Lightning In The Hidden Leaf

23 - Head Honcho

Calista is standing with her hair brushed to the side while everyone from the Leaf gathers around her, investigating the mark on her neck.

"I have never seen any like this," says Shikumaru. He's the youngest but has some serious brains. "I have dealt with a lot of markings but what I do know is that when the person whos casts the mark dies, so does the mark."

"So that means that Yuri wasn't the one who put the marking on her," says Iruka.

Everyone looks at Calista but it's only because of the lengthy silence that she realizes she has an audience waiting for her to speak.

"I remember him touching the back of my neck on the same spot as the mark before I left our clan. It's hard to say for certain, because I can't see there, obviously."

"Is that all he done?" says Kakashi. "Touch the back of your neck?"

She nods.

"Do you remember any other time when something suspicious happened that could add more information to this story?" says Kakashi.

She laughs. "You have seen some of them for yourself. Most everything they, we, have done is suspicious. That was my life. Is my life," she corrects herself.

"So we don't know the entire story," says Iruka.

"Which also means we have no idea how to help Calista," adds Kakashi.

Calista opens her mouth to speak. She isn't sure what she wanted to say but it had something to do with protesting their help, but Shikumaru interrupts.

"Not necessarily," he says with his fingers around his chin. He opens his eyes. "I was reading up on some Jitsu's in the library a few months ago and I remember reading something might explain what's going on here."

"Well, say it outloud already," says Guy after only a moments pause.

"There are those who casts markings and there are those who can conceal and reveal the markings when they see fit. What I mean by that is someone can cast the mark, can conceal it so it lays dormant, then that person, or someone else for that matter, can active the marking at a later time."

Everyone stands around listening to what Shikumaru has to say. Calista can tell by the intentiveness of the crowd that he has proven himself to be an accurate source of information. She trusts what he has to say too.

"So you're saying that Yuri wasn't the person who casted the mark, but was potentially the person who activated it?" says Kurenai.

"Exactly."

"What requirements have to be met for one to be able to active the casters mark?" asks Guy.

"Blood," says Shikumaru. "They must have the same blood as the caster."

"That leads us to a lot more questions," says Guy.

"Like who was the one who marked Calista?" adds Iruka almost solemly. He is dishearted that this incrediable woman he is still potentially a target. He wants to do more to help her, but whatever he might do will pale incomparison to Kakashi. He grips his hands.

"My question is why," says Calista flatly. "Why am I and the Hidden Lightning involved in all this? I have no idea when this marking was first put on me. I could have been a child for all I know."

They all advert their eyes to Calista. The are interested in her story, but Calista has been involved in this first hand for sometime. They all know that it's much more difficult for her, the one who is the main character of this horror story, than any of them.