Anbu Kunoichi Arashi
11-06-2004, 03:12 AM
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Simple as that. If I did, there would be a whole lot of death and dying and fucking going on. ^_^
A/N: This is the second file of my ANBU Chronicles series. Please enjoy.
File: 2- Inter Spem et Metum (Between Hope and Fear)
Chapter: 1- Resonance
Hinata hit the ground on her hands and knees. She spit blood onto the ground and struggled to get to her feet again. Good thing her opponent was too busy gloating to beat on her for the time being. The loud music of the arena pounded into her ears, deafening her to her teammate's shouts of encouragement. The smell of old blood, the sawdust scattered in on the arena floor to soak up the blood, past fights, human sweat, and alcohol assaulted her nose at every turn. She could barely hear the crowd screaming over the loud music and its heavy drumbeats.
She tried to keep her focus on the match but the blood dripping into her eyes was making sight painful. Her lower lip trembled and she bit back tears. She was letting her team down again! 'I have to be strong,' she thought,' Like Shino-kun... and Kiba-kun... and Leiko-chan... and Kurenai-sensei. The kunoichi struggled up to her feet. 'I have to win, I have to win,' she repeated in her mind,' my team is depending on me, I have to win...'. Her hands flew in a series of seals.
"Byakugan!" she said.
Her opponent turned around, his smile frightening ugly on his face. The boy was 18, 3 years older than her and much bigger by at least 3 feet. He was also very strong in Taijutsu and had taken Hinata down in a few short hits. The Hyuuga girl was down but not defeated. She refused to be beaten, Naruto had at least shown her that. Her teammates had all beaten their opponents. She remembered watching Kiba and Akamaru turn feral for a moment and knock their opponents out with their Beast-Human Bunshin. She remembered Leiko-chan's fight and how calm and collected the other girl was. And how the girl had easily killed her opponent with one of her short swords. She reflected on Shino's fight and how the Aburame heir had been just as cold in his treatment of his opponent. These fights weren't fights to the death, not quite yet. Soon, the fights would be to the death, according to Leiko-chan. Hinata just had to survive these fights. She could do that... right?
"You still want to fight, little kunoichi?" the boy sneered, his ugly blue eyes boring holes into her lavender ones.
Hinata would not back down. She couldn't. She was frozen to the spot partly by fear and partly from determination. No, she could do this. She had to at least knock him out to win.She could do that... right?
"You're shaking already, little kunoichi, just stay still and I'll end it for you," he spat.
She saw him reel his arm back and aim a punch for her face. Her body reacted before her mind could register what was going on. 'Jyuken!' her mind yelled. Hinata swung her hand back and then forward, delivering a devastating palm strike to the boy's stomach. Blood flew from his mouth and Hinata was amazed at the amount of chakra she had pushed into his body. The boy came back for another attack, trying a spin kick aimed for her head. With simple Taijutsu, she guided his kick over her head so his back was to her for a few seconds. A few seconds was all she needed. Hinata spread her hands wide and touched her left index finger to her right index finger and her left thumb to her right thumb, forming a diamond shape with her palms. The backs of her palms touched her chest and in a split second, were thrown forward, striking her opponent in the back with a loud cry. She stepped into the strike with her right foot, adding force to the hit as she snapped her arms foward.
The shockwave from her twin palm strike rocked her opponent. The boy froze, his eyes bulged out of his skull. Blood flowed freely from his mouth and his limbs shook. He dropped to his knees, his pupils contracting. The boy fell face forward in the ring and a river of blood flowed forth from his mouth. His limbs twitched and his body jerked occasionally.
Hinata was breathing hard, her head lowered and her hands still in the position that she had hit him with and her right foot ahead of her left. Blood dripped from her chin, making inaudible splats on the sawdust covered floor. The roar of the crowd drowned out the speakers as the one who was favored to win had fallen. The referee stepped into the ring and grabbed her hand, lifting it high. Hinata all but went limp like a rag doll, her shaking knees barely supporting her frame. She kept her head down, ignoring the referee's declaration of her victory. She hurt all over and just wanted to get out of that hellhole.
The referee dropped her arm and she felt two pairs of hands lift her off her feet. Hinata barely registered the pressure that suddenly enclosed around her neck but she felt the faint hum that told her that the chakra sealing collar that had been taken off before the match was now in place again, reassuring her that she was still the prisoner of her captor.
~<*>~
Shikoku Shimoda and Honoki Akira watched the match from their place in the stands. Shimoda had a fierce-looking falcon perched on his left shoulder. Both men wore suits with no ties. Shimoda's suit was a dark blue to match the hue of his black hair that hung in a ponytail at the base of his neck. Akira wore a black suit, the jacket on the bleachers besides him and the tannish brown shirt underneath with its top button undone. Around his neck, he wore a jade leaf pendant on a black leather cord that hung in front of him. Akira was about 26 years old, with brown hair and bangs that hung in his face, and plain brown eyes. His feet were perched on the row in front of him and his elbows rested on his knees as he studied the fight. Shimoda's jacket was also on the bleachers beside him and relaxed a bit, leaning forward on his knees in a similar position to how Akira was sitting. Around his neck, he wore a leather choker with a milky quartz cloud charm hanging from a silver stud. Shimoda was 36, had a patch over his right eye, black hair, and bangs that partially obscured his eyes. On either side of his ears, he had a long braid that ended with some silver and bone beads. He wore gloves on both hands, thick, tough black leather ones so his falcon could land on either fist. Both wore lanyards with V.I.P. cards clipped onto them that displayed their code names in the underground fighting business. Shimoda was "Cirrus Osprey" and Akira was "Autumn Leaf".
The two men had been watching the fights carefully. They had placed their bets on the boy with the bugs and the Tamasaki girl. The two had bet against the boy with the dog and the lavender-eyed girl. They had won a lot of money from the first two and lost a little bit from the two they bet against. That was fine, they really didn't need the money but bet anyways so they could blend in.
After the lavender-eyed girl had fought, their suspicions were confirmed. Solemnly, they nodded at each other and got up to leave. They grabbed their leather dusters with the black satin lining and their twin black umbrellas, collected their winnings, and left the arena with little ceremony. To them, it was routine but at the same time, it wasn't. The two men went up the stairs at the west entrance of the arena and found themselves in long hallway. They moved with the crowd down the hallway and through a series of twists and turns before walking out into the warehouse where the main crowds gathered to watch the fights on a big viewing screen. Akira and Shimoda easily made their way through the dispersing crowd and outside to the docks.
It was eeriely quiet as they headed down the wharf, their boots thunking dully on the old wood. Shimoda stopped to pack a wad of tobacco into his chestnut long pipe. The glow from his match illuminated his face for a moment, revealing his eye color to be a strange honey color that was almost yellow. He dragged on the pipe and blew a smoke ring into the air. Akira paused to watch, a laugh coming to his lips. The falcon on Shimoda's shoulder flapped its wings and took flight to escape his master's bad habit, opting for Akira's shoulder instead. Shimoda grinned and caught up to Akira.
"So you think it's them?"
"I'd bet on it. They went missing a little over a week ago, according to the Hokage," Akira said," One thing though, I didn't see their sensei."
"Probably kept somewhere to coerce them into fighting," Shimoda responded, dragging on his pipe," That would make the most sense."
"Hai, it is a bit risky to have a genjutsu specailist running around, contained or not," Akira agreed," Most likely they are sedating her."
The two men rounded a corner and left the wharf, moving into the town. They were in the capital city in Rain Country, where unscrupulous practices were quite common. Gambling, prostitution, drug trafficking, you name it and it was there. The city was a very somber one, one that seemed to reek of adrenaline and the depression that settled in after the rush had passed. The city was made even more depressing by the fact that it was usually raining so umbrellas were standard accessories to any outfit. The only good thing about Rain Country was the rainforests that surrounded it and the Amazonian rivers that snaked through it. What wasn't touched by man, was the only beauty to be found in the whole damn country which both men thought was a damn shame.
The whores were beautiful, yes. In fact, It was widely said that the whores from Rain Country were the most beautiful in the known world. Delicate hands, pouty lips, silky hair, smooth skin, bright eyes, Kami they were beauties! However, beneath all that beauty lie an ugliness that no amount of foreplay could make up for. Their hands would demand payment in advance for their services and their prices were high. They were just like every other Rain citizen; on the surface, they were one thing but underneath, they were something totally different. The two men were used to such an environment since both were ninja but they expected it from other ninja, not from ordinary people.
It started to lightly rain and both men opened their umbrellas. Good thing that their apartment building wasn't very far from there. In 5 minutes, they were standing in the foyer of their apartment building, shaking the water off their umbrellas. Slowly, they trudged up the stairs, their boots thumping on the stained wood as dully as they had on the dock. They climbed up to the 5th floor, joking amiably with each other. Once they reached the top floor landing, they headed down the hall. Their apartment, 5F, was at the end of the hall and had a convenient staircase that led to the roof. They had haggled with the landlord for the 2 bedroom apartment for awhile, since it was ideal for Shimoda to keep his birds. Finally, the landlord agreed. Once they got to the door, they were surprised to find that it was already opened despite the fact that they had distinctly remembered locking it. Both men drew their guns, specialized weapons with silencers, and Akira slowly turned the knob. He threw the door open and Shimoda charged in, his gun leading. Akira followed and covered him.
"Oh for Kami's sake!" a female voice said," I surrender the ramen!"
They relaxed and turned towards the kitchen, to the source of the voice. To their relief, it was Kaede, the reformed prostitute that had quit walking the streets and was working to get a degree as a pastry chef at the local community college. Shimoda and Akira had helped her get an honest job as a waitress at a local restaurant to help pay her tuition. To the ninja, she was really one of the few rays of hope for the infernal country.
"Oh, Kaede, the door was unlocked and we thought..."
"Just shut up and wash your hands," she said," I made a special seafood ramen tonight and peach buns for dessert."
That was part of the arrangement. Kaede would cook and clean for the two men and they gave her her own room in the apartment and let her live with them rent free. It was a deal she couldn't refuse. She knew most of their secrets but would never betray them because of all they had done for her. They had a lot of clout in the city, lived frugally, and opened doors for her that she would have never been able to open herself. In turn, she cooked and cleaned for them regularly. She had even saved their lives on one occasion when they got an unexpected visit from some rather unsavory characters, directing them instead to the man down the hall who always had his music blaring.
The two men did as she told them and sat down at the table. She spooned three bowls of ramen out and they ate. Kaede was well on her way to being a good cook, in the mens' honest opinion.
~<*>~
Around 5 AM, Shimoda tied a scroll to his prized falcon, Strai, and sent him off from the apartment rooftop. The bird headed southwest, towards Konohagakure, carrying his master's message. The bird flapped hard, knowing that the message was urgent. It didn't overexert itself but moved at a steady pace. As Shimoda watched it disappear into the clouds, he was confident that the bird would make it to Konoha by nightfall.
A/N: Woo! First chapter! I hope you all enjoy it because, well, I had fun writing it! ^___^ Please leave reviews, even if it is just to tell me how much I suck. Gratzi.
A/N: This is the second file of my ANBU Chronicles series. Please enjoy.
File: 2- Inter Spem et Metum (Between Hope and Fear)
Chapter: 1- Resonance
Hinata hit the ground on her hands and knees. She spit blood onto the ground and struggled to get to her feet again. Good thing her opponent was too busy gloating to beat on her for the time being. The loud music of the arena pounded into her ears, deafening her to her teammate's shouts of encouragement. The smell of old blood, the sawdust scattered in on the arena floor to soak up the blood, past fights, human sweat, and alcohol assaulted her nose at every turn. She could barely hear the crowd screaming over the loud music and its heavy drumbeats.
She tried to keep her focus on the match but the blood dripping into her eyes was making sight painful. Her lower lip trembled and she bit back tears. She was letting her team down again! 'I have to be strong,' she thought,' Like Shino-kun... and Kiba-kun... and Leiko-chan... and Kurenai-sensei. The kunoichi struggled up to her feet. 'I have to win, I have to win,' she repeated in her mind,' my team is depending on me, I have to win...'. Her hands flew in a series of seals.
"Byakugan!" she said.
Her opponent turned around, his smile frightening ugly on his face. The boy was 18, 3 years older than her and much bigger by at least 3 feet. He was also very strong in Taijutsu and had taken Hinata down in a few short hits. The Hyuuga girl was down but not defeated. She refused to be beaten, Naruto had at least shown her that. Her teammates had all beaten their opponents. She remembered watching Kiba and Akamaru turn feral for a moment and knock their opponents out with their Beast-Human Bunshin. She remembered Leiko-chan's fight and how calm and collected the other girl was. And how the girl had easily killed her opponent with one of her short swords. She reflected on Shino's fight and how the Aburame heir had been just as cold in his treatment of his opponent. These fights weren't fights to the death, not quite yet. Soon, the fights would be to the death, according to Leiko-chan. Hinata just had to survive these fights. She could do that... right?
"You still want to fight, little kunoichi?" the boy sneered, his ugly blue eyes boring holes into her lavender ones.
Hinata would not back down. She couldn't. She was frozen to the spot partly by fear and partly from determination. No, she could do this. She had to at least knock him out to win.She could do that... right?
"You're shaking already, little kunoichi, just stay still and I'll end it for you," he spat.
She saw him reel his arm back and aim a punch for her face. Her body reacted before her mind could register what was going on. 'Jyuken!' her mind yelled. Hinata swung her hand back and then forward, delivering a devastating palm strike to the boy's stomach. Blood flew from his mouth and Hinata was amazed at the amount of chakra she had pushed into his body. The boy came back for another attack, trying a spin kick aimed for her head. With simple Taijutsu, she guided his kick over her head so his back was to her for a few seconds. A few seconds was all she needed. Hinata spread her hands wide and touched her left index finger to her right index finger and her left thumb to her right thumb, forming a diamond shape with her palms. The backs of her palms touched her chest and in a split second, were thrown forward, striking her opponent in the back with a loud cry. She stepped into the strike with her right foot, adding force to the hit as she snapped her arms foward.
The shockwave from her twin palm strike rocked her opponent. The boy froze, his eyes bulged out of his skull. Blood flowed freely from his mouth and his limbs shook. He dropped to his knees, his pupils contracting. The boy fell face forward in the ring and a river of blood flowed forth from his mouth. His limbs twitched and his body jerked occasionally.
Hinata was breathing hard, her head lowered and her hands still in the position that she had hit him with and her right foot ahead of her left. Blood dripped from her chin, making inaudible splats on the sawdust covered floor. The roar of the crowd drowned out the speakers as the one who was favored to win had fallen. The referee stepped into the ring and grabbed her hand, lifting it high. Hinata all but went limp like a rag doll, her shaking knees barely supporting her frame. She kept her head down, ignoring the referee's declaration of her victory. She hurt all over and just wanted to get out of that hellhole.
The referee dropped her arm and she felt two pairs of hands lift her off her feet. Hinata barely registered the pressure that suddenly enclosed around her neck but she felt the faint hum that told her that the chakra sealing collar that had been taken off before the match was now in place again, reassuring her that she was still the prisoner of her captor.
~<*>~
Shikoku Shimoda and Honoki Akira watched the match from their place in the stands. Shimoda had a fierce-looking falcon perched on his left shoulder. Both men wore suits with no ties. Shimoda's suit was a dark blue to match the hue of his black hair that hung in a ponytail at the base of his neck. Akira wore a black suit, the jacket on the bleachers besides him and the tannish brown shirt underneath with its top button undone. Around his neck, he wore a jade leaf pendant on a black leather cord that hung in front of him. Akira was about 26 years old, with brown hair and bangs that hung in his face, and plain brown eyes. His feet were perched on the row in front of him and his elbows rested on his knees as he studied the fight. Shimoda's jacket was also on the bleachers beside him and relaxed a bit, leaning forward on his knees in a similar position to how Akira was sitting. Around his neck, he wore a leather choker with a milky quartz cloud charm hanging from a silver stud. Shimoda was 36, had a patch over his right eye, black hair, and bangs that partially obscured his eyes. On either side of his ears, he had a long braid that ended with some silver and bone beads. He wore gloves on both hands, thick, tough black leather ones so his falcon could land on either fist. Both wore lanyards with V.I.P. cards clipped onto them that displayed their code names in the underground fighting business. Shimoda was "Cirrus Osprey" and Akira was "Autumn Leaf".
The two men had been watching the fights carefully. They had placed their bets on the boy with the bugs and the Tamasaki girl. The two had bet against the boy with the dog and the lavender-eyed girl. They had won a lot of money from the first two and lost a little bit from the two they bet against. That was fine, they really didn't need the money but bet anyways so they could blend in.
After the lavender-eyed girl had fought, their suspicions were confirmed. Solemnly, they nodded at each other and got up to leave. They grabbed their leather dusters with the black satin lining and their twin black umbrellas, collected their winnings, and left the arena with little ceremony. To them, it was routine but at the same time, it wasn't. The two men went up the stairs at the west entrance of the arena and found themselves in long hallway. They moved with the crowd down the hallway and through a series of twists and turns before walking out into the warehouse where the main crowds gathered to watch the fights on a big viewing screen. Akira and Shimoda easily made their way through the dispersing crowd and outside to the docks.
It was eeriely quiet as they headed down the wharf, their boots thunking dully on the old wood. Shimoda stopped to pack a wad of tobacco into his chestnut long pipe. The glow from his match illuminated his face for a moment, revealing his eye color to be a strange honey color that was almost yellow. He dragged on the pipe and blew a smoke ring into the air. Akira paused to watch, a laugh coming to his lips. The falcon on Shimoda's shoulder flapped its wings and took flight to escape his master's bad habit, opting for Akira's shoulder instead. Shimoda grinned and caught up to Akira.
"So you think it's them?"
"I'd bet on it. They went missing a little over a week ago, according to the Hokage," Akira said," One thing though, I didn't see their sensei."
"Probably kept somewhere to coerce them into fighting," Shimoda responded, dragging on his pipe," That would make the most sense."
"Hai, it is a bit risky to have a genjutsu specailist running around, contained or not," Akira agreed," Most likely they are sedating her."
The two men rounded a corner and left the wharf, moving into the town. They were in the capital city in Rain Country, where unscrupulous practices were quite common. Gambling, prostitution, drug trafficking, you name it and it was there. The city was a very somber one, one that seemed to reek of adrenaline and the depression that settled in after the rush had passed. The city was made even more depressing by the fact that it was usually raining so umbrellas were standard accessories to any outfit. The only good thing about Rain Country was the rainforests that surrounded it and the Amazonian rivers that snaked through it. What wasn't touched by man, was the only beauty to be found in the whole damn country which both men thought was a damn shame.
The whores were beautiful, yes. In fact, It was widely said that the whores from Rain Country were the most beautiful in the known world. Delicate hands, pouty lips, silky hair, smooth skin, bright eyes, Kami they were beauties! However, beneath all that beauty lie an ugliness that no amount of foreplay could make up for. Their hands would demand payment in advance for their services and their prices were high. They were just like every other Rain citizen; on the surface, they were one thing but underneath, they were something totally different. The two men were used to such an environment since both were ninja but they expected it from other ninja, not from ordinary people.
It started to lightly rain and both men opened their umbrellas. Good thing that their apartment building wasn't very far from there. In 5 minutes, they were standing in the foyer of their apartment building, shaking the water off their umbrellas. Slowly, they trudged up the stairs, their boots thumping on the stained wood as dully as they had on the dock. They climbed up to the 5th floor, joking amiably with each other. Once they reached the top floor landing, they headed down the hall. Their apartment, 5F, was at the end of the hall and had a convenient staircase that led to the roof. They had haggled with the landlord for the 2 bedroom apartment for awhile, since it was ideal for Shimoda to keep his birds. Finally, the landlord agreed. Once they got to the door, they were surprised to find that it was already opened despite the fact that they had distinctly remembered locking it. Both men drew their guns, specialized weapons with silencers, and Akira slowly turned the knob. He threw the door open and Shimoda charged in, his gun leading. Akira followed and covered him.
"Oh for Kami's sake!" a female voice said," I surrender the ramen!"
They relaxed and turned towards the kitchen, to the source of the voice. To their relief, it was Kaede, the reformed prostitute that had quit walking the streets and was working to get a degree as a pastry chef at the local community college. Shimoda and Akira had helped her get an honest job as a waitress at a local restaurant to help pay her tuition. To the ninja, she was really one of the few rays of hope for the infernal country.
"Oh, Kaede, the door was unlocked and we thought..."
"Just shut up and wash your hands," she said," I made a special seafood ramen tonight and peach buns for dessert."
That was part of the arrangement. Kaede would cook and clean for the two men and they gave her her own room in the apartment and let her live with them rent free. It was a deal she couldn't refuse. She knew most of their secrets but would never betray them because of all they had done for her. They had a lot of clout in the city, lived frugally, and opened doors for her that she would have never been able to open herself. In turn, she cooked and cleaned for them regularly. She had even saved their lives on one occasion when they got an unexpected visit from some rather unsavory characters, directing them instead to the man down the hall who always had his music blaring.
The two men did as she told them and sat down at the table. She spooned three bowls of ramen out and they ate. Kaede was well on her way to being a good cook, in the mens' honest opinion.
~<*>~
Around 5 AM, Shimoda tied a scroll to his prized falcon, Strai, and sent him off from the apartment rooftop. The bird headed southwest, towards Konohagakure, carrying his master's message. The bird flapped hard, knowing that the message was urgent. It didn't overexert itself but moved at a steady pace. As Shimoda watched it disappear into the clouds, he was confident that the bird would make it to Konoha by nightfall.
A/N: Woo! First chapter! I hope you all enjoy it because, well, I had fun writing it! ^___^ Please leave reviews, even if it is just to tell me how much I suck. Gratzi.