Chapter 51

A/N

HELLO FOLKS!!!

I'M SURE YOU MISSED ME (insert apology for updating so late)! Ahem, anyway there you have it. I know you're feeling excited of what's gonna happen in this chapter.

If you're not, that's fine too.

Ayooo, I don't know why but, I'm feeling excited too.

The wind blew whistles in the air, snow sliding off from the leaves. Team 8 dashed from one tree to another as Kiba and his ninken guided the way toward the scent they'd been searching for the whole day.

Kiba's nose perked up at the familiar scent, looking down at Akamaru who barked in return.

"It's close! Lhexi's scent is just around here.", he exclaimed, jumping down from a thick oak branch to the green grass spread out in the open corner of the forest.

"Byakugan!", Hinata exclaimed, veins popping over her skin as her special eyes roam around the area with a 360-degree vision.

Kurenai glanced at her male student who was scouting the forest using his insects. "Shino? Any leads?"

Shino stares at the tiny bug that descended down on his fingertips. He nodded his head in confirmation at the information he received before facing the whole team.

"My insects have spotted several of her belongings scattered almost a kilometer from here.", Shino proclaimed as Akamaru dig through the snow using his paws.

Hinata agreed in return as she deactivates her dojutsu. "Kurenai-sensei, Shino-kun is right. It's 900 meters to the southeast."

"Ooh! We found it! Good job Akamaru!"

Everyone turned their attention to the owner who petted his dog warmly as Akamaru wags his tail in return.

Kurenai approached the two and bent down to see a black hitaite, with the Konoha's symbol on it. Kiba picked it up and sniffed it once again. "Hm. There's no doubt about it. This is clearly Lhexi's scent. But, she seems hurt pretty badly. I can smell her blood."

His ninken wailed in return.

"Is she gonna be alright?", Hinata worriedly asked the Inuzuka heir who looked down in return.

"I don't know...Judging from the scent it has already been 3 days...", he grips the headband on his palm. "I can't tell with this little information..."

Shino blinks his eyes behind his black sunglasses. "Even if she survived the explosion, she lost her arm, technically there would be a higher chance that she's already dead due to blood loss." He stated, remembering the information he got from Kakashi.

Kurenai's red-ringed eyes glanced down at her sullen students before clapping her hands together breaking the tension. "I'm happy that we've made a little progress. Then, let's go, everyone. Let's focus on the mission! You can't make those sad faces!", she cheered.

The three looked up before nodding in return. Kiba grinned showing his toothy fang, Hinata smiled while still trying to calm herself. Shino just nodded. To be frank, this boy wasn't worried about Alexa the tiniest bit. She was just a former classmate that he never got to talk to.

He doesn't give a shit. Period.

"Kiba.", the insect user suddenly called, appearing beside the hooded male and causing him to stagger a bit in his jumps.

"Hey! Don't you come to me like that?! You scared the shit out of me!"

"Is that so? Perhaps it's because you're overthinking that you let your guard down.", he stated trying to point something to him.

"Shut up! Get away from me! You reeking Cilantro!", Kiba pinched his nose as he speeds up, taking several feet away from his Aburame teammate.

"I smell like Cilantro?", Shino sniffs his sleeves, a little confused as he couldn't find any scent from his body. "I smell normal." He proclaimed with a rather serious face.

Kiba sighs as he looks at their path with an annoyed face. "Idiot. Of course, your sense of smell just gets plain tired out by familiar scents and stops detecting them."

"Ehh...and you can remember the scent of everyone you meet?", Kurenai asks, a little intrigued although already aware.

"Of course! Kurenai-sensei scent is like rain on dry earth, it's really comforting. Hinata is more like delicate lavender."

"Hah...! Uhm--! T-t-thank you...I-I guess?", Hinata blushes at the statement, it felt more like a compliment. Kurenai's eyes widen at the newfound knowledge before she eye-smiled.

Kiba rubbed his nose as they resumed their search heading to the southeast, following the trail of Lhexi's unique scent. If he were to describe it, it would be like a honey-scented rose with underlying poisonous thorns. He knows he shouldn't get close to it because once he does he's gonna get hurt but, he can't help getting attracted to it.

"It's just like...a sweet poison...", he muttered under his breath catching the attention of Kurenai.

..........

The sound of sheets rustling against each other was all that could be heard inside the room as Sasuke raises the white linen cloth to the blonde's chest level. In hopes, it will keep him warm before he lightly tapped his palm against the soft fabric twice.

He mutely sat back down on the stool, a distressed expression on his face. He rests his chin on both his thumbs as he clasped his hands into a prayer-like gesture.

He lets out shallow breaths, there was something trapped in his airway and he couldn't breathe properly. Worry and anxiety crept like spiders on his skin.

Sasuke was a thirteen-year-old kid mentally exhausted and emotionally stressed. He didn't know what to do. His friends were facing their own dilemma where he was powerless. The first one right beside him was still asleep for a few days now, he didn't know when he would wake up. If punching him on the head could bring the dobe back to calling him a bastard over and over again, he would do it.

He tried it.

The other one was still yet to be found. And this girl was giving him an extremely painful headache. One that kept him awake with wide eyes open at night to the point he haven't slept for a second for the last forty-eight hours.

He was still blaming himself for what happened and he had lost count of how many times he cursed himself.

The transparent yellow bag of saline liquid continues to drip droplets of fluid that travels through a tube connected to the needle inserted in Naruto's arm. Providing him with the nutrients his body desperately needed, sustaining him from the surgery.

His fingers twitched at the sound of Sasuke's heavy sigh. Slowly his eyelids opened, eyes locked at the blurry figure of the young man. He blinked as his eyes adjusted, and things came to focus.

"Sasuke...teme...huh?"

His voice rang drowsy and tired as Sasuke gave him a startled look.

"Naruto...!"

Sasuke stood up from his seat, a relieved expression on his face that Naruto became too surprised to speak. He pulled himself up from lying down, shaking his hurting head from side to side.

"What happened ttebayo?"

"You were poisoned, it took us a while to get you back here. The Hokage was the one who healed you. You've been unconscious for the past three days.", Sasuke summarized.

Naruto stared at Sasuke, he looked like hell, with purple bags underneath his eyes. A bright grin spread across the blonde's face realizing how worried his rival must have been.

"Stop that.", Sasuke warned, a little conscious about his sudden innocent smile. "What's with that face?"

Naruto couldn't help either but, smile bigger. He scratches the back of his head feeling jittery in his stomach. "Nothing, dattebayo! Ah! By the way, where's Lhexi-chan?"

Sasuke frowns upon the mention of the name. The black shade of his eyes turns darker as he looks down, staring sightlessly at the floor. The sensation of the deep feeling of sadness felt paralyzingly numb.

"And Kakashi-sensei? Sakura-chan too! Where are they?"

"Kakashi is out on another solo mission. Sakura is...", he paused, a little guilty not knowing where she was and how she was doing despite being her teammate. "...probably at home."

Naruto noticed the dull tone in Sasuke's voice. He was expecting something he doesn't want to hear and still, he asked. "And Lhexi-chan?"

"...She's not here..."

"Is she at the library reading books again?"

"No."

"Then she's probably at her apartment, right?"

"No."

"She must be training!", Naruto's voice cracked with every word he spoke. Cold sweat ran down his trembling skin, his shoulders gradually tensing.

"She's not..."

"Then w-where is she, ttebayo?"

Sasuke decided to be upfront about it. The more he dodges his question the more the two of them would get hurt.

"She disappeared after the explosion."

"What explosion?", the blonde asks, dumbfounded.

"When you passed out, the man you guys fought committed a suicide explosion. It was a massive one, it obliterated the whole town. Kyuuji used time and space ninjutsu to get us out of there, if it wasn't for him we could have died. And yet, before I knew it, Lhexi was gone...", Sasuke explained, clenching his hands together and catching the Uzumaki off-guard.

Naruto's eyes widened, the frown on his face turning sour by the second. The information was too much for him to bear. After hearing about Lhexi's disappearance, his panic state made him almost forget about what happened to the town.

"Did Tsunade baa chan...sent a search party...?"

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah. Team 8 left two days ago."

"Have they found her yet?"

The Uchiha shook his head in dismay.

"I see."

Naruto raised the sheets off his body, standing up from the bed, hurriedly taking off everything that was attached to him. "I'm going!"

But before he could take another step, his body collapsed almost immediately. He tumbled on the floor, resting on his shoulders before looking straight at his shaking hands.

"Usuratonkachi...! You just got back from surgery...! The poison had just been removed from your body but, it doesn't mean you're already fine to go around walking like that...!", Sasuke hissed almost bonking his fist on Naruto's head for his clumsiness.

Naruto clenched his teeth, glaring daggers at Sasuke. "Then what do you want me to do, huh?! Wait here, when no one even knows where Lhexi-chan is?!"

"You idiot! How are you even gonna find her in that situation of yours? You can't even stand on your own. The only thing you can contribute now is to get rest."

Naruto's bulging blue eyes startled his friend as he tries to get back on his feet. Knees weak and buckling, he clutched on the mattress. "Sasuke...! How are you even staying calm when Lhexi-chan is in trouble?!", he grunted in his pauses as he exerts the movements of his body.

'That's not it...', he thought to himself. His hands which were usually inside his pockets were hanging down on either side of him, clenched tight.

..........

It wasn't what Kabuto expected. Kimimaro was down and so are the rest of the Sound 4. The whole practice room was covered with ice and frost, and the girl behind it all simply clenched and unclenched her left palm, testing out her new arm.

"I-impossible...! She d-defeated all of us...?", Ukkon asked to no one in particular as he lies on the ground, icicles impaling all his limbs.

"A m-monster...", Tayuya added, her ankles twisted up in the wrong way, her life close to a deadly point. "She's a monster..."

Kimimaro spit out blood from his mouth, trying to stand up. The girl's back was facing him as she was currently busy moving her new left arm around the air. Hearing his clothes flutter, she turned around, blinking her eyes.

She took a step, walking towards the white-haired sole member of his clan. Kimimaro flinched sensing her move closer. She walked past him, her dead cold aura freezing him before he could even use his kekkei Genkai.

Kabuto watches Lhexi walk to the door.

'So young and yet a demon resides in her.'

"Are you not gonna finish them off?", he asks, a little bit conflicted.

The girl shrugged her shoulders. "I don't feel the need to."

"Aren't a Ryuugaime supposed to be a blood-thirsty...monster like everyone says?"

Lhexi didn't bother looking at him and answered in a dull and unamused tone. "Perhaps."

Kabuto heaved a sigh before he began choking on his blood. He sat on the ground, his back leaning against the wall as his torn stomach bleed out furiously. He didn't expect the girl to reveal her true powers the moment Orochimaru left for another one of his hideouts.

'I underestimated her...I should have listened to Orochimaru-sama...even with the combined powers of Kimimaro and the Sound Four, she easily defeated us...to think she can already control the second stage of the curse seal...heh...how ominous...'

Lhexi walked out of the room, strolling around the halls. She clutched her left shoulder, a stinging pain resonating on her arm and behind her back. She stopped midway, placing her palm against the wall before pushing on a particular brick.

The ground shook as a secret passageway opened up. She blinked her eyes before entering the room filled with scrolls and books scattered all over the place. It was one of Orochimaru's research rooms.

She was looking for something that she can't pinpoint exactly, but it would be one that would definitely save her in the future. She spent her time reading anything that catches her attention. Thinking to herself as she reads the contents of the red scroll, her lips curved up into an amused smile.

"Living Corpse Reincarnation...huh?"

She places the scroll back in its place, thinking deeply about the similarity to how her soul got transferred to Asuna's body. She leisurely walks around the room, silence engulfing her every move.

She sits on the table, crossing her legs as she reads a book she pulled out of the shelves. It contained Orochimaru's research about the Ryuugaime Clan.

The Ryuugaime Clan possesses two kekkei genkei. The Ice Release and the Seiryuugan.

Ice Release is a kekkei genkei both present in the Yuki clan and the Ryuugaime clan but, there's a certain difference existing between the two. The Yuki clan has to first cast hand signs to use it but, the Ryuugaime Clan can use it at free will anytime they want without the need for hand signs that is if they manage to master it perfectly.

Seiryuugan is kekkei genkei limited to a pure-blooded Ryuugaime. It's a dojutsu that can manipulate chakra and amplify to the maximum or lower anyone's chakra to death it gazes upon to. This can only be used within 7 minutes minimum and 15 minutes maximum which can render the user unconscious and even potentially kill off the Ryuugaime once overused. It's appearance when activated is that the eyes would glow golden as blue ripples surround the blue iris. It can only be awakened once a Ryuugaime feels the despair of being abandoned and betrayed. The circles around the iris serve as locks to the hidden and mysterious power of the Ryuugaime clan that if one among the three circles disappears, the dojutsu gets even stronger.

Ryuugaime Daisuke was the only person who ever got to unlock the three seals.

His son Ryuugaime Daichi, a natural-born genius who possessed the Seryuugan since birth. He's an evolved Ryuugaime, a Watatsumi, born once in three centuries. Information about his eyes is unknown, however, there is a tale that a green-circled Seiryuugan could stop time.

Lhexi slammed the book close, irritated at the wrong pieces of information written. "What a bunch of bullshit. While it is indeed true that father was the only person in the history of our clan to break all three of the seals, and Daichi-nii being a Watatsumi. A tale like being able to stop time remains a tale...", Lhexi trails off.

"If father unlocked the three seals altogether, does that mean he was betrayed more than thrice?", she touches the bottom of her eyelids, her eyes softening. "Do I have to go through the same thing...? I can't even use it now that I know it's removing my memories in exchange for power."

Placing her hands behind her, she leans back, staring at the bulb hanging on the ceiling. She closes her eyes, reminiscing about her past. Placing her hand on her chest, she wonders why she felt a deep connection to the clan.

'Why can I use Asuna's chakra at will when she's already dead? Her spirit is connected to her life force, if she's gone, why can I still feel it?'

Slowly fluttering her eyes open, she parts her lips. She had a vague clue of what was going on.

"Asuna's soul never disappeared...she never died...we...", her monotone voice morphed into a light giggle. "Marvelous...marvelous indeed...Asuna, you..."

"How can such a girl who used to be so innocent and fragile as a flower think of this? You're terrifying Asuna...", she grinned sickly.

"To think you will combine our souls together..."

..........

Kyuuji was silent while staring at a rectangular piece of paper covered with dust. Tracing his fingers on it, he blows away the dirt now staring at a picture.

It was a bright young girl possessing golden jeweled eyes. The most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. She wore that simple white kimono dress, a daffodil ornament clipped on her long brown hair. Next to the princess was a younger version of himself, he didn't have that much of an expression on his face but, his eyes were full of life.

It used to be.

His thought was disrupted after hearing several knocks on the door. They were rather bold and aggressive. Taking his time, he hides the picture in between the pages of a book before returning it to the shelves. He walked in front of the doorway, turning the knob open to see a raven-haired kid, holding a great resemblance to Itachi.

Sasuke didn't flinch as Kyuuji towers over him. A feat normal ninjas couldn't even do when they feel his presence. Even Lhexi flinches whenever he appears.

"What have you come here for?", he asks.

"Teach me the summoning Jutsu.", Sasuke was daring with his words basically trying to order a high-ranked Jonin.

"Why should I?"

"You're the only one who can.", he replies back. "I know you're strong Kyuuji."

Kyuuji is not amused, actually, he's debating amongst himself whether he should just slice the neck of the Uchiha right there and then before throwing his dead body into the river.

"I refuse."

With that he slams his door close, leaving Sasuke in dazzle and shock. A genius like him was getting turned down by another genius.

"Oi...! I was talking to yo--"

Kyuuji didn't let him finish. "Come back when you learn how to respect your superiors.", Kyuuji walks away from his door, not responding to the depressed kid in front of his apartment.

Sasuke creased his eyebrows. He can't think of anything he's done wrong. Respect? He might even rather die first than call Kakashi, sensei, and even address the others with honorifics.

"Tch."

He turned around in the corridors, how would he even respect them when they're leisurely having fun when his friend was missing? How could they even call themselves reliable comrades?

In the end, they were all a bunch of crap.

He looks up noticing two pairs of eyes on him, he turned around glaring at the roof where he felt two people's presence.

"Woah! That's Uchiha Sasuke right? The lone survivor of the Uchiha clan. He's a pretty sharp one.", a blue-haired woman exclaimed out of nowhere. Her partner casually nodded in return, his attention however on his book.

Hikari sweat-dropped at the man beside her. A nerve on her forehead twitched in irritation. "Oi! Shinui! At least reply will you?!"

Shinui shushed Hikari with his middle finger. "Quiet down, Hikari-san. I'm in deep concentration right now."

"Die."

"Please remain silent for today and forever if you can. You've been blabbering nonstop since I met you.", he stated, dodging a quick spin-kick from Hikari. "Although I wonder if sewing your lips together would help.", he continued while squatting down.

"Shut the fuck up already!"

"I thought you wanted my reply?"

"Not anymore, you dumbfuck!"

Shinui eye-smiled. "Bitch."

"Fucking asshole!", her voice echoed all around Konoha.

"Slut.", Shinui calmly called. Annoying her further.

Hikari burst into flames, she was either gonna blow him or blow herself together with him. But before she could act, she was cooled down by the presence of Kyuuji who appeared behind them. Giving them a deep silent stare on the back of their heads.

This man was wondering if he should just put a leash on both of them. The two sweat-dropped having a vague idea of what was going on with their captain's head, they were hoping he wouldn't.

"What did you find out?", he asked and the two turned around.

Shinui handed him a brown envelope. Kyuuji was quick to take all the documents out and read them, his eyes scanning the words written. A picture of a black-haired girl was pasted on the top left corner of the paper.

"This seems real.", Kyuuji muttered.

Hikari sighed. "That's forged. A perfect fake. It says right there that she came from a civilian village when in fact she's from the Hidden Waterfall Village."

Kyuuji briefly stopped before regaining his composure. "Anything else?"

"Well, we've even infiltrated the village to get more information but, no one seems to know anything about her. Except for her adoptive family, I guess.", the woman continued.

"There were no records of her from the orphanage of that village. A girl like her with striking features should have gotten at least remembered but, nothing came up. It's like she came out of nowhere.", Shinui added.

"The Takeda family took her in when she was eight. Exactly five years ago, two weeks after the Ryuugaime massacre. And here...this was a piece of her cloth we got from their house. That was hard to find, you know."

The long-haired male reached for the piece of white fabric. It was a small piece, and the edges burned, however, no dirt was on it, and it got probably washed. There was a barely visible crest of a mountain sued on it.

The symbol of a mountain was the crest of the Ryuugaime Clan.

Hikari gave Kyuuji a skeptical look when she saw his lips twitch into a smile.

"Kyuuji-taichou..."

"Good work, you two.", he turned around from them, a light warmth burning in his chest.

"Please wait! Kyuuji-taichou!"

He stopped in tracks. "Is there something you need?"

"I-is that girl perhaps a survivor? I've heard that a few Ryuugaime can change their appearance and chakra signature."

The two faced their captain, waiting for him to reply. He was the same cold captain of theirs but, there was a small yet large difference they can't seem to pinpoint.

"There's no need to fret. Kakashi-san already killed all those children. The chance of survival is below zero. And, even if she was one, I would have beheaded her already."

Hikari nodded, still a little bit unsure. Shinui narrowed his eyes, skeptical at their captain. He was a sensor and just now, he felt Kyuuji's chakra waver.

He was lying.

'Just what are you hiding taichou? Something seems to be holding you back from telling us the truth.'

The two waited until Kyuuji was gone before they shared their opinions about the matter.

"He's lying.", Hikari blurted out all of a sudden.

"Yeah, just now did you see that?"

"He was smiling. That's the first time I've ever seen him smile."

Hikari looked down at her feet as Shinui asks her. "What are you gonna do?"

"We continue our investigation of course. He never said anything about not prying further."

"Are you gonna kill that girl?"

The blue-haired woman bit her lower lip. "Yeah, I know, that Arexa--Alexa or whatsoever is a member of that clan. I'll kill her once I gather enough evidence."

"If Kyuuji-taichou gets to know about this, you won't leave unpunished."

"That will only happen if you betray me."

Her bright-green eyes stared back at the black orbs of Shinui before he decided to cut off the tension in the air.

"Alright, I'll help you. You should ask your elder sister about her.", he turned his back, staring at the four head statues.

"Eh-why?"

"Don't you know? Aiko-san was Alexa-san's previous teacher."

"Eh? EHH?! Why did you only tell me now?!"

..........

Naruto laughed to himself after he managed to fool the whole hospital staff with a kage bunshin. He jumped to the next building, channeling his chakra to his feet, only to fall down the next moment.

"Argh! Damn it! It hurts!"

He clutched his stomach as he squats down to ease the pain radiating all around his body. Thanks to the tailed beast inside him, he was healing at an unbelievable pace. If it wasn't for the poison that took long enough to be extracted, he would be able to move easier.

"Wait for me...! I'll find you soon! And I'll surely bring you back safe!"

But, despite all this, he continued to move forth reaching the village's gate in a few minutes. It's still a mystery how a ninja wearing full bright clothes hasn't got noticed even once.

His knee buckled as he rested on the top of the wall, he couldn't leave the village through the gate for he would be caught. He stared down at the low ground below him when the corners of his eyesight were filled with black dots.

His head spiraled with ache as he stumbled back, and he winced when he twisted his ankle. Shaking his head as he tries to regain his balance, he stepped forward as his vision wavers. Finally noticing he stepped on nothing but, the air he realized he was falling with his head first to reach the ground.

Gravity pulled him down before he landed on the ground, he was sure he heard a few cracks when he met the dirty solid land. His back laid against the dirt as he stares at the bright sun.

"...that hurts ttebayo...haah...I need to get to...Lhexi-chan...", he tries to get up but, his body couldn't find the energy nor the strength to do so.

He closes his eyes muttering curses along the way. "Lhexi-chan...", he hollered with his disappearing strength.

He suddenly no longer felt the sun burning his skin causing him to open his eyes. Purple eyes stared back at his azure eyes. Black hair sprawled all around his face.

"You called?"

Naruto grinned in response. "Heh...you're here..."

"Did I take too long?"

"Yeah...you're late..."

His vision was engulfed with darkness but, he was finally reassured. He could now rest with no worries.

..........

Along the outskirts of the village, a little far from Alexa and Naruto, a strange light opened up and two figures fell from the sky.

One dressed in a black cloak, effortlessly landed on the ground, avoiding getting injured in the process. He didn't spare the other person a glance who fell on the ground after getting stuck with the tree branches.

The younger male wore a black unzipped jacket with additional dark pink stripes which were now soiled with dirt. His white shirt underneath remained clean thanks to his jacket.

He got up at a turtle pace, dusting off his black jacket. "T-that hurts ttebasa."

The black-haired adult observed their surroundings, trying to get as much information as possible.

"Where are we?", the yellow-haired teenager asks.

The adult noticed the walls sticking out above the trees before he sighed relieved. "We're outside the village."

"Eh?", the teenager's eyes resembling the color of the sky blinked in response before laughing. "I was so worried! Thank goodness!"

They walked through the gate and both of them immediately noticed the sheer difference. The guard post was smaller and built differently compared to before. The pavement was nothing but, dirt. It was supposed to be made with cement and bricks. There was no particular building that reached the clouds.

"What's the meaning of this?", the teen asks loud enough to wake the two sleeping guards who simply snored in return. He follows his master who jumped to the wall, before leaping to a building enough to see the whole village with their eyes.

"O-oi! Dad's, old man Kakashi's and Tsunade's faces are missing!", the boy grumbled in incredulity, sweat sliding to his two whiskered mark cheeks.

"Don't tell me...", the adult sweat-dropped.

"We're in the past?!"