“What do you think of her, Itachi?”
“Kaya is emotional and timid, but she is still strong. I think that she has the potential to be a powerful kunoichi, Pain-sama.”
“Where is she?”
“She is sleeping right now. I put her under several strong genjutsu and she’s drained. She is already showing signs of improvement and should be fine by tomorrow.”
“Good, you will take her to me tomorrow so I can examine her. Now send in Kisame.”
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Her small sandals clicked with each step down the broad hallway and carried up the pipes that filled every inch of the walls. She looked up at Itachi's stone features in a desperate attempt to find a clue. When he woke her up this morning he seemed even graver than he had been before, not in his words or features, but in his voice. They stopped in front of a large black door.
“Behind the door you will meet Pain-sama. Answer wisely and be respectful.”
Kaya nodded and Itachi opened the door. Inside it was dimly lit with the occasional candle, the room smelled like silt and rain. Kaya made out the shape of two people standing, Itachi urged her forward until they came within a close enough range to see the shadowy figures. Kaya was surprised to see one of them was a beautiful woman and the other was a man with orange hair and facial piercings.
“Kaya, come closer.”
Kaya walked slowly and deliberately up to the orange haired man with silver eyes and bowed deeply.
“Pain-sama, I am very grateful that you have given me this chance to become a shinobi.”
“Stand up, girl, and look at me. Kaya, how did you become an orphan?"
“I was told by the villagers that my parents were killed by Sand Ninjas.”
"I see. A look in your eyes and I can see that you have suffered, that you have cried innumerable tears. There is nothing more painful than loss, than war, is there Kaya? Yes, there will be no end... The selfish people of The Five Great Nations will never understand this. Their endless wars have meant endless loss to us, and yet they continue year after year to use the smaller nations to satisfy their blood lust... Will you join the Akatsuki? Will you help others like you to enjoy a world without the Five Great Nations?”
“Hai.”
“To do that you must train hard, you must learn fast, catch up with and surpass the others your age. Learn from Itachi and do not be a burden. When Itachi feels that your training is complete you will become a member of the Akatsuki.”
“Hai.”
“Itachi?”
“Pain-sama?”
“I approve of her, tomorrow you will start her training.”
“Yes, Pain-sama.”
Pain turned to the beautiful woman next to him and spoke softly something that Kaya could not hear. Kaya saw her face twist into a frown and she left abruptly.
“You are both dismissed.”
Kaya trailed her sensei down the hall and she imagined what Pain-sama must have said to the woman.
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I’m forced to teach her, to give her the key to her own greatness and watch her unlock the door of misery with it. She thinks I saved her. I will be forced to be her savior and escort her blindly to Hell. If she knew, she would beg me to take her back to her hut and leave her in obscurity.
“Sensei!”
I can hear the smile in your voice; at best I am a kind deceiver… Kaya.
“Sensei! Why are we going to the forest to train?”
“It is quiet and there are no people in the forest, the calm of nature will help you to focus your chakra.”
“Hmmm, sou ka.”
Itachi heard her feet fall faster, he felt a breeze as she rushed ahead, her arms flung back in the style of a shinobi. Her quickness and enthusiasm was amusing to Itachi, a smile formed at the edges of his mouth. He caught up effortlessly and stopped in the middle of a ring of trees, Kaya continued on defiantly.
“Stop, Kaya. We’ll train here. Sit on the grass right there.”
Itachi pointed at a patch of damp grass before him. At the command Kaya sauntered slowly to the patch of grass and plopped down silently. She crossed her legs and arms and waited for instruction. She was surprised when Itachi sat down as well, crossing his legs and doing something odd with his hands that reminded her of the statues of Buddha in the village temple.
“This is called a hand seal. We use hand seals to focus our chakra and perform ninjutsu. This one is called the Ram. Try it. There are 12 hand seals that follow the Chinese zodiac, but we will stick with this one until you learn to tap your chakra reserves and focus the chakra to your hands.”
Kaya raised her hands and observed Itachi’s in a perfect Ram seal. She clumsily folded her fingers likewise, Itachi closed his eyes and she copied him.
“Now breathe evenly and slowly and think of nothing but the energy within you.”
After several long moments of silence, Kaya cracked open one eye and saw that Itachi was still sitting frozen in place. She let out a cleansing breath and tried again to tap her chakra. An hour passed before she would catch her mind wandering every few minutes and start to feel despair.
How will I ever become a shinobi if I can’t even focus my chakra? Maybe they were wrong in choosing me; if I don’t get this quickly they will choose someone else… I can’t let that happen, I want to stay and learn with Itachi-sensei.
With a newly determined spirit she started again. Searching for her chakra she thought of the times that she had used her power. She felt the emotion in her gut, the panic rose in her throat and she swallowed… something familiar… that energy, it coursed in her like blood through her veins, its resonance hummed within her. She coaxed her chakra to surge down her arms like the moon entices the seas to drift. The pleasant energy buzzed around her fingers and seeped out of her palms.
“Yoshi, Kaya!”
Kaya was startled at the sound of Itachi’s voice; in her concentration she had completely forgotten his presence. She felt her chakra flow back to equilibrium within her body, the tide rushing to shore.
“Now do it again!”
With every repetition the focus and control of her chakra became easier and easier. Several hours passed by with Itachi drilling Kaya in hand seals. When they headed back to the village for dinner Kaya’s stomach ached for food and her head pounded, still slightly weak from Itachi’s genjutsu. That night she was so exhausted that she fell asleep before she had time to realize how amazing her progress was.
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Chapter notes: Sorry I was gone for so long, school really sucks... But for anyone out there who's actually reading this (hahaha) I hope you like it. I'm thinking that I'll have chapter 7 out by the end of this week.