• The Story of Katakune Tamoku
    (Hope Rejuvinated)

    Chapter 9 - "Unexpected Visitor"


    It's been so long! The country doesn't seem the same since I first got here, but it's gotten better... in ways. I got to see people get stronger, older, and wiser as a shinobi. Just like me! "And if you haven't figured out yet," I chuckled under my breath, "I'm a whopping eighteen years old!" Bet you can't believe any of that, right? Well, today is another life changing experience. I could bearly feel my sigh under my numbing breath as I continued. Tonight, is the night of the Red Moon, again. But this time, instead of the leaving... it's the first night of the coming...
    It was a regular morning, just like any other morning, but when I got up, something was wrong. I had a bit of bad luck throughout my house, just getting out the door. I woke up upside-down in my new bed, I tripped going down the hallway, I ran out of food for breakfast, and the faucet broke on the sink. "Just little minor details I can fix," I said to myself, "Time to go out and fix them, I guess. Then off to training!"
    I burst out my front door and held my arms out to smell the cool fresh morning air. "Perfect day!" I cheered to myself, grinning. But right after I stepped foot from my house, it suddenly turned night time. "What in the world?" I looked around as everything got darker and darker until nothing could be seen in sight. I looked back to see if I could still touch my house, but the closer I thought I got to my house, the more frantic I became. Everything was as dark as the very pits of hell and I could see no lights at all. I started to become really worried.
    And then, just like one single stage light, a gleaming red beam shone it's light down on this dark pit of nothingness, just to show myself how alone I really am. I looked up and saw the moon, it's color a deep red, in the dead center of the starless sky. "What's happening?" I stuttered to myself as a single sweat drop fell from my cheek. Then this ominous low and slow pounding sound came from nowhere. I looked everywhere to see what was happening, finding out that the noise got faster and higher by the note.
    In a distance, I saw a tiny purple light in front of me. I squinted to see what it was, and realized it got bigger, as if it was getting closer to me. Then in more detail, in mid-pitched, mid sounding noises, I saw that it was a veil of purple mist, looming over the ground, poisoning everything in it's way. The noises got more distracting, louder and louder; higher and higher, then I saw a figure in the depths of the mist. I started sweating under pressure, and got out a kunai in fighting stance. The moon's light also seemed to get brighter, shining right ontop of me. "What's happening to me? What's going on here?" I thought to myself. The figure got bigger and I could see movement. The sounds got higher and higher, and the mist looked like swarming stampedes of snakes, squirming in every direction. Right then, I could feel a heart beat. Not mine though, it didn't match the same beat. But along with the high pitched noises, the heart beat got faster and louder too.
    The enveloped body got closer and closer to me and with no noise, It got out of the mist, showing bits of detail. My eyes opened wide as I stared at the uncanny familiar figure. It was holding a long priest's staff with a loop at the end, connecting four other rings on it. It had a samurai's katana on it's back, and it had two little spikes coming from the top of it's head. It got closer. "It" is a man. He wore a long black coat with a high chin, containing red crescent decorations in various parts of it. He got at point-blank range from me and I didn't move. The high pitched squeal finally stopped, akwardly leaving the last jingle of his priest's staff echoing through the death-defying area.
    The whole world stopped, leaving the blinding red light of the moon, shining on us. The mist retreated back into a floating orb next to his head. He was pretty much taller than me, and his smell was sinister. He didn't talk until I gazed into his dark eyes. The next second, the light shone in his eyes, his cold gray-colored eyes, concentric rings around the pupils.
    I stopped breathing, and my eyes got wide, really wide. It couldn't be... it's not. It... is... "T-Ta... Tatsuka...?" He gazed directly into my eyes and whispered, "You are ready." My breath came back in little puffs of cold air. Goosebumps rose up my arms as the air grew denser and colder. "Ta-tatsuka? Is that really you brother?" I looked back at him, the light finally encasing, and showing every detail on his body. "You are not mistaken. This body you are looking at is the form of your brother. But do I have the same personality? That is for you to figure out." I stared at him querily, "What?" I know this is my brother. There is no doubt, but there's something wrong about him.
    I put my kunai away and qucikly wrapped my arms around him to give him a big hug, but before I could even touch him, he swiped his arms away from me. "What's wrong brother? You're finally back!" I started laughing, I was so happy. "I'm so glad you're back!" I yelled. He just stared at me, not a muscle moved in his face, "But... I'm not happy to see you. I'm only proud that you've made it this far." My laughter smoothed down, "Wh-what? Broth--" He interupted me and screamed, "You are a shinobi now! You don't need to train anymore! It's time you put your skill to the test, and come with me!" I was confused, what was happening? "You won't be needing these anymore either!" He swiftly grabbed my glasses, threw them with force to the ground, cracking them, then stomping and squishing the remains with his foot. "Ah! But Brother! I need those! I can't see without them!" I started to reach down for them but I suddenly felt a finger's poke so hard on my forehead it made a sound and knocked me off balance a few steps backwards, "Oww!" I started crying it was so painful... but when I opened my eyes, "Uh? Tatsuka! I can see! You may my vision better! Thank you so much!" I started to run towards him, but when I got a step away, he grabbed my headband (which was originally hanging on my neck), and forced it up to my forehead, making me squint. Then quicker than you could do anything, he quickly stroked the forehead protector, that was now on my forehead, so hard it knocked me down to my side, on the floor; creating a long horizontal slash in the middle: A sign to show that you a rebel from that village.
    I opened my eyes and felt the bruise on my forehead, the sore pain seemed to bleed through my forehead and under my headband. "Brother," I weakly coughed out, "What are you doing to me?" I looked up at him and the first thing I saw was his evil smile. He was holding the staff down to me, with a long spiked black rod at the end. "Don't worry, Katakune, this won't kill you entirely. It will only poison your chakra flow, making you fall asleep under the spell." I quickly reacted and tried to get up, but the pain stopped me from doing so. "CHGWOAGH" Blood spewed out of my body and drained across the dim, cold ground. Blood came out of my mouth, meeting the floor as I weakly cried, "Tatsuka," Only to hear his evil laughter in response.
    "So... cold..." "drip... drip..." I opened my eyes to a dark and damp cellar in a cave. The drops of water echoed throughout it. Where am I? And how come I can't move? It's night time already? What's going on here? "Is anybody there?" I desperatly said. Next I heard the chinking of a gate closing, ending with a loud bang and a metal rustling after. This made me quickly and painfully turn my head to the cellar gate. I saw a tall black figure behind it. "Tatsuka, what are you doing?!"
    "Now that you've agreed to join me and participate in the Red Moon organization, or Akatsuki, you will be set here until further notice, or until I assign you a mission." He slipped a bowl in the tiny space under the gate, along with a few crumbs. I looked at the bowl and noticed it only had about three drops of clear liquid in it. "That will be your dinner for tonight, hope you had a good breakfast, cause it'll be you last." He then walked away, leaving me chained to the ground, not even in reach of the drops of water and crumbs of left-over bread. "Big breakfast?" I thought to myself, "I had no breakfast at all!" I then found the strength to sit up and look down. I was wearing the same dress as Tatsuka was, only with red clouds, instead of moons. "What, am I his pawn now? He's treating me like a prisoner! God, could my life get any worse?" I bit my lip and a single tear fell. Then I stared at the ceiling and noticed a small little window in the center, showing the full red moon. I got shocked; this could be the way out!
    I sneakily looked around the cell to see if I was accomponied with anyone, but I wasn't. Good, no surveilence either, it seemed. Then I looked out the gate and saw other cells. Those cells had people with the same clothing as me, and the same slashed headband. They were all sleeping though, like they were used to it. I sighed and looked back up at the glass. Ok, to find a way to get out of these chains and out that window...
    I thought for a while then with my hand, I reached for my weapon pack. I opened it and pulled out a kunai with two shades of dried blood on it. I chuckled to myself and thought: This kunai knive still has traces of blood from the Black Haired Beauty, and mine. And since chakra flows through you like your bloodstream, if both her and my chakra is together, all I have to do is put a little more chakra in it and... the kunai lit up with a bright blue light. I turned the kunai to where it would face up, and added some extra chakra... then at the speed of light, a huge beam of chakra came out of the tip and ripped the chains from behind me and broke the glass above me too.
    I broke out the rest of the chains and stood up. "Perfect, exactly how I planned it," I put the kunai back and stared up at the broken glass, now a hole in the ceiling. With my ninja stamina, and with one jump, I flew out of the whole and ontop of the cave. On the roof of the cave, I squatted down from being seen, and looked around. I could see for miles. Miles and miles of dark dust. We were in a cave in the middle of an empty desert! In the middle of nowhere! I stood up and started to walk around the top of the cave till I got to a hightened hill. "This must be where Tatsuka sleeps," I thought to myself. "Well... something in my mind says I should just leave. But there's no sign of home anywhere. The other side of me wants to confront him, to know why he took me here. I never agreed to this. And he's my brother, he's my idol, he'll understand."
    I jumped high in the air and threw a tagged kunai to the spot I was standing, and before I fell down in the room, it exploded, giving me a space to fall through. With no sound, I stealthily landing on my feet at the door to Tatsuka's room. "I was right," I whispered to myself, "This is his roo--" I was astounded. What is this chakra? It was energy lurking around in the room so strong I could feel it disrupting my internal flow. It must be a sleeping powder. I covered my mouth and nose with my collar and walked down the little hallway of his creepy metalic room. There were six capsules with people in them, three on each side of the room. On the very end, in the biggest capsule was my brother. His staff had grown in width and stabbed through his abdomen and towered to the very top of the room. On the wall behind him, was a large cross where it looked like someone would be crucified. But it might just be another bed, according to the other people in this room.
    I walked up to the side of Tatsuka's bed and looked in his capsule, staring into his closed eyes. Just staring at him made me nervous and start sweating. "What would be my next move," I thought to myself. Well, I figured that out as soon as both his eyes widly opened staring directly into mine. I panicked and ran quickly to the opposite side of the room, running into a wall. There was no door?! How could I get out? Just then, all of the capsules started to open, releasing purple mist, enveloping the whole floor. "Poison," I thought, as I hesitently looked back at all the figures stepping out of the capsules. With my final thought, I jumped out of the hole I came in, and ran to the hole of my cellar. "I really hope he doesn't catch me," I thought.
    Time to use my new jutsu I made up in the Star Village. I can use it to make metal weapons appear from a golden dust I like to call, Stardust. I haven't tried to use it to make other things though.
    Unwisely, I held my hand up to the hole and started closing it up using stardust. It didn't make a window, no, it made a thin metal enclosing, but that would be good enough. I quickly went to sleep and ignored my thoughts of Tatsuka.
    "I've captured sight of the One-Tailed, everyone! Wake up!" I heard a low voice being echoed throughout the long hallways of the cave, followed shortly by rapid footsteps. I woke up and saw a black blur with red hair. "Huh? Is this some kind of messenger for the Akatsuki?" Everyone started to wake up and stand patiently at their gates. I walked to my gate and strained to look down the west hallway, watching as the messenger ran to Tatsuka's room. I got amazed as he melted through the wall. There was no door anyway. I stared at the person in the cell across from me and whisper-shrieked, "Who is that?" He blankly stared at me and said, "That's none of you're damn business, newbie." I scoffed and stepped back. The Akatsuki really are filled with class 'S' criminals who belong in the prison anyway. But I don't belong here... I have no reason to be in jail like this. My eyes started tearing up, but I quickly erased them as Tatsuka walked down the hallway with his arms outstretched, magically breaking all of our locks as he walked past them. Everyone walked out of their cells and followed him. So did I.
    I walked behind everyone else, last in line to an area in the end of the cave that was open at the top. It also had a flat stand in the back and stalagmites in various areas that we would stand next to or ontop of. I guess this is where everyone would meet when something good or bad happened to have an Akatsuki meeting. I shakily stood next to the shortest one in the back, not even know what I was doing, as Tatsuka stood ontop of the stand and held out his arms. "Members of Akatsuki! We have an extremely important announcment to make!" I stared at him, and at the red haired messenger beside him. "We have finally finished our money making levels to the end and now we found our first Jinchuuriki. Surprisingly, it is also the One Tailed Bijuu, Shukaku!" Everyone joined in a cheer. Everyone but me. I realized what they've been doing all these years. Tatsuka found all these members to join him, probably by force like me, and then when he was done, he started crimes with them. They robbed banks for extra money and attacked people to learn their jutsu. Criminals indeed, especially when they start messing with the Tailed Demons. Jinchuuriki are hosts for the demons, people who have the Bijuu inside of them. And Bijuu are the beasts themselves. I don't know if Tatsuka named them that, or if that's what they were originally named. But then, Tatsuka pointed at me. "And since you did the biggest crime ever, Katakune, breaking into my room and laying eyes in my chamber, you shall be the one to capture the one tailed. Alone." Everyone stared at me and I sunk to the ground in embarrassment. A sudden hissing sound was made and everyone went back to their cells. I don't know what the members do when they don't have a mission to do, but I have a feeling I'm going to have a lot of work to do.
    I stayed for a while in the ampitheater and Tatsuka walked up to me. "Brother, the one-tailed is in the Sand Village. I'm not certain what her name is, but she's of different color and her pain is physical. She didn't take like the other Jinchuuriki, crying everyday. She actually did something about it. She wrestled her pain away and is still kind of violent. She is twenty-one now, and she might be a threat to you, being three years older. I know you can handle this, Katakune, so do your best. Go there and knock her out. Then bring her back to me, I'll take care of the rest," He explained. I gulped and replied, "You don't want me to kill her? And when I do bring her back, what will you do to her? He chuckled and looked at me, "Brother, as a part of the Akatsuki, you will be the assasin. You shall kill, but you will not kill her, understand? And as for my part, that's only for me to know. Not you, and not anyone else. Clear?" I stared down. "Clear..."
    "Good luck. And remember, Don't kill her." He then walked off. I sighed and thought, "What's happening to my life? How come I only had six years of happiness? I think people should have more than that. Six years is only one third of my life. The other two thirds are hatred, and despair. Heck, I don't even know where the Sand Village is. I don't even know where I am. I'm alone, yet there's nine other people here. I silently cried to myself, standing up, clenching my hands into a fist until they bled, until the first morning light came up and lit the whole cave a mellow pink.