Another Nine-Tails?!

New Identity

"Do you know what the Chunin exam is, Akiko?" The question confused the girl. Of course she knew what it was. She fought with Lord Hokage relentlessly to take it by herself. But that's not what she was confused about.

"Yes, I took it and passed."

"You're a Chunin." He sounded surprised for a moment before a hum left him.

"But, why does it matter?"

"This year's exam is hosted by the Leaf. You will go with Kabuto and two other spies for it." The girl sensed excitement coming from Kabuto, making her look at him. To her surprise, he wore a small smile.

"People will recognize me though. Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Your hair is quite long, is it not?"

"Yours is too." The Sannin grinned for a moment before it disappeared.

"Hair grows back, my dear." She opened her mouth to argue before she realized what he meant. "You'll be needing this." He pulled a file out of thin air, handing it to her.

'I didn't know he was a magician.' She silently looked through the file for a moment. It was about a girl named Uta. "Is this Uta girl dead?"

"She doesn't exist and she never did. But with a little bit of effort from you, you can bring her into the world. Using her, you'll enter the exam."

"Is there a particular reason as to why?"

He chuckled. "You're not going to say no?" She shook her head. "Very well. Kabuto has a job to do during the exam. You, however, don't. So you may do as you please, but you may not reveal your true identity to anyone. Not even your brothers."

"Because they would try to bring me back. I'm no longer a Leaf kunoichi, I don't think I ever was. Besides, I belong to you now."

"You catch onto things very quickly. And with your photographic memory, you can store information for later. In short, you're useful to me."

Of course Kabuto told his master about that. "I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not, but I'm gonna take it as a compliment." She smiled at him slightly, her fear of him suddenly gone. "People will recognize me by my hair, and my eyes. Even if my hair isn't long."

"I have various eye contacts you can use." Kabuto spoke for the first time since they entered the room. "And you will have to change and throw away what you're currently wearing." She looked up at him, a sad tint in her eyes. She nodded anyway. "You can also bring a weapon, if you'd like. We have a variety of them."

"My dear," they turned their full attention towards Orochimaru. "Since you will be joining Kabuto's team, that means he will be in charge of you. So listen to him."

"Do I get to be smart?" The boy gave her a small side glare before sighing a little bit.

Orochimaru smiled a little, seeing the aggravation she brought to his right-hand. He found it entertaining. "That is up to him. Now go. You have things to do." The pair bowed their heads, exiting the room.

"Kabuto, I don't wanna cut my hair."

"Well, you can't exactly just tie it up."

"But-"

"It will grow back." She sighed, giving up. "How sharp are your canines, by the way?"

"My canines? Why?" He glanced down at her, waiting for her response. "Uh, I guess enough to pierce flesh. I've bitten myself by accident a few times and bled."

"Good."

"Why?"

"If we're separated in the second part and you get caught by an opposing team, they won't see you as a threat. You can attack them, make them bleed. Maybe having a chunk of flesh bitten off of them will teach them something."

"You're kinda demented, you know that, right?"

"You don't know the half of it. Besides, all humans do what they have to do to survive. Some draw blood, others don't. That's just the way of life." Akiko opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Not even a snarky remark. "Are you beginning to like me?"

"You know what?! You can-'' she shut her mouth, biting back her remark. "Never mind." She heard a chuckle and she just knew there was a grin on his face. Or at least a smirk. Gods, she hated that smirk of his.

-:-

Entering the lab, Akiko got a better look than she had the week before. She noticed this time that there were some jars filled with organs, which she desperately hoped were not human. "There are a few boxes over there you can go through. Find something new to wear."

Walking over to the boxes, the Jinchuriki was surprised at what she found on just the top. There were various articles of clothes, each in different sizes, colors, and styles. She didn't dig very far before she froze. The night her parents died flashed in her mind, making tears well up in her eyes. Her father's voice rang in her head. "Stay with your brother, keep him safe."

"Keep him safe, protect him. Sorry, papa, but I failed the final mission you gave me." She picked up the shirt, placing it on her lap. Continuing to search, she found a pair of black shorts and stockings. Akiko hopped up, making her way back to Kabuto.

The medic heard her words, and he sensed the pain she emitted. But he didn't poke or prod like he usually would. He knew the pain of losing a parent. Instead, he decided to try and shift her mind to something else. "Do you want help with your hair?"

The girl looked at him for a moment before shaking her head. "No. But can I have a kunai real quick?" He gave her an odd look and handed her the weapon. Taking all of her hair in one hand, she held the blade up.

"Hang on," he knelt down and took hold of her hair. "Alright." Taking a deep breath, Akiko quickly sliced her hair before she had a chance to think otherwise. She watched as long red strands fell around her.

"Thank you."

"Why don't you go take a shower?" She cocked her head to the side before making a face. "You've been asleep for 3 weeks, Akiko. And your leg is covered in dried blood, both your own and snake blood." She glanced down at her leg, realizing he had a point.

"Yeah." She gathered her clothes and made her way to the bathroom in his lab. Once again, the boy opened his mouth. But he found no words would come out. Nothing comforting or nothing sarcastic. It confused and irritated him more than he would admit.

Maru suddenly whined, sensing something was off about the Jinchuriki. He looked at Kabuto, his ears pulled back. The medic looked down at the canine, letting out a breath. "Don't worry. She'll be in good hands." The white puppy made a noise similar to a scoff before looking away, one of his ears twitching. The boy gave him a look. "Wonderful. Her dog is just as snarky as she is."