back with the strength I have left. No matter how much it might hurt to do so."
"Mommy, don't worry. I won't come this way. I have too much to do."
"You do. It's good that you have two big sisters and a strong mother now. Keep trusting them."
"Yes. I understand. You're so remarkable, Mom. You're too good for him. You...always were."
She smiles at me again. "You were the only thing between us that I didn't regret."
"Did...you love him?" I ask.
"Yes. With all of my heart and soul."
I watch my vision fade. I watch her fade away, slowly.
"And that...is why I hate him so much now."
---
My eyes open to the morning light. Luna holds me against her, quietly breathing. I twist a lock of my hair around my finger and look at it. This scarlet shade...a reminder of her. My mother's legacy.
"...yes. I hate him too."
---
It's warm again today, but not oppressively so. Midori is visiting again. I tell her about the exams and my achievements. As always, she's very proud of me and gives me one of her amazing hugs. I wonder how she feels so soft and comfy...but it doesn't matter, as long as I get to enjoy it.
Luna is away at her dance classes. So Midori wants to prepare something special for her eyes only. Well, and mine, I suppose. She finds one of Luna's maid outfits and of course, it fits her snugly. From there we start our photo shoot.
"Raise the skirt a little with your hands," I instruct. Based on my memory, I think I should be able to get the proper angles for this sort of thing. Luna will love it. It's going to be a surprise for later.
"Like this?"
"Just like that. Perfect," I say. I snap a photo and set it on the nearby table as it comes out of the camera. The maid outfit boosts her appeal higher than I could have imagined. Luna is so lucky.
"I've actually never done this before, even if it was my idea. Does...it look good?" she asks gently.
"Very sexy," I say honestly, taking another photo.
"Thank you. Quite the compliment," she says with a light blush. She leans back against the wall, arms above her head. "What about this pose? Good?"
"Good." I snap a few more shots.
"One month to the main event, then. It should be an exciting time," she says. I watch as she sits on the floor, legs behind her as she looks up towards me. I get into a good position and snap more photos, then wait for them to come out of the camera in order. The high socks make her thighs look plump, so I focus on getting those in the shot. "Your first match is Gaara, then. The boy from the Hidden Sand."
"You know about him?"
"Yes. He's a jinchuuriki, like Naruto is...only he's taken a darker path. It's to be expected, seeing how villages tend to treat their hosts. In addition to that, he's the Kazekage's youngest son. His mother is no longer in this world."
"Another discarded," I say with understanding.
"It is so, yes. He certainly has dark designs for the fight with you, especially with all the rumours flying around. The number of people you killed on that one mission keeps increasing."
"Last I heard it was at a hundred. I should have demanded to hear more about it before I killed those two. Unfortunate," I say. Midori stands up and folds her arms underneath her bountiful chest. I have her freeze while I take more shots. Those will do nicely.
"He's apparently never been scratched."
"I kept hearing as much."
"Hmhm...I bet you're excited, Lili. You'll be the first to pop his cherry, you know," Midori says with a smile.
"I've been thinking about it," I admit, blushing. "Putting it like that makes it sound even more scandalous, Midori-nee."
"Hehe. Well...anyways. Maybe you can find some common ground as prolific killers? Or you can just shatter him to pieces since that's always quicker. Far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter much. The Hidden Sand sending someone so dangerous and so valuable to the Leaf is a desperation move, knowing his tendencies. It's bothersome, thinking about it. And there are other similar events, unfortunately." Midori sits on the couch and beckons me closer. She leans back, relaxing herself, and I take more photos in the meantime. "One of these is cause for concern. That man, from the Three Shinobi is here somewhere. The trash...Orochimaru."
I think about the events of the exams, and that feeling I couldn't place. "Perhaps it was him that I felt earlier."
"There's no doubt. He must have been snooping around the examinations for some filthy reason. But...I'm not going to get involved with that sort of garbage until the promised time. There are two conditions for my intervention. First is obviously if he comes near you and tries to harm you. I'll erase him in an instant. Second...if he tries to touch the old man."
"Lord Hokage?" I ask.
"Mm-hm. Nobody knows what something like that will do to the current power structure. I want things stable for my own reasons, so I'll step in at that point. But I have no obligations to help the Leaf, just so you know. If I do step in, don't expect me to be a hero."
"Understood." There are dynamics at play that I feel I would be drowned in if I tried to follow them. For now, I can stay out of them and trust Midori. The time will come when I will be entrusted with responsibility and greater strength.
"As a result of this, don't be surprised at an increase in ANBU presence. If they're aware he's here, I venture a guess that they would like to contain him within the village. It's possible that this is a risky play...after all, he did grow up here."
"Would you know what that man is here for?" I ask. Midori leans forward in her seat and poses for me. I capture her glowing face with more shots.
"Whispers here and there tell me that he's after the Uchiha boy. Perhaps he knows about the Sharingan awakening, or wants him for something else...I can't say at the moment."
Little wonder the higher ups were fussing over him so much. Though...Orochimaru. Did it have anything to do with the injury Sasuke kept nursing earlier? Hm. "Do you think they had a meeting?"
"I wouldn't be shocked."
"Sasuke looked like he was in pain during the preliminaries. He was touching his neck. There's also a woman I saw with the same wavelength as me."
"You mean Anko-chan, yes?"
"Yes."
"I was going to talk to her about you...well, I might do so anyways. It all depends on what you want to do in the end. As for the injury to the neck, it's not that at all. He's likely been branded in the same way that Anko was."
"Branded?" I ask.
"A dark temptation called a Cursed Seal. It gives the user power in exchange for their sanity...I suspect Sasuke used it at least once before, and then was instructed not to do anything to activate it again. Did you see what happened to him?"
"I didn't. He disappeared while we were doing the final seeding."
"Hm. I have to wonder if they're giving him a means to deal with the curse...hopefully it's the case."
This sounds dangerous. And Sasuke...I wouldn't trust him not to tap into that power if it meant defeating me.
"You shouldn't worry too much, my love. Things will fall into order as needed. Now, I think we have more than enough for Luna. She deserves a treat or two, since I've been away a while...hopefully these make her heart race." She giggles. "And perhaps you could take some more photos of her for me to keep."
"I can arrange that," I say. Midori smiles and pats my head.
"Very good. Now, what I meant earlier...you have about a month to do some training for the final round, right? You can very easily go as you are, but I suspect that you want some insurance. Not just for this match, either."
I nod, wondering what she's thinking.
"Since you've improved your skill with lightning chakra and technique, I can teach you something. In particular, a technique that would suit you far better than Kakashi-chan's silly Lightning Edge."
"Hm." A jutsu better for me than that...it does sound exciting, honestly. I can't wait to see it.
"Anko can help you a bit on her own as well, since she owes me some favours for silly things...mm. That's all I really have for now." She pats me on the shoulder. "Don't rush yourself, Lili. Really think on what you want to spend the month doing. Hina has been improving from what you've told me, so maybe you could boost her some more?" I see her eyes sparkle with mischief. "It'd make her a tastier prey, you know..."
Well, Hina is already delicious enough on her own, but...adding a little spice to a possible battle wouldn't hurt either. "I'll think on that, too."
"Good." Midori stands up and stretches. "Now, while I'm in this cute outfit...I'll make something for us to eat, like Luna would. It's been a while since I've cooked, though...so please bear with me."
She hurries to the kitchen and goes through the fridge, and I sit at the table to wait for her.
"Something simple, I think...some steak, vegetables...hm..." Midori puts on an apron over her outfit and smiles to herself before going to work. She's clean and precise with her movements, and I wonder how out of practice she thinks she is.
When she finishes and I take my first bite, I feel like I should be paying for the food in front of me on principle. This is supposed to be 'out of practice'?
"How is it?" she asks me.
"You really can do everything, Midori-nee. It's heavenly," I say with happiness. But she really is amazing.
Not shocking, though...she's my big sister, after all.
---
"Mm~!"
It's the next morning. Still about four weeks left before the final round begins. Hina happily bites into the cinnamon roll that I bought her as a treat, since she loves them so much. Today we're having a quick meeting as Team Eight before training starts in earnest.
"I will be training with my father," Shino says. "For the most part, we will be training in clan techniques, so it's not anything that either of you can help with."
"That's fine. What about jogging?" I ask.
"Pass."
"I figured. That was all that I wanted to ask about, Shino."
"Alright. I'll see you both in a while. Good luck." Shino heads home. It's not that he's being cold, I know that much. He's seriously thinking about how he can fight Temari, with her long range wind attacks. Lightweight insects won't make much headway against that, not directly anyways. Maybe bugs under the earth? Things to consider since we might meet during the tournament.
"Hina, what about you?"
She finishes her chewing and swallows before answering. "Um...I meant to work on clan techniques also. But we can still do things like general footwork together, Lili. That was what helped me complete the Eight Trigrams, anyways...it was all thanks to you."
"That's too much credit."
"Even if you think so...thank you."
I smile and pet her head gently, while she nibbles at her cinnamon roll. I think a bit on what I can do...Kurenai is an option, though I'm not sure if her type of skill set will be immediately useful against the opponents in this tourney. But I'll never truly know until I try.
Kakashi has helped me in the past, but he'll be busy with Naruto...or more likely, Sasuke. If Sasuke is in this tournament, he will be training to fight either Naruto or Neji. Hinata will have to deal with either Shino or Temari. Which brings to mind another question.
"What would you do about long range?" I ask Hina.
"Oh...there are clan techniques for that also. Because Hyuuga is invested in the tournament and their reputation, they've provided me more training for that purpose, along with Hanabi. We'll be working side by side."
That's her little sister, if I remember right. So the Hyuuga have those kinds of contingencies as well? Maybe the boast about being the Leaf's strongest clan isn't just empty talk.
"Lili, what are you going to do?" Hina asks.
"I'm thinking about it. I might train with Midori-nee in the end."
"Ah...you did say she was an elite also. That sounds good for you..." She goes back to her eating.
"Yes..." I sigh and think about what I want to do next. It will take a bit more thinking...in the meantime, there are some things that I want to take a look into.
---
After wishing Hina luck on the first part of her training, I venture out into the village to find Ino. The first place I check is the flower shop, and she's not in...
"Lili?"
"I was looking for you," I say as I spot her coming down the road. "Working today?"
"Nah, I was just in the area. What'd you wanna talk about? Oh, right..."
"Actually..."
"We should exchange numbers," we say in unison. A few moments pass before we giggle together.
"It'd make meeting up a lot easier. Here, I've got cards for stuff like this." Ino takes out two cards and hands me one with a pen. I write my number and trade it for hers. "Perfect. Be warned, I might call in just to talk your ear off."
"That sounds like something I can handle." It's a milestone, really...having a girlfriend that I can talk to freely like this, and who wants to talk to me. Aside from Hina, of course...we do talk on the phone sometimes, and will certainly do more of it as her confidence rises. But it's a different feeling with Ino, really. I suppose all of those high school dramas about feeling important when the popular girl notices you weren't all that far off.
At the least, I know she doesn't like me solely because I'm popular. It's either dislike or fear for the most part...though with the tourney coming up, I might earn some sort of grudging respect among the populace.
"So, what'd you wanna know?" Ino asks.
"I was curious about those two from Team Nine."
"Oh, you mean Erika and Koichi. Or...what was that dumb name he used again?"
I sigh. "Phantom the Dark."
Ino shudders. "That's just too much. I can't believe he's an actual person."
"Say that twice," I mutter.
"Yeah...Koichi Nagano. From what I know, he's part of the Bonus Program that the Hokage set up a long while back. Basically, people emigrate here from other villages and junk, and some kids are already in the shinobi stream. So aside from settling, we have kids from other places who need to get acclimated to the system. That's a normal process by itself. The Bonus Program is for anyone that the Hokage and other officials take note of and think they can fast track, or provide special services to in order to enhance their abilities. Since these are usually Academy or pre-Academy kids, they don't have any detailed knowledge or village secrets. Makes sense since they have to go through a whole process to be approved for emigration and movement of assets without taking huge losses. This is for civilian families with shinobi kids, by the by. Defectors have a...let's call it a different process."
"Ah."
"Your family paid for the opportunity to enroll in the Academy, and you had no previous shinobi connections. Plus the higher ups probably figured you'd be in and out. So you were placed into the normal stream like everyone else who pays tuition, and wouldn't be eligible for the Bonus Program either way," Ino explains. "Koichi was from Earth originally, and on hiatus from his schooling for a year because of an illness. Nothing too bad, he got cured and by the time he came here, he was healthy and ready go. Bonus kids are in a different stream so we don't see much of them."
"That explains him, I suppose. Did he learn that technique we saw here?"
"Yep, we've got all kinds of books on stuff from different nations, 'cause of research, espionage, things like that. So I wouldn't be shocked at him picking that up here."
That makes sense. Lightning Release isn't particularly common here, but I did get access to the chakra mode because of research done earlier. And it wasn't a particularly easy technique, either.
"Erika...she's from the Bonus Program too. I talked to my dad about her earlier, but...well, she's a mystery to a lot of people. So it seems like she's under the wing of the Hokage."
"It would explain some things. The sense I got from her was that she was at least as strong as me, but I suspect she was suppressing her chakra," I say.
"Really, eh...hm. I wonder what it is with all of you cute girls lately. Showing up in town and just blowing everyone away with some kind of monstrous strength," Ino says with a smile.
"Perhaps it is simply the will of heaven that we gather here."
"Maybe. Ah, I dunno...hmm." Ino crosses her arms and thinks for a moment. "You know, if she's on Kiba's team...then his mom would have to be in the loop somewhere. You know a bit about Tsume, right?"
"Not much, I would say."
"That's Kiba's mom, and she's pretty high up in the Inuzuka Clan. Her husband left for reasons when Kiba was young...I say reasons because nobody really knows, and Tsume has pretty famously kept her mouth shut about it. Kind of wild that she's kept that secret for so long, but the world's an amazing place sometimes. Anyways, if Erika has a secret role or something, she would know about it for sure. The Hokage wouldn't put a clan kid on a team of un-vetted rookies, I know that much. Yeah...sorry that I couldn't help more."
"You really should have some perspective sometimes. That is a lot of information, Ino."
"Really? Huh." She rubs at her head. "I mean, Dad does a lot more, so..."
"Ino." I take one of her hands in mine. "You're young. Remember that you have time, alright? You'll be okay...I promise."
"Yeah. Thanks, Lili."
"You're welcome. If you still feel down, call me tonight. I'll listen to you go on about boys as much as you want."
"I really want to rant about that Dark guy. And his horrific aesthetic! It's actually the worst! The worst!" she says as she throws her hands up in the air.
"I'll see you later, Ino." I laugh to myself as we part ways.
"And what was with that guy with the face paint? And those other guys with the weird cloths over their faces? The gods of fashion weep with despair! And does nobody know what to do with their hair?"
---
I figured that I could find my way towards the district where the Inuzuka live, and sure enough I make it there. No real idea where Kiba's place is, but this part of the village is built with lots of space in mind. There are plenty of clan members with their dogs, and some civilians from what I can see. This must be known as a safe place for dog lovers. Even if some of them can easily tear a human to shreds.
"I assume you have business here, snake child."
I turn to face the the ninken who has appeared behind me. A good deal larger than normal dogs, with a wolf-like appearance. He has an eyepatch over his right eye, and is missing his left ear. Black with a white underside...I can guess at his name, if the clan's schemes for that sort of thing are correct. But I want to be polite.
"I hope I'm not trespassing," I say to him. It didn't cross my mind until now that most of the ninken around can't actually talk. Communicate with certain humans and understand them, yes, but not directly speaking to others like me. But talking animals aren't unusual for me at this point. He seems to take note of this and his initial scrutiny fades off.
"Not at all. But the pack has taken note of you. Your aura is potent..."
"I see. Pardon my intrusion, either way. My name is Lilith Kobayashi, the Scarlet Viper of the Leaf. Lili is perfectly fine as well."
"Hm. You are not intruding, my child. I simply wanted to see what was going on. My name is Kuromaru. My partner is Tsume Inuzuka."
"I was actually looking to speak to her. There were questions on my mind, about a certain person that has been working with her son Kiba."
"The delusional boy?"
"Not him...I doubt he can be explained by any mortal."
Kuromaru chuckles. "Well said. You must mean the panther kitten, then."
I raise a brow. "Panther kitten? You mean to say that girl..."
"Half human, yes."
"Hm. That's a hefty bit of information. Kuromaru, sir. Is Miss Tsume busy at the moment?"
"She should have some time for you. Come, I will take you to her."
"Thank you very much," I say with a bow. We walk through the area, and everyone seems to have relaxed now that Kuromaru and I have established a rapport. We move up to a house with a big front yard and a big tree in it. The trunk is worn from weapons practice and climbing attempts, among other things.
There's another person nearby with three other dogs, who look to be triplets and have fur the colour of ash. Their heads pop up and they head over to see me, sniffing at the air.
"Oh, welcome home. You've brought a visitor, Kuromaru."
"She requested an audience with your mother."
"Hm, that's new." A young woman with long brown hair, tied back into a ponytail. There are two locks of hair that frame her face neatly at the front. She has the same markings on her cheeks as all the other members of the Inuzuka Clan, and light pink lipstick. Her face is notably soft, unlike Kiba's, but I can tell that they're related. This must be his sister, then.
"Very nice to meet you," I say with a bow. She nods and bows back for me. A good choice of outfit too, I would say. Very casual, and close-fitting. But I shouldn't get ahead of myself so soon.
"You as well. You must be Miss Kobayashi, right? I've heard a bit about you. Some wild tales, but mostly good things. Kiba talked about the day you beat Sasuke in sparring, and I remembered that."
"Thank you. Lili is also fine as well, if you'd like."
"Lili. I really like it," she says with a smile. "I'm Hana Inuzuka. Tsume is my mom, as you might have guessed, and Kiba's my little brother. A bit disappointing that he didn't make it to the final round of the exams, but we're proud of him for surviving. Though Mom was...more than a little mean to him."
"She laughed at him for losing," Kuromaru says. "And insisted that it was because he didn't train hard enough."
"It wasn't just mean. It was cruel," Hana says, frowning. "That's not going to help him grow any. Honestly, she just wanted to blow off steam and used him as a way to do it. I know that Kiba needs to work a little harder, but you're not gonna motivate him by making him cry."
"You coddle him too much, Hana."
"I do not." She pouts at Kuromaru. "There's nothing wrong with being protective of my little brother, and I wish you and Mom would get off my case about it sometimes."
Kuromaru sighs and leads me into the house.
"Tsume. You have a guest."
"Yeah?" a voice calls back. "I'm assuming they're worth my time if you brought them all the way here."
Kuromaru brings me to the living area, where a woman with long, untamed and spiky brown hair is laid out on her couch. She yawns and sits up, her sharp teeth glimmering in the light. Her flak jacket is thrown off to the side, and she wears a simple black shirt and pants with the legs rolled up a bit.
Her face looks exactly like Kiba's, so there's really no question who this might be.
"Good morning, ma'am."
"Morning." She sniffs once. "What business you got with me, Red?"
"I wanted to ask some questions about your son's team, and their make up. If that's not prying too much, ma'am."
"Shouldn't be." She grins. "I was just pushing you around a bit, anyways. I know who you are. Scarlet Viper, right? Hell of a job you did on your first mission, and all the rest after that. Smashed the record for the Forest of Death, too. Usually a pain in the ass talking to other shinobi, but I always have time for an elite. Have yourself a seat, Red."
I do as she says and sit on the couch opposite her.
"I'll be outside, Mom. Try not to harass her too much."
Tsume frowns and waves Hana off. Her daughter rolls her eyes, and leaves with the triplets following faithfully.
"Hana's a good, smart kid. But she might be too soft sometimes. That and she fawns over Kiba way too often. At some point she's gotta let him take it on the chin, you know."
"She seems very sweet," I say.
"She is. Wouldn't change her for the world, but...you know. I have my standards, all that. Kiba really should have trained harder. Maybe he did get a bad draw, but seriously. Dunno what I'll do with that kid. He and Akamaru are thick as thieves. But you're probably not here for all of that, huh."
"It's always nice to hear. Family is important," I say to Tsume.
"Damn right. So, let's formally introduce ourselves. Tsume Inuzuka, special jounin and member of the Inuzuka Clan. You've met my partner Kuromaru, my daughter Hana, the Haimaru Brothers that follow her around, my son Kiba and his partner Akamaru."
"My name is Lilith Kobayashi, genin student of the Hidden Leaf, and known as the Scarlet Viper. Lili is also fine, if you would like."
"Good. Lili works for me. So, what did you want to talk about? Not that weak performance by my kid, I hope. God, how could he lose to that chunni idiot..."
"I was wondering what you knew about Erika Kotowari, Miss Tsume."
"Kotowari. The chocolate kitten, eh. Well, it's not super classified stuff. But it would be nice if you kept it to your chest."
"Understood."
"Good, good. Erika's part of the Bonus Program, I'm assuming you know a bit about it?"
"Yes."
"She came here a while ago, but her mom and little sister went back to the Cloud and made her a ward of the state. So basically she's got no real paper trail back to the Cloud or Lightning country other than her name. There wasn't anything she learned or carried over, so she got to start fresh and worked her way up from the bottom. Good kid, quiet, smart, ice in her veins. Talks pretty sparingly, and she's got a sharp tongue when she needs it. The Third wanted a homegrown kid to help anchor the Bonus Program, so when they put the rookie teams together they considered Kiba and gave me the details. I said yes, because it would be a great opportunity for him to learn and take this stuff more seriously than he had before."
"I see. That makes sense."
"Erika's a bit special. She's got power in spades, you can smell it coming off her like I can with you. Kuromaru must have picked up the same thing, I'm guessing."
"I did, yes," he says.
"You've also got a similar scent to Anko, from what I recall. A snake contract, then?"
"Yes."
"Huh. Interesting." She scratches at her hair. "What I was saying...Erika's dad used to be a shinobi for the Cloud. He died on a mission when she was very young, and the family ran into some bad luck. Seeing as the situation in Leaf was improved compared to being out in the Lightning Country sticks, they went over. But...well, from what I remember, the climate was too much for the little sister, whose other half is dormant still. Going back to Cloud would solve their problems, but Erika was starting to fit in. So...Erika got a new life, a fresh start without her family. She wasn't abandoned, mind you. Her mom and sis send messages and postcards every week, little treats here and there. And they talk on the phone, too. She knows what she's here for, and she's pretty happy with it."
"That's very good to hear."
"Yeah. I think she's a little lonely, doesn't like to talk or make friends much. But she keeps Kiba in line, and deals with...what the hell does he call himself, Dark the Edge or some shit like that? I don't care. She deals with the chunni kid damn well, because heaven knows I would have punched his face in by the end of the first day." Tsume sighs. "Far as the other stuff, the Hokage has that under wraps. It's something else in addition to the Bonus Program. Maybe special ops from what I can tell."
"..." I wonder if that was the reason the Hokage suggested ANBU. Placing me with an even-tempered individual like that...we might have been a truly unstoppable team. I don't regret my choice one bit, but I start to wonder.
"Not much else, I think. She quit because she didn't need to finish the exams for her designation. The Hokage's got the power to promote anyone at any time he wants, with evaluations and the like, and the exams are just a place to do it on the world stage and show off to potential clients and investors. Spill red to get green. That's how it is. I don't worry any about her, and really, nobody should. A Leaf baby through and through."
"...do you think there was another angle?"
"Another?"
"Her mother. I would assume she's a full blooded cat person."
"...thinking about it. Yeah. She might have been spooked by that part of it. I'm not clear on how they were treated back in the Cloud, but judging from the material situation, they might have been cut off in some ways after losing status after the dad died. Good catch."
"The important part is that she's here with us, and safe."
"Yeah. No thanks to little monsters like you," Tsume says with a smile. "Hey, come by any time you want. Hana's usually home, and I think she's taken a liking to you. But, uh...she's off limits, if you know what I mean."
I sigh dramatically. "Yes, ma'am."
"Oi, don't you start with me. I know how dangerous you gals can get. Actually, I can't let you leave without making you a bit of breakfast. I'll get Kiba up and he can spend the rest of the morning being jealous of you. Oh, you can tell me about your fight with Choza's big boy! The jounin were going off about it from what I heard. You're a real star, Red. You don't mind if I call you that, do you?"
"Not at all," I say with a smile. Tsume gives me a sharp-toothed grin.
"Great! Tsume's fine with me, whatever you like. We'll get our bellies filled up. Hana! We're cooking!"
"Be right in, Mom!"
"And get that slacker brother of yours up!"
Breakfast should be exciting. Another new ally...it feels as good as always.
SadisticAvocado
Speaks for the Snakes
- Location
- United Kingdom
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Tsume! How could you cut us off from the greatness that is waifu-ing Hana?!
I love the Inuzuka, they almost universally rock whenever they feature heavily in a fanfic, unless an author decides they really want Kiba to be the bad guy.
This story is some really good stuff, I smashed through everything the other day, and every update since has made my day! Keep it up, my dude
I love the Inuzuka, they almost universally rock whenever they feature heavily in a fanfic, unless an author decides they really want Kiba to be the bad guy.
This story is some really good stuff, I smashed through everything the other day, and every update since has made my day! Keep it up, my dude
Poor, poor souls.
They may know Lili's tastes, but they don't know that she adores the hunt just as much.
They may know Lili's tastes, but they don't know that she adores the hunt just as much.
Level Up!
FortePlus
The THRILL from Green Hill
- Location
- Toronto
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Scarlet Justice - ep. 36
"Level Up!"
---
Training begins in earnest. The end of the first day comes, and I'm resting in a hot tub with Midori and Luna. These warm jets of water feel really good.
The decision was made by Midori after I decided on training with her for the final part of the exams. Our location is a luxury hotel near the middle of the village. It has top class facilities from top to bottom, including food, shopping, and leisure activities. No expense has been spared, and customers are all too happy to spend their money here. Midori produced a deceptively small bundle of money, which immediately snapped the receptionist out of whatever funk she was in. As a result, areas relevant to our interests have been made private, for just the three of us.
"You look a bit uneasy, Luna."
"..." Luna fidgets a bit, unsure how to respond. "Lady Midoriko, I just wonder...are we really taking Miss Lilith's training seriously? Is this a proper way to train? From what I know, and what we've done previously...it doesn't seem right, for some reason. All of this luxury. I'm sorry..."
"Mm." Midori takes a sip from her champagne glass and holds it in her hand. "There's no need to apologize, darling. I think I know what you're feeling at this moment."
"Do you..."
"Yes. Luna...when you think of training, what comes to mind first?"
"Ah..." She thinks for a bit. "Rigorous exercises, and working outdoors. Running, lifting...I suppose the traditional manner of training. Doing hard work and pushing your body, denying yourself of things, even."
"An expected answer. Let me tell you the reality, and why your training in particular has been so abbreviated. Top class athletes all live like this. They have the money to use cutting edge equipment and facilities because of their earnings, and so they take advantage and do what they can to become stronger, faster. They consume supplements and get the best chefs to cook them meals all throughout the day. Lili and I have blue blood running through our veins. We're not commoners who have a need to think about what we spend and where we spend it. 'We' are not like 'them'. And we don't need to train to our limits every day to bring out our powers, or catch up to someone else. That sort of endless, rigorous, painful training, that denial of self...it is good to experience, but we don't need it."
She takes another sip of champagne and lets out a breath.
"We train until we feel sore. Then we rest. We indulge ourselves as a reward for our hard work. And then we repeat the process. Repetition is the key to mastery, and taking care of your body, loving it as best you can, will reap great benefits when you need them the most. Those people who glamorize the lifestyle of hard work and training until you bleed...let them live as they please. While those things are well and good for other people, they're not for us. We don't need to sacrifice like that, and so we won't do so."
Luna is thinking on Midori's words heavily.
"It sounds quite arrogant, doesn't it? You're not wrong to think that much, and it might be so. Either way, I won't apologize for it. We are high maintenance women, people who practice self care so that we can perform at high levels, and then rest until the next event."
"Gaining strength...is it possible to gain as much as you can like this?" Luna asks.
"Hm. There's the issue we needed to get to. Gaining strength is actually very easy to do. Refining and maintaining it is the difficult part. And this is what we set out to do...we hone ourselves as weapons until cutting is as easy as breathing. From there, we do our maintenance and sharpen ourselves. And so on, and so on."
Luna nods. "I think I understand a lot better now. Thank you, Lady Midoriko."
"Good. Don't worry about us, in any case. Even if we do go a bit wild with the ice cream, we'll manage." Midori winks at me, and I smile back.
Looks like we're all on board.
---
A week passes. We work on my speed some more to bring it to the top, and I can now see that I'm very, very fast. By the end of the week I can keep up with Midori easily, following her back and forth around our training area, accelerating with her, and matching our hand speeds. We can skip rope together so quickly that it feels like heavy winds are blowing through the area; the staff had to come by after the howling got loud enough. We apologized, but they still looked a bit scared of us as they were leaving. This feels like I'm getting close to the peak of my current strength; I will naturally get faster and more explosive as my body grows, and that's not counting the strength of the chakra mode. Speaking of that, while I'm not going to be working too much on it, I have been researching the chakra circulation system while thinking of ways to help Hina out. And I've found some very curious things. Dangerous things, potentially.
I really want to try them. It would be exciting to reach a level that nobody else has. Even if I'm not yet as fast as the Fourth Raikage, I know that I can reach higher than him, or anyone else. I want to feel that arrogant for once in my life, and be able to show it to the world. I want to see the fright on everyone's faces when I become a truly terrifying force of nature. One day, very soon.
Results are coming in, to summarize it. I feel good. Today, I'm comfortably sore and have the day off to play or rest as I want. It's afternoon, and we've done conditioning earlier...what did I want to do with my time? Ino is free...Shino and Hina might be too busy, and I don't want to throw them off their games. Kurenai, maybe? Hmm...
Ah. I know what I want to do. And it's the perfect time, since I'm training and Midori did mention it earlier...
It's a casual sort of time, so I throw on a loose silk shirt and some sweatpants, along with a light jacket on top. And some comfortable wooden zori on my feet, painted pink. I look ready. Time to go, then.
"..."
On a whim, I move towards Luna and Midori's room across the hall. I press my ear lightly against the door and focus.
"Lady Midoriko...we really can't be too loud, so you shouldn't..."
"If that's the problem, then I can just seal your lips like this~"
Hm. Seems like they're busy. I'll leave them alone for now.
I leave the hotel and head down the road, passing the local arcade. I might stop there on the way back, just to have some more fun. Quite a crowd gathered the last time, after I beat that one game with the flying ship a few times. It wasn't just because I was a shinobi, either. There were some there who had trouble with it on the higher levels because of the amount of coordination needed. The owner said there was a secret hardcore mode that he had to unlock manually, so he would do so if I came to the front desk the next time.
There's a familiar face from one of our earlier D-Rank missions as I pass by one of the stores. I realize now that the Hokage really has a deep knowledge and understanding of the village structure. Building rapport with the common villagers is a good way to help with information networks and support. As expected of the man called 'The Professor'.
"Oba-san," I call to the woman sweeping outside. She's middle aged with fuzzy black hair and glasses, and she runs a fruit shop that sells juices and smoothies. "Might I have your help?"
"Oh, you're the girl from Kurenai's group. Lilith, right? Tell me what you need, I'll see what I can do."
"Do you know a woman by the name of Anko Mitarashi?" I ask.
"I know of her. She comes by every once in a while off peak and asks for a lot of fruit crammed into her smoothies. I don't know where she puts it all. She has a huge sweet tooth, so...your best bet is to go over to the Dango-ya. You know where it is?"
"I do, I've been there a few times. That's the first place I'll check, then. Thank you so much, oba-san."
"It's no trouble at all. You were a huge help that time, and business has never been better. Drop by whenever you like, okay?"
"I'll be sure to visit soon. Please be well." I bow to her before leaving for my destination. As I walk, I notice the fat-chested sensei, Kosugi, on the side of the road talking to Erika.
Half human, then...I wouldn't think it at a glance.
"..."
I can talk to her later. Right now, I don't want to be in proximity of the walking pair of breasts. Something is just...so irritating about her. My current mission is to have a meeting with the examiner who caused a 'newtype flash' like in that mecha show I watched the other day. She has an aura like that masked man...or...no. No, that's actually me. Ah, well.
I reach the Dango-ya after taking a few shortcuts across the village to save time. As I enter, I immediately see my target.
"Yum, yum~! Ah, it's less than a month before the next event! Nothing like some dango and juice to keep spirits high!" She happily munches on a stick of dango. I slide into the seat across from her at her booth, and she takes note of me after escaping her reverie. Her eyes remind me of Erika's, only they're light brown instead of hazel.
"Mitarashi-sensei, isn't it?" I ask.
"Oh! You're from Team Eight, yeah? The record holders in the second test...completed in less than an hour. Really great stuff." I can see that she has two pitchers of juice for herself, and sticks piled high on a plate nearby - discards from the dango she's been eating. There's having a sweet tooth, and then there's going overboard. This...this is a few thousand leagues below the sea, relatively speaking.
"Yes, I am. And I'm-"
"The Hidden Leaf's Scarlet Viper! Top class rookie, Lilith Kobayashi!"
"Oh, so you know of me already."
"Nishishishi~! How could I forget something like that? But...I'm sure you didn't come to see me based on my reputation. A violent glutton like me...eh? Or is it about the contract?"
I nod. "Those things are part of it. Midori-nee mentioned you by name."
She chews on a piece of dango while nodding, then stops in surprise and swallows. "Midori...nee-chan? Hm? You mean...Midoriko? Aneki?"
"Ane...ki?" I repeat.
"Yeah...she mentioned me? Really..." She smiles. "So she didn't forget me after all..."
"Something like that is impossible. You're too much of a unique character," I say to her.
"Gahahaha! You're right! Eh...Lilith, right?"
"Lili is fine."
"Got it. Or...ojou, maybe? Hm. She took you under her wing, obviously. More than that. Calling her your older sister like that...you're definitely special to her." She swallows down another stick of dango and puts the stick in her mouth. "So, what did you bring your cute face here for, in the end? Surely not to see me pig out."
"Well, something like that could be charming, in its own way," I joke. "But...I really wanted to glean some information from you, and learn about you as a person. It's only right, given all that we share."
"Mm. That makes sense. Did you want anything to drink, Lili?"
"I'm fine. Thank you for asking."
"Yeah. Mm...let's see now. Did Aneki tell you anything about that man?"
"Oh...I suppose that's the one she calls the 'trash'. Orochimaru of the Sannin."
"The very same...he was my former master. Since the secret is already out in the relevant places by now, I'll tell you this...he's planning on taking the Leaf. If we stop the tournament, he'll attack right away. We really don't know what he's waiting for, some kind of signal...Lord Hokage encouraged us to continue the exams. That way we'll at least have some time to figure out what he's planning before he attacks for real."
"Midori-nee also mentioned Sasuke..."
"So she knows that much, too. Expected of her." Anko touches the side of her neck once, taking the stick out of her mouth and placing it with the others. "That thing is called a Cursed Seal of Heaven. From what I know, there's only one other seal like it. It's one of the most powerful of Orochimaru's sealing arts. In exchange for your chakra and your sanity, it rewards you with extra power. Kakashi has it sealed up by now, but that temporary seal is only as strong as Sasuke's will is. He didn't have to worry about it any since he drew Ino the last time, but I suspect that his next opponent..." She pauses. "Well, I was gonna say Neji Hyuuga, but Uzumaki definitely has a chance. He's not something you can predict, I can say that much. But it'll be uphill for him."
"Mm." She's perceptive, too. I already like her.
"Any way you look at it, the truth is this. The brand constantly tempts you, it calls to you loudly in battle, asking if you want more strength. And I know for a fact that Orochimaru gave that brand to him in person."
"Do you think that Sasuke..."
"I don't want to think that. That he would give in. But..." Her eyes look towards the table. "He doesn't brand those who he thinks are unworthy. Not...any more."
"Anko." I note that she's been hiding her right hand until now...there's bandage around it. "You met in the forest. Did you..."
"I tried to stop him, but I failed. Yes...it was in the Forest of Death that I saw him. By that time, he had already branded Sasuke with the curse mark. And now...he might bring terror to the entire Leaf." She sighs heavily. "Lord Hokage told me not to blame myself..."
"Then don't," I say.
"Listen, it's not that easy."
"I know. It never is. But you have to try. And you don't have to carry that burden alone. I'm the top class rookie, remember? Depend on me."
"Sheesh. You're...really, really reassuring, you know. It's no wonder that Aneki fell for you." She sighs again and gulps down another glass of juice. "As one of the Three Shinobi, Orochimaru is extremely strong. But he's nothing compared to Aneki. She's received the blessing of the Sage, you know? Ryuuchi Cave's Snake Goddess, a hermit among hermits!"
"Sage, huh..." Those are the arts she would mention from time to time. Things that apparently I would be able to do myself one day...
"Yep! I bet she'll pass all of that down to you when you're ready. But, yeah...Orochimaru seems to want to crush the Leaf completely, somehow. We're keeping an eye on everything as best we can, but he's crafty. He's also Lord Hokage's..."
"Former student. The one with the sharp mind."
"Yeah."
"It's no wonder he said those things to me. But then...he also said that I have something Orochimaru doesn't. That something is why he won't win," I say with determination.
"Heh. Well, don't do anything too far out of line. Like I said, the tournament is going to proceed as planned...that's likely the time where he'll try to do something. Also, your first round opponent..."
"Gaara of the Desert," I say. "It's no problem, I understand how he fights a little bit. If I can accelerate well enough, then maybe that will be a solution on its own..."
"Ah..."
"I've learned a lot from talking to you today." I lay down a few bills to cover Anko's meal. "Consider this my thanks. I'll see you in a while, Miss Anko."
"Oi, oi. No need to be so stiff. Aneki wouldn't like that, you know?" she scolds lightly. "Ah, but...thanks for paying, I might have eaten a bit too much for today's budget, ehehe..."
I sigh and shake my head before starting to leave.
"Um...oh! Let me come with you! You're going to see Aneki, right? I wanted to ask her if I could help."
"Help?"
"Yeah! I want to teach you the snake summoner's staple technique! You're still a young genin, and I'm guessing she didn't want to overwhelm you, so you probably don't know it yet, right?"
"I don't think so," I admit. "It should be okay, then."
"Great! Let's go to see her together. And also, you can think of it as me repaying your kindness just now."
I give her a look. "This would seem like collusion to someone else, wouldn't it?"
She shrugs. "It would be news to me. Techniques are techniques, no matter where you might get them from."
"Ah, I see. Then I'm in your care, sister."
We walk all the way back to the hotel, and Anko reveals that she eats about the same amount of sweets and junk every day. It must be because she chews through so much energy in a day that she's still so fit, but I suspect that will catch up with her if she retires, or simply gets old enough. It wouldn't affect her terribly as a shinobi, but why not look your best for as long as you can? Besides, I might still want to chase girls when I get a lot older, and a fit body wouldn't hurt there...oh, right. I'm getting ahead of myself again.
"Anko!"
"Aneki!"
It's a very joyful reunion for the two of them. They chat and catch up, and after some discussion Midori decides that it would be great if Anko joined us for the rest of my training. Anko says that she can pull a few strings and get started with us the week after next.
For this week, we do the same things as usual. This amounts to more physical training and improving my ability to use ninjutsu quickly and safely. I imagine that it will tie in nicely to the next part of the journey. In between training sessions, Luna, Midori and I relax and play together. Luna's father, who I learn is named Tatsumi, taught her how to do things like play billiards and bowling since they would go out together to local bars and diners. As a result, she's an expert when playing and the shocked looks of the men she routinely beats never gets old.
The third week of training begins, and there are two more including this one before the tournament final round. This is, as they say, where the real fun begins. I meet with Midori and Anko in our designated training facility this morning, with Anko offically free to help out - she'll be staying with us in the hotel for the rest of the month. Luna is absent due to...exhaustion. The reasons don't need to be explained, as the glow on Midori's face says everything. We all wear matching training outfits; breathable shirts and those sorts of high performance shorts that runners like to wear. They're snug, and surprisingly comfortable.
"Sheesh! Aneki! You really captured a woman with a body like that, it's so unfair!" Anko whines.
"Ah, it's fine. You'll find someone of your own, you know? But...well."
"Well?"
"We can see if she's interested in that sort of play, maybe? She's no slouch herself, you know."
"O-ooh. Would you really...?"
"Oi. We've still got work to do. While I appreciate your consideration for Luna's agency, there are other times and places for such things," I scold.
Midori coughs into her hand and nods. "Y-yes, you're right. Another time. Okay, here's where we are in terms of the second half of your training. There are four techniques I have in mind for you to learn, and I want to cycle through them during these sessions so that you have something on hand in case of an emergency. If the Leaf doesn't put a stop to that trash, you will need something in your back pocket. I can't be everywhere at once...not effectively, anyways."
"So which techniques are these?" I ask eagerly.
"Glad you've asked," Midori says with a smile, clapping her hands together. "The first is the Lightning Release technique I promised you the other day. A little extra something that I've yet to try out myself, but should do wonders for you. It's code-named 'Mobius', also called the 'Godspeed Cannon'. A technique that hyper compresses chakra into one point on your hand, similar in some ways to Chidori...however," she says while raising a finger, "You won't be using it to stab at high speed. It will take more effort to complete overall, but you're Lili, so you can do it for sure. The benefits are the ability to concentrate the chakra, carry it along with you, and fire off an extremely fast bolt of energy whenever, and wherever, you desire. You can control the output, and it goes without saying that it does even more damage the closer you are to your enemy. It's the technique of a new shinobi era!"
That sounds absolutely amazing. I want it. I want it yesterday.
"Lightning Release...Mobius." I let it come from my lips and it sounds even cooler now. I need it. Oh, do I ever need it.
"The next one coming up is a good and useful technique for your purposes," Anko continues. "Aneki can easily do it, but I wanted to be of service and teach you the ins and outs of it. This is called Hidden Shadow Snake Hands. Since you've got a unique seal on your arm, there are a few extra tricks you can learn like this one. It's not a terribly hard technique to learn or master, especially for you, but you can expand on the possibilities if you feel like it."
"I also promised a way to make use of that excited state of yours," Midori says. "It's going to be tied to your tracking technique, and we're going to help that go up another level as well. Finally, there's one last thing. This is the emergency jutsu I mentioned."
I nod and listen carefully.
"It's going to take a good amount of effort on your part to get up to speed. We're going to work on it seperately, in stages. This is a single stroke attack that takes advantage of your speed, and pushes your body to its limit as a result. It's a technique usually reserved for those who are going to take part in the Sage Training, but I decided to show it to you now since you'll be in a struggle soon...the most efficient use of this is as a high power finishing move. It's called Jakyou Messenga."
It certainly sounds like a serious technique. Destruction is even embedded in the name.
"So...this is our agenda for the next two weeks. We're going to give you our guidance and support, Lili."
I nod in response. There's a lot to go over, but it's as Midori said. I'm Lili, and I can do it all if I just do my best. "Understood...I'm in your care, sisters. Let's begin."
Anko and Midori give me a smile in return.
---
The next two weeks of training begin, and the cycle is simple. Work, rest, slack off, repeat. My first order of business is taking hold of the new lightning jutsu, and I do so easily. The real work comes in perfecting it.
Lightning Release: 'Mobius'. A technique formed from hyper compressed lightning chakra. After focusing the energy into one point, the user fires it from their index finger like a gun. The technique explodes outwards, piercing anything in its way and delivering massive damage to obstacles. When fired from up close, it can become even more dangerous.
This is a high speed assassination attack that is the antithesis of Chidori. It's just about perfect for me: it's quick, deadly, and fits with my desired style of offensive ninjutsu. This is with my other techniques; the piercing lightning type art False Darkness, the area of effect water type art Exploding Water Colliding Wave, and the quick and explosive water type art Water Shark Bullet. Seeing as Gaara's sand might be composed of Earth Release, water is at a disadvantage while lightning would be an advantage.
Hidden Shadow Snake Hands, the technique that Anko guides me through, allows the user to eject snakes from their wrist or sleeve, usually after a punching or similar type of motion. The snakes are used primarily to attack from a distance and, being snakes, can inflict multiple poisonous wounds on the victim's body or hold them in place. I can also produce these snakes from different points on my body, like from the legs of my pants if need be. In general, this is really useful as I can easily cover my issues with close range fighting and push the opponents back into my domain. All of my strongest techniques work best with room to spare, so the ability to establish an effective range like this is wonderful.
Jacobson's Eye, the technique that I've been using extensively for tracking and identification, has now evolved. The new name is Crimson Depths, and it improves the technique range to at least 7 kilometres. It works in the same manner: I taste the atmosphere or objects to detect scents and chakras. From there, I can track targets, decipher obstacles, and maneuver through the world. It will continue changing as I keep using it, just as before. It makes me feel more snake-like, really. I like it.
I further improve the tracking technique by using it as a sort of binding for my 'excited' state. This way, whenever I drift into it I can focus and block out some of the pain inflicted on my body, enough at least to continue fighting where most couldn't. Hopefully it doesn't come to that too often, but predators also have times where they need to go into survival mode. This will be useful for those unexpected times.
Lastly, I learn the emergency technique over a few days and shelve it for later, having completed the basics of it. This is as said, a Sage technique called White Snake Sage Art: Jakyou Messenga, also called 'Gleaming Fang'. Using chakra, the user wraps themselves in the aura of a snake and charges forward at an incredible speed, tearing into and through unfortunate enemies. The technique requires a fair amount of chakra and excellent control. Its range is also deceptively long, making surprise attacks possible. There's a specific type of energy that is used normally, but this technique can also be used with normal chakra. However, the chakra cost is incredibly high as a result and I can only use it twice in a given day, with the caveat that I start with full reserves - making it effectively a one-time use emergency technique, as first established. I remember what Anko said about Midori and the White Snake Sage, who created the technique. I should have the strength to use it regularly soon enough. For now, there are other things to worry about.
I continue to keep myself in good condition, working on my stamina and building up my strength bit by bit. Training has gone extremely well, and I'm more than happy with my results.
With three and a half days until the tournament starts, we wind down training and focus on my recovery.
"Everything we've set out to do has been done," Midori says as we finish our training day at noon. "It's time for you to take it easy before the big day. You've done so well, Lili."
"You really are awesome!" Anko says with a smile. "Totally the real deal, you know? I can see why the Hokage was looking out for you and everything. You're gonna go places. Ah, well...most places. You've got some rumours about you, Lili."
"I can only guess what they might be," I say as I wipe my face with a towel.
"Soon enough, you'll be known more for slaying ladies than bandits." She snickers. "Most people aren't sure what to make of it yet, but Tsume was raving about you the other day to me and it came up. If you're anything like Aneki, she's got reason to be afraid for Hana there."
"Oh? And what about you? Not worried I'll snatch you up, too?"
"Heh." She grabs hold of an invisible bat and swings through the air. "I switch hit, hon."
"Ah."
"Yep. It's a life. I try not to get around too much, though. I have a bit of a reputation regardless, because people can't be trusted to shut up sometimes," she says with a frown. "But getting down like that is just...I dunno, uncouth. Y'know? And unsafe at times. Don't let things on the outside fool you, shinobi like to-"
"Miss Anko, I think she more than gets the point." Luna returned to us after recovering from her bout of exhaustion, and helped with general training. I don't know what exactly has transpired between those three while I've been away or sleeping, but...from Luna's domineering sort of tone towards Anko, I can venture a guess.
"Yes'm. Just the facts of life, you know?"
"Yes, I know it well."
"Luna, be nice. I know it's not often you get someone to bully-"
"Lady Midoriko, it is not like that. I am simply asserting myself today."
"Yes, yes. And it was really sexy when you asserted yourself last night with-"
"Not in front of Miss Lilith!" Luna hisses.
"Mm." I sip from my bottle of water. "Luna has a point. Nothing more should be said."
She sighs with relief. "Thank you, Miss Lilith."
"You're welcome. I believe that what happens inside of the bedroom with three consenting adults should stay there."
"Yes, that's right," she says with a nod.
"I mean, the stories about you pouncing on Anko-nee the moment you could and asserting your dominance must be very spicy...but it's as I said. Nothing we should discuss in public."
Her face darkens as she glares at me, looking betrayed. "...the worst. Every single time...the worst."
Anko laughs and Midori wears an amused smile as Luna grumbles. I sigh and start towards my room for a well deserved shower.
All in good fun, as always.
"Level Up!"
---
Training begins in earnest. The end of the first day comes, and I'm resting in a hot tub with Midori and Luna. These warm jets of water feel really good.
The decision was made by Midori after I decided on training with her for the final part of the exams. Our location is a luxury hotel near the middle of the village. It has top class facilities from top to bottom, including food, shopping, and leisure activities. No expense has been spared, and customers are all too happy to spend their money here. Midori produced a deceptively small bundle of money, which immediately snapped the receptionist out of whatever funk she was in. As a result, areas relevant to our interests have been made private, for just the three of us.
"You look a bit uneasy, Luna."
"..." Luna fidgets a bit, unsure how to respond. "Lady Midoriko, I just wonder...are we really taking Miss Lilith's training seriously? Is this a proper way to train? From what I know, and what we've done previously...it doesn't seem right, for some reason. All of this luxury. I'm sorry..."
"Mm." Midori takes a sip from her champagne glass and holds it in her hand. "There's no need to apologize, darling. I think I know what you're feeling at this moment."
"Do you..."
"Yes. Luna...when you think of training, what comes to mind first?"
"Ah..." She thinks for a bit. "Rigorous exercises, and working outdoors. Running, lifting...I suppose the traditional manner of training. Doing hard work and pushing your body, denying yourself of things, even."
"An expected answer. Let me tell you the reality, and why your training in particular has been so abbreviated. Top class athletes all live like this. They have the money to use cutting edge equipment and facilities because of their earnings, and so they take advantage and do what they can to become stronger, faster. They consume supplements and get the best chefs to cook them meals all throughout the day. Lili and I have blue blood running through our veins. We're not commoners who have a need to think about what we spend and where we spend it. 'We' are not like 'them'. And we don't need to train to our limits every day to bring out our powers, or catch up to someone else. That sort of endless, rigorous, painful training, that denial of self...it is good to experience, but we don't need it."
She takes another sip of champagne and lets out a breath.
"We train until we feel sore. Then we rest. We indulge ourselves as a reward for our hard work. And then we repeat the process. Repetition is the key to mastery, and taking care of your body, loving it as best you can, will reap great benefits when you need them the most. Those people who glamorize the lifestyle of hard work and training until you bleed...let them live as they please. While those things are well and good for other people, they're not for us. We don't need to sacrifice like that, and so we won't do so."
Luna is thinking on Midori's words heavily.
"It sounds quite arrogant, doesn't it? You're not wrong to think that much, and it might be so. Either way, I won't apologize for it. We are high maintenance women, people who practice self care so that we can perform at high levels, and then rest until the next event."
"Gaining strength...is it possible to gain as much as you can like this?" Luna asks.
"Hm. There's the issue we needed to get to. Gaining strength is actually very easy to do. Refining and maintaining it is the difficult part. And this is what we set out to do...we hone ourselves as weapons until cutting is as easy as breathing. From there, we do our maintenance and sharpen ourselves. And so on, and so on."
Luna nods. "I think I understand a lot better now. Thank you, Lady Midoriko."
"Good. Don't worry about us, in any case. Even if we do go a bit wild with the ice cream, we'll manage." Midori winks at me, and I smile back.
Looks like we're all on board.
---
A week passes. We work on my speed some more to bring it to the top, and I can now see that I'm very, very fast. By the end of the week I can keep up with Midori easily, following her back and forth around our training area, accelerating with her, and matching our hand speeds. We can skip rope together so quickly that it feels like heavy winds are blowing through the area; the staff had to come by after the howling got loud enough. We apologized, but they still looked a bit scared of us as they were leaving. This feels like I'm getting close to the peak of my current strength; I will naturally get faster and more explosive as my body grows, and that's not counting the strength of the chakra mode. Speaking of that, while I'm not going to be working too much on it, I have been researching the chakra circulation system while thinking of ways to help Hina out. And I've found some very curious things. Dangerous things, potentially.
I really want to try them. It would be exciting to reach a level that nobody else has. Even if I'm not yet as fast as the Fourth Raikage, I know that I can reach higher than him, or anyone else. I want to feel that arrogant for once in my life, and be able to show it to the world. I want to see the fright on everyone's faces when I become a truly terrifying force of nature. One day, very soon.
Results are coming in, to summarize it. I feel good. Today, I'm comfortably sore and have the day off to play or rest as I want. It's afternoon, and we've done conditioning earlier...what did I want to do with my time? Ino is free...Shino and Hina might be too busy, and I don't want to throw them off their games. Kurenai, maybe? Hmm...
Ah. I know what I want to do. And it's the perfect time, since I'm training and Midori did mention it earlier...
It's a casual sort of time, so I throw on a loose silk shirt and some sweatpants, along with a light jacket on top. And some comfortable wooden zori on my feet, painted pink. I look ready. Time to go, then.
"..."
On a whim, I move towards Luna and Midori's room across the hall. I press my ear lightly against the door and focus.
"Lady Midoriko...we really can't be too loud, so you shouldn't..."
"If that's the problem, then I can just seal your lips like this~"
Hm. Seems like they're busy. I'll leave them alone for now.
I leave the hotel and head down the road, passing the local arcade. I might stop there on the way back, just to have some more fun. Quite a crowd gathered the last time, after I beat that one game with the flying ship a few times. It wasn't just because I was a shinobi, either. There were some there who had trouble with it on the higher levels because of the amount of coordination needed. The owner said there was a secret hardcore mode that he had to unlock manually, so he would do so if I came to the front desk the next time.
There's a familiar face from one of our earlier D-Rank missions as I pass by one of the stores. I realize now that the Hokage really has a deep knowledge and understanding of the village structure. Building rapport with the common villagers is a good way to help with information networks and support. As expected of the man called 'The Professor'.
"Oba-san," I call to the woman sweeping outside. She's middle aged with fuzzy black hair and glasses, and she runs a fruit shop that sells juices and smoothies. "Might I have your help?"
"Oh, you're the girl from Kurenai's group. Lilith, right? Tell me what you need, I'll see what I can do."
"Do you know a woman by the name of Anko Mitarashi?" I ask.
"I know of her. She comes by every once in a while off peak and asks for a lot of fruit crammed into her smoothies. I don't know where she puts it all. She has a huge sweet tooth, so...your best bet is to go over to the Dango-ya. You know where it is?"
"I do, I've been there a few times. That's the first place I'll check, then. Thank you so much, oba-san."
"It's no trouble at all. You were a huge help that time, and business has never been better. Drop by whenever you like, okay?"
"I'll be sure to visit soon. Please be well." I bow to her before leaving for my destination. As I walk, I notice the fat-chested sensei, Kosugi, on the side of the road talking to Erika.
Half human, then...I wouldn't think it at a glance.
"..."
I can talk to her later. Right now, I don't want to be in proximity of the walking pair of breasts. Something is just...so irritating about her. My current mission is to have a meeting with the examiner who caused a 'newtype flash' like in that mecha show I watched the other day. She has an aura like that masked man...or...no. No, that's actually me. Ah, well.
I reach the Dango-ya after taking a few shortcuts across the village to save time. As I enter, I immediately see my target.
"Yum, yum~! Ah, it's less than a month before the next event! Nothing like some dango and juice to keep spirits high!" She happily munches on a stick of dango. I slide into the seat across from her at her booth, and she takes note of me after escaping her reverie. Her eyes remind me of Erika's, only they're light brown instead of hazel.
"Mitarashi-sensei, isn't it?" I ask.
"Oh! You're from Team Eight, yeah? The record holders in the second test...completed in less than an hour. Really great stuff." I can see that she has two pitchers of juice for herself, and sticks piled high on a plate nearby - discards from the dango she's been eating. There's having a sweet tooth, and then there's going overboard. This...this is a few thousand leagues below the sea, relatively speaking.
"Yes, I am. And I'm-"
"The Hidden Leaf's Scarlet Viper! Top class rookie, Lilith Kobayashi!"
"Oh, so you know of me already."
"Nishishishi~! How could I forget something like that? But...I'm sure you didn't come to see me based on my reputation. A violent glutton like me...eh? Or is it about the contract?"
I nod. "Those things are part of it. Midori-nee mentioned you by name."
She chews on a piece of dango while nodding, then stops in surprise and swallows. "Midori...nee-chan? Hm? You mean...Midoriko? Aneki?"
"Ane...ki?" I repeat.
"Yeah...she mentioned me? Really..." She smiles. "So she didn't forget me after all..."
"Something like that is impossible. You're too much of a unique character," I say to her.
"Gahahaha! You're right! Eh...Lilith, right?"
"Lili is fine."
"Got it. Or...ojou, maybe? Hm. She took you under her wing, obviously. More than that. Calling her your older sister like that...you're definitely special to her." She swallows down another stick of dango and puts the stick in her mouth. "So, what did you bring your cute face here for, in the end? Surely not to see me pig out."
"Well, something like that could be charming, in its own way," I joke. "But...I really wanted to glean some information from you, and learn about you as a person. It's only right, given all that we share."
"Mm. That makes sense. Did you want anything to drink, Lili?"
"I'm fine. Thank you for asking."
"Yeah. Mm...let's see now. Did Aneki tell you anything about that man?"
"Oh...I suppose that's the one she calls the 'trash'. Orochimaru of the Sannin."
"The very same...he was my former master. Since the secret is already out in the relevant places by now, I'll tell you this...he's planning on taking the Leaf. If we stop the tournament, he'll attack right away. We really don't know what he's waiting for, some kind of signal...Lord Hokage encouraged us to continue the exams. That way we'll at least have some time to figure out what he's planning before he attacks for real."
"Midori-nee also mentioned Sasuke..."
"So she knows that much, too. Expected of her." Anko touches the side of her neck once, taking the stick out of her mouth and placing it with the others. "That thing is called a Cursed Seal of Heaven. From what I know, there's only one other seal like it. It's one of the most powerful of Orochimaru's sealing arts. In exchange for your chakra and your sanity, it rewards you with extra power. Kakashi has it sealed up by now, but that temporary seal is only as strong as Sasuke's will is. He didn't have to worry about it any since he drew Ino the last time, but I suspect that his next opponent..." She pauses. "Well, I was gonna say Neji Hyuuga, but Uzumaki definitely has a chance. He's not something you can predict, I can say that much. But it'll be uphill for him."
"Mm." She's perceptive, too. I already like her.
"Any way you look at it, the truth is this. The brand constantly tempts you, it calls to you loudly in battle, asking if you want more strength. And I know for a fact that Orochimaru gave that brand to him in person."
"Do you think that Sasuke..."
"I don't want to think that. That he would give in. But..." Her eyes look towards the table. "He doesn't brand those who he thinks are unworthy. Not...any more."
"Anko." I note that she's been hiding her right hand until now...there's bandage around it. "You met in the forest. Did you..."
"I tried to stop him, but I failed. Yes...it was in the Forest of Death that I saw him. By that time, he had already branded Sasuke with the curse mark. And now...he might bring terror to the entire Leaf." She sighs heavily. "Lord Hokage told me not to blame myself..."
"Then don't," I say.
"Listen, it's not that easy."
"I know. It never is. But you have to try. And you don't have to carry that burden alone. I'm the top class rookie, remember? Depend on me."
"Sheesh. You're...really, really reassuring, you know. It's no wonder that Aneki fell for you." She sighs again and gulps down another glass of juice. "As one of the Three Shinobi, Orochimaru is extremely strong. But he's nothing compared to Aneki. She's received the blessing of the Sage, you know? Ryuuchi Cave's Snake Goddess, a hermit among hermits!"
"Sage, huh..." Those are the arts she would mention from time to time. Things that apparently I would be able to do myself one day...
"Yep! I bet she'll pass all of that down to you when you're ready. But, yeah...Orochimaru seems to want to crush the Leaf completely, somehow. We're keeping an eye on everything as best we can, but he's crafty. He's also Lord Hokage's..."
"Former student. The one with the sharp mind."
"Yeah."
"It's no wonder he said those things to me. But then...he also said that I have something Orochimaru doesn't. That something is why he won't win," I say with determination.
"Heh. Well, don't do anything too far out of line. Like I said, the tournament is going to proceed as planned...that's likely the time where he'll try to do something. Also, your first round opponent..."
"Gaara of the Desert," I say. "It's no problem, I understand how he fights a little bit. If I can accelerate well enough, then maybe that will be a solution on its own..."
"Ah..."
"I've learned a lot from talking to you today." I lay down a few bills to cover Anko's meal. "Consider this my thanks. I'll see you in a while, Miss Anko."
"Oi, oi. No need to be so stiff. Aneki wouldn't like that, you know?" she scolds lightly. "Ah, but...thanks for paying, I might have eaten a bit too much for today's budget, ehehe..."
I sigh and shake my head before starting to leave.
"Um...oh! Let me come with you! You're going to see Aneki, right? I wanted to ask her if I could help."
"Help?"
"Yeah! I want to teach you the snake summoner's staple technique! You're still a young genin, and I'm guessing she didn't want to overwhelm you, so you probably don't know it yet, right?"
"I don't think so," I admit. "It should be okay, then."
"Great! Let's go to see her together. And also, you can think of it as me repaying your kindness just now."
I give her a look. "This would seem like collusion to someone else, wouldn't it?"
She shrugs. "It would be news to me. Techniques are techniques, no matter where you might get them from."
"Ah, I see. Then I'm in your care, sister."
We walk all the way back to the hotel, and Anko reveals that she eats about the same amount of sweets and junk every day. It must be because she chews through so much energy in a day that she's still so fit, but I suspect that will catch up with her if she retires, or simply gets old enough. It wouldn't affect her terribly as a shinobi, but why not look your best for as long as you can? Besides, I might still want to chase girls when I get a lot older, and a fit body wouldn't hurt there...oh, right. I'm getting ahead of myself again.
"Anko!"
"Aneki!"
It's a very joyful reunion for the two of them. They chat and catch up, and after some discussion Midori decides that it would be great if Anko joined us for the rest of my training. Anko says that she can pull a few strings and get started with us the week after next.
For this week, we do the same things as usual. This amounts to more physical training and improving my ability to use ninjutsu quickly and safely. I imagine that it will tie in nicely to the next part of the journey. In between training sessions, Luna, Midori and I relax and play together. Luna's father, who I learn is named Tatsumi, taught her how to do things like play billiards and bowling since they would go out together to local bars and diners. As a result, she's an expert when playing and the shocked looks of the men she routinely beats never gets old.
The third week of training begins, and there are two more including this one before the tournament final round. This is, as they say, where the real fun begins. I meet with Midori and Anko in our designated training facility this morning, with Anko offically free to help out - she'll be staying with us in the hotel for the rest of the month. Luna is absent due to...exhaustion. The reasons don't need to be explained, as the glow on Midori's face says everything. We all wear matching training outfits; breathable shirts and those sorts of high performance shorts that runners like to wear. They're snug, and surprisingly comfortable.
"Sheesh! Aneki! You really captured a woman with a body like that, it's so unfair!" Anko whines.
"Ah, it's fine. You'll find someone of your own, you know? But...well."
"Well?"
"We can see if she's interested in that sort of play, maybe? She's no slouch herself, you know."
"O-ooh. Would you really...?"
"Oi. We've still got work to do. While I appreciate your consideration for Luna's agency, there are other times and places for such things," I scold.
Midori coughs into her hand and nods. "Y-yes, you're right. Another time. Okay, here's where we are in terms of the second half of your training. There are four techniques I have in mind for you to learn, and I want to cycle through them during these sessions so that you have something on hand in case of an emergency. If the Leaf doesn't put a stop to that trash, you will need something in your back pocket. I can't be everywhere at once...not effectively, anyways."
"So which techniques are these?" I ask eagerly.
"Glad you've asked," Midori says with a smile, clapping her hands together. "The first is the Lightning Release technique I promised you the other day. A little extra something that I've yet to try out myself, but should do wonders for you. It's code-named 'Mobius', also called the 'Godspeed Cannon'. A technique that hyper compresses chakra into one point on your hand, similar in some ways to Chidori...however," she says while raising a finger, "You won't be using it to stab at high speed. It will take more effort to complete overall, but you're Lili, so you can do it for sure. The benefits are the ability to concentrate the chakra, carry it along with you, and fire off an extremely fast bolt of energy whenever, and wherever, you desire. You can control the output, and it goes without saying that it does even more damage the closer you are to your enemy. It's the technique of a new shinobi era!"
That sounds absolutely amazing. I want it. I want it yesterday.
"Lightning Release...Mobius." I let it come from my lips and it sounds even cooler now. I need it. Oh, do I ever need it.
"The next one coming up is a good and useful technique for your purposes," Anko continues. "Aneki can easily do it, but I wanted to be of service and teach you the ins and outs of it. This is called Hidden Shadow Snake Hands. Since you've got a unique seal on your arm, there are a few extra tricks you can learn like this one. It's not a terribly hard technique to learn or master, especially for you, but you can expand on the possibilities if you feel like it."
"I also promised a way to make use of that excited state of yours," Midori says. "It's going to be tied to your tracking technique, and we're going to help that go up another level as well. Finally, there's one last thing. This is the emergency jutsu I mentioned."
I nod and listen carefully.
"It's going to take a good amount of effort on your part to get up to speed. We're going to work on it seperately, in stages. This is a single stroke attack that takes advantage of your speed, and pushes your body to its limit as a result. It's a technique usually reserved for those who are going to take part in the Sage Training, but I decided to show it to you now since you'll be in a struggle soon...the most efficient use of this is as a high power finishing move. It's called Jakyou Messenga."
It certainly sounds like a serious technique. Destruction is even embedded in the name.
"So...this is our agenda for the next two weeks. We're going to give you our guidance and support, Lili."
I nod in response. There's a lot to go over, but it's as Midori said. I'm Lili, and I can do it all if I just do my best. "Understood...I'm in your care, sisters. Let's begin."
Anko and Midori give me a smile in return.
---
The next two weeks of training begin, and the cycle is simple. Work, rest, slack off, repeat. My first order of business is taking hold of the new lightning jutsu, and I do so easily. The real work comes in perfecting it.
Lightning Release: 'Mobius'. A technique formed from hyper compressed lightning chakra. After focusing the energy into one point, the user fires it from their index finger like a gun. The technique explodes outwards, piercing anything in its way and delivering massive damage to obstacles. When fired from up close, it can become even more dangerous.
This is a high speed assassination attack that is the antithesis of Chidori. It's just about perfect for me: it's quick, deadly, and fits with my desired style of offensive ninjutsu. This is with my other techniques; the piercing lightning type art False Darkness, the area of effect water type art Exploding Water Colliding Wave, and the quick and explosive water type art Water Shark Bullet. Seeing as Gaara's sand might be composed of Earth Release, water is at a disadvantage while lightning would be an advantage.
Hidden Shadow Snake Hands, the technique that Anko guides me through, allows the user to eject snakes from their wrist or sleeve, usually after a punching or similar type of motion. The snakes are used primarily to attack from a distance and, being snakes, can inflict multiple poisonous wounds on the victim's body or hold them in place. I can also produce these snakes from different points on my body, like from the legs of my pants if need be. In general, this is really useful as I can easily cover my issues with close range fighting and push the opponents back into my domain. All of my strongest techniques work best with room to spare, so the ability to establish an effective range like this is wonderful.
Jacobson's Eye, the technique that I've been using extensively for tracking and identification, has now evolved. The new name is Crimson Depths, and it improves the technique range to at least 7 kilometres. It works in the same manner: I taste the atmosphere or objects to detect scents and chakras. From there, I can track targets, decipher obstacles, and maneuver through the world. It will continue changing as I keep using it, just as before. It makes me feel more snake-like, really. I like it.
I further improve the tracking technique by using it as a sort of binding for my 'excited' state. This way, whenever I drift into it I can focus and block out some of the pain inflicted on my body, enough at least to continue fighting where most couldn't. Hopefully it doesn't come to that too often, but predators also have times where they need to go into survival mode. This will be useful for those unexpected times.
Lastly, I learn the emergency technique over a few days and shelve it for later, having completed the basics of it. This is as said, a Sage technique called White Snake Sage Art: Jakyou Messenga, also called 'Gleaming Fang'. Using chakra, the user wraps themselves in the aura of a snake and charges forward at an incredible speed, tearing into and through unfortunate enemies. The technique requires a fair amount of chakra and excellent control. Its range is also deceptively long, making surprise attacks possible. There's a specific type of energy that is used normally, but this technique can also be used with normal chakra. However, the chakra cost is incredibly high as a result and I can only use it twice in a given day, with the caveat that I start with full reserves - making it effectively a one-time use emergency technique, as first established. I remember what Anko said about Midori and the White Snake Sage, who created the technique. I should have the strength to use it regularly soon enough. For now, there are other things to worry about.
I continue to keep myself in good condition, working on my stamina and building up my strength bit by bit. Training has gone extremely well, and I'm more than happy with my results.
With three and a half days until the tournament starts, we wind down training and focus on my recovery.
"Everything we've set out to do has been done," Midori says as we finish our training day at noon. "It's time for you to take it easy before the big day. You've done so well, Lili."
"You really are awesome!" Anko says with a smile. "Totally the real deal, you know? I can see why the Hokage was looking out for you and everything. You're gonna go places. Ah, well...most places. You've got some rumours about you, Lili."
"I can only guess what they might be," I say as I wipe my face with a towel.
"Soon enough, you'll be known more for slaying ladies than bandits." She snickers. "Most people aren't sure what to make of it yet, but Tsume was raving about you the other day to me and it came up. If you're anything like Aneki, she's got reason to be afraid for Hana there."
"Oh? And what about you? Not worried I'll snatch you up, too?"
"Heh." She grabs hold of an invisible bat and swings through the air. "I switch hit, hon."
"Ah."
"Yep. It's a life. I try not to get around too much, though. I have a bit of a reputation regardless, because people can't be trusted to shut up sometimes," she says with a frown. "But getting down like that is just...I dunno, uncouth. Y'know? And unsafe at times. Don't let things on the outside fool you, shinobi like to-"
"Miss Anko, I think she more than gets the point." Luna returned to us after recovering from her bout of exhaustion, and helped with general training. I don't know what exactly has transpired between those three while I've been away or sleeping, but...from Luna's domineering sort of tone towards Anko, I can venture a guess.
"Yes'm. Just the facts of life, you know?"
"Yes, I know it well."
"Luna, be nice. I know it's not often you get someone to bully-"
"Lady Midoriko, it is not like that. I am simply asserting myself today."
"Yes, yes. And it was really sexy when you asserted yourself last night with-"
"Not in front of Miss Lilith!" Luna hisses.
"Mm." I sip from my bottle of water. "Luna has a point. Nothing more should be said."
She sighs with relief. "Thank you, Miss Lilith."
"You're welcome. I believe that what happens inside of the bedroom with three consenting adults should stay there."
"Yes, that's right," she says with a nod.
"I mean, the stories about you pouncing on Anko-nee the moment you could and asserting your dominance must be very spicy...but it's as I said. Nothing we should discuss in public."
Her face darkens as she glares at me, looking betrayed. "...the worst. Every single time...the worst."
Anko laughs and Midori wears an amused smile as Luna grumbles. I sigh and start towards my room for a well deserved shower.
All in good fun, as always.
Khona Moshr
Pink Flamingo Cabal Healer(they/them)
- Location
- Alabama
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Yay the promise of Lesbians with lasers is done
hmm, it isnt possible that Midori is trying to train up a replacement stage, its just a gift for her little sister
sounds fun, and sadly not as useful as godspeed cannon against Gara
FortePlus
The THRILL from Green Hill
- Location
- Toronto
- Pronouns
- He/Him
prophecy has been fulfilled
FortePlus
The THRILL from Green Hill
- Location
- Toronto
- Pronouns
- He/Him
The exams are a strange turning point as I come back to write them for the hundredth or so time. In other projects I've had the luxury of engaging with them as I please and I usually don't. When I do, I have to set it up so that it feels like a tournament with people in them. Here I've managed the best of both worlds and pacing has been improved. I imagine that people would appreciate the maybe 20-30k extra words fleshing out exam fights, but materially I feel like it's fluff.
So I actually don't like the exam arc. It has some good ideas and characters and junk, and is important to the core of the series, but as a whole I don't really care for it. I don't hate it, it's just not that important to me aside from the events of the Leaf Crushing which have a lot of thematic significance. And so it results in the sort of relaxed approach that has made it here.
The structure of this arc becomes becomes simple in some areas and more complex in others. But there are a lot less immutable things than I realized here and a lot more things that can just...not be. I feel like sometimes people make too much of potential ripple effects while ignoring other things? I think you'll see what I mean as we continue.
Tsume is interesting. She's a special jounin apparently through the series and that makes sense, I guess. I didn't want to lean too hard on absorbed fan canon here because she's actually strict, if with a mean streak? Which also makes sense. Hana is really sharp and Kiba is a slacker so the disparity makes sense there. I dunno. I feel like what I've seen of her in fanfic is a little too spirited.
Same with Anko, honestly. A little gravitas to her character on all fronts helps. She's fun, but also serious enough and takes things on the chin if they do go wrong. Those dimensions I feel get left out a lot.
Eh. That's what I was thinking about story wise recently. It's always a little tricky trying to draw out satisfying conclusions.
So I actually don't like the exam arc. It has some good ideas and characters and junk, and is important to the core of the series, but as a whole I don't really care for it. I don't hate it, it's just not that important to me aside from the events of the Leaf Crushing which have a lot of thematic significance. And so it results in the sort of relaxed approach that has made it here.
The structure of this arc becomes becomes simple in some areas and more complex in others. But there are a lot less immutable things than I realized here and a lot more things that can just...not be. I feel like sometimes people make too much of potential ripple effects while ignoring other things? I think you'll see what I mean as we continue.
Tsume is interesting. She's a special jounin apparently through the series and that makes sense, I guess. I didn't want to lean too hard on absorbed fan canon here because she's actually strict, if with a mean streak? Which also makes sense. Hana is really sharp and Kiba is a slacker so the disparity makes sense there. I dunno. I feel like what I've seen of her in fanfic is a little too spirited.
Same with Anko, honestly. A little gravitas to her character on all fronts helps. She's fun, but also serious enough and takes things on the chin if they do go wrong. Those dimensions I feel get left out a lot.
Eh. That's what I was thinking about story wise recently. It's always a little tricky trying to draw out satisfying conclusions.
Lock and Load
FortePlus
The THRILL from Green Hill
- Location
- Toronto
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Scarlet Justice - ep. 37
"Lock and Load"
[Chuunin Exams: Third Round Finals]
---
Not much is coming to mind right now. I think I really do just want to relax and take things easy for a while. Maybe even...stop thinking, if only for a few precious moments. I wonder how that feels.
In any case, it's early afternoon. Two days will be left after this one. The hotel is very nice, but I find myself wanting to get outside again for a walk. After taking my shower, I look for something light to wear since it's warm again today. The first thing I pull out is one of the cropped shirts I usually wear at home, and I shrug before throwing it on. A comfortable pair of shorts, and my wooden sandals will work here too. I grab my wallet and go on my way.
"..."
Feeling curious again, I press my ear against the door to Midori's room and listen.
"You're really good at this, Luna."
"Naturally. It's simply poker though, so you'll get the hang of it after losing to me enough times."
"Luna, behave. At least for a little bit longer, anyways..."
"Lady Midoriko, I am not being mean."
"Not yet, you meant. Gotta admit, though...it's pretty hot when you get all agressive like that, Mistress Luna..."
"Hmph."
"She'll settle down after a few more drinks, Anko."
"..." More shenanigans, then. I wonder if I'll be like that once I get older. Or...no. No, I'll probably be just as bad, if not worse. Not too many children know the things I know, thankfully.
I leave the hotel and start to walk down the main road. Where should I go today? Since training is almost over, I can fool around just a little bit. There are the usual conditioning runs for tomorrow, but nothing else after that. As Midori said, everything that was to be learned has been learned. Erika might be out and about, and I've been musing over her recently...but there's someone more important that I want to check on first.
"I wonder how Hina is doing..." It's near the end of the one month training time, so I would like to hope that I wouldn't be throwing her off too badly if I did make a visit unannounced. Her home isn't all that far, and it shouldn't be too bad a walk in this weather.
"Hah...I think that should be it...for today."
Someone's voice rings out nearby, and I turn to it, curious. Some distance away, there's a girl in a white jogging outfit, complete with matching headband. Her dark hair has a bluish tint to it, and is tied back into a high ponytail. She really looks cute, and her eyes are...wait.
"Hina?" I call to her.
She turns her head to face me. "Mm? Oh...! Lili!"
"I...I'm so sorry, I almost didn't recognize you. The outfit, and your hair...you listened to what I said all that time ago and let it grow out, then."
"Yes! I wanted to try it...a little bit of a mature look, you know?" She rubs the back of her head as she comes closer to me. "It's a bit silly, right?"
"Not at all. As long as it makes you feel good, it's fine. And you look stunning, regardless. I see that you're still training."
"Yes, I am. Today is the last day...I'm going to rest all day tomorrow in advance of the finals. Perhaps some stretches the day before the first match to finish things off, but...we've completed our training so far. There's nothing else to be done." Her cheeks are a bit red from the running she's been doing, I notice. But she has such a mature and serene look on her face. The Hinata I knew from before has changed a fair bit, and in just the space of a month. "It's really exciting, you know. Hanabi has started to help me...well, in her own way, I think. I don't know if she would ever think I'm good enough to carry on the clan leadership, but...she's acknowledging me again. I can see it, and it makes me happy." She pauses. "After all that happened...I can't really blame her, because she's just a child and she's been pushed around by my father and all of the elders. And aside from that, she's my little sister. I want to be able to connect with her again, one day."
"Yes, I see."
"All of this is thanks to you, Lili." She gives me a warm smile. "When you pulled me aside in the desert, and shed those tears for me...when you opened up your heart and shared your pain...not only did I fall in love with you that day, but I found myself. The person who I really wanted to be. Facing that Dosu person...if I were with another team, or just another person, I would never have been able to do what I did. We've gone on missions and had adventures together...and I know that I haven't always been the best teammate. But I could carry on. I could move towards a brighter future. Because...I had you."
"Hina."
"No matter what happens, or who I end up giving myself to...you will be everything to me, Lili."
"Thank you...I almost feel unworthy hearing that from you, but...I accept it, Hina. I will always be here for you."
She nods. "More than that, though. I...I know that you can take down any monster that crosses your path. You have those fangs filled with venom, that you can sink into anyone at a moment's notice. That's who you are...as the Scarlet Viper, right?" I can see the look in her eyes change. "I have expectations as well. Goals that I want to reach. I'll beat my next opponent, no matter who it might be...and then..."
"You realize what it is you're saying...Hinata."
"Yes. Because I love you so much, I want to reach you. I want to fight my beloved sister...and this will be my precious gift to you. The result of the love you gave me. The proof of my strength," she says calmly.
The wind blows past us as we stare into each other's eyes.
Hina has grown so much from when we first met. She is my pride. And that's why, as she's accepted everything I am...I will accept everything that she is.
"So...that's your final answer," I say to her.
"Yes. I want to see it..."
I respond to her request and let the darkness inside of me flow outwards. She steadies herself, staring into me with those pure white eyes. There's a tension that pulses between us.
"Look forward to it then, Hina. You understand what you're asking, right? Hmhm...well, no. That's a foolish question for me to ask. You understand completely. You've accepted this side of me as well...and that's why you can do this. That's why you can stand in front of me, and do something so dangerous." I smile and lick my lips. "I'll devour you too, darling. And I know that you'll be very delicious."
"I won't be just simple prey," she says. "I promise you that your venom won't be enough on its own. You will have to pour your strength into tearing me apart...Lilith Kobayashi."
"Kekeke...yes. That suits me just fine. I'll enjoy every moment, Hinata Hyuuga."
We look at each other for a few more moments...her determination pushing against my dark desires. Wonderful...I'm so happy that we can really, truly connect like this. Not just as comrades and friends, but as sisters and rivals.
I let out a breath and flick 'that' switch off. The atmosphere changes again, falling back towards the normal calm we had before.
"Well, I'm confident in Shino's ability," I say casually. "You'll have to figure out a way to get past him first."
"Yes, that much is true. He's kind of mysterious, isn't he?"
I wave a hand. "Not terribly so. Just a big nerd. Though I do appreciate him."
"Mm...when the time comes, I'll know what to do. I think he's going to win his match, too. Oh, I didn't ask what you were doing for training."
"Midori-nee bought out a fancy hotel for us to train in. That's where I was just now," I say as I jab my thumb back in the direction I came from. "I developed a few new techniques and raised my overall abilities. I think at this point, I have to be one of the fastest people in the Leaf. As far as time is concerned, at the least."
"Ah...that's a bother, then. I was hoping that you wouldn't focus on that and get any faster," she says with a wry smile. "New techniques are one thing, but...well, I don't think that's something I can readily deal with."
"You know, you're not supposed to admit to weaknesses like that," I tell her.
"We're not, no...but I love you a lot, and I'm not entirely used to this rivalry thing yet. I wonder how boys do it so well," she muses. "Hm. But you were already faster than Brother Neji, which...well, you'll see in the finals."
"Sounds exciting. Can't wait," I say with a smile. "In the meantime, I think I'm going to have a lot of fun with that Gaara guy..."
"You're thinking of...?"
"Yes, yes. For the first time in a long while, I'll be able to embrace my S side fully!" I declare with seriousness.
Hina sighs. "You really are terrible sometimes, Lili."
"Ufufu...but I wouldn't be me otherwise."
"I guess not. But...that makes me happy, too. I'm going to head back home and finish for the day. Lili, it was really nice seeing you. We'll meet up again in a few days."
"Of course. Hina, please take care."
"I will." She plants a kiss on my cheek and waves as she starts her run back home.
I know it won't be easy to swallow her up like I want. But that's exactly how it should be. The kind of rival who makes me work for every win...that's all I could want.
"Better than Sasuke, at any rate." I run a hand through my hair, thinking. I'm sure there was something that I wanted to do...I can't recall it at the moment. Nothing else to do but go back and rest. I start on my way and come across someone familiar.
"Good afternoon, Lili."
"Good afternoon, Hana." She's dressed in a long white cloak today, and has only one of the Haimarus trailing behind her.
"Still training for the big event?"
"No, I'm finished. Just rest from here until the tournament begins. Are you coming from work?"
"Yeah, I just was making a house call. I didn't want to crowd the patient too much, so I only brought one of the boys out with me today." She sighs. "Medicine is tough, but it's also very fulfilling. There's no way I could think about doing anything else at this point."
"That's good to hear."
"Did you have any interest in medicine? They go over it a bit in kunoichi classes, I remember." Hana absentmindedly scratches behind her companion's ears.
"The field treatments are useful, but aside from that, no. I know Hinata has expressed some interest, though. She wants to be useful in a supporting role."
"Hmm..."
"Besides, I'm not allowed to be in closed spaces with you."
She laughs. "Right. Mom really wants grandkids. I'm sure Kiba could cover that end for her, but it's fair that she worries about her only daughter. It's curious, though. I didn't think girls could awaken so early..."
"Trust me, it happens more than people would like to think. I think it's more notable in my case because I don't want to jump on top of a boy."
"How do your parents feel about this?"
"They don't know," I say. "I want to wait a while before telling my stepmother, and my father...he's never around, so it really wouldn't matter." If he did know, it would be another reason to see me as worthless. It's likely that one of the only reasons he hasn't thrown me away entirely is because he thinks I'm still interested in being with a man one day and bearing him a grandchild. A complicated sort of thing...and nothing I'm eager to dive into.
"I see. Things like that are difficult. We still live in a sort of...conservative world, even with the support of those who love people of the same sex. At least in our circles and professions. Not to mention those who don't fit into traditional spheres at all...you don't learn about much of this until you really get out in the world, you know? Academia is slow to catch up to reality sometimes."
"Mm-hm."
"Well, if you change your mind about learning medical arts, or just want to chat, let me know. That's not to say...hm."
"I think you know of my situation," I say. "It's alright, really. I have a few people that I talk to, aside from Hinata of course."
"Yeah. There are just a lot of rumours and generally...not nice things said about you around the village. Hopefully when you blow everyone away at the tournament, some of that will change. But you're really okay, right?"
"I do have my sisters to look after me, so...even if the entire village turned away from me, I could go on. But thank you, Hana. I'll be sure to call on you every once in a while. With Tsume's permission, of course."
"She should be fine, as long as you have me back before it gets dark out," she jokes. "I'm gonna get home. The other boys worry when I don't get back at the times I promise, haha. See you later, Lili. Good luck!"
"Thank you. Until the next, Hana."
She gives me a smile before speeding off, her companion barking once to wish me well before following.
"It's nice...things like this. More than anything, I want to treasure the few companions I have in this world."
I stare at the clouds in the sky for a few moments before continuing on my way. After making it in, I check on the door across the hall and hear snoring mixed with light breathing. Seems like everyone's tuckered out, possibly after some sort of 'recreational activity'. Ah, well. I go to my room and settle in, pulling out the volume of manga I had stored and calling room service. They deliver my long awaited items.
A tall pitcher of fresh and cold milk, and a large basket of spicy curly fries.
I enjoy myself immensely before cleaning up and drifting off to sleep, full and satisfied.
---
At last. The time has come, and so have I.
The final tournament for the exams, the last true test, is set to begin on this crisp morning. Activity ripples through the village, with vendors out in full force to make as much money as they can, and crowds of people to sell to. Everything is bright and vibrant, from store fronts to government buildings.
As for me, I take my time getting ready. A nice, warm shower. Making sure my skin is taken care of. A good set of underwear and a fresh pair of black tights. Cargo shorts, sturdy belt, and black sweater all clean and ready. Hair freshened up, and a light bit of makeup. I put on a layer of shiny lip gloss and press my lips together. Impressions are important on what will be the biggest stage of my life so far.
I flip my hair back with confidence and look over myself in the closet mirror one last time. I look ready. I feel ready. It's time to start a busy morning.
Everyone else has gone on ahead of me after breakfast. My stepmother will be back in town for the first time in a while, and I wonder just how she's doing. Luna and Midori are meeting up with her, and will get seats in the stadium. Anko is on assignment, as I assumed she would be. She wants little more than to crush Orochimaru's ambitions. Kurenai will likely be sitting with Asuma, along with Ino and Choji. And of course, most of my important people are in the final round already, so we'll be together most of the day.
I make my way to the exam area, early as planned. Through the side entrance for participants, with a quick security check before I'm let in, and then down the long halls towards a waiting room with everyone else. Since there are ten others...hold on a moment. This isn't right. I turn and look for the sickly examiner...and for some reason, I can't seem to-
"Oh, there are you are. Hayate-senpai," I call as I wave to him. He coughs from his seat and looks in my direction before waving back. "There are a few of us missing and things are set to begin soon."
"Yeah. There's a reason for that...that kid suddenly withdrew a week ago."
I tilt my head. "Mm? You don't mean Sasuke, do you?"
"Koichi Nagano. Sasuke is still in the tournament, far as I know."
"Any reason why Koichi dropped out?"
"No reason..." His eyes shift from one side to the other before he focuses on me. "Well...if there is something, you didn't hear it from me. My other half has been listening in, and there are whispers going around, according to her." Oh, so his lover is someone with knowledge of the village's inner workings. I wonder what kind of person she is. Hayate subtly motions me closer before whispering something to me, coughing in the other direction afterwards.
"Something like that...really?" I say.
"So she says. Kosugi has...tendencies, let's say. She's also a part of the Bonus Program, and makes observations that the Hokage takes into account. I don't know if he was aware of how exactly she did things, but...either way, that kid is a special case and will be moving through different streams from now on."
"No wonder. It did seem a bit like indoctrination at one point, but I didn't think they were wrapped up in each other that much. Sort of disturbing to think about...mm. So it seems like the slacker gets a pass this time. Thank you for the information."
He nods and coughs once. "No problem. Good luck against that Sand kid...he made it to the tower in the second test shortly after you."
"So I heard. There was a commotion when he and his comrades made it in."
"He didn't have a single scratch or mark on him."
"That so...it seems to fit with the descriptions from earlier. Well, thank you again, senpai."
"Yeah. We're set to begin in about ten minutes. That's when we march out. Also, it's as you observed...that Sasuke character isn't here yet, but fortunately for him he has a bye..."
"Yes, it seems so." Suspicious, but it could be explained by the curse mark. Since Naruto is already here, happily chatting away with others, Kakashi must be taking care of it along with other precautions for Sasuke. I wonder what exactly they could be doing. Perfecting the Chidori, maybe? That sounds good...yes. Then I can crush it with my own jutsu. Just the mere thought of seeing his despairing face after ruining him and his stupid technique...I really shouldn't let myself fantasize too much today. But that thought on its own gives off a lovely warmth...
The promised time arrives, and we walk outside together as a group. From here, I can see how high the walls of this stadium are, enough to keep away jutsu of many types. There are plenty of trees and bushes on the flat land. It seems like an opportunity to show off some unique skills, but there's also more than enough room to have yourself a brawl if that's what your heart desires.
Nine of us are present, and we line up in a row to face the crowd, especially the middle section where the Hokage sits. Another robed figure arrives, and I suspect that it's the Kazekage. He sits after being greeted, and then the Hokage stands himself to address everyone.
"Welcome to the Hidden Leaf! These are the finals of the Chuunin Selection Exams. The main tournament matches between the ten remaining finalists are set to begin. Please enjoy yourselves, and watch until the final match!"
"The match order has changed. Check to make sure you know who you're up against," Hayate says as he holds up the revised match sheet.
"Wait...the hell?" Shikamaru whines. "What happened to the weirdo kid from earlier?"
"He withdrew. That means you get a bye to the next round."
"Well, that means I'm...ah, it didn't make a difference. I'm still gonna get all my bones broken, just later instead of now. What a pain in the ass." He sighs. "I should quit."
"What kind of attitude is that? C'mon, show your fighting spirit! Oraaaaa!" Naruto yells.
"I'd tell you to shut up, but...you're gonna get your ass kicked too by the Hyuuga Clan genius..."
"Like hell I am! Also!" Naruto waves his arms wildly. "Sasuke still isn't here! What's gonna happen if he doesn't make it in time for his fight?"
"Ife he somehow can't make it for the sixth match...he loses by default," Hayate says.
"What?! Dammit...he promised! Come on, idiot! Hurry up!"
"The rules are the same as in the preliminaries...fight until one person dies, or preferrably surrenders. But as always, if I step in, the fight's over. Let's get to it...first match. Temari and Shino. The rest of you, get to the waiting area up top for now."
"Shino, fight hard," I say.
"Yes. I'm looking forward to our fight soon, Shino," Hina says.
He pushes up his glasses - with the frame polished nicely for the day's fight - and nods. "Of course. For your sakes, I'll go all out."
We make our way up to the waiting area, hopping up the flights of stairs at a leisurely pace. Everyone settles in at their own spots near the railing, with Gaara standing by himself to one side. He doesn't seem like the social type anyways.
Something in the back of my mind is troubling me. I'll have to look into it properly soon, perhaps after my match. Orochimaru is threatening to disrupt the exams, and Sasuke isn't here. Is there some sort of stage business there to throw everything off? I really don't like the looks of this, but I also can't prove anything or involve certain people.
Hopefully it all resolves itself. I just want to enjoy myself today and win this tourney.
Temari and Shino face each other and Hayate makes sure they're both ready.
"First match...begin!"
And here we go.
"Lock and Load"
[Chuunin Exams: Third Round Finals]
---
Not much is coming to mind right now. I think I really do just want to relax and take things easy for a while. Maybe even...stop thinking, if only for a few precious moments. I wonder how that feels.
In any case, it's early afternoon. Two days will be left after this one. The hotel is very nice, but I find myself wanting to get outside again for a walk. After taking my shower, I look for something light to wear since it's warm again today. The first thing I pull out is one of the cropped shirts I usually wear at home, and I shrug before throwing it on. A comfortable pair of shorts, and my wooden sandals will work here too. I grab my wallet and go on my way.
"..."
Feeling curious again, I press my ear against the door to Midori's room and listen.
"You're really good at this, Luna."
"Naturally. It's simply poker though, so you'll get the hang of it after losing to me enough times."
"Luna, behave. At least for a little bit longer, anyways..."
"Lady Midoriko, I am not being mean."
"Not yet, you meant. Gotta admit, though...it's pretty hot when you get all agressive like that, Mistress Luna..."
"Hmph."
"She'll settle down after a few more drinks, Anko."
"..." More shenanigans, then. I wonder if I'll be like that once I get older. Or...no. No, I'll probably be just as bad, if not worse. Not too many children know the things I know, thankfully.
I leave the hotel and start to walk down the main road. Where should I go today? Since training is almost over, I can fool around just a little bit. There are the usual conditioning runs for tomorrow, but nothing else after that. As Midori said, everything that was to be learned has been learned. Erika might be out and about, and I've been musing over her recently...but there's someone more important that I want to check on first.
"I wonder how Hina is doing..." It's near the end of the one month training time, so I would like to hope that I wouldn't be throwing her off too badly if I did make a visit unannounced. Her home isn't all that far, and it shouldn't be too bad a walk in this weather.
"Hah...I think that should be it...for today."
Someone's voice rings out nearby, and I turn to it, curious. Some distance away, there's a girl in a white jogging outfit, complete with matching headband. Her dark hair has a bluish tint to it, and is tied back into a high ponytail. She really looks cute, and her eyes are...wait.
"Hina?" I call to her.
She turns her head to face me. "Mm? Oh...! Lili!"
"I...I'm so sorry, I almost didn't recognize you. The outfit, and your hair...you listened to what I said all that time ago and let it grow out, then."
"Yes! I wanted to try it...a little bit of a mature look, you know?" She rubs the back of her head as she comes closer to me. "It's a bit silly, right?"
"Not at all. As long as it makes you feel good, it's fine. And you look stunning, regardless. I see that you're still training."
"Yes, I am. Today is the last day...I'm going to rest all day tomorrow in advance of the finals. Perhaps some stretches the day before the first match to finish things off, but...we've completed our training so far. There's nothing else to be done." Her cheeks are a bit red from the running she's been doing, I notice. But she has such a mature and serene look on her face. The Hinata I knew from before has changed a fair bit, and in just the space of a month. "It's really exciting, you know. Hanabi has started to help me...well, in her own way, I think. I don't know if she would ever think I'm good enough to carry on the clan leadership, but...she's acknowledging me again. I can see it, and it makes me happy." She pauses. "After all that happened...I can't really blame her, because she's just a child and she's been pushed around by my father and all of the elders. And aside from that, she's my little sister. I want to be able to connect with her again, one day."
"Yes, I see."
"All of this is thanks to you, Lili." She gives me a warm smile. "When you pulled me aside in the desert, and shed those tears for me...when you opened up your heart and shared your pain...not only did I fall in love with you that day, but I found myself. The person who I really wanted to be. Facing that Dosu person...if I were with another team, or just another person, I would never have been able to do what I did. We've gone on missions and had adventures together...and I know that I haven't always been the best teammate. But I could carry on. I could move towards a brighter future. Because...I had you."
"Hina."
"No matter what happens, or who I end up giving myself to...you will be everything to me, Lili."
"Thank you...I almost feel unworthy hearing that from you, but...I accept it, Hina. I will always be here for you."
She nods. "More than that, though. I...I know that you can take down any monster that crosses your path. You have those fangs filled with venom, that you can sink into anyone at a moment's notice. That's who you are...as the Scarlet Viper, right?" I can see the look in her eyes change. "I have expectations as well. Goals that I want to reach. I'll beat my next opponent, no matter who it might be...and then..."
"You realize what it is you're saying...Hinata."
"Yes. Because I love you so much, I want to reach you. I want to fight my beloved sister...and this will be my precious gift to you. The result of the love you gave me. The proof of my strength," she says calmly.
The wind blows past us as we stare into each other's eyes.
Hina has grown so much from when we first met. She is my pride. And that's why, as she's accepted everything I am...I will accept everything that she is.
"So...that's your final answer," I say to her.
"Yes. I want to see it..."
I respond to her request and let the darkness inside of me flow outwards. She steadies herself, staring into me with those pure white eyes. There's a tension that pulses between us.
"Look forward to it then, Hina. You understand what you're asking, right? Hmhm...well, no. That's a foolish question for me to ask. You understand completely. You've accepted this side of me as well...and that's why you can do this. That's why you can stand in front of me, and do something so dangerous." I smile and lick my lips. "I'll devour you too, darling. And I know that you'll be very delicious."
"I won't be just simple prey," she says. "I promise you that your venom won't be enough on its own. You will have to pour your strength into tearing me apart...Lilith Kobayashi."
"Kekeke...yes. That suits me just fine. I'll enjoy every moment, Hinata Hyuuga."
We look at each other for a few more moments...her determination pushing against my dark desires. Wonderful...I'm so happy that we can really, truly connect like this. Not just as comrades and friends, but as sisters and rivals.
I let out a breath and flick 'that' switch off. The atmosphere changes again, falling back towards the normal calm we had before.
"Well, I'm confident in Shino's ability," I say casually. "You'll have to figure out a way to get past him first."
"Yes, that much is true. He's kind of mysterious, isn't he?"
I wave a hand. "Not terribly so. Just a big nerd. Though I do appreciate him."
"Mm...when the time comes, I'll know what to do. I think he's going to win his match, too. Oh, I didn't ask what you were doing for training."
"Midori-nee bought out a fancy hotel for us to train in. That's where I was just now," I say as I jab my thumb back in the direction I came from. "I developed a few new techniques and raised my overall abilities. I think at this point, I have to be one of the fastest people in the Leaf. As far as time is concerned, at the least."
"Ah...that's a bother, then. I was hoping that you wouldn't focus on that and get any faster," she says with a wry smile. "New techniques are one thing, but...well, I don't think that's something I can readily deal with."
"You know, you're not supposed to admit to weaknesses like that," I tell her.
"We're not, no...but I love you a lot, and I'm not entirely used to this rivalry thing yet. I wonder how boys do it so well," she muses. "Hm. But you were already faster than Brother Neji, which...well, you'll see in the finals."
"Sounds exciting. Can't wait," I say with a smile. "In the meantime, I think I'm going to have a lot of fun with that Gaara guy..."
"You're thinking of...?"
"Yes, yes. For the first time in a long while, I'll be able to embrace my S side fully!" I declare with seriousness.
Hina sighs. "You really are terrible sometimes, Lili."
"Ufufu...but I wouldn't be me otherwise."
"I guess not. But...that makes me happy, too. I'm going to head back home and finish for the day. Lili, it was really nice seeing you. We'll meet up again in a few days."
"Of course. Hina, please take care."
"I will." She plants a kiss on my cheek and waves as she starts her run back home.
I know it won't be easy to swallow her up like I want. But that's exactly how it should be. The kind of rival who makes me work for every win...that's all I could want.
"Better than Sasuke, at any rate." I run a hand through my hair, thinking. I'm sure there was something that I wanted to do...I can't recall it at the moment. Nothing else to do but go back and rest. I start on my way and come across someone familiar.
"Good afternoon, Lili."
"Good afternoon, Hana." She's dressed in a long white cloak today, and has only one of the Haimarus trailing behind her.
"Still training for the big event?"
"No, I'm finished. Just rest from here until the tournament begins. Are you coming from work?"
"Yeah, I just was making a house call. I didn't want to crowd the patient too much, so I only brought one of the boys out with me today." She sighs. "Medicine is tough, but it's also very fulfilling. There's no way I could think about doing anything else at this point."
"That's good to hear."
"Did you have any interest in medicine? They go over it a bit in kunoichi classes, I remember." Hana absentmindedly scratches behind her companion's ears.
"The field treatments are useful, but aside from that, no. I know Hinata has expressed some interest, though. She wants to be useful in a supporting role."
"Hmm..."
"Besides, I'm not allowed to be in closed spaces with you."
She laughs. "Right. Mom really wants grandkids. I'm sure Kiba could cover that end for her, but it's fair that she worries about her only daughter. It's curious, though. I didn't think girls could awaken so early..."
"Trust me, it happens more than people would like to think. I think it's more notable in my case because I don't want to jump on top of a boy."
"How do your parents feel about this?"
"They don't know," I say. "I want to wait a while before telling my stepmother, and my father...he's never around, so it really wouldn't matter." If he did know, it would be another reason to see me as worthless. It's likely that one of the only reasons he hasn't thrown me away entirely is because he thinks I'm still interested in being with a man one day and bearing him a grandchild. A complicated sort of thing...and nothing I'm eager to dive into.
"I see. Things like that are difficult. We still live in a sort of...conservative world, even with the support of those who love people of the same sex. At least in our circles and professions. Not to mention those who don't fit into traditional spheres at all...you don't learn about much of this until you really get out in the world, you know? Academia is slow to catch up to reality sometimes."
"Mm-hm."
"Well, if you change your mind about learning medical arts, or just want to chat, let me know. That's not to say...hm."
"I think you know of my situation," I say. "It's alright, really. I have a few people that I talk to, aside from Hinata of course."
"Yeah. There are just a lot of rumours and generally...not nice things said about you around the village. Hopefully when you blow everyone away at the tournament, some of that will change. But you're really okay, right?"
"I do have my sisters to look after me, so...even if the entire village turned away from me, I could go on. But thank you, Hana. I'll be sure to call on you every once in a while. With Tsume's permission, of course."
"She should be fine, as long as you have me back before it gets dark out," she jokes. "I'm gonna get home. The other boys worry when I don't get back at the times I promise, haha. See you later, Lili. Good luck!"
"Thank you. Until the next, Hana."
She gives me a smile before speeding off, her companion barking once to wish me well before following.
"It's nice...things like this. More than anything, I want to treasure the few companions I have in this world."
I stare at the clouds in the sky for a few moments before continuing on my way. After making it in, I check on the door across the hall and hear snoring mixed with light breathing. Seems like everyone's tuckered out, possibly after some sort of 'recreational activity'. Ah, well. I go to my room and settle in, pulling out the volume of manga I had stored and calling room service. They deliver my long awaited items.
A tall pitcher of fresh and cold milk, and a large basket of spicy curly fries.
I enjoy myself immensely before cleaning up and drifting off to sleep, full and satisfied.
---
At last. The time has come, and so have I.
The final tournament for the exams, the last true test, is set to begin on this crisp morning. Activity ripples through the village, with vendors out in full force to make as much money as they can, and crowds of people to sell to. Everything is bright and vibrant, from store fronts to government buildings.
As for me, I take my time getting ready. A nice, warm shower. Making sure my skin is taken care of. A good set of underwear and a fresh pair of black tights. Cargo shorts, sturdy belt, and black sweater all clean and ready. Hair freshened up, and a light bit of makeup. I put on a layer of shiny lip gloss and press my lips together. Impressions are important on what will be the biggest stage of my life so far.
I flip my hair back with confidence and look over myself in the closet mirror one last time. I look ready. I feel ready. It's time to start a busy morning.
Everyone else has gone on ahead of me after breakfast. My stepmother will be back in town for the first time in a while, and I wonder just how she's doing. Luna and Midori are meeting up with her, and will get seats in the stadium. Anko is on assignment, as I assumed she would be. She wants little more than to crush Orochimaru's ambitions. Kurenai will likely be sitting with Asuma, along with Ino and Choji. And of course, most of my important people are in the final round already, so we'll be together most of the day.
I make my way to the exam area, early as planned. Through the side entrance for participants, with a quick security check before I'm let in, and then down the long halls towards a waiting room with everyone else. Since there are ten others...hold on a moment. This isn't right. I turn and look for the sickly examiner...and for some reason, I can't seem to-
"Oh, there are you are. Hayate-senpai," I call as I wave to him. He coughs from his seat and looks in my direction before waving back. "There are a few of us missing and things are set to begin soon."
"Yeah. There's a reason for that...that kid suddenly withdrew a week ago."
I tilt my head. "Mm? You don't mean Sasuke, do you?"
"Koichi Nagano. Sasuke is still in the tournament, far as I know."
"Any reason why Koichi dropped out?"
"No reason..." His eyes shift from one side to the other before he focuses on me. "Well...if there is something, you didn't hear it from me. My other half has been listening in, and there are whispers going around, according to her." Oh, so his lover is someone with knowledge of the village's inner workings. I wonder what kind of person she is. Hayate subtly motions me closer before whispering something to me, coughing in the other direction afterwards.
"Something like that...really?" I say.
"So she says. Kosugi has...tendencies, let's say. She's also a part of the Bonus Program, and makes observations that the Hokage takes into account. I don't know if he was aware of how exactly she did things, but...either way, that kid is a special case and will be moving through different streams from now on."
"No wonder. It did seem a bit like indoctrination at one point, but I didn't think they were wrapped up in each other that much. Sort of disturbing to think about...mm. So it seems like the slacker gets a pass this time. Thank you for the information."
He nods and coughs once. "No problem. Good luck against that Sand kid...he made it to the tower in the second test shortly after you."
"So I heard. There was a commotion when he and his comrades made it in."
"He didn't have a single scratch or mark on him."
"That so...it seems to fit with the descriptions from earlier. Well, thank you again, senpai."
"Yeah. We're set to begin in about ten minutes. That's when we march out. Also, it's as you observed...that Sasuke character isn't here yet, but fortunately for him he has a bye..."
"Yes, it seems so." Suspicious, but it could be explained by the curse mark. Since Naruto is already here, happily chatting away with others, Kakashi must be taking care of it along with other precautions for Sasuke. I wonder what exactly they could be doing. Perfecting the Chidori, maybe? That sounds good...yes. Then I can crush it with my own jutsu. Just the mere thought of seeing his despairing face after ruining him and his stupid technique...I really shouldn't let myself fantasize too much today. But that thought on its own gives off a lovely warmth...
The promised time arrives, and we walk outside together as a group. From here, I can see how high the walls of this stadium are, enough to keep away jutsu of many types. There are plenty of trees and bushes on the flat land. It seems like an opportunity to show off some unique skills, but there's also more than enough room to have yourself a brawl if that's what your heart desires.
Nine of us are present, and we line up in a row to face the crowd, especially the middle section where the Hokage sits. Another robed figure arrives, and I suspect that it's the Kazekage. He sits after being greeted, and then the Hokage stands himself to address everyone.
"Welcome to the Hidden Leaf! These are the finals of the Chuunin Selection Exams. The main tournament matches between the ten remaining finalists are set to begin. Please enjoy yourselves, and watch until the final match!"
"The match order has changed. Check to make sure you know who you're up against," Hayate says as he holds up the revised match sheet.
"Wait...the hell?" Shikamaru whines. "What happened to the weirdo kid from earlier?"
"He withdrew. That means you get a bye to the next round."
"Well, that means I'm...ah, it didn't make a difference. I'm still gonna get all my bones broken, just later instead of now. What a pain in the ass." He sighs. "I should quit."
"What kind of attitude is that? C'mon, show your fighting spirit! Oraaaaa!" Naruto yells.
"I'd tell you to shut up, but...you're gonna get your ass kicked too by the Hyuuga Clan genius..."
"Like hell I am! Also!" Naruto waves his arms wildly. "Sasuke still isn't here! What's gonna happen if he doesn't make it in time for his fight?"
"Ife he somehow can't make it for the sixth match...he loses by default," Hayate says.
"What?! Dammit...he promised! Come on, idiot! Hurry up!"
"The rules are the same as in the preliminaries...fight until one person dies, or preferrably surrenders. But as always, if I step in, the fight's over. Let's get to it...first match. Temari and Shino. The rest of you, get to the waiting area up top for now."
"Shino, fight hard," I say.
"Yes. I'm looking forward to our fight soon, Shino," Hina says.
He pushes up his glasses - with the frame polished nicely for the day's fight - and nods. "Of course. For your sakes, I'll go all out."
We make our way up to the waiting area, hopping up the flights of stairs at a leisurely pace. Everyone settles in at their own spots near the railing, with Gaara standing by himself to one side. He doesn't seem like the social type anyways.
Something in the back of my mind is troubling me. I'll have to look into it properly soon, perhaps after my match. Orochimaru is threatening to disrupt the exams, and Sasuke isn't here. Is there some sort of stage business there to throw everything off? I really don't like the looks of this, but I also can't prove anything or involve certain people.
Hopefully it all resolves itself. I just want to enjoy myself today and win this tourney.
Temari and Shino face each other and Hayate makes sure they're both ready.
"First match...begin!"
And here we go.
Probably the scent of snake wafting from the Kage box
FortePlus
The THRILL from Green Hill
- Location
- Toronto
- Pronouns
- He/Him
That happens sometimes.
Orochimaru is pretty good at infiltration bullshit. Remember the chuunin exams where he took a dude's whole face? A+. Understandably that became less important as things progressed towards basically guerilla warfare.
Meanwhile, Hayate is alive, which is interesting. Did he manage to get away, or even kill Baki in this timeline? Did he not manage to eavesdrop on the invasion plot? Did Kabuto not speak to Baki at all? Did Hayate even get sent to investigate? Maybe he's even an impostor?! Nah, that's silly.
FortePlus
The THRILL from Green Hill
- Location
- Toronto
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I wouldn't do something like that to you guys
Hinata vs. Dosu happened and Sasuke had a bye to the next round. Expect a few more ripple effects like that as we continue