“Itachi and Kisame are going to be gone on a mission for at least the next week. I want you to watch Kaya while Itachi is away. You don’t have to babysit her, but I do want you to check up on her and train her for at least two hours each day however you’d like.”
“Nagato, why do you ask these things from me? I can’t look at the girl without thinking…”
“She needs more than Itachi as a companion, Konan. We need her attachment to grow for more than just one person in the group to cement her loyalty.”
“I can’t stand having her near me, she is too innocent, too young, too… much like what we were.”
“No one can stay like that for long. Akatsuki will help her out of that state quickly… but for now I need you to gain her trust and tell me how she is developing. Itachi can’t be trusted for an honest report, his conscience weighs too heavily on him.”
“Maybe mine does as well, Nagato.”
“Don’t be foolish, you know why we started this organization; this is bigger than your conscience and more important than Kaya’s innocence, Konan.”
“Don’t worry, you know I would do anything for you.”
“Then take care of the girl, and don’t doubt me again.”
The beautiful girl’s form molted into a thousand sheets of paper and her consciousness left the dark room with the afterimage of Nagato’s silver eyes still shining in her vision. Those silver eyes that had saved her life and killed her soul so many times over.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
Kaya dragged her body out of bed early that day. Itachi-sensei had promised to teach her a shuriken jutsu when she had mastered her substitution jutsu. Her plan was to be ready for Itachi-sensei when he came to get her this morning and see if she could catch him off guard with her newly perfected substitution jutsu. Eyes closed she stood up and reached for her clothes and shrugged out of her pajamas. In less than two minutes she was ready and waiting to hear Itachi’s footsteps down the hall. No footsteps came.
Kaya was getting restless; she opened her bedroom door and peeked into the hall. There was nothing in sight as far as she could see except the ever-present pipes. Her uneasiness was added to when she finally heard footsteps, but they were light and delicate, not the calm and determined steps of her sensei. Stalking down the hall was the beautiful woman she had seen at Pain-sama’s side on her fist day in Amegakure. Kaya quickly shut the door in a panic, afraid to be caught sneaking around by someone who was probably very important. She heard the gentle feet stop in front of her door and Kaya’s heart started racing. She heard an impatient knock at the door and closed her eyes.
The knob of the door started to turn and Kaya contemplated hiding under the covers of her bed for a second, but she ended up standing in a stupor. The beautiful lady entered with a frown on her face. She was tall and had an origami flower stuck in her short blue hair. She wore the same black cloak with red clouds as Itachi and Kisame.
“Wh-who are you?”
“I am Konan, and you are Kaya.”
“Where is Itachi-sensei?”
“Itachi and Kisame left on a mission, they‘ll be gone for a week. Until they get back I’m going to train you and keep an eye on you. So follow me, Kaya and we’ll get going.”
“H-hai, O-nee-sama.”
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
“What is your day usually like, Kaya?”
Kaya was struggling to keep the light-footed woman’s pace. Her answer came out with a staggered breath.
“Itachi-sensei comes to get me every morning and he gives me breakfast that we eat on our way out to train. I train with him all day. When we come back it’s time for dinner and then I come back to my room and then go to sleep.”
What a boring regimen that boy has set up for her. A young girl can’t be happy doing that everyday.
“Do you ever do anything else, Kaya?”
“Well, once I went with Itachi-sensei to the ninja academy in town. He told me to watch the other kids train there. We sat for a few hours and watched. It was very boring to me because I had already done the stuff that they were practicing. After we were done Itachi-sensei asked me what I had learned. I told him that I hadn’t really learned anything, that he had already taught me those things. He said that wasn’t what he wanted to hear.”
“What did he want to hear?”
“The next day we went back again and we watched. I started to realize that he wanted me to learn to observe in battle. He wanted me to see weaknesses and flaws, to formulate plans in my mind even if I wasn’t their opponent. I guess that’s what he wanted me to know, we never really went back again.”
Konan said nothing for a while. Kaya tried to look up at her face, but like her sensei, she never met her eyes.
Of course someone like him would teach like that. What an unsettling boy. He trains her like an old man, from what Nagato says he’s only about three years older than her.
“Hmmmm… Eat these.”
Konan held out two rice balls to the girl. Kaya took one in each hand and munched happily while she walked beside Konan. The grim surroundings didn’t seem to affect the cheery red head; she hummed softly while the pipes dripped in accompaniment.
Eventually they wound up in front of a large bolted door, Konan formed a hand seal and the door slid open silently. Inside was an enormous room with a dirt floor and absolutely nothing but Kaya and Konan within it.
“This is where I will train you for two hours each day until Itachi gets back. Do you think you can remember your way here to meet me each morning?”
“Hai, Nee-sama.”
“Show me what you know, then.”
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
Sweat poured into Kaya’s eyes and stung. When it came to sparring, Konan was ruthless. She wasn’t as fast as Itachi, but she was more persistent. The girl was still huffing when Konan indicated that they were done. Kaya fell to the ground and put her arm over her damp and burning forehead.
“Has Itachi trained you in your Kekkei Genkai?”
“No, he hasn’t even talked about it since the first night I met him.”
Nagato will be angry when he hears about that.
“Well, you have done good work. It seems like Itachi has been teaching you well.”
“Hai, Nee-sama! Itachi-sensei is a very good teacher.”
“Meet me here tomorrow in the morning.”
Konan moved towards the door of the huge training room, Kaya sat up.
“N-nee-sama! Wait!”
Konan winced with her back facing the girl, but Kaya did not miss the twitch of her fingers.
“I don’t know what to do for the rest of the day!”
“Read or practice your shuriken throws, you must learn to entertain yourself. I have important things to do.”
Konan continued moving toward the door and she didn’t look back once, even when she heard Kaya’s small whisper.
“I-I don’t know…”
Kaya slowly crossed the training room. She could not stay in such a big room by herself without feeling like it would swallow her. The girl traced her way back to her room, watching her feet touch the dusty floor the whole way. Kaya stopped in front of her door, sighed, and pushed the door open. Even though Kaya could think of many things that she could do to fill the day, she didn’t want to do any of them. Her eyes swept the expanse of her room. There was a small bed in the corner and a desk beside it. The girl sat at the desk and picked up a scroll. It was covered with a list of fifty jutsu, and she had learned them all.
For hours she sat at her desk remembering the jutsu, in the early evening she got changed into her bedclothes and sat on her bed with her back against the wall. She sat in a trance, focusing her chakra. Her stomach grumbled and her eyes fluttered open. Tears began to flow again, her past, her solitary life, her memories nagged. Kaya fell asleep with an empty stomach, and awoke with her tears dried on her cheeks. This pattern was repeated for ten days, and every night she dreamt of burning eyes.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
On the morning of the eleventh day Kaya waited in front of the now familiar training room. She jumped when she felt something behind her. She twirled expecting to see Konan but saw Itachi instead. After a brief moment of fear Itachi was met with an adorable smile, the likes of which he hadn’t seen since Sasuke…
“Ita-sensei! Hahahaha I’m so glad that you’re back!”
Itachi said nothing, his mouth turned down in a frown, and Kaya’s smile melted into a look of concern mirroring his face.
She is noticeably thinner than the last time I saw her. I’ve only been gone ten days and there are dark circles around her eyes.
“Doushita?”
“Have you been eating?”
Kaya dropped her chin and a flush spread across her pale cheeks. She rubbed at her bloodshot eyes, hoping that he hadn’t seen that she had been crying.
“H-hai, Nee-sama gives me two rice balls every morning.”
Itachi’s frown continued.
“And that’s all?”
“Yes…”
“Eat these, we’re going out to train this morning.”
Itachi handed her three fish cakes like the ones she always had with him for breakfast. She was glad that he had already turned and started walking when her tears started again. Her fingers brushed them away and she resumed her place behind her sensei.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
The grass was still slick from the morning rain, Kaya’s sandals slipped a little when she twisted to face Itachi. The sun was bright, her red hair glinted flecks of gold.
“Kaya, today we’re going to work on using your Kekkei Genkai.”
Kaya twinkled a little at the sound of her name coming from her greatly missed teacher.
“We’re going to spar and I don’t want you to hold back, I won’t either. Try to use your Kekkei Genkai.”
Kaya nodded and started to back up a little. Itachi was fast and she needed to throw some distance between them to have any chance to respond. In less than a second she felt him whip by, a kunai outstretched. She ducked and turned to face him as he came running back. The sound of metal clanging rang through the trees as Kaya’s kunai met Itachi’s. Sparks flew in front of surprised crimson eyes. Itachi backed up and lunged again, Kaya dodged and struck at his abdomen. He had moved to quickly again to make contact with the kunai. As her head came up from the dodge she saw that Itachi’s curse mark eyes had molded into something else that looked like a pinwheel. The distraction gave Itachi an opportunity to slice at her; she dove in time for the ends of her unbound hair to be sliced.
After the close call, Kaya retreated a little. Itachi was standing calmly in front of her, waiting for her to make a move. There was something interesting about his chakra, she felt it, but not from where she was seeing him. Kaya rushed at Itachi, her hands ready to block a punch. She hesitated for a brief moment in front of him and then veered sharply to the right where she felt his chakra more strongly, ignoring what she felt sure was a genjutsu. Suddenly Itachi was in front of her where she could not see him before. His odd eyes were wide with shock when Kaya punched him roughly in the stomach and grasped his wrist. She felt a small resistance right before she found…
A small boy with black, unruly hair… Nii-san… Nii-san. Cold floors, paper fans. His face, hard apathy. Her weak smiles, worried eyes. Light on a desk, late at night, blurring vision… Black uniforms, white masks. Nii-san! Sasuke, there’s not time, no room for mistakes… a door closing on the back of the boy, next time, next time. A word, the word is war. Not the word, the feeling. A katana, a smear, a stain on the red fan. Another one, another one, then another one. Tou-san, Kaa-san, a limp hand on a head crowned in blood. Not me, him… let one go… let him live. Wet tears, a backward glance…
In an instant Kaya snapped out of Itachi’s mind, she felt a sharp pain. With heaving breaths she dropped to her knees in front of Itachi, her face was already trailing with tears and she choked out a sob.
“How can you feel like this?”
[Reviews - 8]Chapter or Story
Table of Contents
- Text Size +
Chapter notes: Hey, friends! I am going to admit that the end of this chapter was inspired by the part in Star Trek 2009 when Spock's mind transfer affects Kirk emotionally. lolz That is all..
Chapter end notes: Hope y'all liked it I made this one... twice as long as the others. lolz