Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Without Any Destiny ❯ Chapter 16: Surretitious Duo ( Chapter 16 )

***Author's Note: Hey everyone,

I'm sorry for not updating about the past 4 months. I've been so cooped up with work that I didn't have time to continue this. Anyway, I've finally returned back and I'm ready to resume where I left off. I hope you all will continue reading on. Thank you for reading. It means a lot to me.

 

~surreptitious_masamune14~

 

 

Chapter 16: Surreptitious Duo

 

`Those memories from before,

Linger in my mind,

It was as if I'm still there.

 

~Anonymous~'

 

 

 

It's past midnight. Everyone else is asleep except for those ninjas on patrol. The stars were much dimmed that night. A dark cloud covered the moon from reaching its arms out to the Earth. The wind was strangely cold that night. Yuri couldn't sleep. She felt that something was wrong with the atmosphere. The wind has been silent, as if something or someone was there that made it afraid.

She stuck out her tongue. Somehow, the wind tasted a little salty that night. She snorted and gave a wry smile.

 

“I know you're here, Kaede. It's no wonder the wind has gone all silent.”

 

“Well, it's better if the wind does.”

 

“Let's cut to the chase. Why are you here?”

 

Yuri edges back to let Kaede in. He slips through her window as quick as possible, and then hid himself away from the window. A patrol of ninjas leapt by, checking for intruders. Yuri shut her windows to avoid any disturbance from the outside. Kaede was a wanted criminal in Konoha. She knew better how to handle her matters. Kaede sat down in the corner, putting his arm around his sword. His calm face was very disturbing to a point that Yuri knew what it meant. It meant trouble. Kaede grinned.

 

“You're worried about something.”

 

“The look of your face got the best of me. Now, spill it.”

 

“I came here for two purposes. The first purpose is to check up on that scar of yours.”

 

“It's fine, I swear.”

 

“It's fine… till the point of where the Black Lily creepers are coming up on your arms.”

 

Yuri looked at her arm. No doubt, Kaede was right. The creepers were already reaching her elbow. Looks like it had reacted to something which confused its aura.

 

“Here,” Kaede said, then tossing a bottle of pills at Yuri. She looked at the blue oval pills and opened the top. It reeked of blood.

 

“It's a pill that can stop your scar from growing too much.”

 

“It reeks of blood. What did you put in it?”

 

“I'm afraid if I tell you now, you wouldn't eat it. Now, just keep quiet and eat it up.”

 

Yuri felt a little threatened by Kaede's command. Nevertheless, she knew that he was doing the best for her. She shook the bottle and took a pill from the bottle. Quickly, without any hesitation, she swallowed the entire pill. The taste was so horrid; the enzymes from the saliva must have reacted to it and she was so sure that pill has certainly killed her taste buds. She glanced at her arm once more. The creepers were already slowly disappearing. Yuri shut the bottle tightly, quickly putting it away. Kaede laughed at his sister's reaction.

 

“To come up with that pill is pretty difficult. It's so hard to get any one of those.”

 

“… It's effective though. I'm not surprised. After all, you were father's pride and joy.”

 

“Let's not talk about that. I've now come to our second matter.”

 

“Which is?”

 

His eyes turned deadly serious. Yuri knew it couldn't mean a good sign. If Kaede senses it as a threat to him, it was a threat to her too.

 

“It's about Konoha's Secret Weapon: The Ninja War Deity.”

 

 

 

Tenten couldn't sleep that night. Her eyes kept her awake all night long. She decided to go for a walk. She took along her coat and crept down the dark stairs.

 

`Maybe the walk will calm me down. Maybe I'll get some sleep after this.'

 

With that hope in her heart, she walks out of the door silently, then off into the streets of Konoha Gakure Village.

 

 

 

`Looks like someone else can't sleep tonight as well.'

 

Kakashi looked out his window. Gai's student, Tenten was walking outside, with her coat on. He could tell how cold it was that night by the visible breath she made. He smiled, and then looked at an old faded photograph in his hand. It was a picture of him, the Fourth Hokage, Obito, Rin and another girl. She was a young girl of four but with a serious face, she could have passed for a 12 year old, at the very least. Kakashi gazed into the photograph... when he was suddenly disturbed by an appearance of an intruder.

 

“Who are they?”

 

Kakashi sighed. It was Sasuke. He knew Sasuke wouldn't let him off until he's told him everything about it. Kakashi smiled and replied,

 

“Nothing…. They're just old friends of mine.”

 

“Isn't that the Fourth Hokage?”

 

“Yes, indeed.”

 

“Why is his hand holding nothing? Was there anything that he was holding?”

 

Kakashi looked back at the photograph. Sasuke was right. The Fourth Hokage was actually touching the girl's head. But, wait a minute. Where was the girl? The picture only had the four of them… and the Fourth Hokage touching something. Kakashi felt worried. What happened to her image? How could it just disappear on its own?

 

“… Did you see someone else in the picture?”

 

“Nope, only them. Why?”

 

“…. No reason.”

 

The whole incident got him suspicious. His heartbeat raced. He was pretty sure her image was there. He knew it could only mean one thing. With no further delay, he ran off to Tsunade's place to have a word with her.

 

`There must be something that Tsunade knows about that I'm dying to know. I hope she's willing to give it to me in the first place.'

 

 

“Konoha Ninja War Deity?”

 

“Remember the war in before the Fourth Hokage died?”

 

“Of course I do. Who could ever forget that?”

 

“I'm sure no one knew about it but according to this journal I found, it was stated that the Fourth Hokage had extra unknown help… from a young girl.”

 

Yuri remembered the story. It was told to her by one of the maids in the palace who was a witness during the war. As she recalled, there was this young girl that tried to protect the Fourth Hokage. She used some kind of Jutsu which blinded everybody for a minute. No doubt, all the enemies were killed, but the girl vanished. So did the Fourth Hokage. They found them both a month later together by the Nostalgic Fields.

 

`The girl…. She had a connection with the Fourth Hokage somehow. Can it be—?'

 

“Yes, it's exactly as you think. That little girl may be Konoha Ninja War Deity, if I'm not mistaken. As far as I'm concerned, she could mean trouble.”

 

“Then, why don't you go and get rid of her, if you're so concerned?”

 

“That's the whole problem. We have no idea where she is or how she looks like. Some say she's like Tsunade: always changing her appearance. Others say she's just a young average teenage girl. There were rumors that she was just a young little girl at the age of six.”

 

Yuri bit her lip. Indeed, to search for someone like that was impossible. It's no wonder she managed to disappear without a trace every time she was spotted out.

 

“This could go bad. As far as we know, she's the only threat. We're supposed to stop her from coming here.”

 

“How massive is her threat?”

 

“How massive is her threat?! How does the destruction of Konoha and the entire Fire Country sound like to you?”

 

“… That's awful. I mean… everyone here will die be—”

 

“—Because of her actions, everyone here will die.”

 

Yuri felt a sense of fear in her heart. Never did she knew that a person who had that power to cause a destruction that big. It made her feel intimidated by the presence of such with that power. She gazed into Kaede eyes; filled with worry and fear.

 

“What are you going to do?”

 

“I'm going to assassinate her before she arrives… but it won't be easy. I'm expecting a very high-leveled enemy with much more power than a Hokage. I feel such excitement in my bones… that boils my blood and trembles a tingling sensation. I can't wait to face someone as powerful… as that…”

 

“But… it's a she, right?”

 

“Yuri, when it comes to certain matters, a `he' or `she' does not matter!”

 

Yuri kept quiet. He was right in a way. When it comes to saving lives, you'll have to kill the cause, regardless of who or what the cause is. She didn't know much about the person herself, but all that she knows is that she was a vital threat: Their main purpose was to destroy her or to be destroyed by her.

 

“I'll have to assassinate her when she arrives in Konoha, before she meets the leaders. It would be wise to wait for her here than to search throughout the country, looking for her.”

 

“True, but -“

 

“--- But what now, Yuri?”

 

“Don't you think that the Fifth Hokage will protect her? A-after all, she was quite close to the Fourth Hokage… not to mention she helped protect the Village from the war before.”

 

“Yuri, face reality. She is going to kill everyone if we don't stop her.”

 

Kaede thought that his sister was being naïve as usual. She always had a soft spot and never intended to kill anyone at all… but for the sake of the lives of Konoha and the entire Fire country, they had to do it. There was none other finer assassination squad than the one who can destroy and heal. Yuri couldn't say anything else but only to agree with her brother. Kaede patted her head, and then slowly got up. He thought it was best he left now before dawn breaks.

 

“Wait! Before you go…”

 

“?”

 

“What did you use to make those pills?”

 

Kaede glanced at her; then gave her a large grin. He climbed out and jumped out the window.

 

“You'll soon find out.”

 

 

Screams broke open in the midst of the morning. Bloody footprints found on the grass. The sound of a girl's sobbing was heard. She was dragging a body with her, slowly crawling towards the light. A team of Ninja Patrols had dropped by to investigate the case.

 

“Somebody…. Please… save him!”

 

“Call the medics. We got one body found. His condition is yet unknown. Body marks suggest he was attacked during the night. Who's your Sensei, young lass?”

 

“Maito…. Maito Gai-Sensei.”

 

“We'll call your Sensei soon. Is he your teammate?”

 

“Yes… Please, save him!”

 

“We'll try our best…”

 

“Neji…. Please don't die.”

 

 

*** Author's Note: Yes, the stories expanded. I'm sorry if it's a bit confusing… but the Ninja Deity does play an important role later. Hope you like this chapter and I hope it's not too disappointing. ><;;; Thanks for reading and watch out for the next chapter soon.

 

~surretitious_masamune14~