Dragon Shinobi [NARUTO] [KAKASHIxOC]

Separate Ways, Separate Missions

"Use this if you need me." He handed the men an invention of his own making: The Needle. It was a thin, sharp splinter of metal that would summon the maker (himself) if used. But the technique was malicious and fit with who Vipirus was as a living being.

In order to summon him, the person would have to stick hisself with the needle, subsequently inviting poison into his system. It was Vipirus's poison. Therefore, Vipirus would be alerted via his senses. How long it took him to appear with the antidote was up to him. . .

He sent me a knowing glance, making sure I knew just exactly what he was playing at. The men didn't know the risks of his invention, but I did. Therefore, if I attempted escape or any other willful disobedience that the men could not handle, I'd be responsible for their lives. If one of the men used The Needle to summon Vipirus for assistance, his life would be held in the balance. And it would be my fault.

I cursed under my breath. He knew my weakness, and he was cunning in using it against me. He knew I was willing to sacrifice myself but not others. And he'd prepared an ace for every situation.

I had finally been handed a mission, and Ainivle had been forced to relinquish her hold on me, for the purpose of the mission entailed a skill she did not possess. Dragon taming. But my freedom was not at all freedom, and I did not wish to tame a dragon for Vipirus. Why was he looking to collect dragons? Nothing good was coming from this, and I didn't want to be a part of it. But that little broken piece inside of me made no move to stop me. My will had been destroyed.

I wanted to hear Hatake reassure me or even Naruto for that matter. I wanted my humans.

Instead, in front of me stood a pair of foreign humans. And they were in charge of aiding me in this excursion, even though their skills did nothing to help tame a beast. And in this land, the dragons were as dormant as a snake in winter. Finding one, let alone taming it, would be a chore within itself.

"So. . . uh, where to?" The blue-skinned male wondered aloud. He had taken The Needle from Vipirus before the elf had disappeared, leaving us to commence the mission. I stared at the black ribbon restraining my wrists, sealing my magic until I needed it. A response had formed in my mind, but my mouth would not budge. I couldn't find it in me to even speak, so with a heavy heart, I began to walk.

They followed. Silently.

The wind would seem like a scream among the silence that dominated our group, but I reveled in it. I reveled in the accompanied misery. It started to feel like I had only traveled backward - reverted into the hollow shell of Elvinia I had been all those years ago. Darkness was steadily swallowing me whole, and only one thing would stop it.

But I'd ordered them - ordered him - to forget me.

The path had begun to lose the occupying storefronts, and countryside spanned all around us. The sun was bright but gentle, and the random breezes all but stirred us. I was following my instinct. I'd been around enough of the dragons to know what one's presence entailed, even an exponentially dormant one. In fact, the beast was so dormant, it was in danger of fading away.

I knew it'd be better to leave it than to hand it off to Vipirus, and that was the kindest of merciful actions I could deduce.

But I knew that if I didn't obey him, he'd force me to do much worse. Like kill indiscriminately the lives of innocents. I had no family left that I loved. . . no lover I'd die for. But he was a psychological genius and knew just what would crush my soul.

I shouldn't have interacted with those humans at all. They'd be in a lot less danger if that was the case.

These criminals following me were nothing to me. Why shouldn't I just let them fall victim to The Needle, kill them, and escape? But I couldn't. . . or wouldn't. Just the fact that they'd be dying because Vipirus had taken some form of authority with the organization's leader disgusted me. I couldn't kill them. They'd be victims of what I desired to vanquish. And I couldn't let the guilt of having even more blood on my hands fall on to my shoulders.