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Torima's Vessel	By : jenniferboka Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female Views: 1195 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
Chapter 7: Sad Memories: The Beginning

Finally, a chapter told from Sandabado�s
point of view.� Sorry that last chapter
took so long, but graduating from college, finding an apartment, and finally
getting acclimated to work took a lot of my mental prowess from me. Regardless,
ENJOY!
As usual: �Quotes� or �quotes� indicate talking, and italics indicate thought.�
O---------------------------O
Sitting here. Just
sitting here. Right here on your bedside. Hearing your muffled screaming
in the pillow and watching over you as you fitfully turn from side-to-side in
what must be a nightmare. One hell of a nightmare.
I know what I asked you to do must be haunting your every
thought, Kine-chan. And I wish there was something I
could do. Anything. Anything at all.
But I already know that nothing I could do would help.

I could try to comfort you - stroke your hair, maybe - but my hands are not my
hands anymore. I could wake you somehow � how, I don�t know � but I know your
nightmares would probably be worse for seeing me as I am now. I could delve
into that nightmare you�re having and help fight whatever�s causing you such
fear. But would it make your sadness worse?
So I�ll do what I can�sit here watching over you, trying to
send the peace I feel to you with my energy: the chakra of the spirit. The chakra that never leaves one, whether in life or death. Hoping against hope that it�ll ease your fear and sadness. Because I know exactly how you feel. A shinobi�s first kill
is never a victorious or remotely enjoyable moment�and it�s made even worse
when it�s someone you know or care about.
�Kakashi-sensei!
Don�t�� you cry out in sleepy hysteria, your rolling turning more violent�and
making my non-existent heart ache in helplessness and remorse as I watch those
Tiffany-rose locks become even more mussed and tangled. You�ve just reminded me
who I need to check on next, leaving you in someone else�s care�although I know
she�s just as capable.
�Karen-neesan,� I call out to the
sky blue orb floating in front of your full-length bedroom mirror in the
opposite corner. My always-vain older
sister, even if she doesn�t have those lusciously long legs anymore that had
half of Amegakure�s male population falling at her
feet�just to look up her skirt.
�I HEARD that, Ano-chan! And I
told you before, it�s not my fault if I�m the prettiest of the three of us,�
Karen fires back. �It never is,� I retort back sarcastically, but then turn
serious. �Regardless, can you keep an eye on her for me for a bit? There�s
something else I need to do.� I float as quietly as I can over to Kine�s only bedroom window and prepare to fly into the
endless starry sky�before another thought hits me. �Hey,
Karen?�
�Hmm?� she non-committedly answers
as she takes the vacant place beside Kine on the bed,
making me realize that Karen isn�t as brash as she used to be in life. She�s
definitely calmer. �Did �Kaa-san ever sing you to
sleep?� Nodding an affirmative answer, �Why?� was the next question out of my
sister�s translucent mouth. �
�What did she sing to you?� Looking back at me, I saw her
shrug her shoulders, confused. �Probably the same thing she sang to you, �Nee-chan. Something about rain and a
wolf in love.�
�I can�t remember all the words to it. Sing it to her,
please. See if it�ll help the nightmares�,� craning my head around, I make sure
my sister understands, �and if she wakes up, don�t let her see you.�
�Don�t forget, Ano-chan,� came the
haughty tone I heard as a child. �I�ve had more practice at disappearing than
you ever will.� So much
for not being brash anymore. �Yeah, and it�s no thanks to me. Karen-neesan, I�m so sorry.�
�Quit apologizing, will you!� she starts, but quiets at a
steady shift in the bed. Kine steadily rolls over to
her other side, the nightmares silenced for the moment, but her face still a mask
of confusion and sadness. It�s the first time I�ve seen Karen smile that
delicately in a long time, as she ghosts the sheets gently over to re-cover the
exposed shoulder that rolled free. �You really care for her, don�t you?�
�Can�t help loving a grand-student�� I smile as Kine snuggles deeper into the sheets.
�Especially because she�s Kakashi�s,
right?� my sister interrupts, knowingly. The smile turned my way mischievous in
the way it gleams. The same one she used on men to seduce them�right before killing
them. Bodyguards be damned for an elite kunoichi assassin like my sisters and myself. �You never
will get off of that, will you?� I exasperatedly sigh, returning a deceivingly
kind smile. But the message gets across: Care
to tease me again so I can make you regret it more. ��Nope,� she continues, flipping her wrist at
me in a dismissive gesture and then points out the window, �Go on. You have
�other things� to tend to, remember?�
�Karen-neesan, you really are a
piece of work,� I state laughingly, jumping out Kine�s
window and taking to the dark, peaceful Konohagakure
midnight sky. Flying this way - or rather, floating - feels nothing like when I
had my body. Then, I could feel the wind whistling through my hair and flash by
any exposed skin I had at the time. I remember the chill of it. But now�now,
it�s a whole new experience�and something I�ll have to get used to I suppose. The
feeling of the wind flowing through me and the sounds it carries with it.

�Tell me what the rain knows.
Oh, are these the tears of ages
That wash away the wolf�s way
And leave not a trace of the day?

Tell me what the rain knows.
Oh, is this the flood of fortune
That blows itself upon me?
Oh, see how I drown in the sea.

�How you howl against the moonlight, full of love!

I lied to Karen. I do remember the words to the song �Kaa-san used to sing to us before we feel asleep as
children. I can hear her singing them even now as I join in.

�And somehow the sky�calls to your heart
But with luck,
It�ll mourn to hear your barren cry!�

Now, I hear another voice join my sister and I in harmony.
But this voice�this voice isn�t even remotely female. I feel his hand on my
shoulder as I turn to look directly at his very soul. To see him this way still
breaks my heart knowing what I did to him and the others those many, many years
ago. They keep telling me it wasn�t me, it was Akirarabe.
�But they don�t understand�
�
�Where will you go,
Now that you�ve no home?
When will rain wash away
Your loveless days?�

From our vantage point here on the point of Hokage�s Tower, I can�t help but look over the Village. It
looks so much larger than the last time I saw it�but then again, the last REAL
time I�d looked was decades ago�when I left it for the last and final time with
the Hokage and half the continent�s elite hot on my
tail. My first day as what the Hokage would later
call a �wild-nin.�
�Not a missing-nin�, he�d said, �YOU�ve done nothing wrong. I�ll do everything in my power
to reverse that law.� A promise I knew he could never keep. �
Turning to Hokage�s Rock behind us,
I stare into the unseeing, unblinking eyes of Sandaime-san
and those who went before him�and shake my head. I used to be so angry with
him�even then he didn�t understand. Nothing he could ever do could erase what I
did. And slowly, I turn back around to face the silent expanse. �This village was
my home,� I whisper sadly to no one in particular. �I can�t believe how it�s
changed� and how it hasn�t changed.�
�Come on, Ano-chan. I�ve found him,�
Sorren appeals, wrapping his strong arms around my
misty waist and squeezing me tight. The feel of Sorren�s
hugs still makes me smile knowing that the fatal scars given him by Akirarabe through me never reached this deep. Nothing SHE
was capable of could scar a soul�except mine. �Is he asleep yet?�
�More or less,� Sorren replies,
now grabbing my hand and leading me in the direction of his window. �Which is
more times less than not,� I state, surpressing the
urge to sigh agitatedly. �Shinobi or not, the boy is
a ridiculously light sleeper.� And
regardless of what he said, I know he�s not as fine as he says he is.
O---------------------------O
We finally reach your window�it�s closed. �Well... go on,� Sorren pushes me through the closed window into the room,
following behind shortly after. After giving Sorren a
long stare down, I take a glance around. So much about this room reminds me of you,
my silver-haired manadeshi, sleeping in the bed below
us. As with Kine, I sit on the edge of the bed and
watch the steady rise and fall of your breathing. �Looks like he really knocked
himself out a good one, this time,� Sorren states
amusedly, hovering near Tsukashi�s headboard in what
he calls his �more comfortable� green orb form. �I�m surprised the glow you�re
giving off hasn�t woken him yet. What�s made you so tired, Tsukashi?�
I ask, running my translucent hand through a mass of gelled, spiky silver hair.
Your breath hitches but that�s the only sign you give that your sleepy mind
recognizes something�s different tonight. Stopping the movement of my hand, I
take a moment to get a better glance around your room. I was told long ago that
you can learn a lot about a person by just seeing their room once. And I see�
A picture of a younger you, Obito Uchiha, Rin, and the legendary Yellow
Flash himself right beside another picture of your first successful genin team, a slightly uncomfortable smile on your face as
you smother the irritation coming from both boys on either side of Kine-chan. They�re sitting right on the shelf built into
your headboard, so you�ll wake up and see them every morning. A picture that
makes you wonder what would have happened and one that makes you wonder what
will happen next. A happy balance, I suppose, as my gaze slowly continues
around the room.

Next to those pictures starts a small collection of orange-covered books. And
the one closest to the pictures looks vaguely familiar. Eyeing the cover even
closer, I�m surprised by the title� Icha-Icha Mystery. I
can�t believe he still has it�that thing must be at least 10 years old.� �What was I thinking buying you that, I�ll
never know,� I laugh quietly, as I follow Sorren�s
flight path around the rest of your room. The rest of the d�cor and furniture seem
simple enough�then, I finally let my eyes fall back on you in your somewhat
peaceful slumber.
Your forehead suddenly creases. Do you sense me? Or are your
dreams plagued by my death, too? I begin stroking your hair again, this time
letting some of my spiritual chakra flow with the movement of my hands. I smile
as the creases begin to disappear, but what you do next�amazes me. You don�t
wake up, but�somehow�your hand finds mine in your hair and tries to grab a hold
of it. But, of course�it can�t. �Sano-sensei?�
your unconscious mind and mouth both call out, not even realizing your doing
it. Not even realizing your right.
I don�t answer. I could, but like with Kine-chan,
what good would it do you to hear me and wake up to realize what you�re really
seeing? So I stay silent�for now, the best thing I can do for you. Eventually,
your hand falls back to its initial resting place�over top one of my journals? And
one of the others is on your bedside table.
HUH?! I thought I told
him to bury these. Why are they here?!
Then I realize�the one upon which your hand rests�is open
facedown. It�s my second one, the one I started after Kiyuri
died. Now, I�m curious. What exactly are you reading?
Ever so delicately, like the flutter of a moth�s wing, I
push your hand off the journal and carefully, gently turn it over. What could you possibly be reading?
The date is all I need to see. What I see makes my eyes
widen and my heart immediately sink: March 24^th, 20 AGW. Damn it, Tsukashi!
You would read that, wouldn�t you?! Honestly, I don�t know which to be more
of: angry or devastated. Much like I did a few days previous to that date, I
realize, as I close the book.
Then, it begins�the memory flashes again. The one thing I
still haven�t made peace with myself about yet. I shut my eyes against them,
willing them to stop, but my life always seems to haunt me. Make me wish
certain things had never happened�and turning my head to look at you laying
there still sleeping makes them worse.
I start seeing things I know once happened, but aren�t real
now. I see you laying atop that cold, cold hollow
table some spikes visible on its surface, your arms and feet shackled as far
apart as they can go. I see them slashing and gouging you with various weapons.
I see your whole body shaking in pain. I see�I see�too much! If I had my body,
I�d probably hurl all over this room and back again. Not even a soul should be
forced to still have these memories!
�STOP IT!� I yell into the quiet void that is your room, clutching
at my head, not wanting to be sucked into some of my worst memories. �IT�S TOO
MUCH!� My head falls to the top of your covers, wanting the pain in my heart
and mind to stop. I thought I�d gotten over this, because�because�you�d said
you�d forgiven me. You�d forgiven me. Finally, as I open my eyes again, I see
your sleeping face�and I can�t keep the torrent of ghostly tears from falling.
�Another one?� Sorren
calls out gently from over my shoulder. But I�m not in the mood for pity. �The
mission went so incredibly wrong! I should have known better the first time! If
I hadn�t have made him come with me, he�d have
never�never�� I babble out disgustedly, unable to finish the sentence, so I
instead bite my lip to keep from screaming out again in frustration.
�But didn�t you say he might have had that happen anyway
during the initiation?�
�Yes, but at least during the initiation the pain means
something! If it takes the rest of my spiritual life on this side, I�ll make
that traitorous asshole, Orochimaru, pay!�
�You don�t REALLY want that, though, do you Ano-chan? Osa�s
been waiting to see you for a while, you know.� �My�father�can�wait,� I bite
out. The last thing I want right now is to see Osa�the one who started all
this spirit encapsulation nonsense when I was younger. I watch as Sorren once again hovers just inches above your face.
�Doesn�t look like much of an elite to me,� Sorren asserts, making the ire I�ve been holding back rise
to the surface. �No one said you had to be here, Sorren,�
I chirp out cheerfully enough to get Sorren�s
attention, narrowing my eyes and giving him a glare filled with the promises of
a trip to the second afterlife. �So GET OUT!� Not needing a reminder, he�s gone
in a ghostly flash�not even a light streak left in his wake.
I can�t help but shake my head again�this time in disgust at
Sorren. �He of all people should know not to judge by
appearances alone,� I whisper to myself, as I turn to see your brow crease
again as you roll onto your closer side, �Role model, my
ass!� Smiling, my cold, translucent hand lands against your cheek, a tucking
closer of the covers by you as the only reaction. �I don�t care what Sorren says, Tsukashi. You more
than proved yourself worthy of the ANBU title during that mission. I just�just
wish�it wouldn�t have ended as badly as it did.�
The memory flashes start again�but, this time�I don�t care.
You�re living through it is proof enough for me that I can endure the scenes of
it one last time. Closing my eyes, I lay myself down to face you. I remember�things
had started out so well.
O---------------------------O
March 20^th, 20 AGW
The night had started like any other mission. The usual
setup: a piece of forest floor canvassed off by nearby high bushes on all sides
and a small break above in the canopy letting the moonlight shine through. Not
the ideal spot I would have chosen, but considering the time we�d made during
the trip and the unforgettable pain written across Tsukashi�s
face as he propelled himself from Mitsu�s back -
without her help for once�I was willing to be a little gracious�this time.
�Sato, Mitsu,� I urged,
dismounting from Raije with practiced ease, my
equally-sore legs complaining at the jarring given them by the hard-packed
earth beneath. But just the same, the ninjouba�d done
their job well getting us this far and they themselves needed a good rest.� As the red filly reached my other side, I
began to unload the first pack from their backs. �Shin, you might as well go
stretch your legs out,� I called over my shoulder to my apprentice slouching �
more than usual � against the nearest tree, as I began to gently run my hands
over Raije and Mitsus� flanks
in caressing circles. �You�ll need them again in the morning.�
Not a sound�but the buzzing feeling I had began to lessen as
I felt his chakra move off. And I couldn�t help but chuckle to myself at the
situation. �Mitsu, you don�t need to be so hard on
him. He�s just a beginner,� I chided around the smile on my lips, throwing
another pack to the ground with a thud. The filly just threw her head,
whinnying long and loud at me. Her way of answering �no.� Which
just got Raije stomping his feet in frustration at
his sister. �Now, both of you, stop it,� I reproached again gently, hefting the
last pack to the ground, cracking my back as I returned to the most upright
position I could after sitting astride Raije�s long
back for the past several hours. �Thanks for your help. The river�s about 500
yards west of here, if you need it. See you both at daylight, tomorrow,� I
stated, patting Raije atop his shoulder, a silent
command he learned long ago that he was free until I had further need of him. Raije leading the way, their chakras receded as well,
swallowed up by the forest that surrounded me.
I was alone. But the fluttering in my chest wouldn�t stop. I
wasn�t nervous�Oh, no, far from it. I wanted to catch the bastards red-handed
so badly I could almost hear their screaming for mercy. Mercy they would never
receive by my hands. The fluttering became a gut-wrenching pang, doubling me
over as the scar across my right eye burned with Torima�s
disapproval. My family�s guardian bird had never steered me wrong before, but
now� the last words of my father came back to me as Torima
forced me to remember them. �Every life
is precious, whether it be friend or foe,� my
father�s clear words echoed through my mind. �A shinobi must never forget this, or they�ll
lose the thing that makes them human. And a shinobi
that loses his humanity is no shinobi at all, but a
worthless shell of a man.�� The pain
stopped but the fluttering continued as I finally leaned myself against the
trunk of the nearest tree, struggling to catch my breath.
My father�s lesson on a shinobi�s compassion. Yet remembering the words he
preached brought conflicting feelings of pride and cynicism to the surface with
an accompanying grim smile, as I pushed myself off from the tree and began
preparing the campsite for the night shift. All the while, my thoughts turned
about my father and his contradictions on a shinobi�s
conduct.
My father, Osa Kurabashi,
in his time, had been what some would call a �shinobic
idealist,� believing that it should not be a requirement of shinobi
to kill targets if other means of completing the objective were just as
effective. Some had laughed at his tactics, saying that a time of war was no
time to become sentimental over such things. Still others had called him a
hypocrite, saying that he himself was a shinobi, who
on many occasions had killed other shinobi to keep
his �missions� a secret, so who was he to judge them on how they dealt with
their enemies. But�there had been a few who�d taken what he�d said at
face-value and took it to heart. They�d become his closest friends in Konohagakure and helped the captured Kumogakure
double-agent known as the �Disgraced Raiden� deal
with his forever �captivity� and the antagonism thrown his way. Growing up, I�d
remembered always hearing those words whispered as the antagonists pointed
fingers our way. I�d always ignored them. Who were they to judge? My father was
a good man. At least, I�d thought so�up until my ninth birthday.

I sighed, gathering the firewood I�d collected closer to
myself to stave off the chill I felt coming on at the memory, finally dropping
it in a heap and starting to rearrange it correctly.
I�d graduated from the Konohagakure Ninja Academy
that year, finally earning the right to become a member of a genin squad. The squad selections were scheduled for two
days after my birthday. Father�d been so proud of me
that he�d said that he had an extra special gift for me, something he couldn�t
give to anyone but me. Me being his only living child.
A sad, singular laugh escaped my lips as I rubbed my hands
together, starting to gather some friction with which to start the stacked
timber in front of me. Even then he�d outright lied to me.
That night, he had beckoned me into the main training room
in the house, and like the dutiful, obedient daughter, I�d followed without
question. An exuberant child, eager to learn a secret that no one else knew as
a gift. The room had been lit by several votives in the walls, just barely
enough light to make out my father�s features as he turned to look at me.
�Ano Celeste,� he�d addressed me
with the biggest smile. �Now that you�ve reached the appropriate age, it�s time
you embraced your heritage.� A small pause. �Do you
remember the story of how Great-Great Ojiji-san
gained Torima�s favor?� I�d nodded my head vigorously,
remembering the bedtime story that had kept me awake
many nights, much to my mother�s dismay, rubbing the necklace given me at a
younger age as a symbol of Torima�s protection. �How
would you like to meet Torima, Ano
Celeste?� I�d smiled, thinking father had been teasing, �Papa, it�s just a
story. A lightning falcon doesn�t really exist. Torima�s
just a familial symbol like the family crest, isn�t he?�
I remembered my father�s countenance turning sour for a moment, before he�d crouched down to look me in the eye. �Torima�s real, alright, Ano
Celeste. And he�s going to help you learn the first steps in learning thunder
chakra control tonight.� It was then I�d noticed the summoner�s
design painted onto the floor. The immenseness of it had made me dizzy just
looking at it, as my father had backed himself into the middle of it.
�You take after me more than your mother, but she�d never
understand. You�re destined for greater things� had been the muttered words out
of my father�s mouth as he began an extensive series of hand signs. Oh, if I
had only understood what he had in mind then, I would have fled the room
without looking back. But being the child that I had been, I hadn�t known any
better.
The last sign, �Tori�, uttered,
the glow from the seal had blinded me as its luminescence filled the room.
�Papa, where are you?� I�d called out, my eyes blinking back tears in the
brightness. A pair of strong arms had then lifted me off the floor and,
flipping me around to face outwards, had pressed me against an unyielding
surface. �Papa, please! You�re holding me too tight!�
�There he is, Ano Celeste,� I�d
heard my father speak in an almost reverent tone, as the glow began to recede
to only one point in the room. This small point had wings and a beak.
�Torima?�
�Be brave, Ano Celeste,� Father�d quickly whispered near my ear in a desperate tone.
�The encapsulation will be painful, but it�ll all be worth it in the end.�
�Papa?�
�Please, Torima,� my father�d called over to the floating lightning falcon.
�Consider Ano Celeste your vessel! Give her your
power so that she may become the strongest shinobi
this continent�s ever seen! Please, take my daughter!�
�Papa!� had been the last word out of my mouth as the
lightning falcon made a bee-line right for us. After that�all I knew was the
agonizing pain of what felt like a direct lightning strike to the heart and
being torn open all at the same time. I�d heard another scream, and then the
merciful blackness of unconsciousness had claimed me for the first time.
I snapped a branch as thick as my wrist into pieces throwing
them into the gorging fire as my anger at the memory only grew. Osa�d had no consideration for my
opinion in the matter before forcing Torima into me.
Needless to say, my mother had been furious.
�WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, OSA?!� I�d remembered waking to the
argument at my bedside several hours later. �She�s much too young to start that
nonsense! She�s barely a genin and you trust her with
holding that much power? YOU COULD HAVE KILLED HER, OSA! SHE�S YOUR DAUGHTER!
WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!�
�She�s alive, isn�t she?� had been my father�s only
response.
For months, my mother hadn�t let my father anywhere near me,
not even at dinner. Instead, she took up my training, teaching me what she knew
personally. She wasn�t the Iron Matron of Konohagakure
for nothing. A strong woman, the Kurogane family was
much feared by other shinobi, but was a much sought
after entity in several villages for the construction trade for their one
ability: the manipulation of iron. A bloodline trait, and by
lineage, also mine. But when the fluttering feeling had begun several
months after the encapsulation, she�d reluctantly handed my training back to my
father.
From then on, I�d always been wary of what my father told or
taught me. It was only the things that had made sense that I ever bothered to
practice at all. He�d taught me that the whole world was full of energy. Energy that, if manipulated correctly, would make the wielder
capable of unheard-of abilities. He taught me how to capture and draw
that energy, no matter where it came from, to myself
with my chakra. Every time I had a sparring match or he taught me something
new, he�d always remind me, �It�s just energy. Nothing to be
afraid of.� And I hadn�t been afraid of my abilities. �I hadn�t until�
�Sensei� came the call and knock through the makeshift
barrier jutsu erected around the campsite, drawing my
attention from the flickering flames to Tsukashi
standing outside it. The energy given off by the chakra signature was the same
as before. Either it was Tsukashi or a very masterful
genjutsu specialist � there was no such thing as too
careful on a mission of this caliber. Deciding to give the masked figure the
benefit of the doubt, I gently waved a chakra-covered hand aside, a small slat
appearing in the barrier to let him through and then gently closed it behind
him � a ruse I always used just in case unwanted eyes were watching.
�I�ll take the watch tonight, Shin,� I commanded my
apprentice as he took position against the tree across from where I sat feet
stretched out to the fire. The look on his face would have started an argument,
but I quickly countered it. �There�s no use arguing. You�d be useless tonight
as bow-legged as you are from riding Mitsu today.
Best you just let your body relax and recover tonight and be primed and ready
for when your help might be needed.� Shin�s expression slowly changed to one of
careful understanding, even if he was still sore about the matter. �Alright,
Sensei,� he answered, leaning back and closing his eyes as I drew open the pill
ration bag Ko-san had packed for us, rooting around
for the soldier pill I would undoubtedly need half-way through the night�s
watch.
�Soldier pills, Kami�s little
miracle to man,� I muttered, stretching my jaw to the side in order to open the
flap of muscle cut away from the tendon inside my mouth. One of two pill
pouches: convenient and easily accessible. If one of the four pills capable of
being stored there was needed, all that was required was a slightly open mouth
and a gentle push of the tongue to dislodge it, but a cough worked just as
effectively. Carefully, I packed both pouches full of the pills meant for me,
making sure to leave Ko-san�s green pill one of the
easiest to acquire in a hurry. Once again, just as carefully, I closed my mouth
to normal position, rooting around with my tongue to make sure none of the
pills dislodged prematurely as I probed with my fingers against my cheek to
make sure they were indistinguishable from my teeth. Satisfied, I brought my
knees up to my chest and threw my arms around them in a habitual comfortable
pose. But this comfortable position also brought back the memories of my
mother, as my gaze once again drifted back to the dancing flames.
Oh, �Kaa-san, why didn�t I listen to you and stop my training
there? If I had, you�d still be here. My forehead hit my kneecaps with an
audible knock as the memory flooded back to me.
�Alright, Ano Celeste, this time
I�m going to teach you how to redirect energy elsewhere once you�ve captured it
and drawn it to yourself,� my father�d instructed
from our position at the edge of Hokage�s Rock,
�Redirection is the first crucial step in learning any thunder ninjutsu technique.� I�d only half-watched as my father
drew enough energy to himself until he was almost glowing with the energy he�d
captured. At age 11, I�d already mastered the drawing of energy to myself.
Sometimes, it�d almost felt too easy to draw energy, almost as if it�d come
naturally. But what my father had done next had left me speechless in awe.
Not�one�hand sign. Just a flip of the hand and a point of
the fingers, and a bolt of lightning shot from my father�s fingertips, over the
village, and up into the clouds, a crash of thunder following shortly
thereafter. I�d been so speechless, I fell flat on my
butt as my father had just laughed at my mesmerized gaze. �Would you like to
try it, Ano Celeste?� my father�d
smiled at me, extending his hand in an offer to help me to my feet. Still
speechless, I�d nodded my head, accepting my father�s hand up. Once on my feet,
I�d begun the process of capturing and drawing energy � my body the model of
perfect posture with my arms out, hands flat and facing away from me.
It wasn�t a difficult task once you understood the basic
concept of energy and charges. Father�d explained it
to me long ago that energy flows from negative charges to positive charges.
Thunder ninjutsu was based on the concept of
manipulating the position of these charges relative to each other to obtain the
desired result, whatever it may be. To capture energy you were to surround a
source with positive charges to drain the energy from the source, then quickly replace the positive charges with negative
charges to stabilize the drained energy. Drawing the energy to one�s self
required extending a bridge of positive charges from the captured energy to you.
The most difficult aspect of drawing the energy had been learning to separate
the charges within my body in order to bring the energy close enough to me but
not have my body absorb it. The amount of separated charge in my body I was
able to accumulate had a direct relation to how much energy I could draw�a very
delicate balance indeed.
It had taken several minutes, but I�d finally drawn what
felt like an equal amount to what my father had drawn to himself. My father�d thought otherwise. �Ano
Celeste,� my father�d voiced his obvious disapproval
as it dripped from his lips, �that�s not nearly enough energy to redirect
effectively. You need three times what you�ve just drawn.�

�But Papa, I don�t know if I��
�No more excuses, Ano Celeste, do
it!�
Even though I�d been wary during my father�s instruction for
years, the stupid child I had been still craved,
yearned for his approval. Exhaling a deep breath I hadn�t been aware I�d been
holding, I�d regained my stiff posture and carried on with the process of
drawing more energy. This time it had been more difficult�the more charges in
my body I�d separated�the harder the process of capturing the energy got�until,
no matter how hard I had pulled at them�the charges I tried to manipulate�refused
to budge.
�What�s the matter?� my father�d
hoarsely asked, the anger in his voice slowly rising. �I don�t know, Papa. The
charges won�t move anymore. I think my body�s at its limit. I feel like if I
pull in any more energy, I�ll burst.�
�You feel like you�ll burst,� my father�d
mocked me under his breath, coming around behind me. Everything then had
screamed at me to move away from my father, but I knew I couldn�t dissipate the
energy I had already collected because he�d just have me gather it back up
again�and my father had NEVER been, needless to say�a patient man. �Looks like
I�ll have to help you gather the rest then, Ano
Celeste.� Maintaining that stiff posture, but now shaking with uncertainty, I�d
let my father wrap his arms around me, locking my arms in a Full-Nelson
position so that the lengths of our arms were perpendicular to one another.
With a rush of cold air, the pace of my breathing had sped up and my heart
raced in fear as I�d immediately detected my father begin to pull a massive
amount of energy towards us all at once.
�Papa, I can�t hold it! �I can�t�I�ll burst!�
�Don�t be ridiculous, Ano Celeste!
You�re a fifth-generation thunder-chakra shinobi! With
Torima�s power you can do it!� My father�s grip had tightened
on me, refusing to let me escape what I feared would inevitably be my fate. �Just
focus!� The energy barely a foot away from us at that point, I�d relaxed in my
father�s grip. I�d known, even as a genin, that there
was no way my young body would have been able to cope with that great a surge
of energy. I�d reluctantly resigned myself to my end at my father�s hands, when
I�d felt the continuous fluttering within my chest increase�and�and the whole
world seemed to slow down, go silent�and turn�blue? No worries, Little One, I will protect you. However, you must let
something go in return�something precious to you. Think carefully for you may
not see this precious thing again for a long time.
At the time, I�d had no idea where the voice had come from. But,
unfortunately, the only thing that had been precious to me at the time flashed
through my head as tears started to roll down my face�not from physical pain,
but from guessing what was about to happen. The tears I�d cried seared what
would ultimately be a bolt-shaped scar across my right eyelids as I felt the
energy my father had forced upon me absorb into me with minimal pain but with a
spike of warmth. I�d remembered vaguely hearing my father yelling something
about a discharge point, but my body had refused to respond until it was too
late. With an unearthly scream, the energy had found the only viable exit point
it could use�right through my right eye taking its sight along with it. The thunder�s
crash had brought me out of that blue-toned world as the tears down my face
rebuffed my command to stop and instead began to flow harder and faster. ��KAA-SAN!�
Sitting bolt upright with a gasp, I realized I�d fallen
asleep and that the fire was getting fairly low. And Tsukashi, or Shin rather, was
still fast asleep against the tree right across from me. Raising a hand to push
the fallen hair back away from my blind right eye, I felt my hand shaking. A
soft sigh escaped me as I piled more wood into the short fire, blowing
carefully into the embers until it was once again well stoked. I then braced
myself against the tree behind me, rising carefully on still shaky legs. Concentrating,
I scanned an area 2 miles around for any unidentified chakra signatures. The
only ones within that radius I felt were the pleasant thrum of Raije and Mitsu�s signatures as
they no doubt munched on a late dinner about a mile-and-a-half out. Good. I�m in no shape for company right now.
I need to calm myself before something happens. With the tree supporting
me, I dipped my hand through the bubble barrier jutsu�and
quietly slipped out among the dark forest. I�ll
go wash my face in the river and the cold should stop my hands� �shaking�I hope, I thought, walking quickly
towards the west after taking a quick circuitous route around the outside of
the campsite.
The sound of the river over the half-submerged rocks had a
slightly consoling effect on my nerves�but not as much as I�d hoped. Neither
did splashing my face with the river�s spring-fed, cold water. Sighing, I sat
back on my haunches. Maybe�maybe I just
need to see them one more time. I�m sure Sorren, Nirra, Tao, and Karen are missing me, too, by now. Pulling
up a stalk of wild lemongrass growing along the river�s edge, its strong spicy
aroma assaulted my senses as I carefully placed the long edge of the blade in
the crook of my index and middle fingers, keeping it as straight as I could
without breaking it. I hope you guys hear
me tonight. I really need someone understanding to talk to.
Pursing my lips into a tight straight line, I carefully blew
the first note of one of the simple tunes from my childhood. One they knew all
too well. I let myself be lulled by the melody as the notes gently carried
themselves up and down over and over again�until finally�the song was completed.
Looking around the immediate vicinity though with expectation, a pang of
disappointment stabbed me at seeing nothing had changed.
�Well, what did you expect, Sano?� I whispered harshly yet
sadly to myself, wiping my still-damp hands on the grass to dry them. �You
never did admit to them what happened, and never got to say you were sorry! Why SHOULD they come visit you when you desperately need them?!�
Rising from my position though, I was startled back onto my butt with a yelp at
the four floating orbs slowly circling above my head. �Geez,
you guys, give a girl some warning next time,� I laughed, righting myself again
to become eye-level with the four colorful orbs. �But seriously, I�m glad you
guys came. I�ve been having nightmares about Okaa-san
again. You were shinobi, so you know as well as I that
I shouldn�t be feeling the way I�m feeling if I want this elite-level mission
to go well. So I guess what I want to know is what would you guys suggest to
get me back into my right mind�if it ever existed?� Through my mind, I heard a
chorus of laughter from the light blue, orange, indigo and green spirit balls at
my attempt at a joke before all went silent again, the orbs bouncing slightly
in place in what could be translated as spiritual thought.
In what felt like hours but what must have been only a
minute, the indigo finally floated over to within an inch of my face. �Idea,� Nirra
spoke the word in my mind in her eloquent voice. �Okay, show me, please,� I
relented, knowing that in life, Nirra had never been one
to slack when given a request. Floating back up to join the others, Sorren and Nirra began to spin
around in a progressively larger double-helix pattern while Tao and Karen
remained still in the middle of the green and indigo chaos. Faster and faster
they spun until the colors were indistinguishable from one another, and then�Karen
was thrown out of the swirl...and she looked almost like�
�Wait a minute�is that even possible?� I whispered harshly
as the orbs stopped their motion at a pace that would make even the Hokage jealous. �Why didn�t you guys tell me about this
before?� A quick bounce by all of them as what I could only assume as the human
equivalent of a shrug had me sweatdropping. �I love
and trust you guys,� I stated with an exasperated sigh, pushing hair out of my
eyes again. �If you guys think it�ll help, I guess I could give it a try. �But
I�m gonna do it my way. I haven�t done the Katon: Tsume No Kuma in years, guess it wouldn�t hurt to brush up on it.�
Seeing the spirits� sweatdrops grow larger, I
couldn�t help but feel a little annoyed�but they had a valid fear, I supposed. Well, if it goes anything like last time�
Once again, I scanned the area for intruders and came up empty: Shin was still
asleep and the ninjouba had moved out of range. �Um, Sorren, Tao? Could you guys
disappear for a bit?� I asked coyly, shedding my black t-shirt to leave my breast
bindings exposed. �I mean just keep an eye or whatever on the immediate
vicinity while I�m doing this.� I shakily shed my remaining clothes as the two
male spirits stood guard near the tree-line. The near-autumn wind rapidly
cooled my naked form, but as I stared down at my scarred green hands�they were
still shaking?
Damn it! ...Alright,
calm down. There�s no use getting more upset, it�ll only make things worse.
Just concentrate on what you need to do. Closing my eyes and widening my
senses further, and with a deep breath in and out, I began the first few handsigns. �Ryu, Uma, Usagi,� I spelled them out,
opening my hands in preparation. �Fuuton:
Doki No Doragon!� �With a howl, the breeze picked up until a
small, yet strong dustdevil began swirling in front
of me edged on by my chakra. Easy does
it. It doesn�t need to be too strong. Routing some chakra to the soles of
my feet, I grounded myself in place while I carefully brought the dustdevil
closer and closer. Even for a dustdevil of that size,
I was amazed at the sounds it produced. The sound of grass ripped from its
roots. The sound of leaves crashing against one another.
The whistling sound the wind made spinning around as fast as it did. Sounds similar to when a kunai�s
thrown hard. When I passed through the blowing wind to the eye of the
storm, the sounds seemed to magnify. So overwhelmed were my senses by this
storm that I didn�t notice my feet leave the softness of the dirt below until I
felt myself pirouetting in place. Then�a new sensation struck me.
I�m flying! I was
thrilled to the point of laughing�almost. The fluttering in my chest picked-up
in rhythm. Refocusing, I finished the hand sign sequence. �Tora, O-ushi, Saru.
Katon: Tsume No Kuma!� Immediately,
I felt my chakra surround my hands and feet to keep them from the flames that
encased them soon after. Leaning back into the wind�s flow, I stretched my
fingers out to let the flames lick the wind, watching as little streams of fire
were sent up and away by the great swirling mass. Continuing to bend back, I
did the same thing with my toes. The patterns that greeted my eyes were
beautiful and horrifying all at once. And I didn�t want it to stop. Continuously
changing positions, the dustdevil must have looked
like a burning Christmas tree from the outside. But something was still not
right. Faster! I want to go faster!
Faster! As if it read my thoughts, I began to turn faster and faster within
the great wind, my hands and feet moving of their own accord�until finally the
world turned blue. What would you have me
do, Little One?
�As you like, until I call you back,� I answered my guardian
bird, feeling my arms lift as my feet came together below me. And the Vicious One?
�I can manage to keep her at bay for a time,� I replied sincerely, my voice
turning slightly pleading as I continued, �Please, Torima,
I just need more space in my own body for a little while...to sort some things
out.� A small silence. As you wish. I will be waiting for your call, Little One.

Hey everyone! Thanks everyone for sticking with me this far!
Hope you all are enjoying the story. �Here�s
my end of chapter notes for you all.
- For
  those of you who might be confused through the changes in verb tense
  throughout the chapter, the present tense pertains to following Sandabado�s ghost around the area, the past tense is Sandabado�s ghost going through a memory, and the
  (what I call the redundant past tense, someone who�s an English buff
  please review with the real name of this tense) is a past Sandabado in the memory remembering an event.
  Hopefully that clears some things up.
- If
  you�re perplexed by some of the words Sandabado
  uses with the ninjouba (ninja warhorses), re-read
  Chapter 6 for the explanation of her commands.
- The
  song that�s sung early in the chapter is actually from the second Wolf�s
  Rain Original Soundtrack. I really enjoy the lull in the song sometimes
  when I get angry. It can really calm you down if you need it.
- I have
  NO IDEA the names of the books in the Icha-Icha
  series other than Paradise, Violence, and
  Makeout. I just made up the title off the top of
  my head, so let�s all just assume it�s one of Jiraiya�s
  earliest attempts that turned successful, and it�s the first one Kakashi ever read. �Nough
  said. Why Sano-sensei buys him his first Icha-Icha
  will become apparent once the objective of the mission is revealed in the
  next chapter. For those of you who enjoy this story, go to
  adult-fanfiction.org and read �Icha Icha Man of Mystery� (story�s not mine, but still
  good).
- When
  the energy forced into a young Ano leaves her,
  imagine it being the exact same way as when Kakashi
  saw Sano-sensei making love with Tsuke and she
  climaxed, except that all that pent-up energy goes out her right eye,
  blinding that eye from then on.
- If you
  want to hear the song Sano plays on the leaf, it�s also on the Wolf�s Rain
  Original Soundtrack 2. The song is Indiana
  by Yokko Kanno, if you
  can find it.
REVIEWS ARE MY BREAD AND BUTTER! So PLEASE REVIEW if you are
a member of the site, and if you�re not, it doesn�t cost a thing to join the
adult-fanfiction.org community.
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Torima's Vessel