Uchiha’s Butterfly - Volume 3 Chapter 77 Snail Boy

(PoV Utakata)

Slowly fighting off a mighty headache, I grudgingly woke up. I felt the catheter needle put into my arm, and multiple thick letter belts strapping me to a soft bed, ‘Ugh, I got caught… Are they dosing me with some drugs to stop me from rampaging? This headache is killing me! Saiken, are you there?… Tsk, still asleep.’ I heard something small bounce on the ground and the following outgoing woman’s voice.

“For f.u.c.k’s sake, again?!” the woman cursed loudly, hearing her shuffling a chair, I lightly opened my eyes to scout the surroundings. I was inside an empty white tent and wore a patient gown, looking to the other side of the torture chamber masked as a medic tent, I noticed it’s another occupant or rather only the lower half of her aimed directly at my face.

The shapely figure of my torturer, clad in an open white medic coat, was sticking her head under the desk – looking for something. “Ugh,” the very unexpected first sight made me unconsciously grunt.

“Eh?” *Bump*

As she heard my voice, the woman must have jumped up, hitting the desk.

“Ouch! Aha~ got you!” As I already opened my eyes, I saw as her hand pulled out a small pen from under the dark oak piece of furniture. Scratching the top of her head, she turned to me.

‘Damnit! Is that a tactic of theirs?!’ I watched the beautiful woman slowly walk towards me with a confident gait. She was my age, had a trained physique, long legs, and an hourglass figure. A pretty face with a medium-length black shaggy hair, her black eyes looked into mine with a dose of amus.e.m.e.nt written in them.

‘No! No matter what, I will not let them get anything out of me! Not even a word.’ I decided.

“Hi, it seems you woke up, Snail Boy.”

“It’s a slug!… *Sigh*.” It’s a wonder how women can get me annoyed so easily. Not like I have much experience, seldom talk downs with hunter-nins for the last couple of years hardly counts.

“A snail, or a slug. The same slime for all I care, Snail Boy. My name is Kaname Uchiha, working here as a main irynin and your temporary caretaker.” she introduced herself.

‘Hmph, who would even believe you? All Uchihas should have red Sharingans in their eyes! Bah! Your looks are most likely faked by Henge as well. I will not get caught in an obvious trap! Just wait until Saiken wakes up, we will level this place to the ground.’ Without saying a word, I just glared back at her.

“Using the IV, I put a vitamin bomb into your bloodstream. I’m not sure what you ate, Snail Boy, but you’re waaay~ too scrawny – for it to be healthy. Hmm, any questions?”

‘…’ I continued glaring at the black-haired bombshell.

“What? Do you want to pee? I have the urine bottle somewhere here.” she asked with mirth in her voice.

“NO!” I felt some heat congregate in my cheeks, ‘Damnit! She is, …, unbearable.’

“Oh, don’t be shy, Snail Boy, I’m a professional medic. In my career, I touched more di-”

“I don’t need a toilet!” I interrupted her. I’m pretty sure that by now, I’m red as a tomato. ‘Maybe I should fish for some information, even if she lies to me there may be some truths hidden in there.’

“Who do you think changed your clothes?” she asked rhetorically, I did not meet with an Uchiha before, at least this imitation has got their famous smirk perfected to a T, thirty percent of smugness, and a healthy dose of confidence.

“Who- who are you?” I asked her.

“Hmm?”

‘Wow, good job Utakata…’ I thought to myself.

“Kaname Uchiha, the jnin and irynin of Konohagakure at your service.” she bowed mockingly.

‘Konoha? So they were the ones to hunt me down? Damnit, I tried to get to the Land of Fire myself. The Land of Water was too warlike for me.’

“Sensei! Can I enter?” A girl’s voice stopped the torrent of my thoughts.

“Ah, Izumi-chan. Come in!”

I gave the woman a stink eye, ‘Hmph, like my own master, she isn’t to be trusted.’

[AN: At the time, Utakata had a very critical attitude to the student-teacher bonds. According to him, he was betrayed and almost killed by his teacher.]

The flaps of the tent parted, a brown-haired girl about fifteen years of age entered. She held a plate of something steaming and a spoon in her hand.

“I brought the- Oh, our little prince woke up?” The girl pointed out sarcastically.

‘Damnit, one of them was bad enough. Now there are two jokesters. What do you teach your student?!’ I grumbled, looking back at the woman.

“Thanks, Izumi-chan. Give the milk to the Snail Boy. His body needs some more fat and calcium.” she thanked her student, pointing her hand at me.

“Sensei… When they delivered you back, more than a quarter of bones in your body were fractured. The milk is for you!” the girl complained, visibly fuming at her teacher.

“Izumi-chan,” the woman lovingly patted the girl’s head, the sight made me reminiscence the same kind of pats I received from Harusame-sensei. “Thank you, but bring the second portion. Can you do that for me?”

“*Grumble*” The girl unwillingly put the steaming-white dish next to my bed.

“You should never believe in your Sensei, girl. Sooner rather than later, she will betray you.” I whispered to the girl, trying to give her good advice.

*SLAP*

“Ugh. Wha-?” with a stinging cheek, I looked back towards the girl, only to see the point of kunai stop at touching my eyebrows and the red Sharingan eyes seething with anger at me. The girl slapped me in the face using her left hand, while her right hand held a kunai.

“You are lucky that Kaname-sensei is your protector.” The girl scowled at me, the woman caught her student’s right hand and stopped it from killing me.

“Hahaha, that went well.” the older one laughed out loudly, “Izumi-chan, go bring me some food. I need to talk with this guy.”

“Then take the milk, after what he said…” The girl growled out, lowering the armed hand.

“Izumi-chan, please.”

“*Sigh*… Okay, Sensei. Be right back.” Izumi replied, her red Sharingan boring holes in my body.

‘What the heck was that?!’ I watched as the brown-haired girl walked out of the tent.

“So? What did you whisper to Izumi-chan, Snail Boy? I didn’t get that.” the woman asked, detaching the leather belts that held me down on the bed.

“Why?” I asked dumbly, massaging the still stinging cheek of mine. “It’s normal for a teacher to betray his student. Why is the girl so protective of you?”

“Oh, you aren’t the sharpest tool in the shed. Are you, Snail Boy?” the woman mocked, placing the milk in front of me. “I’m not sure about Kirigakure, but in most of the other villages, the bond between a student and a teacher is sacred. This bond, I don’t know why – is greatly emphasized in my team. Izumi-chan lost her last parent barely a month ago, you besmirching her Sensei, the pretty much last person she looks up to, made her snap back at you. I’m sorry about my little student.”

‘Why did she free me from the belts? Is she so sure I won’t be able to run? I’m not going to eat anything that my enemy gives me. I’m not that stupid! Damn, the smell alone is delicious.’ The low growling in my stomach betrayed my mind, fighting the tug war with my body, I pushed the dish away from me.

Shit hit the fan when I felt a massive bloodl.u.s.t coming from the woman. Squashed into the bed, I was barely able to raise my eyes to hers. Instead of those black pearls, I saw before, now her eyes were glowing red and contained five black lilies-like symbols, the corner of her irises blackened out.

“Eat it, or I will cut your stomach out, pour the milk in, and sew it back in.” her voice growled out dangerously.

‘YOU FOOL!’ Saiken’s voice shouted in my mind.

‘At last, Saiken! With you, we can get out of here!’

‘DID YOU FORGET WHEN WE GOT OUR HANDS ON THE BINGO BOOK?! SHE IS S-RANK KUNOICHI, UCHIHA’S BUTTERFLY!’ Saiken thundered in my head.

‘Ugh, okay, don’t shout in my head. Even if she is S-rank, she is the one that is holding us captive.’

‘YOU BLITHERING IDIOT! DO WHAT SHE ASKS OF YOU. I TALKED WITH CHOMEI-‘ the connection got cut out.

‘Emm, Saiken-san?… Damnit!’ Without the help of the Rokubi (Six-Tails), I concentrated back on the woman. Kaname was spinning a scalpel around her hand, looking into my eyes, waiting for my decision.

“Ugh, I will eat. I’m sorry.” I conceded my defeat, taking the spoon into my hand.

“Good, as you eat you can ask me any question you want.” Kaname’s eyes turned back into black color.

“What do you want of me?”

“…Hahahaha! Ah, now I understand why you look so confused! You think I’m holding you captive here!” she laughed out.

I felt my brow twitching in anger, “Hmph, if one of your subordinates hunts me down, then it’s normal for me to be a prisoner.”

“Hahaha, that would be a cherry on top if Pain heard that. The look on his face would be priceless! Bow down to me, little Tangerine mongrel! Hahaha!”

The woman started cutely snort in between her laughter, “*Growl* Can you tell me what’s going on already?!” I shouted at her.

“Hahaha…*Phew* I’m sorry, Snail Boy. Yes, you got caught by the leader of Akatsuki, have you heard of them?”

‘Akatsuki?’ I turned my head sideways.

“Figures, they are a group of S-rank criminals, for an unknown reason they hunt down the jinchrikis across the Elemental Nations. I found you unconscious in the hands of the group’s leader, after tiring combat, he fracked something up moving for the kill. Being sure of his victory, he overestimated himself, allowing me to rescue and retreat with you.”

“But Saiken said that they had the Rinnegan, six ninjas with the strongest djutsu! How?! Where am I?”

“Seven Rinnegan users to be clear, but only one if we count it right… Long story, don’t ask. I rescued you two days ago. You’re in the Mei Terumi’s Rebel Camp, Mei-san is paying me to keep her wounded to the minimum.”

“In the rebel camp? I’m not going to join their war, both sides of the conflict were hunting me down like some kind of rabid dog.”

Kaname just shrugged her arms, “I don’t care, I will leave the negotiations to Mei-san. I’m here only to heal your arse back into shape. For all I’m concerned, you are free to bail anytime you want, Snail Boy.”

“And the belts? Why was I strapped to the bed?”

“Your spine was damaged after your fight. It took me some time to repair it. The belts were there to make sure you wouldn’t move about in your sleep.”

‘Hmm, everything adds up. Saiken asked me to listen to her. Maybe, I can give her a chance.’ Calmly smiling towards the woman, I nodded my head, “Thank you, and I’m sorry for the situation with your student, Kaname-san.”

I received a smile in return, “You’re welcome, Snail Boy. But you will need to apologize to Izumi-chan yourself.”

“I will. I have one more question. It’s rare for me to meet a person, that isn’t, how to say it, …, prejudiced towards jinchrikis. I mean, why?” calmly thinking about it, there wasn’t a single instance when she looked down upon me because I was jinchriki. I did not feel the same loathing hidden behind her smile as other people.

“Double S-class secret of my village, Snail Boy. The only thing I can say is that my little brother, I adopted, has problems I have to deal with daily. Now that you understand what’s going on, I will reconnect your mind with Saiken-kun.”

“What? It was you?” I watched as her eyes turned themselves back into red glowing ones.

A blink of my eyes later, I found myself in the mindscape I shared with Saiken. A humid rural area, with an artificial sun and thousands of colorless bubbles flying about in the air.

“Hmm, not bad.”

“AAH!” I jumped back in fright, “You? How are you in here?!”

“Perks of being an Uchiha, Snail Boy… Oh, here comes the big guy! Hi, Saiken-kun!” I felt the headache coming back as Kaname waved her hand towards the fourth-strongest Tailed Beast nonchalantly skipping towards it.

[AN: Saiken has a boastful way of speaking, he uses “Ore” as “I” – I will try to recreate his style of speech, we shall see how it plays out :-)]

“Welcome in my abode, Kaname the Uchiha’s Butterfly.” The hill-sized Slug greeted her, six light-blueish tails waving behind him.

“Hehe, a cutie, isn’t he? Those short legs and arms give him a funny look.” Kaname pointed at the Rokubi.

“*Sigh* Are you doing it on purpose?” Closing my eyes, I put the fingers of my right hand on top of my nose bridge.

“Using my powers, I talked with my brother Chmei. He asked me to put my trust in you.” Saiken slowly approached Kaname on his stubby legs.

“Oh, Lucky Seven? How is he? Did you meet with F-chan? Unfortunately, I couldn’t meet with her for the last three months.”

“No, she is not yet able to speak to the great me or any other of my brothers and sisters.”

“OKAY, STOP!” I shouted at the duo, “Care anyone explain to me what are you talking about?”

“You didn’t tell him?” Kaname asked the Tailed-Beast.

“We the Bijs have an ability to talk with each other telepathically, Utakata. The full trust between the host and the Bij allows the jinchriki to join in on those conversations. I spoke with my stronger brother, the Seven-Tailed Beast.”

“Saiken-kun, can you talk with the fox on my behalf?”

“No, the ever arrogant Kurama declines all forms of contact even from me. I also lost contact with Shukaku and Isobu. My sister Matatabi never liked to speak with her brothers, from what I know the kitty keeps contact only with Koku.” Ugh, too many names, but it seems that Kaname understands Saiken’s words.

“*Tsk* I promise I will talk with the tsundere fox myself, it’s wrong to ignore your brothers and sisters. Soon, he will contact all of you on his own accord. I can’t help you with your other siblings now, but I will try to speak with them as I meet with each.” she nodded her head.

“Wait! A fox? Are you talking about the Nine-Tails Fox and other Tailed-Beasts?”

“Yeah, I can’t say the secret, a stupid law holds me back. But I can always give some clues to other people.” She winked her eye at me.

“Damnit! Saiken-san, how many Bijs Konoha have?”

The giant Slug lowered its head towards me, with a grimace I could translate as amus.e.m.e.nt “Only one, and it’s enough for other Great Villages to keep themselves out of it, Utakata.”

‘Ah, her adopted brother!’ I looked back at the Uchiha, with a newfound respect for the woman. “Is everything around you always so crazy, Kaname-san?”

“Hehe, Snail Boy, you only saw the tip of an iceberg. Saiken-kun, I have got a personal project of mine. What can you tell me about tsutsuki Clan?”

I never knew that a slug-face could look so startled, but the name made the massive Bij take a step back.

“H-How do you know of them, Kaname-san?” Saiken asked back, forgetting his accent.

“I have a weird, hmm, illness, a very deadly parasite-” I saw she put her hand near the heart as her face contorted in hardly-hidden agony. “It’s somehow connected to the tsutsuki Clan, or maybe to what they did, and I’m looking for clues.”

“I don’t know much. You should ask Son Gok – he is the smartest of our bunch. Have you heard about the creation of us, the Nine-Tailed Beasts?”

A worthwhile topic got mentioned, ‘I never really thought about that…’

“Saiken-kun, if you are talking about the Rikud Sennin, then I know he is your father or maybe creator – it depends on the storyteller.”

“What? The Tailed-Beasts had a father?” I asked perplexedly.

[AN: Info dump about Jbi – only scrapping the basics :-)]

“That’s not exactly what happened, Kaname-san. Do you understand that the strength is measured in the number of tails each one of my siblings has? A point which Kurama liked to state in each and every conversation he had with his siblings.” Seeing both of us nod, Saiken continued his tale,

“There was a time that all nine of us were one. My father, Hagoromo tsutsuki, named it the Jbi – a Ten-Tailed mindless monster. From what I know, the beast was rampaging around the Elemental Nations, hunting down my father and his brother. After a battle with the monster, my father became its jinchriki, the first one in history. For decades he traveled across the continent spreading his teachings of Ninsh, the peaceful ancestor of today’s ninjutsu, and endowing the people with the mysterious power that the Jbi possessed, now we call it chakra.”

“Wait, Saiken-kun. So the chakra came from the Jbi? Do you know where did the monster come from or how was it created?” Kaname questioned.

“I’m sorry, even someone like me doesn’t know everything, Kaname-san. Why do you ask?”

“All of us can agree that the world tries to stay in balance, not even starting on the dualism of good and evil; to cast any form of jutsu, we need a perfect balance between chakra and stamina in our bodies. Have you heard anything about Tree of Life or Divine Tree, Saiken-kun?” she explained.

“I’m sorry again. Son Gok studied father’s journals after he left us. If there is more to it, then he is the one to know. Or maybe Kurama may know something, he did not leave the father’s side.”

“Saiken, continue the tale.” I requested, slowly drifting around the place in a bubble.

“Right. My father, now known as Rikud Sennin, the World’s Saviour, had two children, Asura and Indra. They-”

“INDRA?!”

“Y-Yes, why?” Saiken took a step back when Kaname shouted out.

“I believe I encountered one of his animal summoning scrolls.”

“He received the support from butterflies only, Kaname-san.”

I saw Kaname smile at the Bij and nod her head, “*Sigh* You are getting crazier by the minute Kaname-san…” I commented.

“Thanks, Snail Boy! Saiken-kun, continue the story, please.”

“Father’s desire was eternal world peace. The older one son, Indra, inherited father’s chakra, with the boy’s ingenious mind, he invented how to mold the chakra, creating the first forms of ninjutsu. Soon afterward, the other Ninsh followers learned from Indra’s example and began using this innovation to improve the quality of life for both themselves and their villages. While initially proud of his discovery, Indra grew concerned when he noticed that everyone began focusing more on physical growth rather than spiritual as what was meant for Ninsh. On the other side, the younger sibling, Asura, inherited father’s compassion. As a child, Asura lived in the shadow of his genius older brother Indra. Having displayed no natural talent himself, Asura came to realize the value of others and the power of the friends and allies he made.”

“Is it-” Kaname interrupted the story once again.

“Yes, Indra was an ancestor to the Uchiha Clan, he had his Sharingan as well. Asura was the progenitor to the Senju and Uzumaki Clans. And now came you, Kaname-san. You can reach the heights that Indra did, and even with all of your power and potential, you have the heart and will rivaling even those of Asura’s. I can see why Chmei liked you…” Saiken squinted his prominent tentacle eyes at her.

“Hehehe, thanks?” Kaname shyly scratched her black-hair and smiled towards the Bij.

“You’re very welcome. Asura always loved his brother, after father gave them a test to chose his successor, the boy renounced his victory, claiming that his older brother finished it months before him. Indra got jealous of his younger brother’s success. Your ancestor, Kaname-san, swore he would destroy the Ninsh. Knowing that the monster can never again be let out on this world, as the time of father’s death drew closer, he used his powers to split the Jbi into nine parts and passed the rest of his Sage powers to Asura. The last years of his life he spent with us.”

“How did it end with Asura and Indra?” I asked.

“We, the Tailed-Beasts, had sworn to Asura to let him take care of his brother. I don’t know what happened, but the Ninsh – as it was, does not exist now.”

“Hmm, thanks for the story, Saiken-kun. I will have to process it in my free time. See you later.” Kaname bowed her head and disappeared from the mindscape.

“Hmm, I like her, she has a lot of guts for a little kunoichi.”

“Not so little…” I replied absent-mindedly.

“Did you say something, Utakata?”

“No, it’s nothing, I need to go, see you soon, partner.”

“Sayonara.”

——————

(PoV Orochimaru)

“Why would the leader call for an emergency meeting?” the puppet body of Sasori stood at the neighboring finger of the massive creepy statue.

“Fufufu, Hiruko-dono, don’t play dumb, you have your sspies~.”

“*Growl* I will kill you if you call me that once again, Snake bastard.” Sasori’s voice trembled in anger.

“Fufu, from what I know, the leader traveled to the Land of Water to sseize~ the Rokubi. Konoha became too powerful – we had to quicken up our planss~, and the Rokubi wass~ the mosst~ vulnerable of all jinchrikiss~.”

“Are we going to extract the first Bij today?”

“Hi~!” A masked man greeted them after his projection spawned on another finger.

“Tobi… Leave us, kid. You’re still too weak to join the Akatsuki.” Sasori grumbled out.

“Hehe, don’t worry, Old Man! Tobi is a strong kid! Leader-sama asked me to come!”

“That’s true…” Another apparition spawned in, this time of a flytrap like-being.

Five minutes of bickering between eight members, two last persons have arrived, the leader himself, and his woman companion.

Watching the gathering, from the right-hand thumb we had: the spiky-haired leader, next to him was Tobi, this kid is hiding something, but I couldn’t figure him out yet. On the middle-finger stood the apparition of the only woman in the bunch. A straight-haired beauty with a flower clipped to her hair. Next was the biggest moron I had the pleasssure~ to meet, a useful tool he is – I don’t know his real name, he ‘ordered’ me to call him Azrail. On the pinky-finger of the right-hand stood the biggest benefactor of my research in Mokuton Release, Zetsu did not even notice that one of his clones went missing, Fufufu.

I was next in line, with a projection of a Kisame Hoshigaki standing on the next finger. On the middle finger of the left statue’s hand was our treasurer, Kakuzu, a stingy son of a bitch. I’m not sure how his partner, standing next to him, ever joined the Akatsuki, his name was Rai, he may be the S-rank criminal, but I know many more powerful people than him, well beggars can’t be choosers. On the thumb of the left-hand stood my temporary partner in crime, Sasori, as always hiding in his Hiruko puppet’s body.

“Fufufu, it’s a rare ssight~. All ten of uss~ together.” I laughed out.

“Why did you call us?” Kakuzu’s deep voice asked the question bothering all of us.

“A new opponent has shown up. Tobi was right – we should recruit Kaname Uchiha to our cause sooner.” the Rinnegan user replied, his eyes grimacing in regret.

“Fufufhahaha, little Kana-chan beat the crap out of you! Didn’t she?” Noting the leader’s eyes glaring at me, I knew I guessed right.

“Impossible! I killed her!” the tool lived his dream.

“It seems you, the useless little shit, can’t even kill a woman with her back turned to you.” Kisame stared him down, receiving a glare from a 2.2 meters tall (~7’2”) shark-like creature is very threatening, no matter who you are.

“D-Don’t talk to me like that! A goddess chose me! I’m stronger than any of you!”

The Shark-man shrugged his shoulders in the reply, “Not like you didn’t have the chances to demonstrate this hidden strength of yours, Shit stain.”

‘Fufufu, it iss~ sso~ eassy~ to control him – give him a bitch to play with, and he will do anything you want of him…’

“Silence!” leader’s voice squashed the argument, “Unfortunately, it is true. Kaname Uchiha will become too big of a thorn in our side. I want her immediate removal.”

“A perfect timing.” Kakuzu interrupted him, “Our puppet in Kirigakure must have noticed her arrival. He posted a mission for hunting this bitch down.”

‘Fufufu, Little Kana-chan made a name for hersself~, I heard that Kakuzu got hiss~ ass handed to him. I almosst~ feel proud of her.’

“Good. Tobi, Azrail there is a mission for both of you, I want the Seven-Tails caught, it should be the easiest Bij to catch now. Zetsu, I heard of a possible recruit, a man named Hidan, go and find him. Orochimaru, you know Kaname Uchiha the most, I want you to take Sasori, Kisame, Kakuzu, and Rai to hunt her down.”

‘Fufufu, what a promotion! Now I have four S-class meatshields under my thumb.’ I hid my amus.e.m.e.nt by a bow of my head.

“The snake is my temporary commander? I don’t think so – I know the Land of Water the most.”

“Kisame, it’s an order.” the Rinnegan user’s voice thundered.

“We shall see. I will wait for five of you in my hideout.” Kisame’s projection disappeared.

“A d.i.c.k meassuring~ contesst~?”

“Looking at Kisame’s height, I’m sure you lose by a landslide, Snake” Kakuzu replied, disappearing himself.

‘Now, how to hunt down one persistent little butterfly? Fufufu…’