Chapter Text
Living in the Leaf Village had never been Kaina’s choice, although things back at her real home weren't anything particularly special. She had a particular knack for medical ninjutsu and was taught by her grandmother.
Her childhood consisted of extensive physical conditioning involving traversing masterfully through the trees and agility. In her village, though, she could only go so far with their books and her grandmother’s teachings. Kaina was certainly skilled for her age by the time she was sent to the Leaf Village. And while she did want to learn more, it hurt her to be sent away from her home village, away from everything and everyone she’d known. Her being sent away wasn’t only because of her prowess—no, it was simply because her parents had offered her up and the village leader decided it would be good in the eyes of politics to send a young prodigy such as herself away.
She attended the Academy and graduated quickly, becoming a genin and assigned to a group with a kind jōnin instructor and two others she paid little mind to. Kaina wasn’t talkative, but when she did, it was with passion and a fierceness—which was another reason her grandmother told her why she was chosen to be sent away. Surely a child as brave and determined as her would easily fit in in an entirely new place, but, unsurprisingly, it wasn’t that easy being from a village nobody knew that had no clan heritage.
Kaina was content, nevertheless, expanding her medical knowledge. She easily passed the chunin exams (no thanks to her teammates). She learned a few valuable lessons about teamwork and honed her techniques with the help of her jōnin instructor, but otherwise she felt like she hadn’t gotten anything out of it. She swore she was days away from becoming a jōnin herself at the age of seventeen.
She was on a duo mission with another random chunin she had maybe said three sentences to. Kaina wasn’t sure why she’d been thrown on such an easy mission to escort a messenger to the border, but everything had gone smoothly, and they were on the way back to the village. That was until she felt a faint chakra signature at the back of her mind.
Silently focusing on it, she realized that there were actually two. Kaina pursued the chakra and felt it coming from behind them, to their right. One of them had an incredible amount, so much so that it almost took her breath away. Quickly, she glanced at her partner, making eye contact before eyeing to her right. He nodded ever so slightly, but they continued to walk.
There was no need to cause a scene. Perhaps they were just passing by. Her hopes were thrown down the drain when she noticed their chakras trailing them. She grit her teeth, wondering who it could be with so much chakra and knowing it certainly was going to be trouble. A moment later, the signatures were no longer behind them or on their right. Kaina’s eyes quickly scanned the area, her grey eyes flickering around with practiced ease.
She sensed them a moment before her eyes landed on the pair of strange ninja, directly ahead of them. Her partner and she stopped in their tracks. Kaina narrowed her eyes, taking in their robes with red clouds. She’d heard of these ninja. They were part of a villainous organization called the Akatsuki. They were not people someone on her level wanted to mess with.
“So that’s her?” one of them said, his voice having a drawn-out hissing quality to it. He looked more like a fish—or perhaps a shark? We’ll go with shark—than a man with his blue skin and large build. He was very tall and carried a huge sword that sent unease through her body. He was the one with a monstrous amount of chakra and it set her teeth on edge.
The other man was smaller and shorter. He didn't seem very talkative, for he just nodded in reply. “Are you Kaina of the Leaf?”
She felt the headband on her neck weighing heavily. It’s not like she didn’t have any pride for the Leaf Village, since she’s spent her teenage years there, but her true home was deep in the forest. Far away from here, and nothing like the cramped village she’d been forced into with bustling streets and too much noise.
“Who’s asking?” she asked, watching the pair carefully. She didn’t know much about the Akatsuki, only that if she were to see them, she needed to run.
“Those are the Akatsuki,” her partner growled at her under his breath. “We need to get the hell out of here.”
She didn’t respond as the shark-man shifted his stance, chuckling with frighteningly sharp teeth—definetly shark—and glancing at his partner. “Seems she’s a bit sassy, hm, Itachi?”
As soon as the shark-man said his name, his Sharingan awoke, the tomoe spinning once. It sent Kaina’s stomach down to her feet.
Itachi. She knew that name. Everyone in the Leaf Village knew that name. Itachi Uchiha. The man who singlehandedly murdered his entire clan, a bearer of the Sharingan. Kaina now agreed with her partner’s insistence. They really did need to get the hell out of there.
Itachi, though, noted the change in their stance and knew they were going to attempt to flee. “We only want to speak with you.”
Kaina shook her head at her partner, and he threw kunai down between them and their opponents, the tags on the weapons exploding within seconds. Using the loss of visibility, they leapt up into the trees.
Glancing at her partner, she opened her mouth, but she stumbled. Kaina frowned in confusion as she went flying toward the forest floor. That shouldn't have happened, was all she could think in frustration and a dose of sudden fear. She twisted in the air and landed on her feet, looking up at where she had been. Her partner was standing there, staring down at her with a blank expression.
“What are you doing? Come–” she stopped as he dissolved into crows. Kaina rose to her feet and observed as the crows reformed in front of her. Itachi. The master of genjutsu. Of course, her opponent had to be the epitome of her kryptonite.
“I told you we only wanted to talk,” he said again. His voice was so smooth and calm that it unsettled her.
“You’re a part of the Akatsuki, aren't you?” Kaina asked, eyeing the clouds on his cloak.
He stared at her unblinkingly. “Indeed. And we happen to be here to offer you an invitation.”
Kaina actually laughed in his face at that. A short, dry laugh that lacked any humor. “I want nothing to do with a criminal organization such as the Akatsuki." Though she couldn’t lie, she was slightly honored and a teensy bit curious what they wanted with her.
Using the distraction of their conversation, she’d used a ninjutsu and roots had crept up to Itachi. In a quick burst of speed, the roots shot around his body and pinned him in place. They crawled around his neck and tightened enough to be uncomfortable. She tried to ignore the phantom sensation she got from it, though.
“Unfortunately for you, we aren’t taking no for an answer,” he said. “You either come willingly, or we will take you by force.”
“Take me where?” Kaina tightened the roots more, and she coughed as the phantom sensation only became worse.
Itachi ignored her question, eyes flickering down her body. He suggested evenly, “Perhaps you should take a look at yourself.”
Kaina looked down and, suddenly, she wasn’t where she had been a moment before. She was back where they had first confronted Itachi and his partner, and there were roots around her. Choking her. Quickly releasing the ninjutsu, she coughed and felt the effects of Itachi’s genjutsu wash over her. Then, there was a sharp pain in her left arm. Hissing, she spotted blood dripping down her pale skin and an array of scratches marking it.
“My apologies, but Samehada couldn’t help itself. It wanted a taste of your chakra,” the shark-man said with a drawl. “It’s too bad our leader wants you alive and prohibited any major damage to your body. At least your little friend was able to feed it.”
His sword, previously completely covered in bandages, was now partially unwrapped. It revealed sharp, jagged spikes, much like sharpened scales. What kind of sword is that? The second part of his words finally registered with her, and Kaina’s eyes darted to the ground where her partner lay. His body was scratched up brutally by that sword, his chest torn open. Blood stained the ground and his face rested in a state of primal fear.
Her jaw set. She hadn’t exactly cared about him, but it was saddening to lose any type of comrade. Especially since these guys were apparently only after her.
“You seem dazed from my genjutsu,” Itachi commented. “You would’ve killed yourself if you’d tightened those roots much more.”
Kaina glared at him, holding a hand to her bleeding arm. She was no match for these rogue ninja. Kaina was more of a medical kunoichi that was supposed to stay out of the way and offer support, anyway. Frustrated with her helplessness, she shouted: “What do you want?!”
The shark-man laughed once more. “Don’t you listen, little kunoichi?”
“Join the Akatsuki. Abandon your village and join our cause,” Itachi said.
Once again, Kaina didn’t have a particular love for the Leaf Village, but she wasn’t about to abandon it for a criminal organization. What intrigued her again, though, was what they wanted with her specifically. How did they even know about her?
Forming a quick hand sign, wincing when she moved her injured arm, she summoned earthy spikes from under their feet. They jumped away from it easily, and Kaina was left panting lightly. That Samehada sword seemed to eat chakra somehow, and that, combined with the effects of Itachi’s genjutsu, was making her run low on her supply.
The shark-man was suddenly behind her, swinging his sword in a broad swipe. Kaina easily ducked and spun out of the way, grabbing a kunai out of her bag and throwing it at him. He blocked it with his sword and swung it at her again. While she was quick, he was also surprisingly fast considering his build. At the same time, she was already drained, and he looked just fine.
When Kaina finally moved an inch too slow, the sword cut dozens of lines along her left forearm, fucking it up even more. “Shit,” she cursed, face twisting in pain. Kaina landed in a crouch about thirty feet away, panting heavily. She was given no time to rest, for in the corner of her eye, she spotted shuriken flying at her.
Kaina leapt into the air, twisting away, and landed with a grunt. She felt a chakra behind her, but was too late to react because the shark-man’s hand was already wrapped around her throat and was lifting her into the air. She scrabbled against his hand, kicking out at him, but he tightened his grip, and she gave up. Kaina gasped for air when he loosened it after she calmed down.
“Will you come with us now?”
Itachi appeared beside the shark-man, his face blank as ever.
“You’re a traitor,” Kaina growled at him, simply bitter now.
She swore something flashed behind his eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it came. “That doesn’t answer my question.”
“We might as well knock her out. Easier to travel with, too,” the shark-man growled. He tightened his grip again.
Itachi stared at her a moment, taking in how she continued to glare at them, jaw clenched. Even as she became lightheaded from the lack of air, her fingers dug into the shark-man's skin harshly. The raven-haired man blinked and nodded in assent to his partner.
With a sharp grin, he let go of Kaina. Her elbow caught her as she fell on her ass, gasping for air. A moment later, there was a dull thud, and her vision became blurry. She fell limp, unconscious, without a sound.