I see Kakashi weigh the options, leave guy to battle Kabuto, or we fight him together. But we didn’t have too much time to waste on deciding, not when Kabuto knows we are here for Sasuke. Kakashi nods, “Kiyoko leave a shadow clone with him, I’m sure it would help.”
I leave Guy with my shadow clone, and wait for Guy to strike making Kabuto move and giving us a free entry inside. It was a small opening, but inside it was cave like. We were surrounded by earth, I keep up with Kakashi as we run towards the end, if there was an end to this tunnel. Thankfully the walls were lit, but lit dimly. Guy will easily take Kabuto down, he’s a master in taijutsu, so close combat is great when battling Kabuto. I don’t need to worry about him, I worried about a chakra standing right in front of us meters away. It stood in the middle of the tunnel.
“Kakashi up ahead, I can sense chakra up there,” I tell him.
“How many?” He asks.
“Just one,” I tell him. It wasn’t like anything I have ever felt, it wasn’t too powerful, it just didn’t feel alive. I take out my kunai, enveloping it in my water chakra another thing I have been practicing on my own.
We get closer slowing our pace, so we stood a few meters away. I couldn’t see their face, just its silhouette, I looked female. It was then that I see Suzu walk into the light. What they hell was she doing here? She didn’t look right, the white of her eyes were black now, and she looked flakey. Like she was constructed out of paper. She looked lifeless.
“I’m sorry, I’m very sorry,” She murmurs to herself.
“Suzu?” I ask. She stumbles and looks at me, something clicked back into her. Her expression turned painful and sad.
“Kiyoko, Please you have to help me. I can’t control my body, he’s controlling me. I’m afraid. Kiyoko I’m terrified,” She wails. It made my heart break all over again. This had to be a genjutsu, and I try to remove it, but nothing changed. This was the real deal, she was here again, begging me to help her. I want to help her, but she was in our way of getting Sasuke.
“Kakashi you go up ahead, this won’t take long. I promise I’ll be right behind you. I’ll just have to restrain her that’s all.”I turn to tell Kakashi.
“Kiyoko, I don’t think it’ll be wise to leave you on your own.”
“I’ll be fine I don’t sense anyone around here, and I can always get to you. I’ll let one of my shadow clones go with you. Go and get Sasuke,” I encourage him. I make a clone for him, and he leaves me with Suzu.
“What is happening to you?” I ask my old friend. She was on her knees trying to get herself together.
“The man with grey hair called it reanimation. It- its bringing me back from the dead,” She struggles to say. She continues to explain while she had the strength to control herself.
“Its still not perfect, but I can try to gather my own thought. He is controlling me Kiyoko. That man killed me and brought me back to life just so I could capture you. You’re going to have to kill me, because its either your life or mine,” She lets out a small yell. And then she jerks to her feet like a puppet almost. Her eyes are slack she was under Kabuto’s control again. She seals her hands and soon enough two walls enclosed us in a small area. I would easily get out of here with earth jutsu, but for now I’ll keep my cards hidden. Suzu falls again, her breathing very strained, she was crying.
“Kill me. Kill me before I hurt you Kiyoko! Please that is the only way to save me and yourself. I want to die by your hand if anything else,” She says. I feel the emotions gather in my throat, I swallow them and clench my kunai. I couldn’t do it just like the last time we battled, I can’t do it.
“Kiyoko this is the way a shinobi like us die. We die in battle,” She tried again.
I shake my head, “You have a child Suzu! How can I take you away from your child.”
“That man said if I failed to capture you he will make me kill my own son. I can’t capture you for greater evil. I can’t let my son dire, so I must end my own life once again. Remember you said we were going to save this world, and rid it of war. Men like this only crave war. You can stop it. I really believe you can,” She smiles. She talks while she has control.
“You opened my eyes, because you told me I could change the way I wanted to live. I traveled back home. I open that front door Kiyoko. My old home’s front door. My mother was sitting there, with my older brother. They were there and they welcomed me like I never went missing. My mother took care of my son while I fetched water from the well. That man took me away from my family. But I saw them one more time before I died. My son will be safe, he’ll be raised exceptionally. He’ll grow up in a safe world where he won’t see a war. You’ll make sure of it, right?” She pleads.
There was hope in her eyes, hope that I will accomplish it. This was her dying wish.
“I will. Suzu I-” I begin to say.
“Thank you Kiyoko. Thank you so much.” Suzu cries, and her tears dried quickly. No emotions were reflected from her. But her appearance began to flake away, like disintegrating paper. It was like she has finally going in peace, even Kabuto could not restrain the heart and souls. Her body disappeared and an empty shell was left behind. It was a man that was left behind in the remains of Suzu’s body. It was she had her soul in his body, and once it was at peace she left all that physically held her down and went to where ever souls went.
Suzu died sacrificing herself for me, and there were no words to describe the emotions I am feeling, but I did feel one. Anger, absolute anger toward Kabuto. He took Suzu away from her family, he killed her and brought her back to life only to make her suffer more. I was going to end him for what he has done. As soon as we get Sasuke back. I was no longer going to be hunted I was going to hunt him down and kill him. That way he would no longer be able to do what he has done.
I walks through the earth walls with ease, I thank Suzu for her strength. I am so grateful I did not have to fight her. She was kind hearted to have given me an opportunity to evade that option. I will buy her the prettiest lantern of all. Out of the walls I finally feel the confusion in my shadow clone that was with Kakashi. There was something very wrong going on there. I sprint to Kakashi, taking turns after turns, where was he going. I make it to Kakashi in a minute, he managed to end up in a very large and circular room. I see my shadow clone right beside him, they both had confusion written all over their faces. It was then that I noticed that the room was filled with people like Suzu. They were brought back from the dead too.
I get to Kakashi’s side in a simple jump.
“No matter what I use they won’t die, they just regenerate their wounds,” Kakashi fills me in.
“Its called reanimation. Kabuto has brought them all back from the dead, he controls them now.I believe to release them the soul must be at peace. Suzu left a body behind that I think her soul used as a vessel,” I tell him what I have witnessed. The bodies encircled us, but they did not move just yet. How will we be able to stop them if the regenerate so quickly. Like I heal my wounds. We have to stop them from putting themselves back together.
An idea popped into my head, but I was going to have to go against Sage Moriko. They use both the chakra of their body that they are inhabiting, and their own chakra that they have in their souls. I’m going to have to take that chakra away from them, like I did it with Sage Moriko. My wood would come into contact with their bodies I’ll suck out all they have. That should stop the living dead.
I’m sorry I think. I look at Kakashi, he’s going to have so many questions, but he is the only one that I truly trust to not say a word. He said it not too long ago, he would have open ears and a sealed mouth, well now its going to be put to the test.
“Kakashi I think I know how I can stop them. Cover my back, I’ll explain everything you’re just going to have trust me,” I tell him. I was more nervous about his reaction than this theory to actually work. Kakashi gets behind me and I begin to seal my hands for Wood Release: Great Forest Technique. At any distance I will be able to land my wood to their bodies. Here we go, with the consequences very clear.
I extend my right arm out, feeling my two chakra infuse with one another. The wood extends and that is when the undead attack us. The first one didn’t dodge my jutsu, lets see just how far this jutsu can go. It lands right in the stomach of the enemy, I inplant myself to it and begin to take away its life force, and in seconds the outer coating falls and there is nothing but a corpse left behind just like Suzu left that man’s corpse behind. But this was going too slow, not with this many enemies, Kakashi fought them off, but as soon as it regenerated it attacked once again. I hope the cutting technique will have the same effect. If the wood can keep them immobile than I could use the great forest technique to take away their life force.
I have both sword like wood sticking from my inner wrist, ready in hand. Multiple opponents came towards me once that they saw just how I ended their little friend. I duck their grabs, and stab both of them in their abdomen, once detached from my body it blooms inside their bodies. Spikes protruded from their bodies, they fall and don’t get up anymore, but they still twitched like a dead insect.
I help take down the ones who were ganging up on Kakashi. I saw him freeze when he sees me use wood release. I can’t describe the look on his face. But I didn’t stop to keep him from making accusations, I had to take down the enemies before they did any harm to either of us.
I’ve taken down almost all of them but two remained, those two who were much more skilled than the others. Kakashi helps out with cutting off one of their arms keeping them from sealing jutsus. Another one falls like a fly. It was two against one, Kakashi tried to use his lightning style but the opponent stopped it with a wind style jutsu. Kakashi is pushed back, but I take the moment to wrap some wood around their legs keeping him once place. I use my great forest technique to take away his life. I wished they would have gone like Suzu, but they had to die twice so that they could finally go where they belonged. I gather my surroundings, I used my jutsu to expand and take the life of the others that lay on the ground. Within seconds all have left behind the corpse, and I was left with a very tired body and a very distant Kakashi.
I sit down trying to gather my strength, I’ve used so much wood style today, my body wasn’t used to using it in real combat. I get up not too long after sitting we have to collapse this area, no one should be able to see this, not when I am supposed to keep my wood style a secret.
“I’ll explain as soon as we get out of here and destroy this place. Kakashi we’ve been tricked. Sasuke isn’t here, I don’t sense anyone else in this hideout,” I tell him. He doesn’t respond but he simply nods and we make our way toward the exit. He uses his lightning style to tear down the walls when we reached them. He went ahead, looking behind to make sure I was still behind him, but I was getting tired quickly again.
We reach the mouth of the hideout to see Kabuto and Guy standing in front of each other. They don’t look hurt, but the terrain has taken a beating. I take the liberty to stuff some food pills in my mouth, it’ll give me enough energy to fight if I had to.
Kakashi and I get to Guy’s side.
“Oh it looks like you’re still here. That wench couldn’t capture you. It seems that even the undead couldn’t contain you,” He speaks directly to me. I feel my blood boil under my skin.
“I’m going to kill you for what you have done,” I snarl, and the beast’s voice is vocalized along with mine.
“I’ll help you little Kiyoko. Let me at him, I’ll rip his arms off first, and then his legs. I’ll tear his heart out of his chest. He’ll know the pain he has caused,” the beasts says within me. Kakashi keeps a hold on my shoulder.
“My, what a bold threat. I must apologize though, it seems like you guy have come all this way for nothing. Sasuke wasn’t even here, but the simple rumor of him being here brought just who I wanted here. Sorry,” he says with mockery.
His empty words made me want to throw up, I was so angry I couldn’t keep still, my fingers twitched. He dared to use the emotions to his manipulation, and he was going to pay for that.
“Oh but don’t worry he is in great care. I regret not bringing him along now, what a show that would have been right Kakashi,” He laughs.
“Enough of this, you’re going to pay for manipulating people. They are not your puppets,” I pull my shoulder from Kakashi’s hold. I make a tearing torrent in my hand.
“Just a minute, I need to ask one more question. Tell me what was wrong with my jutsu? I am curious to know how you were able to get out alive, and defeat my small little army of the living dead,” he sounds genuinely curious. I just wanted to smack those stupid round glasses off of his face.
“You control their bodies that is true. You don’t control their hearts and souls. That is the weakness of this jutsu, and that is a weakness that can’t be fixed,” I tell him thinking of Suzu.
“Is that so. I’ll find a way around that. Thank you really for your input, but I must go. Oh Lord Orochimaru isn’t going to be too happy with for not bringing you back with me Kiyoko and this hideout is now destroyed. By any chance would you accompany me to him?”
Kakashi throws him a kunai. Kabuto laughs, “I guessed not, so long.” He vanishes on a puff of white smoke.
“What does he mean the living dead?” Guy asks.
“I’ll inform you later, we need to get back quickly and inform Lady Tsunade,” Kakashi says.
“You always leave me out of the circle Kakashi,” Guy whines. I go back to the general area that was over the cave hideout. I need to bury the corpse and my wood technique, no one should see what went down there. Then they would suspect my wood style, and Kakashi is the only one who should know. I use my earth chakra to cave in the cave, rocks tumbled and the walls gave in. No one should be able to get down there anymore. Once that was taken care of I walk back to Kakashi and Guy, it seemed like Kakashi was filling in Guy, and he chose his words carefully. I sigh in relief, Guy doesn’t know the entire truth of what I did.
“Lets go back, Kiyoko you look like you’re about to pass out. You must have used all of your fire of youth to end the living dead, maybe we can stop by a hotel so you can get some rest,” Guy says, as he pats my head. Kakashi is quiet, and I didn’t expect any less, but still I wonder what is on his mind right now.
We make our way through the trees, but not too fast that I was falling behind, it was a nice steady pace. I could just think about what Kakashi is thinking about right now, he hasn’t spoken a word in the hours we have been moving. Sage Moriko must be so angry, I didn’t want to see her face for a while.
It took us half a day to get to the hotel that we first stopped at, it was the same as before. Kakashi gets two rooms, Guy didn’t complain this time, he could feel the change of mood in Kakashi. I didn’t want to get in there, I was afraid of what was going to happen, would he yell at me, I didn’t know. But I knew he would want an explanation and that was the least I could do in this confusing situation. We enter the room and take a seat in front of each other, his stare making me feel very nervous.
“I don’t know where to begin. I wanted to tell you for a long time, but I couldn’t,” I bravely say.
“Well now you can tell me,” He says. He was formal and serious like he was still on the mission. He was trying to figure out if I was a threat to the Leaf, it hurt that he sees me in that light. I want to protect them that is all I want. That is why I used my wood style, to protect Kakashi.
“It all began after my return from the Moon Village, Tomoko appeared in my dreams telling me I was peace.” I tell him about everything, finally getting it off of my chest. I told him about the Forest and how warm it was. It melted all of the ice away. I told him about Sage Moriko and her tree. Her library of history. My lack of history and the mystery of my mother. I told Kakashi about the three years that I have to master wood style, sage mode, and beast mode. I told him that I am not certain about who I am, if I was a senju or not, but a strong mind and body could master wood style as well. I told him about the vision that is to come, about the great danger the world faces. I told him that Naruto and Sasuke will play a big role in the future. He didn’t stop once, he looked shocked when I mentioned the Uchiha section in the library, about finding that empty book in their area. He took it all in, the truth about wood style, the truth that Hashirama wasn’t the one who invented it. All of the time I spent training I spent training wood style rather than water style.
“I wanted to tell you, I did, because I trust you and you’ve always been there for me. I’m sorry I kept it from you, I really am. I just don’t want you to lose your trust in me,” I say trying to remain strong, but his lack of words made it hard.
“How could this all be true?” He whispers.
“It is, and no one should have see this side of me at least not until the vision came true. No one was supposed to know, but I couldn’t stand by and not use my jutsu to protect you. I didn’t want you or Guy to get hurt, and what he did to Suzu. I won’t forgive him, I hope you find it in you to forgive me,” I bow my head. Begging him to forgive me.
“There wasn’t a need for an apology, I’m not angry with you. I’m glad you told me, I was just worried,” Kakashi says. I look up to see him, his eyes have soften. He smiles just a bit.
“I wasn’t expecting anything you just said. It really took me by surprise,” He says.
“Really?” I feel the utmost relief, I was so happy that he wasn’t angry with me or disappointed in me.
“I was worried that Orochimaru managed to plant Hashirama’s DNA. But what you said really did blow my mind just now,” Kakashi takes me in his arms, he didn’t want to see the tears in my eyes. I sigh in happiness and relief, I am so glad he forgave me.
“From now on I’ll tell you everything. I never want to keep things from you,” I say. He smells of sweat, but I do to. But even that didn’t stop him from planting a kiss on my head, it was comforting. I had his support, and I was happiest now that there are no more secrets between us.
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Chapter notes: Shout out to MissMuffinman, mst88, and Fire_and_Ice for commenting and sticking with for this long. I'm really blessed to have readers like these three! I hope you enjoy this chapter because I loved writing it!
Chapter end notes: thank you for reading! Let me know what you guys think.
Until next chapter!