Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The sound of birds chirping filled the air, while a small girl played by lavender plants. She was being watched by three maids, two who were actively playing with her, while the last one kept an eye out.

The small child was blissfully unaware of the meeting going in the manor.

A group of shinobi knelt infront of the head of the Iwai merchant guild. Iwai Tadao was a cunning man who cared deeply about his wife and young daughter. In the region and those who knew of the tycoon were aware that soon after he had married his wife Yuriko they had a daughter named Kiku.

The girl had been born frail and ill. The details of the disease were obscured, but they searched for doctors across the regions and even the to the land of sand and water. Rumors spread that they had tried to find the legendary doctor the Slug Princess but were unable to find her. Although very ill the child never died. Then one day they declared that the girl had made a miracle recovery.

It wasn't like the young girl made a debut in social circles, but she was spotted every once in a while, and no longer hidden away. Yet here were Konoha shinobi disturbing his peace by informing him that there was a serial killer on the loose in his city. The Jonin who had just informed the fussy merchant could see the frown lines and anger twisting in the expression on the merchant. "Well, what are you doing here then? Wasting my precious time when you could be catching the vermin who's terrorizing my streets." The man scoffed while leaning back and gripping the handle of his seat. He waved his hand at them in a dismissive manner.

"I'm assuming you will be patrolling my residential area more, correct? I mean, I will be footing the bill." he snickered at the mention of the payment.

He was bitter about having to pay for the Konoha shinobi. The Fire Lord had pressured him into doing so, under the pretense of proving his loyalty to the nation by keeping the 'area secure', and 'keeping friendly relations', but it was more of a back handed punishment for dealing with water country.

"We will make sure that the assailant doesn't trespass your property, while we track them down and apprehend or kill the target. You won't need to worry long Lord Iwai" Asami -the team leader and jonin- spoke up. Tadao nodded firmly and dismissed them without another word or protest.

"So what do you think of our Pseudo employer? He's only footing the bill because it looks good on reputation for the city. But overall what are y’alls thoughts?" Nao -a shorter younger chunin- asked. "He seemed eager to get us out. Wants nothing to do with the investigation. Probably scared out of his mind, you know how those rich type are." Daichi crossed his arms and leaned back slightly as he stretched.

"I guess, he just seemed really nervous." Nao shrugged as they walked down the streets of the city.
____

'Hunger', That was all she felt. Ever since she could remember the ache of hunger and stomach pains seemed to plague her.

Iwai Kiku had been a small bedridden child. On some good days she could walk around and move about. Other days she was confined to her futon, where she would silently cry about the pains that ran through her body. As a toddler who couldn't even speak properly, it drove her new mother mad. How was it possible that her daughter could not eat anything without spitting it out, vomiting, nausea, or stomach pains?

Yuriko would bring about all sorts of miracle cures, from shams to medicines. Yet, nothing seemed to work. Her loving husband indulged her every impulse and expense. A way to keep the peace in his home and in the hopes of saving his daughter. Until one day she went off the deep end and did something more extreme.

The day she brought the plate of thinly sliced meat in her daughter's room was when their life changed. The way the small toddler had run up to her mother, begging for the plate in her hands, sclera a dark murky red brown and veins trailing down her face. Yuriko indulged her daughter and fed her well that day.

Yuriko began dismissing the maids at certain times and would walk in with a covered plate at the same time every day. Who was she to deny her own child food? It was her child, right? Surely, a yokai hadn't taken her child and transformed into her. No, this had to be Kiku, the same Iwai Kiku who she had given birth to.

There were stories and folktales that warned people of human eating yokai and those that transformed into women and children. But, Yokai don't grow and they don't smile 'not like my little girl, never like her.' Yuriko thought to herself as she gave the child the food she prepared for her.

Cannibalism, who would have thought that the cure for near death starvation was human flesh? They had enough money to cover it up, their daughter could live her life comfortably this way, all she had to do was make sure to remove any maid with loose lips and tighten security, find supply. Kiku would never be unhappy again.

Those plans came to a halt when Tadao found out. He was more reluctant to be on board with the idea. But it had been the only thing that their toddler daughter could consume. They weren't barbaric enough to make their daughter eat the flesh unprocessed, so they had it cut in thin slices as if it was a delicate feast.

Hiding the truth in plain sight. Not even the maids who spent all day with the young growing child knew the horrible truth. That such a calm sweet obedient child, had such a secret.

Chapter Text

Heart that doesn't know, doesn't feel. -Ignorance is a bliss-. Kiku lived in such a bliss. Everyone she knew ate raw meat sometimes, whether it was wrapped in rice or gently placed on top of it. So why should she feel suspicious? It was what she had known her whole life. Having a sensitive pallet that was carefully managed by her mother.

It wasn't like she lacked food because she ate daily. A doting mother is what most children crave for anyways. But despite being so sheltered she was curious about the outside world. And meeting ninja -who were rare and barely seen- she was mystified by them the moment she saw them.

Outside of the hidden villages civilians rarely saw them unless they could afford their high prices, met them by coincidence, or were hunted down by them.

The shinobi wars were well known, but they were mostly ignorant about the battles, locations or who fought. Unless they were collateral of the violent battles. The survivors rarely had anything good to say about them either. Some people lived and died never meeting them and some even believed they weren't real. People who could control the elements? It was just too outlandish for some to not dismiss the stories as tall tells that were used to scare your kids at night. That the people who spoke of them were collateral damage of a natural disaster, traumatized and confused they babbled about super human people. -ignorance is a bliss-

Some just believed that spirits and yokai, were the cause of most unnatural events. Ninja regularly used the gullible ideology of those people to remain obscure, despite the fact that some of those stories held some truth to it.

So, when Kiku finally got a chance to meet a group of them, she was extremely fascinated, which led to her to excitedly play games and act like a ninja. So when she saw her mother sneaking around at night, she decided to secretly trail behind her. An innocent game that would lead her around the large estate her parents owned. Imagine her excitement when she followed her mother down a secret entrance. She hid near the entrance waiting for her mother to come out. But just like any child, she became bored of waiting for her mother to come out.

Thirty minutes later after waiting she was heading back to her room. Tired and sleepy after sneaking around at 10 pm. Kiku crawled into her futon and slept peacefully. The entire ordeal was quickly forgotten.

A few days later, as she played in the courtyard with her caretakers nearby she passed the area where she had followed her mother a few days prior. She was reminded of the day that she followed her mother, and saw the secret tunnel. A place in the estate that she had never seen before or explored. The fact a place where she hadn't been was excited.

With childish glee she looked around and decided to run away to try and loose her maids so she could go there. The three maids noticed as their mistress ran off and quickly called after her before pursuing her. Despite only being 5 years old she was very athletic, it didn't take long for her to hide under the crawlspace of a tea house's porch. The maids ran around the corner looking for Kiku. Before splitting up to look for her.

Kiku waited and then quickly ran back to the secret entrance. She unlocked the door of the secret entrance, the same way she had seen her mother do it. She snuck in eager to continue her last adventure.

"I'm a ninja... I tricked the guards and found the secret room." Kiku giggled as she tiptoed around and down the stairs. She was giddy as she looked around the wood walls, some walls had a mixture of concrete. Her eyes adjusting to the almost non-existent light.

Although she was sneaking around like a ninja, she was unable to access her situation like an adult would. It didn't take long before she reached another door. The light coming from beneath the door encouraged her to keep going, there was also sweet smell wafting in the air.

Kiku took a deep breath and sighed in delight. it smelled like the food her mother brought her. She eagerly opened the door to peer inside. Another hallway laid before her, but this time there were doors. The hall was lit with lightbulbs that were sparce around the ceiling. She quickly ran to the first door and opened it, only to find an empty room with a few fridges and a metal table. There were chains on the floor but other than that there was nothing else in the room.

She sniffed the air and let it lead her to one of the multiple freezers, it was large box shape and the lid was on the top. Carefully opening the door she was taken back by the sight of a torso split in half. Only one arm and half the chest were visible. There seemed to be more body parts beneath it, but it was hard to tell.

"ahh!" Kiku yelped in fear backing away from it. She trembled as she stared at the fridge in disbelief. She stared at it in fear, but there was a familiar sweet smell that made her mouth water. The sight had been scary at first, but as the seconds passed and the hunger she felt in the pit of her stomach seemed to be overwhelming the feeling of fear.

She slowly approached the fridge. "it's okay, it's okay.." She muttered to herself while she peered over the top again. This time she didn't pull away and stared at the contents of the fridge.

Her mouth was salivating. Despite the initial fear she felt, it was being replaced by a feeling that the contents inside would be appetizing. She reached down with her small hand which was slightly shaking. Mentally she wasn't sure if it was from fear or excitement that she was trembling. The skin felt cold, extremely cold. The flesh was a bit stiff and leathery. She squeezed the arm slightly before grabbing it and trying to pull it up. but rigor mortis had already set in and the arm wasn't moving and was stiff. She gently tried to pull the arm up and it still wouldn't move. So she yanked it up and unbeknownst to her, she was alot stronger than she thought and the arm cracked loudly and loosened up. She twisted the arm to see how it moved. She had overcome her fear and was trying to bring the arm to her face. She stared at the cold fingers and leaned in.

She knew biting people was bad, but it was a piece of cut up body. Surely that rule didn't apply here. She let logic and conscious go and bit the forearm. Her teeth sinking into the stiffened flesh. It had a delicious aroma, despite its jarring appearance.

Bitting through the leathery skin was ease, she shook her head as she pulled away to be able to tear flesh away. The taste was fresh and the coldness reminded her of the meat her mother brought her.

Her sclera darked to a near black and veins spread across her cheeks. She lost her sense of reasoning for a moment and ate at a rapid pace, unlike the measured thin pieces of meat her mother served her. She bit a mouthful after mouthful, enjoyed how she could eat in large bites.

Her teeth quickly hit bone and she continued around it. There was a significant lack of blood - the bodies had been drained from blood already.

"So yummy!" she groaned out in delight as she tighten her grip on the forearm. She tore the forearm off with a hard twist near the elbow, and sat down with it. She was happily eating the palm of the hand and biting down on the fingers which she nibbled around and ate the flesh from there as well.

It was after she finished eating that she stopped and thought of what she did. Kiku felt embarrassed by her lack of restraint and because of what she ate. She put the arm back hastily and ran out. Closing the door behind her, she ran up the stairs and out of the entrance. Yuriko stood near the entrance. "Kiku-!" The yell quickly quieted down as she stared at her daughter.

Around Kiku's mouth were pieces of flesh and her kimono had streaks of blood and body fluids from where she had wiped her hands on it. Kiku was flustered. like a child getting caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

Yuriko's face fell, her skin turning a deadly pale tone and she trembled. 'Maybe I am raising a Yokai, there's no way she didn't hesitate. No! she's my daughter.' Yuriko was having an internal battle with herself. Fear coursed through her veins, but she was trying to justify her only daughter's possible actions.

The maid's yells and her trembling breath were the only things that could be heard. Yuriko lurched forward and grabbed her daughter. Holding the small child close to her chest she picked her up and ran off. To her bedroom where she could hide Kiku. 'I don't care if she is a yokai, She's my daughter, the one I gave birth to! if she's a demon for eating human flesh then I'm also one for killing people to feed her.' Yuriko thought to herself as she ran into the room and set Kiku down.

"I'm sorry, was I not supposed to go down there?" Kiku asked shyly, unaware of the thoughts that her mother was having. "shhh. it's okay. mommy will take care of it." Yuriko frantically cooed as she removed her daughter's kimono and wiped the little girls hands. “You're dirty a bath will do you good, hmm what do you think?" Yuriko attempted to smile, but she was internally having a crisis.

"Okay!" Kiku innocently smiled. "Mommy, what was that down there in the secret tunnel?" she asked and Yuriko let out a breathless laugh. Ignoring her daughters question she picked the small girl up and took her to the bathroom, taking the kimono with her. In case someone entered the room and found it.

Yuriko went through the mindless motions of bathing her daughter, who sang a childish song she had been taught by the maids.

"Mommy, why are you scared." Kiku looked up at her mother. Instead of looking thoughtful and cute -Kiku was known for being sensitive of people's emotions- it was unnerving.

"I-" for a moment she doubted herself, 'A yokai, that's what she is... my yokai' Yuriko smiled as she pushed down the sensible feeling of fear. "I'm okay, I thought some had taken you away, I guess I was really scared." She smiled at Kiku as she stroked her hair gently.

"Oh okay... look bubbles." Kiku easily let the subject go and got distracted. Yuriko quietly washed her daughter while contemplating.

'Tadao might not react like me. He was already doubtful about gathering food for our baby girl. No, he can't know about this. I have to protect Kiku!'

She burned the stained kimono.

________

Days passed and Kiku kept asking to go to the secret room. The maids dismissed the 'secret room' request by redirecting the question, no point in arguing with a 5 year old child with an active imagination.

Meanwhile Yuriko had kept a distance from her daughter. She had seen how her small child had left the corpse. Mauled. Although she had been doing unsavory acts herself, the scene unnerved her.

Yuriko admonished herself for her newfound fear. 'I did this, I continued to feed her people. I made my daughter a cannibal. Did I turn her into a yokai? Should I have taken her to a priest to exorcise her when she was little?' guilt ate at her conscious.

She hadn't even fed the girl. But Kiku wasn't hungry, she hadn't complained, or acted as if she needed to eat.

But she did ask about her, at least according to the maids.

Days continued to pass. It had nearly been three weeks before Kiku asked for food. The maids hadn't noticed that the girl hadn't eaten. Usually they took a long break during midday. When the mistress came in and fed her daughter. They were to leave the residence regardless of whether Yuriko was there or not.

But as the first two were leaving, Kiku grabbed one of the maids dress. "Umi, Mommy hasn't been coming and I'm hungry.” Kiku complained, the other two maids had already left, seeing as Kiku had only been speaking to Umi.

Kiku's breathing was heavy as she withstood the hunger pains. Umi was immediately concerned " How long has it been since Lady Yuriko's come to see you?"

Kiku shrugged, she was unsure of how to tell the maid how many days had passed since she didn't count.

"Don't worry miss, I will speak to your mother to make sure she comes to see you okay?" Umi smiled, but Kiku's eyes were trained on the maid. Days of hunger had built up, and she felt an unbearable hunger that she hadn't felt since she was a toddler. Kiku's lower back felt hot, her mouth was watering and her breathing was unsteady.

Umi instantly became concerned but before she could say anything a long red tendril sprung from behind Kiku and stabbed the older woman through the chest.

Umi gargled and sputtered in shock. Then she tried to scream in pain and fear, as she was met with the same little girl with protruding black veins around her eyes and red pupils. A sickening smile on spread across Kiku's lips as she smelled fresh blood for the first time. The tendrils slowly pulled out of the light brown haired woman. Umi coughed and shook as she was overwhelmed by pain. The smell of piss filled the air. Kiku looked down at the forming puddle and she tossed the dying woman's body to the side.

"You just smell so good~" Kiku purred as she approached and licked her lips. Umi attempted to protest with her last dying breath, but by then Kiku was feasting on her flesh.

Warm blood and flesh filled Kiku's mouth. The taste was better when it was nice and warm,better than what her mother gave her and better than what she had tasted in the secret room.

The sound of ripping flesh, cracking bones and the sound of chewing filled the otherwise silent room.

______

Yuriko had finally gained the courage to see her daughter. But when she walked into the room with a plate in hand she was greeted by the gruesome sight of her daughter maid being eaten. Blood pooled under the corpse whose stomach had been ripped open. Entrails and organs were on full display.

Yuriko dropped the plate as she stared. The sound was loud enough to startle the girl. Kiku looked up and smiled happily as she saw her mother. "Mommy! I missed you!"

Yuriko was frozen in fear at the sight of her daughter eating a body. It was easier to witness the sight after she had cut the flesh off as if it were sashimi.

Kiku didn't waste a second to stand up and run into her mother's embrace. "Don't leave me again please." Yuriko stared at her daughter with wide eyes. Kiku was covered in blood and body fluids.

'Even if she is a yokai or demon.... I can't.... I can't hate my little girl." Yuriko embraced the child before her. Uncaring of the blood that stained her own kimono.

'My sweet little girl must've been so hungry. But Tadao and everyone else should never see this. No, i'll keep her safe.'

Love is blind.

Chapter Text

Asami -the Jonin leading the mission- had met up with her teammates. They were going to go over what they’d found while investigating the city. The first thing they started to do was find the repeated patterns that the serial killer had. From the way they chose their victims, the time of day that they were active, and tracking the places that most murders occurred. They went over the observations of the local police and samurai that had dealt with the case.

“It’s obvious they are moving the victims to a different location, we could be dealing with a human trafficking ring.” Keiji stated as he tied his long brown hair in a low ponytail.

“That is also a possibility, none of the victims had similarities. They were all different ages, gender and had completely different lifestyles. Their disappearances happened throughout the day, and although there were witnesses to the victims last place seen they weren’t able to say much.’’ Asami stated as she sat back, looking at her fellow teammates and subordinates.

“If it is a human trafficking ring, then wouldn’t the people that have more money be aware of it in some way?” Nao stated, this made Keiji groaned at the youngest member statement. “I’m just saying, you know how rich people are. Also, they seemed very suspicious to me.” Nao huffed in indignation.

“They looked like they were just scared. Besides you’re being biased, you never get along with the richer clients either. There is no further evidence to your claim other than how ‘nervous’ they looked.” Daichi sighed in defense to Keiji’s theory.

“There were some remains found in the outskirts of the city. The cuts were jagged and uncoordinated, but they are our first major lead. Which is why they think there is a serial killer on the loose.” Asami sighed while ignoring the small spat that her teammates just had.

“If it is a trafficking ring we need to track them down and put an end to it. That’s what we were hired to do. Find the cause and eliminate it or capture them, for trial to own up for their actions. Then we leave.” Asami adds making sure to give a glare to her troublesome teammates.

“There must’ve been someone to have escaped them. I’m sure they might be hiding somewhere. We can’t be public about the open investigation. The killer or kidnappers will be alerted and either seize their actions, and go into hiding.’’ Keiji stated humming and closing his eyes. “We will get a lead soon enough. We just have to stake out the most common body deposit sites,’’ he finished saying.
______

A few days had passed since Kiku had shown that gruesome display to her mother. Yuriko was completely infatuated by her daughter. Before it had been normal affection, but that had turned into an obsession. She was sure that her daughter was a Yokai and that Kiku loved her so much that she would never attack her. Her Yokai would harm anyone, except for her.

Kiku simply basked in the affection given to her. Meanwhile Yuriko couldn’t bear to kill any more people herself. The internal fear she held for her daughter made her unwilling to watch her eat, reluctant to let the girl touch her. Yet she felt the urge to keep her at arm's length, maybe it was her guilt of raising a man eating yokai, or fear that the girls newfound cannibalistic nature would cause her to attack someone else.

She could cover up an incident outside of the estate and clean her hands of it. But if people started to die in the estate. There would be more surveillance and a higher risk of being caught.

Yuriko didn’t plan on getting caught. She feared that she would be found with a plate of human flesh, and it being noticed by the ninja. ‘They would know how human meat smelled like… right? They are hired killers.’ Yuriko thought to herself.

Unbeknownst to her, Tadao had been meeting with the ninja while she was distracted with their daughter. It was in one of those visits that one of maids that had cared for Kiku approached them.

The young woman looked to be in her twenties. “Hello, my name is Fumiko and I am.. One of the nannies that takes care of the young mistress of this estate. I overheard that you all are investigating the missing people. I… I think that a fellow worker of mine has gone missing.” She spoke with elegance.

“Oh, it’s my pleasure to meet you, I’m Asami, the leader of the investigation.” Asami stepped forward, in front of Daichi whom the young nanny had directed her request to. Fumiko was taken back, she expected one of the men in the group to be the leader.

Compared to the rest of the population, kunoichi enjoyed the privilege of not dealing with close minded people and ideals of the common person. At the end of the day, you could die by any ninja wielding a blade. Segregating the women and men was pointless when you were dead. So there was always a cultural clash when it came to people raised in ninja villages and those outside of them.

“You mentioned a colleague that went missing. Could you describe when was the last time you saw her?” Asami gave her a polite smile that made her seem unthreatening.

The nanny nervously rubbed her hands. “We were on our way out of the estate. We usually eat out…together. She stayed behind because she was speaking to our young mistress. We waited for her at the restaurant we agreed to eat at. She never arrived.” Fumiko says as she nervously rubbed her hands together. “May I ask what happen next?’’ Asami asked while trying to seem reassuring.

The nanny seemed to ponder what had occurred that day. “We were sent home early that day. Lady Yuriko wanted to spend time with her daughter and didn’t want us to interrupt them.”

Asami hummed in understanding. “Is it common for you to be dismissed early?” The Jonin asked her and Fumiko shook her head. “It’s rare, but only when Lord Tadao is also staying with the young mistress. Usually, she wants us around just in case she needs something. It’s our job to take care of the menial tasks. The only other time we aren’t there is when we sleep and when the young mistress eats.” she added.

“When she eats?” Nao spoke up from behind Asami. Fumiko nodded. “Every day we are to leave at around noon. Lady Yuriko has lunch with our young mistress, All of the servants have to leave the young mistress wing of the compound. Regardless if we need to do something. If we are found there, we are immediately fired. Even if Lady Yuriko isn’t there and Mistress Kiku is left unsupervised we are required to leave. At first, we thought that Umi had been fired. But when we went to visit her home, her neighbors told us they hadn’t seen her. We went to her parents' home and she wasn’t there. Umi is a proper lady and would never leave her family behind and run away. So Mizuko and I think she has been kidnapped. Probably on the way to our meeting spot. I mean she was walking alone without an escort or company.” Fumiko nodded resolutely.

“May I inquire who Mistress Mizuko is?” Asami asked and Fumiko got flustered. “She is the other maid that cater to Mistress. There are three of us tending to her at all times of the day. Other than the two hour breaks we are given daily.” she says.

“So the last witness to see Umi was Mistress Kiku?” Asami asked and the nanny nodded. “It is possible. I asked around the market and no one claims to have seen her.” “We will add Miss Umi to the list of possible victims. We also be on the lookout, for her. If we see her we will let you know if she is safe.” Asami politely smiled and Fumiko seemed to relax slightly.

“Thank you for listening. I will take my leave, since I have to return to my duties.” She bowed. “No, thank you for letting us know about your worries. It will definitely make it easier to track her down.” Asami responded.

“Please take this.” She held a picture out with all three of the maids. “She is the one on the far left.”

“Thank you, rest assured that we will search for her.” Asami stated and the woman smiled, bowed again and left.

“I still believe we should look into Lady Yuriko and Lord Tadao. At this point we must investigate this estate in order to clear off all suspicion.” Nao added and glanced over at his teammate Daichi and smirked. At least his theory had some sustenance to it now.

“With how overprotective she is with her daughter. We are unlikely to speak, much less interact with her.” Keiji spoke up and Asami nodded.

“Give me some time and I’ll think of a plan to get to her.” Asami sighed.

With that the four ninjas left the Iwari estate. Suspicious of the client that they were hired by.

Chapter Text

A few days later ~~~~

"Yuriko, listen to me. It'd keep both of you safe. Those ninja are going to be here until they find us. This isn't something we can continue covering up." Tadao urged his wife.

Yuriko trying to calm her breathing. She had just snapped at her husband for suggesting that they send their daughter off and cut contact for a while. Until the ninja finished their investigation and left it as a cold case.

She shook her head rapidly. "No, we can't just send her away. She needs me...-us. She just a little girl." Yuriko breathlessly cried. She was holding her husbands hand. Hoping that he would see reason.

"We won't be apart for long. Just until the coast is clear." He restated, his face contorted into a displeased expression. She became still and closed her eyes. She slowly nodded at her husbands insistence. "We have to stay behind to save face. it won't be long, I promise." He engulfed her in a hug, he was relieved that she had finally giving in to his request.

When he first mentioned that they should send of Kiku and hid her outside of the city limits, she almost went hysterical. She accused him of trying to abandon their child, of not loving them and it sent her into a downward spiral. Tadao was worried for his wife, he assumed the pressure of being investigated had put too much strain on her. He was also concerned on how easily it had sent her over the edge, Yuriko had always been calm and level headed so the sudden change in demeanor concerned him.

He couldn't send them both off since it would cast suspicion on them. Since Kiku was rarely seen, they could hide her away without anyone noticing.

'Does he think I will stay still while he gets rid of my daughter? No! He probably already gave up on her. it's just me and Kiku.'

Yuriko calmed down and became docile. It was enough for Tadao to back off.

It wasn't long before a servant came to where they were and let them know that the ninja they hired had arrived.
____________

Kiku was playing in the garden. She hadn't seen her maids since her mother caught her eating one of them. So now whenever her mother wasn't around she was able to wander around the courtyard. She did hide whenever a servant was nearby to avoid being ousted by one of them.

Otherwise she was enjoying her freedom. As she played she heard the sound of voices and immediately crouched down by one of the flower gardens. She could barely hear what they were saying but tried to listen "ninja--- here-----the maid" "Hush--- Lady said---speak" only certain words made sense as she eavesdropped on them.

The second she heard something about the ninja she tried harder to listen in. After she heard them pass by, she got up and ran over to the side of the manor to see if they were in the main courtyard. It was where most guests usually arrived when they came to see her father.

There was a large tree near the entrance and she clumsily hid behind it. ' oh it's only the guy ninja, where did the lady go?' Kiku tried to see if she could spot Asami in the small group. unbeknownst to her, Asami was reporting to her father -Tadao- so she wasn't there.

Kiku wasn't good at hiding so all three ninja had noticed her presence. Nao was the one to react. He used shunshin to appear next to Kiku. "You know it isn't polite to watch people, right?" Nao chirped and Kiku gasped and nearly fell back. "A-amazing! How did you do that? Can you teach me?" she asked excitedly as she straightened up.

"Hmm, you'd have to become a ninja too if you want me to teach you." He grinned at her teasingly. Kiku became flustered before responding. " I would be a really good ninja. I can see at night and and and um I can smell really well."

Nao let out a chuckle. "Sure, but do you have what it takes?" he teased and she eagerly nodded. " I don't doubt you, but I'm sure your mother and father would miss you."

" I can come visit everyday! Mommy has to make me her super special food!" She grinned. "I'll be a great ninja, I promise!"

Nao laughed and squatted down. "I'm sure you would be better off here. Sounds like you would miss your parents too much." he leaned back and Kiku huffed.

" I'd be really good. I even found mommy's secret tunnel. Nobody else has been able to find it." She added and he chuckled. "Is it a super duper secret tunnel?" He indulged her and she nodded. "Okay then, what's hidden in the great secret tunnel?" he asked and she seemed to think for a moment.

"Ill show you!" She smiled and grabbed his hand. She pulled his hand, dragging him behind her. He didn't try to stop her. Nao already had his suspicions against the Iwai family. They also needed to get Kiku's witness statement. So casually interrogating a 5 year old was the best he could do. If he pushed or questioned her directly she would definitely clam up and not say anything.

"I followed mommy into it and there was a big surprise there. Mommy left after that, but now she lets me go down there. We eat Umi." she smiled as she chattered on.

Nao listened and nodded as she spoke. The last part of her statement confusing him. '5 year olds speak in such a weird way.' He thought to himself as he followed behind her.

"Umi is your maid right? is she hiding in the secret tunnel?" he asked her trying to indulge her. She hummed and nodded. "Yeah, she is really nice too."

Nao realized that this was possibly a lead to their missing persons report. At first he had been indulging in her childish behavior in order to ease his way into questions over the missing maid. But she had easily given the answers. Which made him wonder about the secret tunnel and why the maid Umi was there, especially since her close acquaintances had assumed she had been kidnapped.

"Why don't you show me where this tunnel at." He smiled warmly at her and Kiku gleamed and nodded. She pulled him to the inner courtyard where there was a trapdoor hidden by the large flower bushes and a large tree. The area was off to the side of the courtyard, it was hidden by the low tree branches and the shrubbery.

"This is the secret-" the sound of Fumiko and Mizuko calling for her sounded through the area. Kiku slightly jumped at attention turning to see if they were behind her.

"I have to go-" she cut herself off because when she looked back the ninja that she had been speaking to disappeared. She furrowed her face slightly, 'How did he vanish like that?' she thought to herself.

"Young mistress! Where are you!" Mizuko called out. Kiku was still confused, but opted to go to where her nannies were calling her from.
_____

"That's when she led me to the trapdoor. it's likely that the maid is locked down there." Nao told his teammates. Asami had spoke with Lord Tadao and given him an update. When the meeting ended and they were about to leave, Nao had returned from reconnaissance. Daichi and Kenji had created a clone and made sure no one got close to it in order to hide Nao from getting caught.

"Well, we are going to find out what is down there. We already know the patrols of the estate. So we just need to infiltrate it." Asami pulled out a scroll and draw out a basic layout of the manor they were in. They discussed the position of patrols, accessible entrances/exits, and best time to go in.

It didn't take long before a formidable plan was created.
____

'Crunch' 'Gulp' 'Crack' 'Thud

The sound of teeth sinking into flesh filled the room. Kiku was eating, alone in the room. Yuriko stood outside the door. She was crouched down against the wall.

Yuriko was trembling and mumbling to herself. 'We have to leave today. Just get rid of the evidence and leave. Tadao can handle things on his end. But we aren't staying.' She thought to herself, she was biting her thumbnail as she made internal plans on which nearby city they would run off to.

She had packed enough money for them to able to sustain themselves. Kiku's food supply would be harder to obtain, but she could keep them hidden for a few weeks or months. Maybe when things settled down, they'd return to their home. If Kiku had to leave, so would she. Tadao didn't have the courage she did. 'he doesn't know Kiku like I do, he will probably try to blame this on me-' her frantic thoughts were interrupted by the loud sounds of ribs cracking.

Yuriko shivered in fear, 'She must be eating the-' quickly she covered her mouth as to not vomit. The sight was less than stellar, and she wasn't willing to go inside and look at it up close.

In an instant her hands were held behind her. "What's inside the room?" a familiar feminine voice spoke. Yuriko was frozen in shock. But instead of responding to the question. "RU-!!" her mouth was covered by Asami who had held the woman captive.

When Asami had Yuriko secured and quieted she asked once more. "What the hell is in that room?" She whisper shouted. The sound of chewing was loud enough for them to hear it from the hallway.

Keiji and Daichi were on both sides of the door. Nao was coming up to the front. He was going to open the door. Yuriko's screams were muffled and she began struggling harder. The sounds stopped and the loud sound of small feet was heard. Asami didn't want Yuriko to escape so she knocked her out.

All four ninja became still and held up their weapons.

"Mommy, are you okay?" Kiku's voice was heard from the other side and the sliding door was being opened.

Kiku was covered in blood, her sclera was nearly black with thick veins spreading down past her cheeks. Her inky black hair was covered with a slick liquid but the red blooddrops were telling enough.

"Oh mr.ninja you came." Kiku smiled innocently. Blood stained her cheeks and a few streaks were on her forehead from where she used her hands to get her hair out of the way while she ate.

The ninja present felt a deep disgust and fear. Keiji even gagged when he saw that what she had in her hand was an organ. "I'm having dinner- what happen to mommy?!" Kiku noticed her mother after looking a bit around the hallway.

They instinctively took a step back. This flustered Kiku and she back off, holding her hand close to her chest. "What the actual fuck." Daichi muttered out as he stared at the girl.

Kiku backed away, slowly moving back into the room. There was some light inside the room, and while she moved back in, the view inside the room was visible.

They had all met the maid once when they first arrived to the estate. Fumiko had also given them a picture of her, so when their eyes landed on the mauled corpse behind the girl. It was easy to see.

The shoulder length light brown hair was visible despite the amount of blood that coated it. The eyes were gone and half of the face had already been eaten.

Keiji couldn't hold back and vomited at the sight. Asami held the woman in her arms tighter. Nao couldn't stop shaking 'I was going to explore this place by myself, holy shit I was going to be down here by myself.'

"Girl, did... did you do that." Daichi spoke up, his voice was strained because he was forcing himself to talk and push past the fear. Kiku felt uncomfortable with the man, his tone of voice was too stern for the girl who was used to being pampered by her parents.

" I didn't mean to hurt Umi... I just hadn't eaten in days!" Kiku screamed out as she felt overwhelmed by their KI. Being faced with her had caused their guards to come up, and being that she was sensitive to aura of people it made her panic.

Nao tried to smile. "O-okay, so you were hungry, and you killed her."

"I-" Kiku glanced back at the body. "I hurt Umi." She began to cry in sadness. Once her hunger had quelched, she had realized what she had done. Despite her actions, Kiku had been very fond of Umi. Yuriko had managed to avert the mental break down. The high of killing her first prey had been enough to override the feelings of guilt. But she was now being forced to face the consequences to her actions, in front of strangers. It became to overwhelming.

"N-now, w-why'd you do that?" Nao tried to keep calm and speak with her. Unknowingly he triggered her and she screamed. "I didn't mean to!!"

As she did this her kagune exploded from her back, breaking the Kimono she was wearing. They were all shocked and immediately moved back. Nao had been in front of her and his back was turned to a wall. So when he tried to move back he was cornered. The simple mistake was enough to delay him.

"ARGH AHH!" Nao's body was pierced by the Kagune. The red tendrils stabbed at him repeatedly, hoisting him in the air before it slammed him into the floor.

Kunai were immediately thrown, the metal weapons hit the target. But they fell onto the ground with a useless thud. Kiku had been pushed back by the kunai. Screams erupted from her lips, despite the kunai not cutting her the strength which they were thrown in did cause her pain.

The Kagune slammed around, twisting in pain and attacking anyone nearby. Asami managed to jump back with Yuriko in hand. "Get back!" she screamed while she attempted to block a hit with her short sword, but she was sent back flying. 'Damn it's strong.' she thought to herself.

"That hurt! IT HURTS! MoMmY MOMMY!" Kiku screamed in agony from the now forming bruises which formed and immediately began to heal. She stumbled back into the room. Her kagune slammed around the room violently, the three remaining ninjas were throwing a few kunai where there was an opening -there were many- But none of them did sustainable damage.

Kiku finally jumped back her feet hitting the wall which she used to kick off. They had to dodge the attack moving out of her way fast enough for her to make it past the door and down the hall. "Owie, it hurts. Daddy I want my daddy!" She screamed hopelessly. As she ran towards the entrance. She barely made out the voice of the other ninja present, she just wanted to escape.

"Wind style!" was the last thing she heard before she was cut down from behind. She felt the pain on her neck and while she could see and feel her head toppled over. The body fell with a loud thud. Daichi let out a loud angry scream as he held his blade in hand. He slowly walked towards the collapsed body. "Damn monster." he growled out, his voice dripping in venom.

The body convulsed slightly, the tendrils were slowly disappearing back into the Kimono. They all held their breath as the fingers twitched the dark blood the spilled from Kiku's head suddenly became thicker. The head seemed to roll back towards her neck, the blood connecting the two together again.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck." Daichi jumped back in horror as the decapitated body reconnected its head back on and the girl was slowly getting up. She was sobbing loudly and hysterically. She curled herself up in a fetal position while sobbing and gasping.

Kiku was beyond terrified, she had felt a pseudo death. She was whole again, but the pain and trauma remained. Never before had she really felt pain. There were times she tripped or fell. She never bled or 'cut' herself, at most she would have a bruise. And that was while under the care of three nannies, so the times it did happen were rare and far in between.

They were forced back into reality by the smell of burning fire. "Fuck, the lamp must've tipped over." Keiji hissed out as he looked back down the hallway which was engulfed in flames. There was a sudden subdue scream from within the flames, but there was nothing that could be done to save the woman in the flames. Even if they did, she would be disfigured and probably wouldn't survive.

Asami let out a frustrated scream. " Let's get the hell out of here."

She dashed forward and kicked Kiku on the temple with all her strength. There was a loud yelp before she hit the wall.

Kiku's vision was blurry from the kick, she was doing her best to stay up. But between getting decapitated, the kunai and the kick. She couldn't hold her onto her consciousness. "Grab------------" The words faded into the background as she passed out.
________

They managed to escape with the unconscious girl. They did not attempt to turn off the flame which had now turned the bunker into a fire pit that caught the nearby garden on fire.

They watched from a distance as the estate started to catch on fire. People desperately trying to cut it off so that it wouldn't spread to other houses.

"Did you send the message to Konoha." Asami asked solemnly.

"Yes captain." Keiji responded. Daichi was quiet in the background, he was glaring at the unconscious girl who had killed the youngest in the group who had only been 17.

"We will hold her with these chakra restraining seals and keep her unconscious with whatever you have, I don't care is she ends up dying." Asami stated.

_____

"Ah you're here. I have a mission for you Orochimaru. There seems to be a... thing that was discovered in a mission. A possible Kekkei Genkai. I want you to investigate, the team that found it is a hunting squadron. They're ill-equipped to deal with the.... situation. Possible human hybrid." The third hokage spoke up.

"Of course you are 'reinforcement' because our 'ninja' were unable see that there was a fire. Which possibly killed the lady of the house. The daughter Iwai Kiku will be brought here and her 'death' announced. The possible sole survivor will be the father Tadao. Make sure to keep him off the trail. He has some necessary investments in the villages market that are vital."

Hiruzen leaned back. "If he protests too much and seems to want to retaliate. Well, konoha still needs to be paid and he lied about mission parameters. So some extra fees, a few forged documents and make sure we are well paid. Make sure he can't do it." He says as he sets down an S rank mission.

Kidnapping, murder, and robbery.

"I understand sensei. I will be heading out immediately."

Chapter Text

"Of course she isn't a demon. This small little girl is a carrier of a whole new Kekkei Genkai." A voice said as Kiku stirred and began to wake up.

She slowly blinked and tried to get up.

Her eyes trailed up to see a blurry figure. All she saw was long black hair and instantly a wave a relief went though her..

"Mommy." She whimpered out as she reached out to the figure.

"There she is. Aren't you a little trouble maker?" The male voice said. As her vision started to become clear, she could see that the person she thought was her mother was actually someone else. The shoulders were too wide, arms more muscular and skin a bit too pale. As the last remnants of confusion left her, she could see the differences.

Kiku rubbed her eyes trying to get the blurriness out of them. She blinked a few times as she looked at her hands.

Heavy handcuffs were wrapped around her wrist and ankles.

She looked up and noticed it wasn't her mother that was in front of her. Now that she was more aware, and her vision was clear it was obvious that it was a man. When he looked down at her she could see that he had dark black hair and golden colored eyes. His skin was pale, and he had purple markings on in the inner corner of his eyes. The color was a perfect contrast to his pale skin and golden color eyes, giving him an ethereal look.

"What's your name?" He asked.

She whimpered and tried to pull away from him.

"Now, now no need to be shy." He smirked his voice was steady and controlled.

"Who are you?" She whimpered out as she tried to back away from him.

"Me? I'm Orochimaru. And who are you, little girl?" he asked and Kiku gulped.

"Kiku, Iwai Kiku. Wheres my mom-mother and father?" She quickly asked while correcting her speech but shrunk back into herself afterward under his unwavering stare.

"This. This woman, did you cause harm to her?" Orochimaru asked with a monotone voice as he held up a picture completely ignoring her questions. Kiku recognized it was a photo of her nanny, Umi.

She whimpered and tried to back away.

"Answer the question. Did you hurt this woman?" He asked again, his voice was stern and demanding.
His mere presence made Kiku tremble in fear, tears started to pour down her face and she nodded.

"Why?" He asked sternly and Kiku began to cry loudly.

"I... I. Mommy didn't bring me food. For many days, -I was only trying to ask her to get mommy." Kiku responded shakily as she tried explaining what had happened.

"And what happened next?" He asked sternly and Kiku cried harder.

"My tummy was hungry and I-I hurt Umi. She smelled really good and I got hungry. I bit her and it tasted better than the other food mommy gives me. It wasn't cold or stiff. It was really soft and warm." She whispers lowly but her mouth watered at the thought of how delicious Umi had tasted, the first meal she had actually enjoyed.

"I was so hungry, I couldn't stop, and I ate and ate and ate." She sniffled as she looked up at the man shyly.

"So you killed and ate your maid?" Orochimaru asked Kiku, she stared at him in confusion. "What is killed?"

Everyone that was in the cave became still. The remaining members of team Asami stared at the girl in horror.

"It's when you hurt someone and they never move again." Orochimaru responded, but she still looked confused. "Like the ones in the secret tunnel?"

"Hmm, if you tell me what they look like, I might be able to tell you." Orochimaru gave her a smile, it didn't reach his eyes but the girl relaxed slightly.

She shifted a bit, trying to sit up. "They were in the fridge and cut up. like here and here." With her limited movement she pointed at different spots of the body.

"Mommy also said that I ate all my food when she went down there." Kiku whispered and Orochimaru's smirk widened.

"I'll speak to the Iwai family. Asami, you are released from your position. I will be handling this case from now on. Sadly, with the fire that occurred in the estate we must investigate with more... vigor. For all we know the 'serial killer' is still on the loose. Konoha has sent a.. higher rank ninja to assist the Iwai family as a sign of good will. I'm sure that they've noticed the absence of the Lady of the house and the young mistress. We of course are ignorant of the disappearance all signs stating otherwise need to be removed. I'm sure Lord Iwai will try to at least filter out information and attempt to hinder any and all investigations of the tunnel incident. We just have to make sure that the relationship of the Iwai merchant guild and Konoha remain strong. Regardless of the method. Is that understood." Orochimaru stated as he came up with the cover story they would have.

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama." The remaining shinobi responded as they stood at attention. Daichi glared down at the girl making her crouch and cower away from him. She was terrified of the ninja who she had attacked. being beheaded traumatized her.

Orochimaru hurried to see the father of the amazing specimen he had just found.

By the accounts of the Jonin Asami and the other two chunin (Keij and Daichi.) the girl had grown a few extra limbs from the middle and lower area of her back, her eyes changed color and they assumed that she had some sort of night vision or superior sense of smell. They also noted the abnormal strength and speed that she held.

They had also pointed out that they doubted she was an infiltrator who was impersonating the young girl or had any shinobi training. When they had fought the only thing that kept them from taking her down was the extra limbs and her abnormal speed and strength. It was an uncontrollable Kekkei genkai on a naive child throwing a tantrum.

They couldn't leave her with her father even if they wanted to. The girl was a loose cannon. Her above-average abilities meant that not just anybody could control her. Her choice of food was an issue itself. They couldn't let go of a bloodthirsty Kekkei Genkai user in the city of Kyoto, the public was already starting to panic and the death toll was already in the double digits. It was a weapon in an amateur's hands, one that he proved incapable of handling.

In order to preserve the peace of the city and in the fire country, it had been decided that the young kekkei Genkai user would be brought to Konoha. The Iwai family would also be left in the dark about what actually happened to their daughter. But at least they wouldn't have civil unrest in the city.

Orochimaru was escorted into the Iwai Family estate.

He gave Tadao Iwai a bow. "Where is the other shinobi? The woman that had been leading the team that I had hired, Asami?" The man spoke up, his voice jittery. Tadao looked hollow in the inside, he was pale and seemed less robust than he had been before.

"They are outside waiting. Nao, one of the young ninja stayed back in the village when he delivered a message. So I will be leading the investigation.my name is Orochimaru." with a reassuring affirmation he bowed down politely to the Tycoon. Iwai's face soured at the mention of Orochimaru's name. He lived in the land of fire country and he was quite aware of the name Orochimaru the snake sannin from the Village hidden in the leaves.

Tadao felt dread in the pit of his stomach.

Tadao didn't respond as he let his head drop slightly. Guilt and frustration were apparent on his face. " Yes, of course..." Tadao trails off as he glances up at orochimaru, barely holding back.

"We heard news of your wive's disappearance and the Hokage sent me to assist in the investigation." Orochimaru stated and the man stiffen. He shook slightly and tried to muster up a arrogant smile. "That won't be necessary. I have my own guards to investigate my home." He immediately denied the request. "What if there are any clues of the serial killer in the area. You did hire us to investigate." Orochimaru countered. "I will inform you of the results." The man once again denied access to the estate.

"We will respect your wishes. Although we will continue our investigation outside the estate. There is a witness we were able to acquire. So we will probably have more answers to the culprit soon. He stated and the man looked horrified. "Of course, I am eager to know what results you manage to find. You are dismissed. I have other things to concern myself about. Especially with my wive's disappearance." Tadao insisted, Orochimaru bowed and dismissed himself.

Tadao quickly walked towards his room. Yuriko had left a letter saying she would go into hiding. Clothes, jewelry and a large amount of money was missing. He hoped that the charred remains in the tunnel were just dead people that they had killed. The entire place was locked down so that no one would enter it. The remains were unrecognizable, the only thing that was left were bones and ash. The fire had been to hot, alike a furnace.

' I should be able to cut off the search. But it is so soon. It will make me look suspicious. I need to keep my position incase Yuriko and kiku managed to get away. Yes, I just have to hold on a little longer.' the man tried to convince himself as he held the letter his wife left close to his chest.
________

A week later after denying the report from the fire, Tadao dismissed the ninja. Claiming that the killer had been caught. A man who was clearly framed. They did not fight back on the allegations or refute them. As long as the status quo wasn't disrupted and the relationship between the Iwai Merchant guild was not frayed. They let the man frame another.

Kiku had been kept hidden, they did not have a way to transport her. Carrying her was a major liability that even Orochimaru wasn't willing to risk.

In her time in captivity she looked for comfort in Orochimaru, the other shinobi held a grudge against her and did not interact with her. Unless they called her a monster and demon in quiet whispers. Orochimaru was indifferent of her. Like some of the servants in the household. Pleasantly polite, something familiar which she could cling on.

A carriage with a cage arrived soon enough and she was placed inside of there.

"Kiku, you behave. We will be taking you to your new home." Orochimaru informed he settled her in the cage. Kiku leaned against the bars. Reaching to the helm of Orochimaru's vest. Her hand barely making it out of the bars. "Please stay." She whimpered as she pressed her cheek against the cold bars as she reached out to him.

Orochimaru stared at her and sat down by the cage. "Let's depart. Make haste." Orochimaru called out from the inside the carriage. He had placed himself near her, but only to the point that she could barely hold on to the helm of his vest. Asami led Keiji and Daichi forward. There was no hesitation in following the Sannin's order.

"What about my mom and dad." the small girl pleaded and Orochimaru gave her a look of pity. "Don't you remember? The fire... your parent's both died in the fire. They are no longer alive. We will take you in. Now don't fuss too much." And with that he ignored her once more.

Kiku felt at a loss, She had been pretty sheltered up until now. Being attacked, the fire, being separated from her parents, and finding out about their death was too much for her to handle. She simply stayed quiet during the ride to Konoha. Despite his nonchalant behavior and indifference Orochimaru was the only person she could cling to. Everyone else kept themselves at a distance, isolating her throughout the ride to Konoha.

_____

The carriage ride had been extremely uncomfortable.

They regularly let her go out to the bathroom under Orochimaru's supervision. When she was let out, Orochimaru would be the one leading her. The other ninja just watched silently. Their gaze unnerved her making her stick close to the black haired man. She had never been exposed to a lot of people, much less to their hostility. So she did not attempt to escape.

When she became tired there were no pillows, blankets or anything for her to lay her head down. So she slept on the cold unforgiving floor. She did not speak or react much. The only time she had gained enough courage to speak was when she asked what Orochimaru was writing. His lack of regard for her and acknowledgement soon caused her to quiet down. Embarrassed and cowed by being ignored she did not speak again.

This was until they came to a stop. This time around Orochimaru did not let her out nor did he ask her if she needed to drink water. He simply got up and left.

This left her confused and lonely. It had been days but he had been the only person that she interacted with. She could hear the whispers from outside the carriage. Mentions of a man named Nao and visiting his family. Or on mundane things they would be doing when they got home.

She eagerly listened in. The small talk the ninja had outside kept her entertained throughout the days, of course this did not go unnoticed by Orochimaru, he understood that despite the helplessness that she displayed, she was dangerous.

The carriage opened again and Orochimaru reached over and opened the cage door. Motioning her to come forward. "Come, we have arrived. You best be on your best behavior. You will be meeting someone important. She stumbled out and quickly clung onto the outstretched hand in front of her. She got down from the carriage and hid behind his legs.

Orochimaru looked down at her, a thin eyebrow quirking up. She hugged him tightly not letting him walk or move away easily. He simply reached down and tugged her hands loose before walking her through a secluded part of the forest.

She didn't protest much other than the silent tears that streamed down her face. But she never let go of his hand.

They walked to an area where there was a small formation of rock. There was a large crack in the wall its shape was weird and slanted. He pulled her through it. She looked around, observing her surroundings. The crack was a bigger than she originally thought. They were able to fit through it easily. He continued to leas her through the cave, her small legs trying to keep up with his large strides.

The cave appeared to be a natural formation and it was dark. She was unable to tell how dark it was but was still able to sense the area around her. Her other senses making up for the lack of visibility. Soon the cave became less rugged and they were in a hallway. There was a soft glow of light at the end of the tunnel.

As soon as they walked through the threshold of the exit, she looked around in amazement.

"Have you been hungry in the time we have travelled?" Orochimaru asked softly as they walked. She considered it and shook her head. "No, I ate ... a lot." She muttered the last part. The trauma from the last time she ate still seared into her mind.

He nodded absentmindedly, I see. What do you usually eat?" he asked and she perked up. "Mommy usually makes my food." She whimpers out. " What does she feed you?" he asks and she just stares up at him. "I-" she becomes nervous. Worried that he won't like her answer and ignores her again. "Well?" he pressures her and she squeaks. "I don't know, I never asked." She responds, gripping his hand tighter. He doesn't respond and she whines lowly. Missing the interaction as soon as it ended.

He continued to walk her through the halls until they reached a few long yet winding corridors. He brought her to an empty room. There wasn't much but a small cot behind a cage, a desk other than that the room was empty. "This is where you will be staying. I will come take care of you during most hours of the day. You will now meet someone important.. well that is after taking a bath." He stated and she turned to him lifting her arms so that he could carry her.

He stared at her in disbelief. "You want me to carry you?"

She pulled her hands back. "I thought you said... I was going to take a bath." She muttered while pulling the helm of her dirty kimono. He stared at her for a while longer and then picked her up. "Did your maids bathe you?" He asked as she tucked her face in the crook of his neck. "Yes." She muttered as she relished in the comfort of being carried.

Orochimaru walked towards the community bathroom, where he would bathe her. While she snuggled against him, he could feel shivers of fear run through him. He was taking a huge risk in carrying her so close to his body and where she had easy access to his jugular.

Despite his fears she remained calm and simply relished being comforted. -not that she knew how tense Orochimaru had become-

He set her down and started to undress her. She did what she always did when her maids bathed her- Let them do their job-.

Orochimaru simply bathed her and dressed her in a uniform. "I don't like the fabric." She finally spoke up, her face scrunched up. Orochimaru was surprised to hear her complain. The entire time she had been very docile, quiet and hadn't protested at all.

"Is that so, what kind of fabric would you like to use." He asked, humoring her. "Silk, I want mulberry silk. I also want a different color. This outfit is itchy." She complained as she tugged on the helm of her shirt. "Ah, I see. Did you wear mulberry silk at home?" He asked and she lit up and nodded. "Dad buys me all the pretty kimono's. My favorite color to buy is the purple and light purple! I also have my favorite obi. It's green! Mom says she likes the pink one the most. But I hate it." she rambled excitedly. She continued with the designs she liked the most, the uneasiness that had settled on her shoulders melting away.

'Of course Iwai Tadao spoiled the child. She was his only one and he held her in high regard.' Orochimaru thought to himself as he watched her talk animatedly.

"Well for now, this is the only thing we have available. If you behave, we might get you something that suits your taste." He tells her and she frowns. She looked up at him giving him a defeated look. "When can I go home?" she asked him, her excitement fading away as she thought of her parents, maids and the home she once lived in.

He gave her a look of pity. "This is your new home."

As reality set in tears filled her eyes.

Chapter Text

The days blended together. Everyday was the same routine, Orochimaru would come in bringing in food, set it infront of her and then he would sit at the desk working on paper work.

She barely spoke to him. But that wasn't for the lack of trying. Whenever she spoke to him, he would either ignore her or respond in a way that cut the conversation short.

'What happened to my mother?' ' Have you heard anything from home.' 'What are you reading.' 'I'm bored, can we do something?' 'When can I leave this room?'

The questions varied. Orochimaru took note on her visceral reaction to different type of food, her usual expression, her level of intelligence. She was a new subject to explore. Wanting to keep her intact, learning about her without using invasive methods -because she was currently the only one of her kind-

At night or when he had to leave he would lock her cell and head out. There was no pint in staying when he had other things to do. She wasn't the only test subject he was working with. What orochimaru found fascinating about her in particular was how long she had gone without food. She still asked for water, so he knew she could possibly suffer from dehydration. But she wasn't losing weight or complaining, her body didn't seem to be reacting outwardly, no loss of energy, tiredness or collapsing due to malnutrition.

_____
She had already been in their custody for nearly two weeks.

The day started out like any other. Orochimaru had arrived early in the morning. As always she was on the bed they had given her. As he walked to the cell that was in the room, he started to feel a bit unease. Kiku had curled herself up in a fetal position. He could hear her taking deep breaths. Her small body shook as she slowly looked up at him.

The eyes that looked up at him sent a shiver down his spine. He had heard about it in the report, but it was more intense than they had previously stated.

He could see saliva dripping from her mouth. Her breathing was labored, switching from short quick breaths to long deep inhales. "I'm hungry. I don't like the food. Please." She whined her hands wrapped around her stomach.

"What is wrong with the food I bring you?" He asked, previously he never asked, that was because it was a test to see what she was willing to consume. He also needed to see if Yuriko had fed the girl human flesh because of her own twisted desire. Or if it was because of a genuine reason that was beyond her means.

"I don't like it! I don't want, mom, I want my mom!" She continues to wail, as she turned herself on her back and began kicking her feet. "I want my mom! I want my mom."

"It's rotten! The meat is chewy and slimy. The rice taste like mushy nasty water. All the desserts taste like something fluffy, and wet, the sauces smells and taste like it's been sitting in trash can. Everytime! I hate it!" Kiku cried out in sheer desperation.

"Please bring me... meat! I'm hungry and you are being mean." She became agitated, her voice turning into a deep growl. Slowly veins began to protrude around her eyes and cheeks, contrasting deeply against her pale skin. Her eyes became a bright shade of red and the whites of her eyes quickly faded into a dark color.

" I want my mom! I want to go home! I'm hungry!" she began to throw a bigger tantrum. She sat up and held on to the footboard of her bed, her hands that gripped the footboard crushed the metal. "I don't want to be here!" She screamed and cried, her cheeks became a bright red as she yelled at the top of her lungs.

Orochimaru stepped back, thinking about the abilities she possessed that were included in the initial report that he had reviewed, trying to think of a way to calm her down. It also didn't help that Orochimaru had ever dealt with children, or child rearing. A tantrum from this girl could be extremely violent.

He crouched down to her level and looked at her. "How about we get you some food and play outside?" He tried to convince her with a soothing voice. She stood up while holding on to the footboard and stomped her foot in frustration and continued to wail.

"What would you like to eat?" He tried to reason with Kiku. The girl seemed to be deaf to what he was saying because she continued to shout the same thing and kick her feet.
"Do you want a hug?" He asked as a last ditch effort. She quieted down, hiccupping and still crying. She got off the bed and ran up to the doorway of the cell.

Orochimaru stood there in slight shock that she had actually listened to him. Even more confused and shocked when she held her arms up while continuing to wail. Stiffly he opened the cell door. He was unsure of what her reaction would be and he prepared himself mentally, thinking of ways to stop her if she were to attack him.

While opening the cell door she quickly pushed through and latched on to his leg. "Take me home! I want my mom!" She continued to sob -although more subdued- before lifting her hands up, asking to be carried.

He stared at her in mild horror. Would she simply cling onto him and cry like a normal child. Or take the opportunity to attack him when she was in close range.

She began to reach up and stomp her foot demanding him to pay attention to her and to pick her up as she had asked him to. Slowly and unsurely he placed his hand under her arms and lifted her up. He kept her at arms length, but this made her cry even harder. She continued her loud protest and her small grubby hands towards him.

He held her like that for a minute or so, before relenting to her. She simply laid her head on his shoulder and continued to cry loudly. Orochimaru was unsure if to treat her like a normal child or continue to keep his guard up. He decided to gently pat her back and shush her silently while bouncing her back and forth.

The loud wails began to quiet down. Orochimaru continued to rock her until she was sniffling. "Are you better?" he asked once she appeared to have calmed down enough. She leaned back to look at his face before she hugged him once more. "My tummy hurts." She sniffled out as clumsily wiped her tears.

"What do you usually eat? I've brought you different.... kinds of food, but you don't seem to like it." She leaned back and shrugged. "The food mom makes." She sniffled as she hugged him once more. "How about I take you to the kitchen and you pick something out, Hmm, what do you think?"

"Okay." she sniffled as he carried her outside of the room.

Technically, she wasn't suppose to be allowed out of the room, unless she was properly restrained -handcuffs, chakra suppressor, and an exploding tag on her neck in case she escaped and they needed a way to kill her or incapacitate her. -Seeing as she survived being beheaded, there was suspicion that she could survive the explosion. Although, they were unsure if she could repeat the feat again.-

As they walked down the halls, Orochimaru stayed quiet. He wanted to look at her. Make sure she wasn't about to kill him. It was nerve wrecking, especially with his shinobi paranoid. But all she did was sniffle and hide her face in the crook of his neck.

It wasn't long before they arrived an area where there were more people. The cooks, people who were there to eat or pick up food supplies to take to another area in the building, all those people gathered in this area.

So when she jerked up, Orochimaru tighten his grip around her waist. "That! I want to eat that!" She sniffed around, the veins around her eyes thickening and turning a red shade that was almost black. Her eyes changing right in front of him. It seemed like the blood vessels in her eye darkened turning the pupil a bright red and then the dark color seeped into the whites of her eyes.

A chill ran down his spine, he wasn't sure if it was fascination over the change, or fear.

The moment lasted less than a few seconds. A soft childish smile spread across her face as she began to point somewhere. "It smells good over there! My food is there." She squealed, there were still tears stains on her cheeks and her eyes were still very puffy from crying -even with the color change it was still visible-.

Orochimaru looked at the direction the young girl had pointed to. The hallway was empty, nothing was there.

That is until another ninja carrying a few stacks of paperwork came around the corner.

"I want that, him, I want!" She squealed while trying to wiggle out of his grasp.

Orochimaru felt his grip tightened as he realized what she wanted to do. What she wanted to eat. His eyes slowly trailed back to the girl in his arms. The way her mouth watered at the sight of the man and the eager smile on her face.

"I see.." he muttered to himself. Maybe Yuriko was onto something, maybe it wasn't her decision to pick the girls diet.