[42] Jinchuriki

Kagami watches the fight blow back and forth, her eyes narrowing. She is trying her best to replenish her chakra but she needs longer, plus her legs may give out at any moment. She is impressed by the fighting standards that are set by the three Hoakge's, in Root there are many capable candidates, but they don't even measure up.

Kagami flinches, ready to move forward as large branches entwine and wrap around the Third, but he is already ahead of her.

"Summoning Jutsu: Monkey King: Enma!"

A large monkey appears, immediately deflecting the two former Hokages, Kagami sighs a little, happy she can rest for even a minute more. The summoning breaks Sarutobi free and attacks the First and Second until they are a fair distance away.

"Transform!" Enma raises his hands and a poof of smoke covers him.

The Third jumps forward into the smoke, grabbing his summoning which is now a large black pole with gold caps on the end. The two un-dead step towards him again, ready to attack. Kagami starts to notice the unrest and tiredness in Sarutobi's figure and takes this as a moment to shoot forward. She runs between the two again, immediately take hold of Tobirama's full attention.

Hashirama tries to ignore her and attacks his pupil once again, aiming to kill. Kagami feels a little stress lift as she was able to help her superior even just a little. But it comes right back when the next turn of events appears.

So far, Kagami has run around with a few touches and grabs here and there, but neither of the two she has been distracting have tried to actually come after her when she slips away from them.

Until now.

Her eyes widen in shock and a small squeak slips through her lips as she notices the Second Hokage of Konoha chasing after her. She tries to use the tree's to her advantage and dodge and twist through them, but Tobirama has been doing exactly that for years.

Anytime he fought with or against his brother he got to just through these branches, learning their twist and turns and how they seem to change constantly.

Plus, Kagami is wearing bright red.

She turns around a branch, snapping it off and she pushes off it powerfully. But instead of losing the man behind her as he would have to recalculate how to make it up to her she slams straight into him. He has been one step ahead of her the entire time.

His wraps his arms around her tightly, his hand grabbing her right hand and forcing her to drop her katana, it clatters down and bounces of branches on its way down.

He jumps straight out of the trees, holding her tightly and staring at her face as she pushes and shoves against him. She reaches down and aims to grab a kunai but he once again grabs her hand and clenches it into a fist, possibly breaking some metacarpals. [the bones that connect your wrist to your fingers]

Tobirama lands back down next to his brother, how glances away from Sarutobi to look at him.

"Oh? You caught her?" Kagami tears her gazer from the Second and glares stonily at the First, her gaze hard. "You sure are fast aren't you? Strong too, you remind me of my granddaughter."

Hashirama suddenly has flowers and stars circling around him as he thinks of Tsunade, laughing loudly and proudly at the fact that she has a crippling gambling addiction. Kagami would normally have fainted at the fact that she is being praised by the First Hokage of Konoha, but he is trying to kill her and the Third. She turns her gaze back to the man who is holding her tightly, her cold gaze matching his almost perfectly. He looks away from her and to the left, where his brother stands, still laughing with his hands on his hips and flowers twinkling.

"Brother, it's your fault."

Hashirama's whole vibe crashes to the ground, the flowers dying and stars cracking. He looks over at his brother, sweatdropping at the fact that he has ruined his innocent granddaughter with money. Kagami takes this chance to bring her legs up and plant her feet on Tobirama's chest, gathering chakra and pushing off of him, his arms coming with the girl as she tumbles backward towards the Third.

She rolls backwards and plants her feet into a branch, one hand on the ground trying to slow herself down. She notices a red glint from the corner of her eye and shoots off, hoping that neither of the two will follow her. She shakes his arms off her arms, they slowly turn into a sort of muddy sand and disappearing into the wind.

Kagami dives down the branches and reaches for her katana, which has made its way all the way to the tiled roof they once stood on. She picks it up quickly and analysis the situation. She can't outrun either of the former Hokages at this point and it's useless to try and distract them again. She looks up and sets to work on the only thing she can think of.

Cutting the branches down. Though it may seem futile, the enemy has the upper hand while within the trees and Kagami can't risk being caught again. She hates the fact that he caught her so easily and held onto her while disarming her. He is unbelievably strong, along with his brother. The only thing she can think of other than this is to play to the weaknesses she knows.

In the countless scrolls she had read through, she had learnt that Tobirama had something against the Uchiha, he hated them. Which is surprising when his brother was best friends with the one and only Madara Uchiha. She slices through as many branches as possible, hoping to make some sort of difference to this now-clearly one-sided fight.

She has never lost a fight, and she doesn't plan to lose that winning streak. But something is telling the girl that she may not have a say in this one. She gulps in air as branch after branch falls to the ground, opening up paths and creating a more stable ground with less holes and natural traps.

She sprints through the rest of the forest, making her way back to the Hokage, hoping to draw at least one of the un-dead Hokages away from Sarutobi, but it would seem she is too late.

Kagami's eyes widen as the Third Hokage makes familiar hand signs. She has only read about it in scrolls, but if she's right, the enemies will die, but so will the Third.

A large phantom-like being appears behind the Third. It has a knife clenched between its teeth and a cruel smile across its face. Kagami jumps forward and kneels next to her Hokage.

"Hokage-sama, I am not sure in what way I can help, but I am willing to do anything to help you with this." Sarutobi smiles at the girl, placing a hand on her head.

"Its okay child, I can do this. Even if it may take my life." He makes more hand signs, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Two clones appear beside him, taking a cautious stance.

"Hokage-sama, if it helps you in any way." The man glances at her, sweat dripping down his temple, "I am a Jinchuriki. I can take some toll off your body if you seal someone into me instead."

Sarutobi's eyes go wide, his mouth opening slightly. She has been under his nose this entire time. How well she hid herself from himself and the public. Kagami would have been his last guess if someone were to ask him who the second Jinchuriki in their midst is. They had a suspicion of a second, they had felt large chakra pulses that were unlike that of a tailed beast.

"Kagami, I couldn't do that to you. You have followed every order you have ever been given, and I pray that you listen to this one." He makes eye contact with the girl, "Live, Kagami. Live a life that isn't run by someone else. Live."

Kagami's eyes widen, bringing a hand to her chest and bowing to him, her head facing her feet. But there's always loopholes to every order.

"With complete respect Hokage-sama, I think I can live with a couple of old men. I have been doing it for years."

Sarutobi gives her a surprised look before laughing heartedly at her, placing his hand on her head once again.

Sarutobi nods to her, his clones disappearing instantly. "Do your best Kagami, I hope that after this I won't see you for a long time."

Kagami offers a nod before glancing back at the beast behind her who is already gazing down at her. Its cruel smile widens at her gaze, reaching a hand out of her stomach. She jumps away, running towards the Hokages again while Sarutobi engages with his former pupil.

Kagami praises that the two follow after her instead of the Hokage. She purposely touches them, gaining their attention and immediately follow. She weaves into the trees, straight towards the spot she had cut the branches down earlier.

"We will catch you, you are in our domain." Tobirama reaches out to grab her but she ducks, falling right into her pit of branches and leaves.

The two are surprised but quickly recover and follow her once again. She jumps up and flips her legs around, locking their heads behind her bent knees and forcing them to the ground instantly. She has to work fast or they will be able to overpower her.

A ghostly hand reaches through her stomach and reaches for the two, aiming for there face.

"I apologise Lord First and Lord Second, but I must protect Konohagakure with my life." She leans back and places her hands onto there stomach, forcing chakra to pulse through their armour and into their body.

She hopes that Yua will be able to immobilise them. Suddenly she is overthrown, the two brothers holding down onto her body powerfully. But they are still in the path of the sealing jutsu, confusing the girl.

"One question before we lose to a youth." Tobirama brings his face close to hers, "Who are you?"

Kagami's eyes widen as the hand reaches into their bodies and grabs onto their souls. She glances back up and stares at the two.

"I am Kagami Hatake. It is a pleasure to meet you Hokage-sama." The two souls are ripped from the bodies. "Seal!"

She watches as the two holding her down turn into the same sand and fall to the ground, revealing the real bodies of the two Hokage's. She hisses as the seal mark burns on her skin. She watches it flash silver before fading into her skin.

She stands up wobbly, trying to make her way back to the Hokage, she walks slowly, stumbling here and there.

'They had let me capture them. How weak am I?'

Yua stays silent as Kagami moves along. She can feel the suffocation feeling of Shukaku's Chakra floating through the air. He has been released from Gaara. She coughs loudly, pulling down her mask and covering her mouth. [corona time] She stares at the rich blood dripping into the lines on her hands, running through her fingers and disappearing.

She covers her face with her mask again and starts to run towards the Hokage's chakra signature. She may be useless when it comes to Hokage's, but she isn't when it comes to a kidnapping pedophile. She stumbles a little but picks up pace, falling out of the tree line and onto the floor. She looks up just in time to watch the summoning cut off a soul and eat it.

She watches the Hokage fall backwards, a smile gracing his features. She flashes forward and catches his falling body, jumping back from Orochimaru immediately.

He glares heavily at her, cursing under his breath.

"I am useless now, but I will get you Hatake-scum." He jumps away, the barrier and his lackeys going with him.

Kagami falls back onto her butt, putting the body of the Hokage to the side and closing her eyes.

'Yua is there any chance?'

'No, he sold his soul. He isn't coming back. I'm sorry.'

Kagami lays down next to her fallen leader and covers her eyes with the back of her hand. For the first time in many years, Kagami willing let tears flow down her cheeks. She let her emotions take over and decide what to do next. The three Anbu who had watched the entire fight run forward, checking over their leader before shaking their heads.

"I'm sorry," the three turn to the crying girl, "I couldn't help him."

The curse of a Jinchuriki.

s.h.o.u.t.

I know, the longest chunin exams you've ever had to read.

but hey, four updates in one day.

~shadow