11Hello, everyone. Welcome to another new story, one that I've had an idea of and been meaning to do for a while. Naruto is my favorite series, having some of my favorite characters in any anime or manga. That includes its female cast, who I've decided to write about. Though I've written lemons for my OTP before, this story's going to be something different, an OC pairing in the vein of a few stories I've read. The first leading lady for these types of stories for me will be Kurenai! I'll admit, a bit of a shameless continuation of my teacher/student interest, but also me wanting to do a second love story for her since she canonically ends up widowed. Obviously, that won't be happening here.
Now, let's address the elephant in the room. This story will be taking place after Asuma's been killed by Hidan. Will Kurenai be pregnant with Mirai? I won't say anything about that just yet. With that out of the way, read on and enjoy!
I do not own anything.
Plum Blossom Sanctuary
Chapter 1-Lost in the Snow
From the start her subconscious told Kurenai that this was a bad idea, but she'd refused to listen. Everyone had told her that it was a bad idea, but she refused to listen to them. She knew that they were only trying to outlook for her, and she appreciated that, but Kurenai believed that her recovery could be served a different way. It was far from uncommon for ninja to recover from grief by getting back to work. However, it was also far from uncommon for that attempted solution to amount to nothing. Indeed, said ninja getting themselves killed or maimed was a common outcome.
She bemoaned the possibility of that happening to her, yet the determination she clung to reminded her that it was just a possibility, not a certainty. Rather or not it became real ultimately depended on her.
Her feet continued to crunch snow beneath her as she trudged onward. While the snowfall had increased it wasn't a blizzard just yet. She could see several feet in front of her. The pathway was clear enough that she could press onward, and that's exactly what she did. In doing so, the sound of crunching snow continued. It went in tandem with the quiet howl of the wind that whipped at her and the world around her. There hadn't been a chance in since her arrival; if her fortune held, by the time a change did occur she'd be closer to the foot of the mountain and near shelter. The thought of snuggling up to a warm fire appealed to her, giving her an extra pep in her step. Kurenai knew she was going to need it.
Heading uphill during a storm was normally worse than heading downhill. Knowing that, she'd timed her approach carefully. It'd taken her two days of waiting, albeit those two days hadn't been a waste. She'd spent them carefully observing her targets, watching them from the shadows so when she struck, it'd be a decisive blow. That was her style, that fighting style made up a great deal of her track record; the same usually went for other genjutsu users. It was a fighting style that they prided themselves in.
Correspondingly, it was also a style dreaded by those unversed in the art of genjutsu. Going a step further, for the common people, it was the art of absolute terror. All these fears were justified as genjutsu preyed on the mind, and the level of power one could derive from that was sheer limitless. Well, that was speaking from the perspective of the one in control of the mind. The ones having their minds toyed with? Terror indeed was the word.
Kurenai had used that power and her targets had experienced that terror when she fell upon them. It'd much been like the snow that had been consistently falling for the last five days. She'd made use of the snow in her illusions, making it feel like it was molten iron that scorched the skin on contact. Not at all an uncommon application of genjutsu, still an effective one. Perhaps she'd gone for a little bit of irony as the vandals had been complaining about the cold for some time. Well, she let them experience the opposite right before she took to killing them. Or before they killed each other.
It was purely the snow and her own cargo that was weighing her down in anyway. She had little guilt for the lives she'd taken-it was part of her job as a kunoichi. That was something she'd made peace with several years ago, back when she still young. Kurenai came of age in a time where one had to make peace with killing or else they wouldn't have lasted long on the battlefield. And there were many battlefields.
Either by either chance or fate, she came upon one of the old reminders of one of those old battlefields. The upturned mass of rock could have been written off as natural, but to Kurenai's scarlet eyes, they were the remains of an Earth Style jutsu, one that had moved quite a bit of earth when it was executed. From that upturned mass the ground turned jagged, forcing her to be careful in her traversal of it. That traversal was temporarily halted as she looked back to the mass of stone. Every now and then one could find them, particularly toward the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth-the lands that had seen the most fighting during the last Shinobi World War.
Some people had mixed feelings about such "monuments" that cut across various ways. For Kurenai, she tried to remain neutral on the scars left by the last war. Konoha had came out the victor and Iwa the loser. She heard that some of the latter had attempted to leave their "mark" on the territories they were driven out of, more so in the deepest parts of the Land of Fire. Almost like throwing stones at a neighbor's window or onto their lawn to spite them. Granted, in this case the "stones" were boulders of varying size, some as large as buildings. She stared at one of the latter.
It cast a shadow over her and the nearby trees. At other times of the year, she imagined its deep brown vestige would have stood proudly against the blue sky above. Now, in the last throes of winter, it was just as white as the rest of the landscape. Any signs of age lost to the blanket of frigid white that grew by the second.
Rather whimsically, Kurenai wondered if something would ever come along to dislodge the near twenty-foot protrusion. It'd take either an earthquake or a landslide, both of which could have been caused by a sufficiently strong ninja. Kakashi could have done it. He was one of the best Earth Style users in the village.
Something else that could have brought it down could have been a tool-a weapon. One with enough power to-
Shaking her head caused flacks of snow to fall off her hood, though they were quickly replaced by the dozens more that fell from the sky. A fire burned within her driving away the wintery gale that blew through the world around her. Up until a second again, it just barely permeated her body through her thick layers of clothing. No more. Every heartbeat carried a scorching fire in it that quickly raced through every fiber of Kurenai's body. It especially manifested in her feet, carrying her forward. In seemingly a single breath the upturned stone monolith was nothing but a distant blur; in the next breath in vanished completely along with the jagged field it sat within. Kurenai doubted she'd see either again.
Hundreds of tracks were made in the snow as she sped down her chosen path. Hundreds more snowflakes assailed her face, even as she bobbed and weaved through any obstruction that lay before her. While she didn't have her student's Byakugan, she could still see well enough. Not to mention the snow hadn't picked up to the point her vision was obscured. Even as she accelerated her vision remained clear enough for her to press onward.
Sometimes grief could boost concentration instead of hindering it. Somewhere in the recesses of her mind Kurenai knew that was a fine line. The pain in her chest could just as easily blind her if she let it spin out of control. Luckily, she had no intention of letting that happen. Consciously, anyway.
At the rate she was going she figured she'd make it back down to the base of the mountain by nightfall. Striking during the morning had its advantages, and this was one of them. Daylight was best used for traveling, even if physically speaking there was no daylight.
Through the hood of her snow cloak Kurenai glanced up. In addition to what was in front of her, she had to keep an eye on the sky as well. She may not have been a meteorologist but she could still watch the sky for subtle changes. Any one of them could signal the semi-pleasant weather she was enjoying could change. If it did, she'd have to act fast-she'd have to get to cover. That would be a little difficult since the only structures she'd seen so far were all ruins with ceiling sporting some noticeable holes. It'd make getting a fire going and sustaining it a little hard.
"Aren't you just lucky? Not only do you get a nice portable fire, you also get some free cuddle time."
Time seemed to slow to a crawl amidst her next step. Her right leg froze before it could touch the snow. Staring straight ahead, Kurenai could have sworn she saw a figure in the snow. He was just a few feet ahead of her, dressed in the same dark-colored snow coat as her emblazoned with the Leaf symbol on the back. Just as the figure began to turn around, providing a glimmer of seeing his face, time returned to its normal perception. Alternatively, Kurenai simply broke out of the time dilation.
Pockets of snow were kicked up as she accelerated at a new speed. Her heavier breaths came out as palm-sized clouds, one after another, none lasting anymore than a second. Crimson eyes remained focused on what lay ahead with a knitted brow. Rounding out the look were her glove-covered hands, curled so tightly they seemed harden stone more than flesh.
Maybe that's what I should do once I get back. Do some sparring with Guy. Training with Guy was a double-edged sword in most cases. Though often fulfilling, it was never lacking in intensity, so intense it could scare one off trying it. Along with the green bodysuits. Though she respected her bowl-haired comrade, there were some things she would never, ever do no matter how much Guy insisted. Asuma had been the same. They even joked if either of them ever wore one of those jumpsuits they'd have to talk about the relationship.
Another spark ignited within her, pushing her even further. The crunch of snow beneath her boots grew all the louder, as did her heavy breathing and the roar in her ears. They mixed into a near all-consuming cacophony that ironically gave Kurenai solace. It was a chaotic solace that any other time she'd have viewed as unsafe. Not now, not as her mind slipped back into the darkness she'd so desperately tried to escape. It was approaching her from behind, reaching out and clawing at her like a pack of wolves on the trail of a deer. Desperate to survive, she continued to gallop as fast as she could. Stopping meant death, so that wasn't an option.
She ran from the darkness. She ran from the memories. She ran from the smiles and the laughter and the warmth. Closing her eyes, she tried her best to block out their call. Her self-imposed darkness correlated with the final burst of speed from her legs. It brought forth a sense of exhilaration that Kurenai would have been intoxicated by if it wasn't so short-lived. And she felt the immediate loss of solid ground beneath her feet.
Her eyes widened at the realization. "Shit!" came the curse that perfectly summed up her situation. Solid ground was likely a hundred or so feet below her, beneath a canopy of trees and jagged rocks. By the time she hit the ground she'd have several broken bones, assuming she didn't hit her head and that did her end right there. Truly an embarrassing end to a ninja's career, especially one such as her.
Responding immediately, she reached into her kunai pouch and withdrew one such weapon. With as much force as she could muster, she plunged it into the cliffside surface. To her relief, it dug in just enough for her fall to be halted. Another kunai was drawn and plunged into the snowy side, securing her against the snowy surface. Finally, she summoned her physical strength and pulled herself up. As she ascended, Kurenai twisted her body. Were it not for the hood, her black hair would have undoubtedly have been swaying in the wind. A pity there wasn't an audience to witness the acrobatic recovery.
Kurenai stepped back several feet from the edge after she landed. While her heart thundered her eyes surveyed the cliffside she'd absent-mindedly ran off the edge of. If it hadn't been for her quick reflex she still would have been falling, and hitting a myriad of things on the way down. That is unless she expanded chakra she could have saved up to clear out those obstructions. Either way, the fall would have been a blow to her pride. Speeding off the edge by itself had already been embarrassing herself; now she was forced to reckon with that as she stared out over the horizon.
It was a nice view. Near endless white stretching out before slopping downward and opening up to a greater field of snow-covered trees. Kurenai imagined the scenery would look quite different once spring arrived in about a week or so. As beautiful as it would be, Kurenai wouldn't be there to see it. She'd rather see spring back in the village, even if it was by herself.
No, stop that. You're not alone. Asuma…Asuma may be gone, but you're not alone. You still have three wonderful students. Three students who'd be chewing you out if they saw you just now. Thinking about what her three chunin students would have to say her actually brought a smile to Kurenai's face. First a smile, then a chuckle. Hinata would be emotional concern, Kiba's loud and grilling, and Shino's cool and stoic. The core was the same for all of them though.
If they'd been with her, she probably never would have gone off the cliffside in the first place. Shino would have gone as far as uses his insects to get her to slow down. He certainly would have after Hinata looked far enough head and saw where she was heading. A sigh of discontent at the absence of her students left her lips, it too manifesting as a cloud of icy air. Her regret lingered far longer than the ice cloud. Not for the first time it was hitting her that she might have been better off bringing someone with her on this mission. They might have been able to distract her from the painful loneliness now gripping her heart.
All her running had been for naught as the darkness had caught up to her. Rather humorously, it wasn't as vile as she thought it'd be. Then again, maybe she was just too tired to care too much about it.
A sense of alarm bit at her like a snake that'd crept onto its prey. Her hands swiftly moved to her left side, feeling for the tightly zipped bag that she'd been carrying-her precious cargo. Losing it would have been a considerable failure, the sort she'd have chided younger and more inexperienced ninja on. She undoubtedly would have gotten an earful from the Fifth Hokage; Lady Tsunade would have taken it as a sign that she indeed wasn't ready to be back out in the field.
Undoing the zipper just a little bit, she felt around for the item inside. Relief swept through her as her gloved fingers felt the harden surface of the item, seemingly undamaged by her reckless stunt. With that resolved, she zipped the bag back up. Rather than carry on, Kurenai found herself continuing to gaze out over the cliffside. Despite knowing her precious cargo was best delivered as quickly as possible, she couldn't bring herself to move.
For the first time in seemingly hours, her feet softly crunched the snow before her knees bent. Her bag laid off to the side, she hiked her legs up to her chest and simply gazed out at the snow-covered treetops she'd been seconds away from plunging into. All despite the near disastrous fall, snowflakes continued to descend from the heavens, guided by the late winter wind. Several hit Kurenai in the face as she silently gazed out across the horizon. With each second the layer of snow covering the world grew thicker. Or maybe it was minutes. The more she watched the landscape the fainter her perception of time became.
"If you'd been here, I never would have made such a mistake, I know it." Kurenai could feel her voice becoming lost to the cold wind. Even she could barely hear her own voice moments after speaking. "If you were here, I wonder if I'd even be out here."
Here she was, cold and alone. Miles from her home, yet a part of her wondered if she'd feel any better if she were at home. Despite her earlier insistence, something was now missing from the Leaf Village. A piece of home she knew she'd never get back.
But still, staying out here mourning for him isn't going to change that. Not to mention he wouldn't want you getting yourself killed out of sadness. Barked an assertive voice she was quite familiar with. It became the light in the darkness surrounding her, though Kurenai found herself lacking the strength to reach for it. The voice continued to berate and entice her. As it did, she slowly began to find the strength needed to reach for it. She knew it was right.
Sighing in self-directed annoyance as well as resolve, she finally stood up. Standing alone over the cliffside, she felt the darkness receding, returning to the white woods from which it'd came. That's where she wanted it to stay for the remainder of her mission. If it caught up to her again, Kurenai had a feeling it was going to be a while longer before she made it back to Konoha. Her little near trip over the edge and brief battle with her depression had cost her time, how much of it she didn't know. The odds of making it down the mountain by downfall had likely dipped, but she wanted to believe she could still make it. Knowing that the odds would decrease the longer she waited, she turned to her right, to the path she should have taken before. Clutching the strap to the bag strapped to her shoulder, she took the first of several steps back onto the correct path.
The true consequences of her emotional detour quickly manifested themselves after the tenth step.
Despite being covered up Kurenai's ears registered the sound of something face moving through the air. At the speed it was moving, getting hit would hurt. Quickly drawing her kunai, she swung it in three arcs, each deflecting one of the projectiles sent her way. As they tumbled aside, she quickly and quietly examined them-pieces of rock no bigger than her fingers. Their small size and speed would have indeed poked holes in her, holes that would have brought her down and made her easy pickings for whoever had fired them. Speaking of whoever that was, Kurenai recognized the size and speed of the pebbles fired-they pointed to one culprit.
Realizing she was in danger, she sprinted to her right while pressing forward. She knew she had to get as far away from the cliffside as possible. Unfortunately, she was just a second too late as the snow broke apart, a towering wall of earth shooting upward. Not one to be detoured, she leaped toward it while applying chakra to her feet. Knowing time was of the essence, she began a skyward run up the stony surface.
"Don't think I'm going to just let you off that easily!" Snarled the voice of the jutsu's caster. Male and angry, Kurenai cursed. Apparently, she hadn't been thorough in sweeping the bandits' hideout.
Maintaining awareness of her surroundings, she jumped back from the stone wall as it burst to pieces. Rather than fall to the ground via gravity, the pieces instead maintained their place in the air, held up by the force of chakra. A second later and they were flying toward her, each piece dozens times larger than the pebble bullets she'd deflected earlier. These were too big to deflect with a mere kunai-they were going to take something bigger and stronger.
Kurenai may have preferred the indirect approach, but she knew how to be direct when the time called for it. Quickly weaving the seals, she quickly inhaled, kneading the air and chakra in her stomach before spewing it out as a burst of roaring hot flames. "Fire Style-Fireball Jutsu!" From her red lips came the greatest source of heat to grace the snowy mountainside in days. It didn't just collide with the stone shrapnel-it melted the rocks into ash. Kurenai didn't stop there though, she continued onto the rest of the stone wall on her left side. Her fireballs few deep into the forest she'd once been through thus setting it ablaze. The change in temperature was immediate.
She kept her ears open for the sound of movement. She didn't heart any death cries meaning her pursuer was most likely still alive. He was going to come after her again, so she had to better. Kurenai also knew she had to get further away from the cliffside. While she may not have known the full capabilities of her opponent, she knew it was better not to take a chance.
"Earth Style-Soil Flow!"
Once more, snow was parted as earth moved in haphazard ways-particularly towards her. Kurenai sprinted into the woods as she saw the mass of upturned rock heading toward her. Briefly, she looked to the top of the rocky mass to catch a glimpse of her enemy. She spied blood staining his left side, particularly his arm. He had a puncture wound on his lower left side. From what she could see, it'd been hastily closed-cauterized. Without a doubt, this man had come close to death only to find the ability to pull himself away from the edge. Now, he wanted revenge on the person who'd pushed him to that brink. His comrades may have been the ones to wound him, but it'd been Kurenai who'd wound them up and set them loose upon each other.
Leaping from the top of his mobile platform, the man coated his arm in a layer of rock, furthering her suspicion that he was indeed an ex-Stone shinobi. He was pulling out several of the jutsu associated with the village's ninja. Kurenai wondered if the sight of her Leaf headband had him further incited.
By the time he came down with his attack, she was out of range, having dashed deep into the snowy bushes. Though her cover wouldn't last long, she wouldn't be needing it for any more than a few seconds at best. The ground beneath her shook as the man's fist came down, creating a small tremor that shook the landscape. Knowing she had to end this fast, she wove the hand signs and sent forth the invisible wave of chakra. It sped toward the hunched over man like a serpent moving in toward its prey. Once beaten, this fight would be over.
The bite never came though.
From the point of impact, a wave of jagged rock fanned out in all directions, including hers. It was remarkably fast, faster than Kurenai expected. Knowing her position was compromised, she fell back, ceasing her jutsu. She was forced to run, fast.
Seems like he's the type with a lot of stamin and chakra. He probably knows I'm a genjutsu specialist, so he's not going to let me put him under. Simultaneous to the thought, she realized how fortunate the weather was. The snow was several inches thick, so her feet weren't directly touching the ground, meaning he couldn't sense her out through the vibrations her footsteps made.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
She wasn't close enough to the explosions she had to worry about immediate damage, but they did a good job of halting her in her tracks. Kurenai instinctively raised her arms up to shield her face as pieces of burning debris showered the top of her head. Fire was suddenly all around her, melting the snow both on the ground and in the sky.
"He planned this." The realization struck her as she looked around. Paper bombs, each strategically placed to cut her off. The entire cliffside was being turned into a cage for him to hunt her down. As soon as she concluded that analysis, she heard the teeth-rattling roar of a rock-composed beast. Spinning on her heel, she saw the stone dragon heading straight for her. "Dammit!" Her feet moved to the left, moving her out of the way as the creature slammed into the ground kicking up more debris. Kurenai remained alert as she knew another attack was coming; the question was from where and how intense would it be. Realizing who she was up against, she spared a glance at the snow-covered ground.
Ironically, it was the air. Once more, her hearing alerted her. Kurenai rolled aside as several earthen spikes impaled the spot she'd formerly been kneeling on. Only after their impact did she realize they were ladened with more paper bombs. With another curse, she ran, explosions lightning up the landscape behind her.
At this rate, he's going to burn the entire place down!
"There you are! You bitch! You ruined everything!" Arms out, both encased in stone. Fueled by anger, he was easy to avoid, but Kurenai had a feeling that might not last. "You! Ruined! Everything!"
"Which was?" She half-heartedly asked as they fell into a dance of attack and evasion.
"My big score! I had everything set up, then you went and ruined it!"
His arms glowed, a pulse of chakra that her senses alerted her to. Instinct told her to jump back and that's what she did. The stone gauntlets exploded into pieces of rock that few in her general direction. Forming the tiger sign, she breathed out another blast of chakra, melting them. Her fireball continued on, leaving a blazing trail in its wake, but still no body. Still, it added to the growing blaze around her.
At the last second, Kurenai sensed a presence behind her and spun, catching the brown-haired ninja in the side with a spin kick. Two more kicks followed, each pushing him back. He surged forward with a new stone-encased fist. Remembering how dangerous the sudden destruction of the last one had been, she put some more distance between herself and him. Her feet crunched the snow as she and the six-foot man exchanged cold glares.
"Leaf…ninja, should have known. Even now, you bastards can't stop butting into my business." He huffed. Bearded with tawny-eyes, no headband to speak of.
"Whatever business you had is finished. Walk away and you'll be able to keep your life, which is more than can be said for your compatriots." He probably wasn't going to take her offer, but Kurenai still felt like throwing it out there. Every once in a while someone was smart enough to take it and walk away.
A dismissive snort followed. "Like hell I'm going to do that, especially since you're still carrying the damn box. If I can't get my hands on that, I might as well have died back there with the others." His wrathful vestige was broken by a short snicker. "Suppose I should thank you though, saved me some trouble."
The pieces immediately clicked. "You were going to betray them, your own gang." At least some of the disdain in her voice shined through despite her attempts to hide it.
"Someone came along with a better offer, not to mention I wouldn't have to settle for only a share of the profits. It was a sweet deal. I had everything set up, then you went and screwed with everyone's heads. Normally, I wouldn't have a problem with that, but one of those idiots almost killed me! And you made off with the damn box!" Barked the ex-ninja.
"Stolen, and I'm returning it to its rightful owner." Kurenai declared while waiting for the next attack.
The man stood upright, laughing with a voice ringing with malicious humor. "You may think you are, but trust me, that's not how this is going to play out. Tell you what though," the gleam in his brown eyes made her skin crawl well before the words were out of his mouth. "Give me back the box and I'll let you be my woman. I'm expecting a huge payout for-"
Three kunai, each aimed at his chest. His smile vanished as he threw his stone arm up to block them. In that time, Kurenai started weaving hand signs, a sight he caught onto. Unfortunately for him, this time she was fast enough.
His attack flew through her as her body dissipated into wisps of nothingness. The man's eyes widened as he looked all around him; he was fast on the uptake, but it wasn't going to do him any good. Now that he was caught in her illusion, it was time for her to end this.
"I…I know what this is. I know what your game is." Something about his voice unsettled her. No doubt he'd experienced genjutsu before. If he'd been back at the hideout, then he undoubtedly would have been under her genjutsu before breaking out of it somehow. Kurenai guessed that coming so close to death might have done the job.
This time though, she was going to be as thorough as possible.
Kunai out, she raced toward him, intent on splitting open his throat.
"But I'm playing for keeps! EARTH STYLE-FISSURE!"
Kurenai's eyes widened, "NO!"
Her original hypothesis was verified in the worst way possible. The illusion genjutsu she'd placed on him seemed to crumble away with the rest of the landscape as his jutsu took immediate effect. In the back of her mind, she wondered if he'd had this planned from the start-if all else failed just sink the entire cliffside. He said that he was a dead man without the box, so for him it was all or nothing. Not an uncommon mindset for a Hidden Stone shinobi, even a former one at that.
It all happened so suddenly, thus making her further wonder if he had this planned. Beneath her feet the ground cracked and gave way. The ground beyond her did the same, snow suddenly falling through open fissures as the land broke apart like glass struck with a hammer. Even the fires seemed to roar in protest as everything that was burning was pulled down.
Her eyes frantically searched around her for a foothold. Dammit! I should have just kept on moving! She'd been in situations like this before, they were dangerous but Kurenai knew how to keep a clear head so she could find a way out.
Crimson eyes scoured the descending rumble for a nearby piece of rumble she could use as a foothold. They were also on the look out for any debris that might crush her if she wasn't careful. Her search was cut short as she noticed several pieces of rock telekinetically being guided in a single direction. Following their path, she gasped at the sight of her pursuer, alive and well, molding the pieces of rock into razor-sharp spears. Thrusting his hands downward, he launched them at her like a volley.
The tiger seal, and this time a little more chakra than normal; she had to use it otherwise she wasn't going to be able to shoot down all those accursed spears. It wasn't just them she wanted to shoot down. Kurenai was tired of dealing with this man, so she figured she might as well do her best to get him in a single blast as well.
What came out was a massive burst of fire large, amongst the largest she'd ever created. It sped upward, scorching the snowflakes that fell from the sky. Her attack burned with such an intensity and traveled at such a speed it seemed intent on plowing through its original target and blowing a hole straight through the winter sky.
As spectacular as that would have been, it wasn't what happened. Colliding against the mass of flames was a mass of earth; though scorched by the fire the earthen mass was large enough to push against it and continue its descent. In turn, Kurenai poured more chakra into her attack, if she kept it up, she'd be able to destroy the giant boulder before it crushed her. From the corners of her vision, she saw the cracks forming in the boulder-she was almost there. But it wasn't going to matter.
A shadow moved to her left side. Its identity struck her in flash, but it wasn't fast enough to compete with the shadow's own attack, nor was that realization comparable to the blow it made against her. Kurenai tasted blood in her mouth while her body was suddenly thrown sideways. The already dizzying pain intensified as she found herself crashing through several pieces of rock curtsy of the initial attack. Still, she fought through the pain to open her eyes. The eagerness of her pursuer was flashing like lightning in his eyes as he zoomed toward her, a rock-composed gauntlet reared back. One more attack like that and Kurenai had a hunch it was going to be lights out for her.
Resolve solidified within the depths of her soul. She reached into her back pouch and threw out the only item she knew could save her with the limited time she had. Her opponent was already coming within striking range, having propelled himself from the still falling debris. Being a former Stone ninja, he was undoubtedly more adept at moving through rock, even as it was in motion.
"Don't think you can-"
Kurenai had just enough time to grin before she braced herself. After all the mayhem he'd caused with his own explosive tags, it was fitting for him to finally receive a taste of his own medicine.
The explosion lit up the space all in front of her. Once more, snow was incinerated in an instant. Kurenai felt herself being thrown back by the force of the blast as she continued to fall. How close were they to the ground? With the small window she had, she titled her head downward to see; she could use another Fireball Jutsu to break her fall, but she had to time it right.
THOOOM!
Air flew from her lungs, a massive cold cloud materializing in front of her, but Kurenai was too dazed to comprehend it. The pain in her stomach quickly spread through the rest of her body, then it was compounded by the pain in her back. Jagged and cold, the surface of the cliffside was not the sort of thing one wanted to be smashed into at such speed. Kurenai didn't have a choice in the matter, even with the bag slung over her back. It was a compressor of pain with her in the middle.
"Da-Dammit, dam…mit…dam…mit." Just ahead of her was her pursuer, new blood spewing from his right arm and a new look of fury in his eyes. They'd essentially traded blows, but he'd have preferred it if his attack had gone through without a hitch. His left arm, still wounded, was raised up for another attack. "I've…got to-" It was a race to regain her strength, a race that Kurenai feared she was going to lose. Her ability to remain conscious was fading fast; between the rock-hard gut punch she'd received and being slammed into the wall with such force, not to mention the chakra exhaustion beginning to nip at her, she felt like she was tittering on the edge of consciousness.
A-A-Asuma, Asuma, Whispered a hazy voice as her vision began to follow suit. His face, his smiling face appeared in her mind. What little strength she had was rapidly drained. She felt ready to give in, if she did then it meant she'd possibly be with him. That would be a good thing, right?
Just before she completely went under, she felt the change in the wind. Seconds before her eyes fell shut, she watched the air shape itself into cyclonic twister that shot straight at the rogue ninja. Her last sight was the cyclone slamming into him and pushing him away, the sharp whistling a faint hum in her ears.
All her senses were slow to return, but the important thing was Kurenai could feel them coming back. Her sense of touch was the first one. With it, she realized she was lying down on something soft-a sleeping bag. Was it hers?
With only her sense of touch, she began to push herself upward. Sight and hear gradually returned as she did so. The need to become aware of her surroundings sprung up like a geyser, and its hot water surged through her. However, its eruption brought with it pain. Kurenai winced as she felt the feet of agony tap dancing across her backside. Then there was the pain in her head; reaching forward, she felt around it. Naturally, there was a bandage there. The dull aching in her skull told her not to push herself, but she ignored it, at least for the moment.
There was a fire burning right beside her; rather than charcoal like normal, the irori was using wood. The blaze radiated a warmth that was dearly appreciated, though Kurenai had the immediate question of who'd started it. Probably the same person who'd laid her out on this makeshift bed and tended to her injuries. And gotten her to whatever this place was. Moving from the fire, her crimson eyes scanned the room that it'd illuminated. Signs of age were evident on the walls via faded coloring and cracks as well as holes in the folding screens directly ahead of her as well as the one to her right. Half of it was missing. All around her she noticed candles providing extra illumination in places where the irori's light wouldn't reach.
Aside from the cackle of the fire, what also drew her attention was the sound of the wind beating outside. Quickly looking further up to her right, she noticed some shutters had been closed overhead. Based on the way the wind seemed to beat against them, they had to be closed.
Kurenai sighed with disappointment, "Guess I didn't make it after all." She knew the sounds of a blizzard when there was one. While rare, Konoha had experienced a few, and she'd certainly ran into a couple out on missions. The Land of Fire may have been known for its mild winters, but in certain parts the cold season could hit quite hard. Mount Ōnamuchi was one such place. When winter hit, it hit the majestic mountain hard. It'd made settling quite difficult, but the past presidents had chosen to stick it out. She was sure that there was something to be said in the people being able to endure these harsh winters, but not the war that reached the mountain almost twenty years ago.
She had a feeling if she looked around, she'd be able to find signs of that war scarring. That said, Kurenai didn't exactly find herself hurrying to do so. Pain was still a constant factor, and it chose to remind her that it was still there while she surveyed the spacious room. Sucking in a breath, she tried to rise to her feet; her reward was another sharp jolt of pain from her backside, but she pushed past it to rise. Her right hand reached out behind her back where she noticed an array of bandages there. Memories slowly flowed back into her. The cold and icy surface of the cliffside wall hadn't been a fun thing to be slammed into, especially by a stone-encased punch that'd also knocked the air out of her.
Scarlet eyes widened as the rest of her memories returned to her. "The box," she whispered. Frantic, she began looking around her. She noticed her clothes folded up at the foot of her bedroll, but not the bag she'd been carrying the box in. Seconds passed during which her panic continued to grow. It almost made the sound of a door opening come off as a blessing as it gave her something to focus on. That said, she also couldn't help but go on guard.
She may have been hurt, but she wasn't helpless.
If she needed any more confirmation, the opened door let her hear a fraction of the roar of the blizzard outside. Guarded as she was, it made her happy for the sanctuary she'd now found herself in. With the closing of the door, footsteps became the dominant sound in her ears. Kurenai felt her heart quickening in anticipation with each footstep until a figure came into view of the living room.
"Ah, you're…um, the…shovel's not for you. I already used it on someone else. Heheheh."
At least he knew how cliché this whole thing looked. This little bit of awkwardness might have been avoided if she'd woken up minutes later, after the young man had seemingly returned. "By any chance," she began. "You wouldn't happened to have used that shovel on a man with a beard and brown eyes, did you?"
He gave her a somewhat sheepish smile. "If it happens, I made sure he wasn't breathing before putting him in the ground."
A single, humorful chuckle fell from her lips. "That's certainly good to know. What would be even better is if you told me who you were." The truth was she could faintly recall his face. On his forehead was a Leaf headband similar to her own, also lying on the pile of her clothes. He'd pulled his hood down revealing a mane of chestnut brown hair that matched his cobalt-blue eyes. They cackled with amusement and joy as he slowly lowered the shove while putting his hands up. He knew how on edge she was and was doing his best not to provoke her.
"Seiji Agawa. Pretty sure you know my sensei, Aritomo Arimura." He answered.
The name brought forth an immediate image; with it came relief. Her shoulders sagged while her eyes closed in relief. "Ah, now I remember, you're one of Aritomo's genin. Specifically you're the-" she stopped short remembering the finer details. "You're the weapons expert."
He looked relieved as well, though she still saw the slight downcast look in his eyes. He knew she'd stopped short of referring to him in a different manner. "Yeah, that's me."
"You didn't have to use that as a weapon, did you?" Eager to clear the air, she pointed to the shovel at his feet with an upbeat smile.
Grinning, he reached down and picked it up. Snow and dirt dripped from the edge signaling its still fresh usage. "Nope, I used something a little more appropriate to deal with your little friend when I found you. Guy didn't make it easy, but it wouldn't have been any fun if he went down without a fight."
Oh, he knew how to put up a fight, alright. Kurenai thought to herself. Fully recalling the last moments of her consciousness, she temporarily drifted off while Seiji moved to put up his tool. Like Tenten, he kept many weapons and equipment stored in scrolls, and that included the shovel he'd used for a sudden bout of grave digging.
The last thing she'd seen was a whirlwind slamming into the rogue ninja as he was trying to come at her next. If she had to guess, this young ninja, Seiji, had always been the one to catch her before she could hit the ground. If he hadn't, she had a strong feeling she wouldn't have woken up, ever. He'd saved her life.
Being saved by a genin wasn't how she pictured this mission going. Then again, she didn't think she'd have such a pursuer coming after her. That was more of a mess up on her part, though someone had been there to help her pick up the slack. A mixture of happiness and anger swirled within her. She kept both from showing on her face, especially the latter. The anger wasn't directed at the male brunette but at herself for being so sloppy. A simple mission had just become more complicated.
Speaking of missions, she quickly deduced that was the only possible reason for him to be so far away from the village. "Seiji," she called. He'd removed his jacket revealing a sweet beneath it. Like her, he'd came dressed for the cold. From what she heard, that was part of his thing-always being prepared with the right item. It was the group specialty of Squad 23, headed by Aritomo Arimura, one of the better bukijutsu experts within the village. "If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing so far out here? And where's the rest of your team?"
His blue eyes met hers as he spoke. "A mission, just like you. It's…well…it's a…um, Fukumi's still recovering from our last mission and Daisaku didn't want to leave her. Aritomo-sensei's still out on his own mission to the Land of Lightning. I was the only one left, so I volunteered to head out here by myself."
Kurenai couldn't say his answer was entirely surprising. She'd heard on their last mission, his teammate, Fukumi, had overtaxed herself in a sealing jutsu. It was no wonder she was still recovering. As for Aritomo, she'd caught up with him last month. He'd been sent to do reconnaissance work in the Land of Lightning, something about the Hidden Cloud's aggressive activities warranting it. With that in mind, that left only two members of Squad 23. By his own admission, Daisaku hadn't wanted to leave their injured teammate so that left only Seiji to take up whatever mission had brought him out here.
Admittedly, that took some courage. A lone genin heading so far away from the village with no potential backup. It wasn't that uncommon though. The Leaf was still recovering most of its strength from the joint Sand-Sound Invasion going on three years ago. Everyone knew about the personnel shortages right down to the civilians. Still, sending a single genin so far out seemed to be pushing it. Fortunately, said genin was on the more capable side.
Hmm, I wonder if Lady Tsunade lined us up since we'd be in the same general area. Though far-fetched, she wouldn't put it past the Fifth Hokage. At times she showed herself to be far smarter than most people gave her credit. It was befitting of a student of the Third Hokage, granddaughter of the First Hokage, and grandniece of the Second Hokage.
With those questions answered, Kurenai's mind moved back to another mission-related matter. This one caused her eyes to widen as she remembered the urgency of it. "The box." She muttered.
"Bo-"
"Seiji," she commanded. "When you rescued me, I was carrying a box in a bag. Were you able to retrieve it? It's of the utmost importance to my mission. Were you able to find it?" With each word the urgency in her voice increased.
Seiji recognized it, but she saw something in his eyes, a hesitancy that worried her. "Uh, Kurenai-sensei, I found the box you're talking about, but…there's a problem."
"What kind of problem?" She immediately pressed.
"It's better if I just show you. Lie back down."
She remained upright, ignoring the slight pain and sense of tiredness still nipping at her. Using so many back-to-back Fire Style jutsu had taken its toll on her chakra reserves, especially since she kept on putting so much power into them. If she hadn't though, Kurenai knew she might not have survived.
Her mind fully turned toward this problem that Seiji had mentioned. As he walked over to a nearby set of objects obscured by a blanket, she began to fear something had happened to the box she'd been ordered to retrieve. The client had been very specific about it, hell, it was the second half of the mission. If it was damaged then she-
"W-What?" she sputtered.
Seiji nodded with a crooked smile. "Yeah, we've…got a bit of an identity crisis."
The first time she'd laid eyes on the puzzle box, she'd noted the craftsmanship. It was larger than most of its kind, almost two feet in width and length. When she held it up, she immediately felt the weight of something inside of it. That something was her real objective, but it was sealed tight within the wooden box, thus she had to take the whole thing. She'd guarded that box with her life over the past hour or so.
And now, she was looking at two of them.
"I triple-checked the details on each box while you were sleeping. They're exactly the same." It almost felt like Seiji read her mind, though he probably just realized what she was thinking given her position. Kurenai looked up to him with a gaping mouth. He nodded reconfirming his statement. "Right down to the last detail. Even their weight feels the same."
Looking between them, Kurenai formulated a likely reason for why this second box existed. "Suppose I should thank you though, saved me some trouble." A double cross involving a fake box. If it hadn't been for his confession, she might have taken a bit longer to connect the dots. He was going to swop out the real box for a fake, then make off with it. By the time his associates realized they'd been duped, it'd be too late. She reached out and ran her hand over the surface of one box, then another. The patterns were the exact same to her examining eyes. "The original box-"
"The other one's got chakra running through it too." He swiftly cut off. "Like I said, I examined both of them. They're exactly the same."
Kurenai couldn't stop a hand from rising to her face followed by a deep groan of annoyance. "Alright, I'll admit, this could be a serious problem." Any hope of salvaging the simplicity of her mission vanished as she digested how to deal with this new complication.
"Um, not to butt in, but…do you know what's inside the box?" Came Seiji's curious yet hopeful sounding voice.
Lowering her head, she looked to him. Her frustration was evident, but she could see the immediate desire to help her in his eyes. She appreciated that, and she'd have to tell him thanks for rescuing her when she got the chance to.
However, before that, she had to decide on what to do. This was a B-Rank mission that'd been given to her to complete. The client had been quite clear that it was for the best next to no one besides her knew about it. She agreed has money had a way of bringing out the worst in people, as evident by her now slain pursuer. That said, she stood across from a person who'd likely never known money problems in his life. The fortune that awaited the box's safe return would be of little mind to him; cynically, some could have argued he'd still have an eye on the box as the money it would lead to would be his and his alone. It was far from uncommon for even the children of the wealthy to have their own private fortunes. Poverty striking the family, disinherited, a test, or simply wanting to prove their own worth, those were valid enough reasons for young rich kids to try to amass money on their own.
Kurenai took all those things in mind, yet she knew none of them were reasons why the young man in front of her was being so helpful. He wouldn't be interested in the reward; her gut told her that he simply wanted to help out her-a fellow Leaf ninja and also his superior.
That brought her to another problem, this mission was supposed to be strictly confidential. It was a B-Rank assignment, and Seiji was still just a genin. Still, at the moment he was the only help she had at the moment. The deafened roar of the blizzard outside told her that she wasn't going to be moving for a while-she'd already been out her for a week. Though the client had known it would take that much time to reach Mount Ōnamuchi and get back, they probably weren't going to be happy with having to go through an investigative process to figure out which of these boxes was the real one. And Kurenai didn't feel like being lambasted for not doing it herself. She was a Leaf jonin, grieving widow or not.
She closed her eyes, taking into account all the variable. The decision was made not too long afterward, leading her to opening them again. Seiji's gaze hadn't wavered from her throughout her contemplation. The light of hope in his eyes hadn't dimmed either. Sensing she'd come to a decision, he braced himself.
"Seiji Agawa, what I'm about to tell you is strictly confidential. You will not speak a word of it until we are back in the village, is that understood?"
Her commanding voice was readily absorbed as he nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
Having heard that, she relaxed just a little bit. "What's inside the box is a key to a vault containing the fortune of the Kanazawa Family." His eyes widened as she expected them to. "I figured you'd heard the name, and probably heard of the family dispute."
He leaned back, his arms supporting him as a he let out a heavy sigh. "I still get letters from my cousin about it. Well, I don't blame you for being so reluctant to trust me with this info. You were basically assigned to guard a hell of a golden ticket. Or shall I say a golden key." His eyes swept over the two boxes laid out by the irori, their pristine wooden surfaces illuminated by the hearth. "Assuming the key's golden. Do you think it is?"
A small smile grew along Kurenai's face. "I wouldn't be surprised. According to legend, Toshimasa Kanazawa was said to have been a rather indulgent man."
"How do you think he'd feel about two ninja holding the key to his family's fortune?" he asked next.
"I don't know. Personally, I like to think he would trust us to get this key delivered to his descendent so he can save the family. If I remember right, he was a supporter of the village, giving it significant funding. Provided we can get this key back to its rightful owner, that funding can continue." His eyes went back to looking at the two boxes. Kurenai couldn't tell what he was thinking, but she was willing to guess he was just a little bit nervous. She was too. "We'll figure it out. The boxes are booby trapped with genjutsu, but I should be able to dispel it. It's why I was chosen for this assignment." That wasn't entirely accurate. Her name had certainly been on list, but she'd pressed for it before the Fifth Hokage could technically give it to her. Not that Seiji needed to know any of that.
He let out a sigh of relief like those she'd made. "Ah, that's good. You can handle the dispel and I can do the puzzle solving."
Watching his eyes turn back to the boxes with an excited gleam caused her to chuckle. "You've solved puzzle boxes before?"
"A few dozen. I enjoyed solving them when I was a kid. Heh, my parents loved hiding stuff in them too." Another giggle escaped her. She'd never been one for puzzle boxes, but she'd undoubtedly heard many stories about parents using them in such a manner. Particularly, they were done to help stimulate a child's ability to think and problem solve. It seemed like Seiji's parents had done the same, and those results were serving him well as a ninja.
"Alright then, let's get to it." She declared.
Seiji's face broke into dismay. "Huh? Right now?"
She nodded. "Yes, Seiji, right now. Hand me both boxes. I'll deactivate the genjutsu traps on both of them." Before he could speak any further she raised a hand, silencing him. "It'll be simple for me. I know I'm still recovering, but I should have regained enough chakra to do something as simple as that. Afterwards, I'll let you handle opening them."
For a moment he seemed apprehensive, but conceded. Maybe her higher rank played a part in that. Kurenai didn't want to use it to boss him around for the remainder of this mission, not that Seiji seemed intent on challenging her seniority.
Though the mission hadn't gone as easily as she'd hoped, she could see things progressing smoothly in this final half. Provided there weren't anymore unexpected surprises.
The genjutsu seals surrounding both boxes were exceptional, undoubtedly the work of a master. Examining them, Kurenai honestly wondered how in the hell that man had managed to replicate the seals to such an extent. Copying the box designs was one thing, as well as filling it with something, but this was different. Thinking back to the fortune that was at stake, Kurenai supposed going to such great lengths wasn't out of the question.
A person like her had never been a factor in the equation, though.
By her estimate, little more than half of her chakra was restored, enough for her to break the genjutsu barriers surrounding the boxes. Almost immediately, she realized it wasn't going to be easy, requiring anywhere from twenty to thirty-percent of that accumulated amount; it'd ultimately be worth it.
Outside, the blizzard raged and the fire cackled a few feet from her. Seiji was silent though he looked between her and the box with constant intensity. He knew this was her area of expertise thus gave her all the support he could by remaining perfectly silent. Kurenai was thankful, especially since breaking the genjutsu surrounding each box was proving to be a challenge.
It was like proceeding down an endless hallway blocked by one door after another. She had to push them open, and each one required greater strength than the one that came before it. Right before her eyes, the wooden box seemed to distort and bend. It was an effect of the genjutsu around it being dispelled by her. Just when the box seemed to revert to its original shape, Kurenai pushed further causing the distortions to begin again. She had to admit, she was enjoying the challenge, even if she felt the drain on her chakra reserves, which began translating into a drain on her physical stamina.
It's time…to…finish this! With a great heave, she pushed the final door open. It wasn't easy, the triumph of her success was countered by the wave of exhaustion that hit her like one of the ex-Stone ninja's punches. She found herself hunching over, comforting hands on her shoulder and back. "I-I-It's…it's done." The panted response came through her lips. After a moment, she looked up finding Seiji's face rather close to hers. Those bright blue eyes of yours. "I'm…I'm alright, Seiji. Took a bit out of me, but I'm finished. You can do your part now."
His cheeks flushed a little red, no doubt from their proximity as well as the smile she shot him. Kurenai had been told she could stand to smile a little more. It wasn't like she was a cold or gloomy person, it's just when she smiled, it tended to be about something important. Other times though, she did it as a show of encouragement; she had her students to thank for that development.
Leaving her to her own, he swiftly moved to take hold of one of the boxes. Kurenai watched him in slight awe, his hands fiddled with the box like a curious child. She almost jumped when she heard the first click-he'd only just started a second or two ago. Whilst she contemplated that, another click sounded. She saw parts of the box sticking out with more undoubtedly to follow.
"Impressive," the shock manifested in her voice, unable to be contained.
He glanced up, a confident smirk on his face. It was entirely warranted.
A minute filled with more filling around and clicks. At the final one, the top portion of the puzzle box slid open. Kurenai felt a rapid beat of her heart, anticipation had her wound tight.
First, he peered into it, then reached down and held up the item inside. "Guess we know which one's the fake." It was a rock. Just an ordinary rock that could roughly fit into the size of her palm. "This would have been a hell of a surprise to whoever opened it, huh?"
"Yes, the type that would have had someone getting killed for incompetence. Or shouted at." Another sigh of relief, this time because of the ear-rattling tongue lashing she'd been on the receiving end of if she came back with that box. "Okay, that means the other one is the real one."
"Do we…have to open it too?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice, very much like a kid with a treasure chest.
Kurenai could understand the sentiment, though she was the adult here. "We now which one is the fake, so let's leave it at that. I'd say you can get rid of that one, but I've got a hunch that you might want to keep it. Could make for a good souvenir."
"You could always keep it," he offered. "Believe me when I say if you pawned this thing off, you'd make quite a bit of money. Then again, there's nothing wrong with keeping it for yourself, it's a work of art."
That she admitted he was right about. It'd been good to look at, but Kurenai had a strong feeling she wasn't going to be putting anything in there. Getting it out might take too much time; she didn't have that same artistic eye he did.
"I'll consider it," she settled on. "For now, do you have anything to mark it to make sure we don't get conf…used." The yawn hit her out of nowhere, as did the sense of drowsiness. Not overpower yet, she could still feel a weight on her eyelids. The longer she stayed up, the greater it'd become, and the less she could handle it.
All of this went noticed by her young companion. "I'll take care of the second box. You can get some rest. We can eat in the morning then set out from there. I'm hoping the blizzard will have subsided by then, so we'll be able to make it down the last half of the mountain. After that, well, it'll just a straight track back to the village. By the time we get back, it should be spring, so…"
"We'll be able to catch the cherry blossoms as they bloom." She finished with a tiny smile. While she hadn't thought about it, now that Seiji had brought it up, she realized it'd be an unexpected plus. "That is something to look forward to, after a good night's rest." Kurenai was moments away from lying back down when a thought struck her, one that kept her from lying down and letting sleep take her. "Seiji," she called out. Those cobalt eyes fell on her, innocent and curious. "Thank you for rescuing me."
They matched the smile he wore, one brimming with gratitude and brightness that matched the heath burning beside them. "You're welcome, Kurenai-sensei."
Now, she was able to go to sleep. Curled up by the irori and content in the knowledge that her mission was still on its way to being completed. Now, all she had to do was rest so she'd have the strength to return home. Though she hadn't expected company, she figured the brown-haired genin who'd found her wasn't so bad. In the morning she'd ask him what his mission was. It'd give them something to talk about on the walk back, not to mention it'd give her something else to focus on.
The sun hadn't come out, but the blizzard had stopped. Snow continued to fall, but it was at a much more leisure pace, comparable to how it'd been yesterday. Cold, but not too cold that they couldn't travel in it. They both had done enough of that to get to this point already.
Their goal was the base of the mountain by nightfall, where they'd find real inns to stay the night at. Kurenai knew the innkeepers would recognize her; they'd be happy to know the Red Panther Gang was officially finished. Once that news spread, the people of the surrounding area would no doubt sleep much easier.
Seiji had a plethora of scrolls, one of which was suitable to store the puzzle box. "Here," he said giving it to her. "It's attuned to your chakra, so it'll open when you and you only roll it open."
"Thank you, Seiji, now let's get going." She took off running with him following shortly behind her. After a good night's rest and breakfast, she'd regained all the strength she'd expanded the other day. She knew they'd be able to make their goal to the bottom of the mountain at this pace. Provided they ran into no more surprise complications.
Several minutes into their run and she began to tentatively hope it'd be a smooth run down the latter half of Mount Ōnamuchi. If she looked back, she could see the remainder of it stretching toward the heavens. It wasn't called one of the ten highest mountains in the Land of Fire for nothing, ranking number seven on the list.
Getting to see it had been a treat, though climbing it had been tedious, especially during the last days of winter.
I wonder if I'll ever see it again. Preferable when it's not covered in snow. Slowing her pace down, she looked back at the summit. Even when she approached the Red Panther Gang's hideout, she hadn't gone straight to the top. According to legend, a grand temple stood at the top, but it'd been demolished during the Third Shinobi World War. How was a story of much debate; maybe she could look it up once she got back to the-
"W-What?" It was faint, so faint she might have dismissed it as a trick of her eyes, but Kurenai's gut told her it wasn't. She knew this feeling, as a genjutsu specialist it meant only one thing. Her feet came to a stop as she focused more heavily on the distortion she saw at the top of the mountain. It was almost like looking through a fogged-up class where the image came out blurry. The more she focused, the more she realized she was looking at two images that overlapped with one another. Slowly, they began to separate. "N-No, it can't be." The horror was fast building within her. Normally, such a thing would have gone hand-in-hand with reluctance, but Kurenai was experienced enough to accept the truth when it was staring her in the face.
Her hands came together in an all too familiar position. "Release!" Still nothing, but Kurenai wasn't deterred. "Release!" She shouted again, blue whisps of chakra visibly blasting off her body.
It sounded like the tearing of paper, lasting just as long. The roar of mother nature in its coldest, harshest incarnation filled her ears, and battered her body. Her arms rose to shield herself from blizzard winds-their intensity was the same as it'd been the day before. How long had she been under the genjutsu? How much time had really passed? So many questions whirled about in her head, but one pushed its way to the forefront like a charging boar.
"Seiji! Seiji, Seiji, where are you!" Her voice was lost over the howl of the wind. "SEIJI!" As she continued to call out to him, all her musings about further complications now became painfully ironic. She couldn't help but feel like she might have tempted fate, and now, a young genin was going to pay for it.
No! Absolutely not! I'm not going to allow someone to die! The fire that burned within her drove out the frost clawing at her from all sides. With its persistent burning, she continued to call out while searching for the teenage ninja. There was a possibility he might have wondered too far off from her, but Kurenai wasn't going to give up, not yet.
Despite the winter storm raging around her, she placed her hands together and opened her senses to the presence of another chakra. She was confident that Seiji was the only other person on the mountain side with her, and if he was within range, she'd be able to sense him. More so since he would likely be under the same genjutsu as her; there'd be no misusing the heavy disruption of his body's chakra flow.
She searched and searched, feeling the gradual numbing of her body. That didn't stop her. Until the last spark of life left her, she wasn't going to stop.
It appeared in her mind, an erratic flareup of blue in a sea of blackness. "Found you." Not hesitating for a moment, she took off in the blue flame's direction. Kurenai had no idea which direction it was, only that Seiji lay at the end of it. Moving both helped and hindered her body. While it got her blood flowing, the effects of the sheer cold were becoming evident, even with her cloak on. This blizzard was pushing it to its absolute limit.
Once more, she was making tracks in the snow, a look of fierce determination on her face. That determination turned to shock as she heard air being sliced apart. Seconds later she the physical manifestation. The arc-shaped blades cleaved through the snow. Several came close to Kurenai forcing her to dodge them, yet she pressed on. Drawing closer, she heard not just the sound of blades slashing through the air but something pounding the earth. The two sounds forced a seed of caution to sprout within her.
Kurenai eventually saw him through the winds of the blizzard. The gleam of the bronze-colored weight at the end of the chain sharply contrasted the peltering snowflakes. It moved like an angry viper, smashing at unseen enemies and the ground. When it impacted the latter, it kicked up thick beds of snow that were blown about by the wind.
"Great, I have to get past that in order to get through to him." The kusari-gama was one of the most complicated yet effective ninja weapons ever devised. Using it wasn't easy, something she'd seen a handful of times growing up. Those who'd attempted to use it could only have dreamed of the way Seiji was wielding it. He was no more than a teenager, yet he was wielding the weapon with skill that belonged to someone ten years his senior.
It wasn't just the weight he threw around but the blade as well, cutting at unseen enemies before reeling it back and using it as a slashing weapon. The chain constantly jiggled in his hands, yet he never lost control of it. Watching him, Kurenai knew beyond a doubt if she got caught up in it, she was going to have a hell of a time breaking free.
The time to put her abilities came to the ultimate test as Seiji turned to her. She could sense his malfunctioning chakra, he was still under the genjutsu. Which meant that he more than likely saw her as another enemy.
The steel weight came flying at her at breakneck speed. Dodging it was still very much possible, and that's what she did. She could only spare a second's glance at it, moving her gaze back to Seiji. He'd either swing the chain around, reel it back, or attack with his sickle. She braced herself for any of the three.
It ended up being the second choice, and was it reeled back with speed. As it was, he twisted his body around, moving the chain with him. Kurenai sensed another buildup of chakra, and saw the faint glow of it on the chain. She readied herself for what was likely going to be another swing of the weight. That's what came, and she dodged it by falling to the ground. From her crouch, she took off toward the genin.
SWOOSH!
A jaw-dropping several feet in length, she transitioned into a jump to avoid the massive wind blade that would have cut her in two had it hit. Now in the air, she knew she was more vulnerable than she had been a second ago. Seiji knew it too, and he seized on the opportunity. He threw the weight again, intending to capture her in its chain.
Pulling out a kunai, Kurenai decided it was time to get risky. In order to break Seiji out of the genjutsu she was going to need to physically touch him. If she failed at that, giving him a hard hit to the face might snap him out of it. Either one would do, but she had to do it fast. Luckily, the steel weight was coming in fast. With a simple swipe she'd be able to deflect-
Boom!
"Gaaah!" Suddenly, her body was moving sideways, eventually slamming into the snow-covered ground. She was only there for a moment as Kurenai then felt herself being pulled back into the air. In addition to that, she felt something cold and metallic wrapped around her ankles. H-H-He got me! Looking back, she saw herself being reeled in, with his scythe blade at the ready. He was going to gut her like a fish. Panic rose then was channeled. Her hands wove hand signs, chakra kneading in her stomach while being superheated. "Fire Style-Fireball Jutsu!" her target wasn't Seiji, who she suspected would easily cut the fireball in half but the chains. She knew she'd need a great deal of chakra to melt them, and that's exactly what she put into the attack.
Kurenai kept her focus entirely on the chains, not the blade threatening to cut up her flesh. Her focus was rewarded.
Just as quickly as she'd been reeled in, she was freed. Her hands reached out, stopping what would have been an ungraceful fall. She twirled about before pushing herself up and landing on her feet. Her recovery came just in time as Seiji was coming at her-with a new weapon in hand. Both his hands.
A small part of her wanted to believe it was considered an honor that Seiji was busting out his better weapons already. By word of mouth, she heard he was pretty skilled with swords of various kinds, including ninjatō. He had one of those in hand, and as with the kusari-gama, he wielded them effectively.
Her snow cloak was cut to pieces second by second. The blades had chakra running through them extending their four-foot length. It was a familiar tactic; it'd have pulled her down memory lane if her life, and Seiji's, still weren't on the line.
All the while, the cold continued to nip at her. As her snow wear was gradually lost, she felt it stabbing at her. It'd start slowing her down if she didn't act fast. To stop this, she recognized she was going to have to take another risk. As this mission suffered another unexpected extension, she acknowledged it wasn't going to be anything new.
Four alternate versions of herself appeared in puffs of smoke, each charging at Seiji. In a single slash, he eliminated them all, creating four plumes of smoke. Kurenai added to it by throwing out several smoke balls, all fanned by the blizzard. Seiji slashed at them again, blowing them away with blasts of wind; however, she was already gone from his field of vision.
She sent one clone up to the surface behind him. He immediately struck at it. The second clone came at him from the opposite side striking at him with a naked kunai strike. With more of that startling speed, he swung his left-hand sword at it, knocking the kunai aside before stabbing at the clone, dispelling it. What he failed to see was the paper ball attached to the kunai, emblazed with the symbol for light. Hidden in the snow, she was safe from the blinding flash of light. A second after it went off, Kurenai emerged.
The moment she did, she found herself face-to-face with Seiji, eyes closed yet his face still posed for battle. She was shocked, completely shocked that even in his genjutsu-imposed state, his combat senses were still this active. Both his swords came down upon her. With what little time she had, Kurenai jumped to her right.
Air tempered by chakra sliced into her sliced into her chest and arms. She felt it penetrate through her flake check and into her skin. The pain was there, but she pushed beyond it. Hands wove a familiar set of signs, once more, he lips expelled a fireball aimed directly at the young genin. The flash faded, though Seiji probably sensed and heard the approaching attack. Knowing that wind would be a poor counter to fire, he simply switched to running pure chakra through the blades in order to slice through the attack. As he did, Kurenai seized on the moment and rushed forward.
Sweep kicking him off his feet, she finally brought him. In the short span of time he fell, she punched his left forearm, stunning it thus knocking the left ninjatō from his grasp. That still left the one in his right hand, which he flipped and swing at her. Kurenai caught his hand at the wrest and used all her strength to hold him there. It wasn't easy.
One thing's for sure, he hasn't been skipping out on his taijutsu training! She thought while building up the chakra. The wind howled like some spectator to the battle between the two. Well, she hoped it wasn't disappointed as she brought the show to an end by stabbing her right fingers into the space between Seiji's eyes. "Release!"
There were a few places considered highly ideal to release a genjutsu-they were almost all located around the brain. As genjutsu worked by directly affecting it, sending a counterflow of chakra straight into it was an effective way to dispel any illusion. It was also quite dangerous as a single mistake could result in various degrees of brain damage. Kurenai had no such fear because she had supreme confidence in her abilities.
Her need to stop Seiji's right arm was ended as it fell to the side. His eyes went cross as the distortion to his chakra, his perception of reality, was finally put to an end. Groaning, his head hit the ground, unsteady breathing rising from his lips.
Kurenai let out an exhausted breath herself. Though she'd had far tougher fights, Seiji had still made her work to free him. In fighting back, he'd undoubtedly showed his worth as a ninja. She'd have complimented him if she wasn't shivering bone-chilling winds around them.
"K-K-K-Kurenai-s-sensei? I-I-I, w-w-what-" he stammered as he came to.
"Genjutsu." She breathed out. "T-T-The box…m-must have had o-o-one more genjutsu seal on it. D-D-Don't worry about it. F-F-For now, w-w-we've got to get back t-t-to the-waaah!"
Despite the fight they'd just been in, Seiji hoisted her up into his arms as he stood up. His heavy breathing told her it wasn't flawless. "Hang on, I'll…find us a way back. I'll…" Something came to him causing his eyes to widen a grin to spread along his face. "I'll get us back to the house! Just hold on and try to stay warm!"
She wanted to ask him how he'd possibly be able to guide them back, but the cold was starting to get to her, along with her injuries. Kurenai decided to trust him, it's not like she had much else to go on. Plus, he hadn't given her any reason not to trust him. Her hands curled against his chest as he moved through the snow with purpose.
It'd been a long time since she'd been carried, though she could say she'd never been carried through a blizzard before. Surprisingly, it wasn't a bad feeling. The way he held her, the way he ran like the wind, and the determination in his blue eyes, it all gave Kurenai the sense that despite the setbacks, this mission was still going to succeed. It was still an optimistic take, like a lone flame fighting the cold winds nipping at her nonstop.
That closes out the first chapter. For once, I thought I'd be able to keep my word count under ten-thousand, but here I am pushing four-thousand. Still, not too bad considering some of my previous chapters. The next two or potentially three chapters should be similar in length to this one.
An irori is a traditional Japanese fireplace. It's a square-shaped sunken hearth filled with charcoal, typical used for heating the home and cooking food, including tea. You've probably seen a handful in anime or some other Japanese medium like a movie or TV show. Since I originally conceived this story back in January where several parts of the U.S., including my own, were being hit by snowstorms, having a hearth of some sort as part of the setting seemed natural.
Ōnamuchi is derived from Kunitsukuri Ōnamuch-no-Mikoto, one of the alternative names for Ōkuninushi, a Shinto god of nation-building, medicine, and magic.
Kanazawa comes from the actual city in west coast Japan, and from the historical castle town, Kanazawa. It was the domain of the Meade Clan under Maeda Toshiie. They reigned over the richest domain during the Sengoku Era thus I chose them as a name for the rich family whose affairs Kurenai's mission involves.
Puzzle boxes are interesting little things, or big things depending on the size of the one you're picturing. They originated in the Hakone region of Japan in the 1800s as a way for workers to hide their tools. Not only were they small, handheld vaults but also works of art, whose designs have been handed down and expanded upon throughout the last near two centuries. While the surfaces may not seem like anything worthwhile, the sides are meant to be slid at different angles to get the box to open. Look up some videos and you'll find not only are they beautifully designed, they can be hard to open. Looking all that up, I realized they could actually fit rather nicely into a Naruto story thus they became a component of this story.
Since Kurenai's going to be the focus of this story, I'm going to have a little bit of fun exploring her character and genjutsu. I know some are probably shouting about she broke the genjutsu over the puzzle only for the last quarter of this chapter to reveal that wasn't the case as a point against her. Be patient, that's going to get expanded on next chapter. If things were that easy, well, where'd be the fun in that? Next chapter will also include some more info on the OC, whose backstory I dropped little hints at throughout this chapter.
I'm looking at posting Chapter Two sometime next week, so until then!