33 - The First Trial
In a damp and musty cave, a girl sat, nearly naked, on a rock. She looked young, but what was most curious were her binds; wrapped around her eyes were a ton of musty, rotting cloths and a few seal tags. Her white hair fluttered in a light breeze as the rock sealing the cave moved to the side, and someone entered her haven. She could hear water dripping from the ceiling, her chains rattling as she shoved herself off of the jagged sediment.
To anyone, it would be a bizarre sight. An extremely malnourished, weak-looking young girl shackled by her wrists and ankles, purple bruises and scratches reaching up to her arms, clearly from having to deal with the binds. You could see her ribs poke out from her skin, a sign of weakness and hunger. "Have you come to feed me?" She opened her mouth, her teeth white and straight. As the person before her, some random stranger whose name she did not know, shovelled the tasteless slop into her mouth, she chewed thoughtfully. "When is Orochimaru going to let me be free?"
"..." The person before her did not answer her.
"Come, now, nobody will know you've spoken to me. Aren't you curious how I survived all these years? I'm sure they tell stories about me."
"I already know what you've done, witch." The smile faded from her face. She wasn't sure she wanted to respond to that or not, but they only fed her three times a week and this was the first answer she'd gotten in a long time. How many years had it been? One hundred? Two thousand?
"Doesn't it irk you that he gives me what I want when I want it?"
"If he gave you what you wanted, you'd be out of this cave." So this one was smart. "I know who you are. I know what you do to children. I pray you never know what it's like to be a mother."
It kind of annoyed her. Once upon a time, she would have happily mothered her child with no regrets. That had all been ruined when her clan's future had been slaughtered. All but her returned from the mountain plateau that day. When the mothers realized what had happened, one by one, they'd thrown themselves from the mountain-tops, hoping for a quick and painless death. She would once have given her life to birth a child, as many in their clan had. It was rare for anyone to be with child and even rarer for someone to survive the birth process- especially if the member of the clan was female. The children were so fragile, they could easily die moments after leaving the womb.
But not anymore. Children were no longer a thought of the future, but rather, preserving the revenge of the past. Rebirth was too slow. It was so fancy, getting your old body back. Getting your old abilities. No, before her, all children trembled. She had once been known as the Witch of the Mountain, a child-eater, someone that took the place of a mother's beloved daughter or son.
That was until she met Orochimaru, and he infringed on her abilities. She was allowed to see once a lifetime with him, and only once; when she used her Kekkai Genkai to obliterate the soul of a child and take its place in their body, leaving her old, fragile body behind. Unfortunately, this didn't work so well on shinobi. Of course, her teeth grated together at the thought of being locked here when the one she wanted to slaughter over and over, Rena Hikari, walked free, living a happy life.
No, she didn't get to do that. She didn't get to murder fifteen children of her clan and get away with it. Even if she must wait, she would do so; Orochimaru would fall eventually. Besides, all it would take is one naive fool to let her escape her bonds. So far, they've all been well-trained like guard dogs, but she could feel the wind of change. Her reaper whispered into her ear, speaking of death and life, it's invisible hands resting on her shoulders.
Their kingdom will fall, my Eyes. As you so will it, my child, you will gain...
She was the last child of death.
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Suno stood in the greenhouse where he'd been training for the last while. It was hard work, but he couldn't be distracted from it now. Even if he needed to pull an all-nighter, he'd get this done. He had to get to the next level of his training. He'd done all of the practices in the first book, but it wasn't enough. He wanted to become stronger than he was, stronger than Tsukiyomi.
"You look like you're having fun with that book."
He jumped, turning to see a girl about Rena's age in front of him. She gave him a grin. "O-Oh, didn't expect anyone to come here this late."
"It's fine. I'm Kaori. I come here at night sometimes to get away from everything." She walked up to the tree, a flower giving off a gentle, blue glow. "There are some beautiful plants you can only find in this gorgeous greenhouse, and some of them are only active at night. It's nice."
"Nice to meet you, Kaori, I'm Suno. A medical-nin in training."
"Well, I'm kind of just a sidekick... or something." Kaori gave a small smile, but Suno felt it was off- it didn't seem happy, despite her outward demeanour. He'd been here for some time, but he'd never really bothered to explore too much. He supposed the flowers around here were pretty, although he didn't pay much attention to them unless his studies called for it.
"I've never seen you around before."
"Well, you'll be seeing a lot more of me. I graduate next week." Of course- she was still his age, kind of, so she needed to go to school and all. He wondered if she was from some kind of rich family; he'd heard his schooling was privately funded by Sansa herself, out of a need for more medical shinobi. However, that didn't mean that everyone got that kind of treatment; which meant that the girl before him was different than the rest of the Hidden Sand. In other, more blunt words; not poor.
"Congratulations, Kaori." He wasn't sure what else to say in the fact he didn't know her all that well, although his assumptions based on what he'd heard and seen so far were all he needed to know, in his opinion. Still, he was curious enough to open his mouth again. "Are you studying to be a medical-nin?"
"Oh, gosh, no. Also, I don't think that kind of thing warrants a 'congrats'. After all, we're just children fighting a war that doesn't belong to us." Now, this interested him. If his ears were out, they'd be twitching aggressively along with his swaying tail.
"A war? I don't know of any war. Did we start one in the Hidden Leaf?"
"Mmm... I don't think so, but that remains yet to be seen... I guess what I'm saying is more of an example than reality." Suno finally stopped what he was doing, walking over to her and focusing on solely her.
"Explain further? You have my interest now."
She sighed, rubbing the back of her head. "Well... someone like me..." She cast her eyes to the floor, looking both disheartened and flustered at the same time. "What I'm trying to say is that all of us are being trained for the same thing; fighting for our village and country. What we're fighting for is funding and money and a way out of poverty- Poverty our generation didn't create, nor is responsible for. We can blame our ancestors for that... or in some cases, our current relatives."
"I see your point. It's true, I'm here and I don't even have one of those Families you denizens of the sand appreciate so much."
"Family is just another word for disappointment. Don't get too bent up over the fact you don't belong to one of them; they're dusty old traditionalists." Suno opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by a loud voice calling into the greenhouse.
"Kaori Hebidoku-o, I told you not to leave my side! You're supposed to make me look better, not worse!" Kaori turned to the sound of the voice, her mouth hanging agape as her eyebrows furrowed. She turned to Suno.
"You need to hide! If she found out I'd been talking to a low blood shinobi, I'd be severely punished!" Kaori whipped her head around, searching for a hiding spot. She grabbed Suno by the arm and shoved him toward the tree. "Hide behind it!" She hissed, before turning around abruptly. Although Suno owed her nothing, he complied, wondering who could put such fear into the girl who seemed apathetic above all. He peeked out from behind the tree and what he saw was a blonde-haired girl their age, clearly a noble with her expensive clothing and ash-pale skin. The girl grabbed Kaori's arm rather roughly, glaring daggers at the poor kunoichi.
"Explain yourself, Kaori Hebidoku-o!"
"I apologize, Lady Hebidoku. I didn't mean to depart long enough from your side for you to find me not there- I only desired a breath of fresh air."
The girl's anger only intensified as she gripped so hard Kaori's skin turned red. "How dare you? Didn't I tell you to stop being so well-spoken? Act like your education is behind mine! It's the reason we held you back in school! Remember your place as property as a side-branch of the Hebidoku clan, got it? You're not deserving of the name, not even with the prefix on the end!"
"I'm not gonna pretend like I'm smart no more, Lady Hebidoku. I swear it." Seemingly satisfied, the blonde girl let go of Kaori.
"Then let's go back home, little Kaori Hebidoku-o. I'm glad you understand your place." The noble began to leave, and Kaori shot a glance at the tree Suno was behind before leaving without as much as a single word. Suno waited until he was sure they were gone, before stepping out from behind the tree, sighing as he glanced at his failed project. The squirrel he'd been healing moved no more. He didn't feel much other than frustration over being distracted. He'd have to find something or injure something, to make ends meet. Maybe if he was lucky, he could find a similar-looking squirrel and present it as fully healed to his sensei.
Still, he wondered if he would see Kaori Hebidoku-o again.
X
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Sansa sat with the Elder Council, reorganizing her notes. She'd been rehearsing forever, and she was finally at the end of her pitch. "And that's why I believe strengthening the security on our walls and our borders will prevent criminals from slipping through either. If we use the tactics I've presented, less shinobi will find themselves injured, and we cover a wider range without having to send nearly as many." The Council was silent as Sansa's words sunk in. The first to speak up, however, was Izanagi.
"Although strengthening security is well and good, the people of the Hidden Sand are feeling major losses right now. Many died in the invasion of the Leaf, not to mention the fate that befell the Kazekage. Even I... have lost someone." His voice held a bittersweet tone of regret and sorrow, but it was soon washed away by his always-neutral, boisterous tone. "There's been a demoralizing cloud of negativity hanging over Sunagakure, and I think we should do something, no matter how small and insignificant people may think it to be, to try and bring morale back to the Hidden Sand."
Sansa gripped her coffee cup, knowing that her home was in a sorry state. "What do you suggest, Izanagi?"
"I think we should hold a fireworks festival in two days, at night. Small-scale. Have a clay tablet set up in the middle of town where people can write the names of the deceased, so we can hang it up in our halls. I want to bring hope back to the hearts of our people, and give them even the smallest slice of peace possible."
"What a ridiculous notion. Something such as a display of fireworks and a clay tablet will do nothing for our soldiers."
Izanagi banged his fist on the table, causing Merui to jump. "Shinobi are people as well, Merui. They're not toys for nobility to fight wars with, and they're not pawns to be endlessly thrown at the enemy with nothing in return! Our village deserves more than that treatment."
"I agree with you, Izanagi. We should hold this festival. Maybe even give it a name, one that correlates with the tragedy? As a way of remembering the fallen." Although Merui was glaring at Sansa for her speaking out, Izanagi's face softened.
"Thank you, Sansa. I'll take care of all of the preparations. On behalf of my fallen son, his wife and his children, I thank you. You'll make a fine interim Kazekage."
X
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Rena stood before Ine's house at the crack of dawn. She felt a bit intimidated by the fact that her first trial was imminent; if she failed, after all, she'd be unable to return. As she opened the door, Ine stood, waiting for her with a smile. She walked forward, gesturing to the kitchen. Rena followed, but Ine stopped. "In gaining power, many forget that adversity gives way for adaption that nobody would think possible. Only by having obstacles in your life may you grow to rise above them." Ine had a thick piece of black cloth in her hands. "You must learn adaption. You must learn how to think on your feet. You have learned patience, and that is the first step to greater understanding." She reached behind Rena's head, and Rena watched as the darkness obscured her vision. "You find frustration in being unable to progress. That is because you learn differently than others; up until now, it's clear that all you've done is rely on your brute strength, instinct, and copying the actions of others. Take your inability to learn and make it your strength; focus on honing the senses. Then, expand from that knowledge, and become strength itself."
Rena could feel the air around her whoosh by. As she felt a hand press into the small of her back and press her forward, her knees and hands hit a slick, wet, thick substance. She crashed into the ground and rubbed at her cheek with her arm in an attempt to get it off her face, the substance smearing across her face. She sniffed; it had a strange, earthly smell- not as nice as Gaara's, for sure. It smelled a bit sour, and the longer she smelled, the nastier it seemed. She shook away her thoughts, standing up, only to slip in the mixture again. She heard a woosh by her ear, followed by the sound of Ine's distant voice.
"You will receive no help or hints from me, Rena Hikari. This terrain is yours to master. You have forty-eight hours to complete this trial." Rena heard an echo. Where could she possibly be in the Hidden Sand that had one? Seeing as the travel distance was short enough from Ine's house, Rena couldn't see this being some sort of cave network. There was no way this could be outside, as she couldn't feel the heat of the sun coming down on her. The substance she felt was cool and squishy. Was it mud? It had to be. Rena didn't know of any place in the desert, save for an oasis, that would possess mud. She wandered forward, reaching her hand out. She paused and drew back as she finally made contact with something.
"Ow!" Her hand had touched something sharp, and she could feel stinging pain on her palm. She steadied herself, breathing in, before reaching out again. Although it sliced open her fingertips, she knew now that what she'd been hurt by was razor-sharp shinobi wire.
It was clear she couldn't proceed like a bull in a china shop. She didn't know where the wire was, nor how much of it there was. Still, she'd suffered worse than this; it wouldn't bring her down. No matter what, she had to advance. It became clear, however, that she had no knowledge of passing time; as she continued on, cuts and incisions would make themselves clear. Her skin felt sore and raw, and she felt dizzy; it had begun to turn cold. Was it night now? She wasn't sure how far she'd progressed, but she'd kept track of where she'd been in her mind, mapping out the path she had already taken. A sharp hiss left her teeth as she felt wire cut into her skin again. Part of her wanted to sit down and give up, but Ine's words echoed through her mind, driving her forward.
She couldn't fail. If she did, then she truly was good for nothing other than being a Kazekage's trophy wife. She would not let a couple of pieces of wire stop her! As she stood to her feet, a wire cut her cheek. She winced, moving further forward. She let out a groan of pain as she tripped over a lower wire, crashing into the ground. One that had been there dug deep into her ribcage; she was tired and hungry. Weak.
Her thoughts moved toward Gaara.
His red hair. His sad smile.
Did she prefer the Gaara of then, the Gaara of yesterday, or the Gaara of now? Today, he was a strange mix of what he'd been in the Hidden Leaf and who he was as a child. She didn't understand it. It was okay for him to hate her, or to find her useless. As long as he was truthful about it. But like this, she couldn't tell what he really wanted. Still, no matter what words he threw at her...
She couldn't stop her heart from loving him. She grabbed onto a thread above, using it to pull herself up as it sliced into her hand. She advanced, more intent than ever to finish this. This was more than Gaara. This was even more than herself. She couldn't explain what motivated her. Maybe it was a mix of everything that had happened so far. Even so, she wouldn't stop! She moved forward, and even though she could no longer think of smart ways to get around the wire, all that kept her going was her will to succeed. She paused.
There was a feeling of warmth and a cool breeze on her skin. She reached out her hands, and, feeling a lightly jagged surface, she could tell it was rock. She moved around a little bit before she could no longer feel the coolness of the wind. She moved back to the area the heat and air were coming from, and, determining there was no exit, she knew that it was coming from above. As she dug her nails into the wall, she pulled herself up, ignoring the pain of what she was sure were wounds. She continued to climb, even though she fell multiple times- crashing into the ground, which knocked the air out of her. She'd get right back up, climbing the wall again, learning the places she could and couldn't grab, what would and wouldn't break; and like that, she finally felt what seemed like a surface she could pull herself up onto. As she heaved herself over, she felt herself tumble down; it was a short fall, and the sand didn't hurt much. She felt someone's hand graze against her cheek as the blindfold came undone. She winced as her eyes adjusted to the glare of the sun, seeing Ine with a smile before her.
"Congratulations, Rena. You've passed the first trial. Care to guess the terrain?"
Rena thought for a moment. It would be easy to simply turn around and look at it, but she wanted to get this right without cheating. "There was an echo, and the floor was strangely muddy for such a dry, arid desert. It seemed to be an extremely large space, and the wall I had to climb had me go some ways up the wall; so... a old, unused well?"
"Good job. Good shinobi know their location, for sure, but better shinobi can adapt to the terrain around them. You'll never know where you're going to end up as a shinobi, and while knowledge is preferable, sometimes you have to assess the space around you in a heartbeat to survive; sometimes, your enemy will know the terrain better than you. In this case, you must use everything in your immediate vicinity around you to win. You must dictate whether the terrain is advantageous for you, or your enemy. And finally, last but not least, you must remember that patience is your ally in all battles." Rena felt Ine brush her hair out of her eyes as something slid into it, a little heavy for her taste. She winced, as it pinched for a moment, but soon the pain subsided. "This is my reward to you for your success."
Rena reached up, her fingers brushing against the metal of the hairpin she'd been given. "A hairpin?"
"It was made by the First Kazekage. Typically, it's a marriage item, but Karura..." Ine looked away, her face seeming sad for a moment, before moving back to its usual kind smile. "The point is, I believe that there are people who would think you worthy of this item. You should go and get cleaned up at home; It's been twenty-six hours."
"W-what?! I was there for that long without telling Sansa?! God, she's going to MURDER me!" Rena vanished, almost instantaneously.
"How is it that she becomes that much faster when she's scared of her mother?" Ine laughed, before calming herself with a deep breath. "Lord Third Kazekage... are you still watching?" She glanced up at the sky, a gentle, sad smile aimed at nothing in particular. "She reminds me of you, you know."