Chapter 56 - ...Wicked Intentions

“Here we go.”



Ekyt walked up the castle. It was a forbidding place. A cemetery was to both sides of the old, cobblestone mansion, not easing Ekyt’s worry of impending doom. Raising one hand, Ekyt reached up and gripped the heavy iron door knocker. He let it thunder against the thick, aging wood of the door three times, then stepped back to wait. Very quickly, Ekyt saw Koori. It took all his self-control to stop him from attacking the man.

“The Lady will see you,” Koori muttered darkly.

“I’m flattered,” Ekyt shot back.

Koori grabbed the back of Ekyt’s coat, causing Ekyt to grab Koori’s hand and start to break fingers.

“My niece was once happily married. To a fool, yes, but a better fool than you,” Koori began.

“I should hope so, I don’t think myself a fool,” Ekyt retorted dryly.

Ignoring that crack, Koori continued. “My niece means a lot to me…so I’m warning you- you kill keep your hands off her. She’s cultivated an…interest in you, in her desperation for love. And you would be foolish to accept any ‘proposals’ she makes you. If you value your health. Understand?”

Ekyt just shook his head. “I’m irresistible. Maybe I won’t be able to control myself…”

(Outside, Lee and Sakura were cracking up at the way Ekyt was answering these questions. Apparently, he was less stiff if people he cared about weren’t right there with him.)



Naikou’s room was built strangely. The room was completely circular, and painted a faint orange color, making it deceptively colorful for being inside a castle. Lining the walls were all sorts of occult trinkets and weapons. One book case was dedicated to the dark arts, with black books and scrolls filling it from top to bottom, and a thick layer of dust covering that. It was like an evil, sadistic man had met a sweet, innocent girl, and this was the strange result.

In reality, that was exactly what had happened. Naikou shed a tear for her fallen husband now. He had been thirty, while she had been eighteen when they married. But they had been so in love! Naikou’s smile was said to brighten up the darkest day when in the presence of her lover. She had been so happy to be wed, and proudly showed off her wedding ring. It was gold, but had a dark line etched across it, shaped like ~. She never knew what it meant, but found the symbol intoxicating nonetheless.

Naikou had wanted children, but just as she had decided with her husband, he was killed. Murdered.

But my pain and loneliness ends now! I have a new lover! And HE’LL help me get the baby I’ve always wanted! I’ll never be alone again! He’ll never leave my side!

Naikou heard the knock on her door, meaning that her new lover had arrived.

“Come in!” she sang out, making sure she was only somewhat revealing. Make him work for it, Naikou…




Ekyt walked in, masks still in place. That was good, because the first thing he did was survey the room, to find the trouble-making mirror. With his ANBU mask, he could look with his eyes while not turning his head, which meant he couldn’t give away his intentions. The room looks like a Barbie doll puked in an occult store…but there’s that mirror. I can sense it’s chakra already, it’s heavily protected…And it’s not genjutsu, either. I can’t take the time to decipher WHAT is protecting it, I just have to get past it’s defenses and destroy. But, for now, I’d better pretend that I’m interested in the girl…

“Naikou-chan? You’re more beautiful in person than I could have imagined,” Ekyt said in his most truthful voice, taking one of her manicured hands in his.

“Ekyt-kun, I’ve waited SO long to meet you…I have such a wondererful life, waiting for you and me to share together…forever…” Naikou’s open robe was designed to get Ekyt’s attention. Under his mask, he was blushing, despite the fact she was still covered up. But girls in the Leaf village didn’t dress like that. The one’s back home, though, before the Leaf Village, they did…I hated it then, too. Girls try too hard sometimes. Although, to be fair, guys are just as bad…agh, focus, nimrod! Let her pull the seduction act so you can finish this mission!

“Of course. Fate brought us together…” Ekyt smiled. I hate myself so much for this…

“Well, the first thing’s first, Ekyt-kun. Why don’t you take off that coat, and that mask, and get comfortable. Oh, here, let me help!” Naikou undid the buttons on Ekyt’s jacket, smiling at him the whole time. Ekyt, for his part, was blushing the whole time, and hating himself. But he kept repeating ‘for the mission’ in his head. This strange mantra kept him calm, and from thinking things like “I’m going to hell for this, aren’t I?” from creeping into his head.

Soon, Naikou removed his dragon mask. Their eyes met. In Naikou’s mind, there was magic. In Ekyt’s, there was shame. But that was thrown aside when Naikou turned away from Ekyt.

“I’ve waited so long, darling. I want you to see my wedding dress…don’t go away, because after you see the dress, you’ll see what’s under it.” Naikou gave a dark-eyed glance, a sultry smile, then sauntered into her bathroom, shutting the door.




Ekyt bit his thumb. “Summoning Jutsu!” Umisu appeared on Ekyt’s shoulder. “For Lord Hokage, hurry! Ask him to send what I requested in my last letter…”
Umisu winked his understanding, then disappeared in a small puff of smoke.

Naikou emerged from the bathroom, wearing a low-cut and very short wedding dress.

“Do you like it? I wore this for my first wedding, and my husband LOVED it! But he’s gone now, so we can focus on you…and your needs. For I share those needs…” Naikou rubbed up against Ekyt, who’s face was burning red.

Damnit! I’ve got to stall for time!

“Before we move on…I’ve got something to show you, too. I’ll be right back…” Ekyt did his best to strut out of the room, though he felt like his @$$ was up in the air like a whale’s tail.

Once in the bathroom, Ekyt tried to decide what to show Naikou to buy time. If she was into the occult, maybe his Striking Serpent Blades would fascinate her. No, that wouldn’t do it. But the fading tattoo on his arm would. It’s as bizarre as you can get. If she’s been in this castle as long as I’m guessing, she’s had less of a social life than me. Hopefully, this miserable mark will make for conversation…

After Ekyt had sealed Itachi’s Sharingan (A few issues back), he and Itachi both received a “Five Elements Seal”. Ekyt’s seal was on his shoulder, while Itachi’s was over his left eye. When Ekyt was forced to unseal the Sharingan, the tattoo had faded, but not disappeared entirely. THAT would fascinate this simple, yet strangely complex girl. But part of Ekyt was saddened. She’s kind of crazy…but I wonder if loneliness caused that? She really loved whoever it was she married. Even though she’s attacking people, she’s not malicious. I wish there was some way to make this work out…but the mission has to come first! That mirror must be destroyed!

Ekyt walked back out of the bathroom, and sat next to Naikou on her bed. “I wanted to show you this…” Ekyt concentrated, and felt the fading seal light up on his upper right arm, next to his ANBU tattoo.

“It’s so pretty! Let’s see…Water…Earth…Wind…Fire…Void…what does it mean?” Naikou’s brow was wrinkled in concentration, trying to make sense of what she perceived as an odd tattoo.

“That’s not all. The marks near my eyes are from my clan, the Kaguya. Only two of us are left in the world. The rest of us were slaughtered in a senseless battle that we ourselves started…” Ekyt looked away. In the window, he saw just what he had been waiting for. He nodded once to it, then grimaced. Ekyt forced himself to hug Naiko, and made sure his mask smudged her make-up.

“Oh, you silly boy! Let me clean this up!” Naikou trotted off to the bathroom to fix her makeup. Ekyt raced to the window.


“Thank you for coming, Enma-sama.” Ekyt felt strange addressing a monkey that way, but this monkey deserved that distinction. This was the summon of the Third Hokage, the Monkey King Enma.

“Sarutobi told me of this evil mirror. And of you. But, for now, the mirror. If you remember the jutsu…”

“I do. Transformation: Adamantine Yoi!” Ekyt called. Enma became a staff, harder than diamond. Just as Naikou walked back into the room, Ekyt swung the staff at the mirror.

CRASH!!!

“Neiri!” Ekyt called, bringing Enma back to his normal form. “Thank you, Enma. Please tell Lord 3rd everything went as planned until now. I’ll keep him updated…”

“Alright. I’ll inform Sarutobi. For now, you’d better move yourself!” Enma disappeared.


Naikou walked into the room, looking at the destroyed mirror. She shrugged. “My, my, you DO pack a wallop, you naughty boy! Oh well, it can’t be helped. I DID make you wait, didn’t I? Perhaps I teased you TOO long. ‘Make them work for the gold’ is what my uncle always told me. And now I’ve simply made you too blind with your love for me, and you had to have a release. Now that I have YOU, that mirror means nothing. Only you and I exist in my world…”

Ekyt looked away as Naikou shed her wedding dress, leaving her in her underwear.

“No. You are wrong. Naikou, I don’t think you’re evil, but I DO think you’re mistaken. It’s hard to crush you, but I’m not in love with you, and I’m sorry I led you along, even if it was only ten minutes. My heart belongs to someone else. And your attacks were senseless and violent. I was sent here to stop them, and I did what I had to.”

Naikou suddenly looked shocked. “Y-you mean…it was all a dream? You never cared for me?!”

“How could I? I never met you, and you tried to kill my friend!” Ekyt said back quietly. That’s when it hit him. Damn, my headset! She’s got it! Ekyt now saw the headset destroyed between Naikou’s deceptively powerful fingers.

“Well, I loved you! If I can’t have you, I’ll kill you!” Naikou shouted. Somehow, with her being in her underwear, Ekyt couldn’t take the threat seriously.


BOOM!




Sakura burst into the room. What greeted her eyes was a coatless Ekyt and some psycho chick in her underwear and a wedding veil.

“What the hell?!” she managed, before her eye twitching started.

“Sakura-sensei, I SWEAR, nothing happened!” Ekyt called over. Sakura gave him an amused look.

“I figured THAT much out. Before your headset went dead, I caught you bluffing your way through everything. No offense, Ekyt-kun, but when it comes to girls, you’re not likely to be the one doing the seducing…or the stripping…” Sakura snickered. Clueless…cute, but clueless.

Ekyt shrugged. “Got me there. Thanks for believing me.” Ekyt put his coat back on while Sakura faced off with Naikou. Sakura was holding a kunai in a guard, while Naikou had picked up her kimono and grabbed the senbon from inside it. Without warning, Naikou threw the senbon at Ekyt.

Ekyt was just picking up his mask when he saw the senbon. He threw the mask up in a block, the porcelain cracking but not breaking as the senbon flew off it erratically.

“Ekyt, you go help Lee! There’s about a hundred soldiers from hell down there! And that nut-job, Koori!” Sakura dodged aside as Naikou swung at her. Grabbing her wedding veil, Sakura threw her into the shards of the mirror.

“Yes, sensei!” Ekyt ran from the room, wondering just how much Sakura heard. “My heart belongs to someone else?” Why the hell did I say that out loud?!





Lee was rapidly becoming swamped in the corridor of the castle. He destroyed soldier after soldier, but they just came back to life.
This is not good! Taijutsu is my only weapon! I need fire! There are no torches…If I could just reach the insane man controlling them…

“Dragon’s Ember Jutsu!” Ekyt shouted. As he used his chakra and saw the skeletons burst into flames, he felt the Kaguya blood near his eyes spread. He reached back into his shoulder and pulled out a bone.

“Lee, can you open the Gates? I’m sure the head freak is going to show soon! Dance of the Cammelia!” Ekyt called. His hand became a blur as skeleton after skeleton was impaled by, ironically, a bone. But there were still too many, and Ekyt didn’t have any more exploding tags, and no time to use the summoning scroll he always carried to get more. The Kaguya blood took over once more.

“Dance of the Larch!” From every part of Ekyt’s body, bones suddenly shot out, impaling soldiers and keeping them away. If I could round them up…damn it, the Kaguya paint must sap my chakra, since I’m not 100% Kaguya. I’ve got one more Kaguya Bloodline Jutsu in me.

“Dance of the Clemantis: Vine!” Ekyt pulled his spine out. The long bone whipped out, snaring several of the soldiers. Ekyt focused his chakra to his feet and leapt up as high as he could. From there, he finished what gravity began, and threw the soldiers into the ground, where their bones flew far apart, making reformation impossible. Ekyt was still in the air when a familiar dagger swung at him. Ekyt tucked his legs in and pulled his stomach back. The dagger shot, like boomerang, back to it’s owner.

“Now you’ve ruined my dreams AND destroyed my niece’s heart! You’ll see no mercy from me!” Koori shouted just as Ekyt touched down on the floor. Ekyt had landed crouched, so he could easily jump up and over the skeletons that were now focused on him.

“Lee, you handle him, I’ll handle the graveyard rejects for now! Koori hasn’t tasted your taijutsu yet!”

Lee struck his signature pose, complete with his teeth gleaming. “I will give him a show that he will never forget!”




Naikou got up, plucking glass from her mostly-nude body.

“Vile dog! YOU’RE the reason Ekyt-kun isn’t mine! It’s all YOUR FAULT!!!” Naikou went into a rage. Sakura smashed the ground, creating a crater between them. Naikou leapt back onto the window ledge, her kimono in hand.

“What the hell are you talking about? He and I aren’t together! That, and the fact you’re a psycho probably turned him off! Why did you attack everyone like that?!” Sakura demanded. “Before you answer that, why don’t you put that kimono on. If you don’t, every drooling otaku’s gonna think this is a great show, two girls fighting!”

Naikou pulled the Kimono on, tying it securely this time. “I attacked because I was alone…you have friends, I saw you! The two that came with you, and your headband…you belong somewhere. When my husband died, I lost all that! I got his money, and his stupid books and trinkets, but I lost my friends, my lover, and my hope all in one horrible stab! Why should I suffer alone?! WHY?! THAT’S why I attacked- that mirror was my link to the outside world, and to people. If they felt my pain, they couldn’t ignore me. I waited for the day some handsome boy would come, and we’d get married, and I’d live the life I’d dreamed of since I was a little girl. But that’s all gone now!”

Sakura lowered her guard, then slowly approached Naikou. “Hey, it’s not that bad. I thought I loved this guy, and he turned out to be a jerk, big time. He tried to kill one of my best friends, who did nothing to him. Imagine chasing this one boy your whole life, shunning all the others who you could have had, all to find out the guy isn’t all he’s cracked up to be. He’s nothing you wanted, and now, you don’t know if you’ll ever get another chance at love…”

Naikou and Sakura looked at each, the hatred now gone.

“You’re a nice-looking girl, you’ll find someone! But you’ve got to get out and try. Not to mention…you might want to hide the occult stuff,” Sakura added with a giggle.

“You’re right…” Naikou realized she didn’t know the name of the girl she was addressing.

“Sakura.”

“You’re right Sakura. Now, let me thank you…” Naikou leaned forward and tried to kiss Sakura. Sakura retaliated by cracking Naikou across the head.

“I DIDN’T MEAN ME! I HAVEN’T GIVEN UP ON BOYS!”

(NOTE: IF THIS IS FOUND OFFENSIVE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I’LL REMOVE IT, NO QUESTIONS ASKED)





Koori wasn’t young anymore. His aged bones couldn’t withstand Lee’s attacks, that was quickly apparent. He had to keep Lee at a distance. Making hand signs, Koori tried genjutsu.

“Forbidden Jutsu: Hell’s Gate Release!”

But Lee was gone. Or so it appeared. The crafty Lee had actually sped behind Koori, already opening the first gate of chakra. Lee snagged Koori by his cape and leapt up high. Before Koori could use a replacement jutsu, Lee had Koori’s arms bandaged up.

“Primary Lotus!”




Ekyt leapt up high, with several skeletal menaces following him. Ducking one strike while still in the air, Ekyt grabbed the bony arm and threw it’s owner into another skeleton. Two others pulled out their own fingers and threw them at Ekyt like Senbon. Two hit Ekyt squarely in the back. POOF! Replacement jutsu. Ekyt had already landed, handsigns made.

“Dragon’s Ember Jutsu: Clone Instigation!” A shadow clone of Ekyt appeared beside the genuine article, using the Dragon’s Ember Jutsu.

“Dragon’s Path Jutsu!” Ekyt leapt on top of the fire, drawing his two Striking Serpent Blades slicing away. But there were so many of them. One skeleton grabbed Ekyt’s leg and threw him into the wall. When he got up, Ekyt’s face was bloodied. And all his stress had come to a boil. This foreign, haunted place, the girl he had just led on in the name of a mission, his forsaken rank (he gave up the rank of chunin a couple issues ago), and the distrust. The betrayl, the hatred, the pain. The pain.

Ekyt had been a student of everyone who could teach him. From Jiraiya, Ekyt had learned the theory of the Rasengan. He also learned he didn’t possess the chakra to make the move effective. But he DID have the ability to use fire in place of chakra, and speed from the First Gate of Chakra. Using his knowledge of the theory, what had formed was what Ekyt had dubbed the:

“Dragon’s Immortal Flame Circle!”

A ball of fire grew in Ekyt’s hand, until it was roughly the size of a human head. Upon opening the first gate of chakra, Ekyt tore forward through the enemies, any one of them that got too close turning into a pile of cinders.

Then, as quickly as the skeletons had come, they vanished.




After Lee used the Primary Lotus, Koori’s head split wide open, a gusher of blood erupting. Koori would live, but today’s fight was over for him.




At the steps of the castle, Ekyt, Sakura, and Lee stood across from Naikou. The girl, brought to her senses by Sakura, apologized for what she had done.

“My loneliness got the better of me. But you showed me what I have to do to get over that loneliness. Thank you all so much. And Ekyt…sorry about…you know…’ Naikou’s pretty cheeks flushed.

“Don’t worry about, Naikou. Pardon me…” Ekyt walked away, toward Konoha, but stopped at the forest, staring up at the trees. Just like last time…what the hell did she see in me? Although, I suspect that a psycho, nympho girl is the only one that’ll settle for me…Oh well. I sound like Shikamaru…THAT is a drag. And I STILL don’t have the guts to tell Sakura…oh well…tomorrow’s another day…although it’ll probably be a rotten one. Hmm…Naikou must have been attracted to my optimism. With that, Ekyt’s thoughts turned back to their normal, depressing, and somewhat rueful, state.




“Guess we’d better go. Take care, Naikou!” Sakura said pleasantly, staying out of kiss range.

Lee waved his goodbye, then followed Sakura on their march over to Ekyt.

“Ready to go?” Sakura questioned, putting a hand on Ekyt’s shoulder.

“Never more so. This place is hell.”

Sakura and Lee nodded their agreement, but Sakura added an amendment to that statement.

“From the way you’re staring at nothing, it seems like hell is in your mind, too.”

Ekyt shrugged. “hell is in the eye of the beholder, I guess. I’m not so vain as to think I have hell in my head, I’m not that important.’

Lee shook his head in disbelief. “Ekyt-san, you might be the only person I know who can even think himself unfit for even hell…”

That elicited a dark laugh from Ekyt. “Well, you know, it’s tradition. Whenever the three of us leave this hellhole, I brood.”

“If you’re playing that game…” Sakura kissed Ekyt on the cheek after swiftly removing his dragon mask. “…then me kissing you and thanking you for saving my life is tradition, too.”

“Not to mention the blushing. Ekyt-san, perhaps you have a fever?” Lee teased.

“Shut it, Lee,” Ekyt shot back, a smile in his voice, and red on his cheek. That’s a nice tradition…





The Third Hokage listened patiently to Enma as the monkey king spoke about what he saw. His mission to observe Ekyt had been an interesting one, and he had plenty to tell Sarutobi.

“I’m sure he had no idea I was watching. He acted like a leader, despite being the lowest ranked. Sakura is talented, no doubt, and Lee is incredible with taijutsu. The one you had me watch, though, he’s different. In a way, he reminds me of Orochimaru, minus the evil. The dedication to research…maybe that’s why you had me watch, Sarutobi. Do you see yourself in the boy?” Enma intoned. The Third smiled.

“I think I do. It’s becoming increasingly clear that all of Kakashi’s students will be worthy of legendary status. Ekyt, however, he seems to be closer to myself and Kakashi.”

“Knowledge-wise? You have a point. He doesn’t have the biggest chakra, but he certainly knows how to use what he has. But, when you say he’s closer to you and Kakashi, there’s a hole in your theory: He wants to be legendary.” Enma had listened to the boy’s conversations with Sarutobi once before, so he had a good idea of what kind of person Ekyt was.

“He wants to be REMEMBERED, and TRUSTED. That’s not far from legendary. Oh well, his path will become clear soon, I’m sure. The other three have begun their paths. Ekyt still has a choice to make, a decision that will decide where he ends up.”

“Sarutobi, let me sign a summoning contract with him. I’m one of the few that can make summoning work to and from a location. We’re both getting old, and you have regrets, Sarutobi. He’s the only one of the four without a mentor. The two of you are similar, why not teach him, and let me report his progress?”

Lord Hokage puffed on his pipe. “Mortality…not something any of us wishes to face, Enma. But, you’re correct. But, let’s give the boy a little more time to recover. From his check-ins, his report promises to be interesting…”

“As you wish, Sarutobi. It’s a shame he won’t take the Hokage title (Ekyt swore not to be Hokage unless Naruto decided against it), I think he’d make a good one, even now. He’s learned what it means to be loyal.”

The Third Hokage looked into his orb and smiled as Sakura kissed Ekyt on the cheek.

“And perhaps he’s learned what it means to be loved as well…”

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