Chapter 22
Chapter 45
The 'Police' here is a joke, a mockery at its finest and an insult to any and all Law Enforcers.
They are distant people- not by choice but through isolation and distrust caused by those around them- yet they Lord themselves over everyone, not seeing the subtle- and not so subtle- jabs and whispers that follow their backs at every turn.
For a clan that all but worships their eyes- placing such emphasis upon them and their 'activations'- they are rather blind as they seemed incapable of witnessing what was beneath their very noses.
Personally, Bermuda gave them three more years- at the max- before the rest of the population either drove them off or -since the village's population likely knew their abilities and wouldn't wish their enemies to acquire them- Massacred the Clan.
It was the only logical choice and the Vindice had witnessed it happen too many times amongst Allied Famiglia- which this whole village reminded him of: One Giant Famiglia crafted from hundreds of smaller ones-not to consider the option.
"You need a name."
"Nani?" The blond haired toddler glanced upwards from the small Bermuda-Chan had granted him in an effort to teach him to read.
"Well I can't keep calling you 'Blonde' forever and I outright refuse to call you 'Boy'."
"You," The blond spoke slowly- hesitantly- with eyes seeming to swell as water built in the corners, "You want to give me a name?"
"Yes,"Bermuda confirmed while nodding his head only to find himself trapped within another Death Grip of an over-emotional toddler- Gods above, this child seemed desperate to crush the very life out of him- who kept repeating 'Arigato' over and over.
Well, at least he had manners. Now, exactly what was he going to call the child?
"So, what is it?"
Wide blue eyes glanced into the infant's bandaged face as Bermuda's mind raced; he needed an answer but not just any. He needed a strong name for the child- which could carry him throughout life- that would suit him.
" Amara Blaz"
"Amuru?"
"No, It's not Amuru but Amara. A-ma-ra."
"Amara," The blond haired toddler repeated slowly as though testing the word against his tongue before granting the bandaged infant a smile as bright as the sun- Gods above was it natural for someone to be able to smile so brightly? - only seconds before Bermuda fount himself crushed within the child's death grip once more.
Crack!
Thank Gods he was already dead- and therefore incapable of feeling pain- otherwise, the Night Arcobaleno had a feeling that rib puncturing through his lungs would have been considerably more agonizing then annoying.
Multiple Stores on Kohona Main Street Burn to Ground in Mysterious Fire
"Bermuda-San?"
"Yes, Amara?"
"What does My-ste-ri-ous mean?"
The blond haired child slowly pronounced the word with a furrowed brow as curious sky blue eyes bore into the bandaged infant as though attempting to see through him and into his very soul. It was a waste of effort in Bermuda's opinion as he found himself unsure the dead even had souls left to peer into.
"Mysterious mean it was difficult to understand, explain, or identify. They don't understand the fire or what caused it so they just use 'mysterious' to prevent themselves from sounding like complete idiots."
Unfortunately actions spoke louder then words to the Vendicare Warden, no matter how 'competent' they attempted to make themselves sound he was already aware of the True Natures and Savage Undertones that consumed this village- rotting it slowly from the inside out like a plague as its hold infectiously effected the younger generation that sought shelter with these walls.
Of course, the fires weren't nearly as 'Mysterious' as the papers made them out to be.
The Night Arcobaleno had spent the previous day having Amara attempt to take him shopping- the toddler needed food, proper food, and Bermuda had 'conveniently' stumbled across quite a bit when taking compensation from the little ones attackers the previous day- while keeping a mental note of what stores permitted the child access into their business and which ones outright refused, which overcharged the blond and which were grudgingly fair. Out of the hundreds of stores, he had the child attempt to shop in only five would allow the blond-haired toddler inside and only three of those five were grudgingly fair; therefore only three found themselves exempted from being a smoldering ruin.
Which left the Night Arcobaleno with a new issues: Exactly what was he supposed to do with the supplies he had 'liberated' as he very well couldn't just leave it to become kindle- it would have been a waste to just leave it there only for it to become ashes in the wind when he could find use for it and he couldn't just leave it within a wormhole of Night Flames forever- for the fire.
"So they think its a Magical Fire?"
Well, that's one way of looking at it, Bermuda glanced towards the toddler as its voice broke through his thoughts of his handiwork.
"Yes."
That night as the toddler sleeps safely beneath a blanket of Night Flames, Bermuda takes to the street. To be honest, he doesn't know what he's looking for but his instincts are rather instant he searching for it and so he does; if only to save himself an unnecessary headache.
Eventually, his feet lead him to stand outside a gate with some type of Blood Seal on it, so he does what any rational person would do:
He Ignores the Seal and Opens the Gate.
Inside he finds a darkened Manor which is all but concealed by the overgrown garden.
In the end, Bermuda doesn't know- doesn't care- who Namikaze is as it's obvious the manor has been abandoned for some time which meant either people had forgotten it existed or just didn't care.
Either way it rather suits his need and with a bit of work would be the perfect place for Amara to live- anywhere would be better than under a bridge that could collapse on his head any day- so with a determined nod; The Night Arcobaleno heads for the gate.
He chooses to pretend he doesn't see the transparent couple- a blond and a redhead- watching him from one of the manor's windows.
Soulless black eyes slowly blinked once, twice, thrice and Four times just to be safe.
Nope, the creepy baby- wearing some type of cloak and covered completely with bandages- was still smack dab in the middle of his bedroom. Slowly, the young child's dark eyes scanned the room. Maybe this was some sort of prank by Cousin Shisui?
Yet nothing seemed out of place and there was no sign of a Genjutsu to be detected. Slowly the dark-haired child took a step forward before kneeling in front of the infant with a soft smile, "Hello, are you lost?"
For a moment silence was his answer as the soulless eyed child mentally reprehended himself- After all, not all children were as smart as he had been at that age. Just look at his precious Otouto, who for some reason still kept attempting to eat his hair every time it was in reach despite his valiant efforts to explain why he shouldn't- as hand reached to gently pick up the little one only to be cut off by a deep voice that had no right to be leaving such a small form.
"I've decided. You'll be the one."
Huh?
For a moment all the soulless eyed child could do is blink in confusion as instinct forced him to jump away from the infant yet it must have been expected- or it was what the strange infant was waiting for- as the moment his feet left the ground chains seemed to appear out of nowhere; constricting tightly around him in such a way it prevented any movement yet not tight enough to hurt.
He tried to struggle- honest- though for some reason he could no longer feel his chakra and the longer those chains held him the worse his fatigue would grow- For a moment he wondered if this is what civilians always felt like with a sense of pity building towards them. To always be so blind, so slow, so weak. No wonder they needed a Ninja Village to survive- before what he could only call some type of portal crafted solely of darkness opened beneath him.
He didn't even have time to scream before he suddenly found himself falling an abyss.
When he wakes it's in some type he doesn't recognize with a small blond toddler with hopeful bright blue eyes- there was something rather familiar about this boy yet he couldn't quite put his finger on it- staring at him as though he was the answer to all the world's problems.
"Are you the new friend Bermuda-san promised me?"
Bermuda-san?
He opens his mouth to question the toddler though he found it difficult were to began- only to be cut off by that demonic voice.
"Yes. Amara meet Itachi Uchiha; he's going to be your new friend from now on."
And suddenly the infant- if it was even that and not a demon in human skin- was there, sitting upon the brightly smiling toddler's shoulder.
Itachi finds he barely has time to register this before he's buried underneath a small toddler -with suspiciously wet eyes and an ungodly grip -who clings to him as though afraid he would suddenly disappear and prove to be nothing but an illusion.
A week later fount Bermuda confused as the Uchiha Heir- he hand chose to be Amara's first friend -presents him with a handwritten notebook holding the Title:
How to Properly Aid Your Brother in Making Friends
By: Uchiha Itachi
PS: If you have to kidnap them, you're doing something wrong and truly need the advice inside this book.
"Is this a Joke?"
Bermuda asks the wind as the Uchiha Heir had already been dragged off by an overexcited Amara. After all, his method worked perfectly so The Vendicare Warden honestly didn't see any reason to change his tactics.
Jager was well aware he had 'issues' when it came to His Lord.
It was hard not to be aware when every fiber in his being screamed at him to splattered the Vongola Decimo's blood on every surface- to paint every wall a copper red with the blond of the almost man who dared steal his Home from him until all he could smell was the metallic scent of death- yet he was also a rational man.
He understood what an accident was.
There wouldn't have been an accident had the brunette actually listened to others for a change and left 'unknown powers' alone instead of trying to collect them for 'the sake of everyone'.
He understood the brunette hadn't intended to open the scroll.
But he did and because of his 'Dame-Tsuna Moment' His Lord- His Home, His Safety, His Bermuda- was gone. Faded to nothing but faint flickers in the back of his head.
He understood the need for Secrecy for who knew what would happen should word of his 'incident' spread.
Yet why did they activity attempt to hide it from him? Did they really think he would not notice? That he did not know where His Lord was heading and why?
He understood he needed Sawada Tsunayoshi and his ungodly luck if he wanted His Lord back.
Otherwise, the next time he enjoyed a glass of wine, the golden-eyed man would be drinking it form the Vongola Decimo's polished skull.
So the golden-eyed Vindice pushed down his urges- his instincts- in favor of progress. For now, he needed the Vongola Decimo- alive and whole- but once His Lord was safe- either securely on his shoulder or locked within the heart of Vendicare. Preferably his shoulder- Jager would be paying a rather 'personal' visit to the brunette.
After all, some lessons had to be learned through physical means rather than verbal ones. For now, though, Jager would just have to take his temper out on something else.
Hidden deep within the lower levels of Vendicare, a prisoner shivered as once sparkling blue eye though now dull darted nervously around the room that creature- which had all but waltz into and stolen him right out of the heart of Azkaban as though it was a daily stroll. Though according to the papers he had 'escaped' on his own might- had sealed him in.
Nothing.
Yet for some reason, that horrible 'someone is plotting my agonizing death' feeling never wavered in the slightest.
Chapter 46
He was not paranoid.
There was something in the shadows, Of that the man known as Shimura Danzo was certain.
It was always there, always watching- Yet he never seemed capable of sense anything or anyone- nowhere was safe, not even at where he was surrounded by hundreds of his operative at the Heart of Root Headquarters.
The old War Hawk's hand tightened its grip slightly upon his cane as he swore he saw inhumane eyes peer- silently judging him for anything and everything he had done in a way that made him want to scream his defense in hopes those eyes would look away- from the darkness of his office.
"Shimura Danzo."
A deep voice- that reminded him of silk, a starless sky and unforgiving blizzard- that couldn't possibly belong to anything but a Demon from the darkest depths of Hell echoes from where the inhumane eyes are causing every hair on his body to stand on edge as an icy chill- which reminds him of Death itself- consumes his very being.
He wants to run- to flee- yet he cannot even bring himself to breathe as his mind- and every instinct he has- screams at him not to draw this creature's attention; so he does the only thing he can, he stares into the inhumane eyes while keeping a death grip on his cane.
When the Council Meeting is called Danzo would briefly believe he would be safe from the creature that had taken to shadowing his every move; though that belief is swiftly crushed as he finds the pair of inhumane eyes observing him from Hiruzen's shadow.
He spends the meeting frozen- unhearing to the world around, unable to focus on anything but those inhumane eyes- causing him to completely miss whatever topic the Council was currently voting upon. He does not wish to admit that though when it's his turn to Vote; so he agrees with Hiruzen without a clue to what he just agreed to.
It doesn't matter what he agreed to, not while those Inhumane eyes are still there; still observing his every move from the shadows.
Hiruzen, on the other hand, finds himself both mildly surprised and pleasantly pleased that his Old Rival had agreed with his plan by permitting the Uchiha Clan to teach at the Academy as a way to help gain standing within the village once more.
Maybe the Old War Hawk had finally realized Hiruzen wasn't going to change his mind and would stop attempting to Strong Arm the Third Hokage into his "Massacre the Uchiha Clan" plan the War Hawk had been ranting about since the Nine-Tails attack?
When he had chosen Itachi to be Amara's Friend, Bermuda had done so because the Uchiha Heir's sharp mind, isolation from his peers and obvious Pacifist Nature- though the child wasn't the least bit hesitant to gut a man to protect what was 'his'.
It helped the Soulless eyed child had some sort of 'Brother Complex' that latched onto those younger than him.
It in a way, watching the dark hair boy attempt to teach Amara from his old 'Academy' Books with that sweet yet 'I will gut you if you fail' smile in place reminds the Night Arcobaleno of Jager. The thought alone sends a chill of dread down Bermuda's spine as the image of his Loyal Right Hand and the Uchiha Heir meeting materializes inside his head.
He doesn't believe any world would be able to survive the meeting of two Sadist Angels.
"I got a feeling I should be doing something about this."
Itachi spoke slowly as the ten-year-old stared upon the massive prison Bermuda-San had somehow acquired- who in the right mind permitted a toddler to buy the material to build such a structure as Itachi was quite certain his prison hadn't been here before- in the middle of a frozen wasteland.
"Ignore it," Bermuda spoke without a moment's hesitation as he stared upon Vendicare 2.0- What? Vendicare was a good name and every world needed at least one- with a sense of fondness, "It'll go away after a while."
"That's not very reassuring."
"It wasn't supposed to be though I supposed you could always do what Amara's doing."Bermuda shrugged off the Uchiha Heir's worries as he gestured to the laughing child playing in the snow while only wearing a t-shirt and a pair of shorts.
"Amara!" Itachi shouted as he rushed towards the blond- somehow pulling a thick jacket from nowhere- in hopes of covering the other before he became sick from exposure. Honestly, whoever thought Bermuda-san was a good 'caretaker' executed as this level of incompetence should not be allowed to permit itself to affect the gene pool.
Bermuda- pleased his plan to distract Itachi though his Brother Complex worked- allowed a smirk to appear beneath his bandages.
"By the way, that napkin I had you sign a week ago was actually a contract stating if I could create Vendicare you would join the Vindice and as Vindice Vendicare is our Home. Oh and I also located you a talking bluefish to serve as one of your partners."
"Sure," Itachi began absently mindedly as he wrapped the toddler tightly in as many clothes as he could get onto the younger, "If that makes you hap- Wait for what?!"
The soulless eyes child turned to face the toddler only to find snow instead of the creepy infant he was expecting. Strangely enough, there were no footprints leading anyway; almost as though he had just vanished into thin air.
Feeling his eye twitch, Itachi gritted his teeth as he carefully picked up the toddler- who had fallen onto his back while the older child's attention was elsewhere and was waving his arms around frantically as wore too many layers to pick himself back up- before heading towards the prison 'Vendicare'.
Whoever looked after Bermuda before them must have been a Saint for being capable of putting up with his antics, Itachi decided as he trod through the snow.
"Bermuda-san?"
"Yes, Itachi-Kun?"
"Why are the Civilian Council and all but three shop owners from Konohagakure in the lower cells?"
"They broke the Laws."
Bermuda stated rather bluntly not bothering to inform the Uchiha Heir that said where from His Vendicare and he honestly had no idea if they even existed- if not he would just have to recreate them- in this one.
It's not like Itachi-kun needed to know such a minor technicality after all.
"But they're-"
"No one is above the Law, Itachi-kun."
If Hoshigaki Kisame is honest, the rouge mist ninja isn't quite sure how he suddenly appeared inside the strange prison though if he had to guess the shark like man would say it had something to do with the creepy infant that had suddenly appeared in the 'Mizukage' Office right before he could confront the 'Kage' about his suspicions.
The humanoid- for there was no way that creature was human- infant had tilted its bandaged head slightly in the Swordsman's direction- completely ignoring the most likely mind controlled Kage behind it- as though it was peering into his soul and Kisame couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine as what had to be a Demonic voice left the small figure.
"You'll do."
If asked the blue-skinned quite explain what had happened:
One moment he was in the Mizukage office and the next he was standing inside an office- that he later learned was the infants- in this strange prison.
Not long after the humanoid baby had appeared and to his dying day; Hoshigaki Kisame would swear he had become possessed- for he could not think of any other reason why his instincts screamed at him not to permit this chance to slip through his fingers. That this moment was important and if he let it go he would forever regret it- when he accepted the infants offer to serve as a 'Vindice'.
It's only when he meets his raven-haired partner- a child only a couple of years younger than himself that causes his face to turn purple when he has the younger's full attention- does the teenager understand why his instincts were so insistent he accepted this position. It was a shame though, that the other had to go home daily while he guarded the prison as Kisame fount there was suddenly not enough hours in a day.
The swordsman cannot help but chuckle as he observes the soulless eyed child lecture the creepy, bandage-wrapped infant about how 'You do not kidnap people you want me or Amara to make friends with' though the creepy baby doesn't seem to pay the teachings much mind.
Kisame doesn't blame him. The Tactic while strange and exotic seemed to work rather well for it and as the saying goes:
'Why fix what's not broken?'
Within Ami a masked man- who mask strangely resembles a lollipop of all things- rages as his carefully placed plans fold slightly in on themselves with the sudden and rather unexpected- for honestly who expects some creepy infant to just appear out of thin air and steal away the current target after years of permitting the intended to see slightly behind the curtain of control he had on his pawn in hopes of luring the swordsman in- disappearance of what should have been his Knight for the upcoming years.
Even worse though, that creepy baby had done something to the Mizukage and now his control over the Kage had disappeared as though it had never existed. Leaving a Village Leader- and undoubtedly soon to be a Rebel Leader- knowing more than they should at this stage of his Master Plans.
And then there was the final- and most important- issue:
Why hadn't his Kamui worked on the infant?
He had touched him, Tobi was sure of it. He could feel the bandages beneath his hands yet instead of being sucked up the other just floated there for a moment as an awkward silence filled the room.
"This usually works by now," Tobi had spoken slowly- embarrassed- after a moment.
"Ah," The infant spoke with a rather deep voice that had no right leaving something so small, "Performance Issues. Don't worry, it happens to even the best of people."
He had sputtered in embarrassment- much like he used to do before he was Tobi- at the double meaning of the infant's words; wondering if it was aware of how it sounded and if so what its parents were teaching it.
"Are you sure you don't feel anything? A slight tingle maybe?"
"No."
"..."
"..."
"This is embarrassing," He finally mumbled when the silence became too much for him.
"If you want I can leave and you can try again the next time we meet."
He had agreed without really thinking about it- instead rather pleased someone was willing to overlook another of his issues unlike Bakashi who would have thrown his failures in this face at every possible chance- and didn't realize what he had agreed to until the creepy baby was already gone.