Bound to You (Naruto)

Chapter Twenty Five

Tsuki reluctantly left Orochimaru alone with the leaf Shinobi to discuss what he knew about the Akatsuki. She wandered through the moonlit forest barefoot looking like a fairy as she wove through the trees humming a soft melody. A metallic scent enveloped her as a cool breeze swept past her rustling her long silvery white hair. Blood.

She turned her pale milky white eyes in the direction the breeze had come from and moved closer. Why was the scent of blood on the wind? Her fingers dipped into a warm liquid substance as she reached out to push aside some foliage. A gasp escaped her as she realized her fingers were soaked in blood. She pushed aside the branches of greenery to look into the clearing beyond and felt her heart drop. A scream bubbled up in her throat as hot tears welled in her milky eyes at the scene before her.

The clearing was filled with bloody carcasses of various woodland creatures, foxes, wolves, deer, rabbits an array of creatures all brutally slaughtered and left for dead. She screamed as she dropped to her knees next to the fallen blood drenched carcass of a snow-white wolf. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around the snow-white wolf sobbing into its blood-stained fur.

"TSUKI?!" Orochimaru's voice shouted in the distance followed by a yell from Jiraiya.

Her ears picked up on the sound of someone drawing back a bowstring. Had this been a trap? She heard what sounded like several bows release at once just as she heard Orochimaru, Jiraiya and Kakashi make their way toward the clearing. A violent torrent of wind swept around her with a shriek splintering all of the arrows that had been aimed for her.

Shakily she released the wolf from her hold and swayed to her feet sensing the presence of those who'd attacked her. There were seven of them in total hiding in the trees around her, they'd revealed themselves when they launched their attacks.

"Tsuki?" Orochimaru stared at the blood-stained girl in awe as strong gale force winds tore through the clearing like blades of air slicing through trees and the vile beings who'd dared to slaughter innocent animals. Screams echoed through the night as her blades of wind found their marks.

Her wind died down and all seven of the concealed men who'd been targeting her dropped from the trees they'd been hiding in. A strong hand clapped down on her shoulder giving her a gentle squeeze offering her strength and support. She turned to find Orochimaru offering her a sympathetic look.

"Help them." She pleaded, begging him to save the animals.

Orochimaru felt his heart clench, constricting in his chest at the desolate heartbroken expression on her tear stained face. "Tsuki, it's too late." He pulled her against him, wrapping his arms around her trembling form as she cried silently. "I'm sorry."

"No." She shook unsteadily, "It can't be too late. They were innocent." Her tears stung as they trickled down her pallid cheeks.

Orochimaru tightened his hold around her feeling the unsteadiness in her trembling form knowing she wouldn't be able to support herself soon as she was overcome with grief. Her tender compassionate heart couldn't bear to see animals suffering like this. He cradled her in his arms and looked to Jiraiya about to ask him to remove the bodies for Tsuki but cut off as a strange ethereal glow began to emit from the starlight girl in his arms.

His lethal reptilian eyes widened in awe as the glow around her began to grow and tiny tendrils of light seeped from the crying girl. He winced as he felt a sharp pain in his chest, whatever she was doing was using up an immense amount of chakra. "Tsuki?" Orochimaru gasped as he felt his own chakra begin to deplete.