Disclaimer: If anyone does think I own Naruto well first, thank you for thinking I possess such talent and sadism, and second, you should probably see a doctor about that because I am not a Japanese man named Masashi Kishimoto.

Note: Poll is still on, if someone you want is not on there choose "Other" and PM as well so I can tally up their total, else I won't know.

Warning: Time-skips (of a sort), general fuckery of canon, and small children doing impossible things

Searching For Freedom: Chapter 20

Journey of a Thousand Miles

"The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time." ~Abraham Lincoln

"We are the creative force of our life, and through our own decisions rather than our conditions, if we carefully learn to do certain things, we can accomplish those goals." ~Stephen Covey

Week One: Day 2

"We will begin with the language of flowers," Umimo says as she walks into Chichi's room. "It is fairly simple and you seem to pick up rote memorization the fastest. Chichi, please head to the living room, a guest is waiting for you."

Chichi ties up my hair in one move before bowing to her sister then kissing her cheek. I nod to Umimo as she hands me small list.

"This will be our schedule for the week and it has been optimized for learning opportunities. You will not be alone for a single moment. Kimimaro-san has agreed to keep an eye on you will your sensei will report to me any need for improvements."

Looking to my schedule I almost groan out loud but Umimo glared the groans away from me yesterday.

This week's schedule goes like this:

Manners

Calligraphy

Embroidery

Art of Tea

Walking

Posture

Kimono Identification

Flower Arrangements

Poetry:

Make-up application

Finances

Last Two Hours for Caregiver: 5 hours sleep minimum.

"It is not so heavy because we want to ease you into things but it will pick up by next week. If you achieve things faster then more hours can go either into your training or sleep. If your do not complete a certain task then you will stay on it until you are finished but you will fall behind and failure," she turns with a dramatic sweep of her pink kimono and looks down at me with blank disappointed eyes holding a cold rage. If frostbite has a feeling I think it is Umimo's stare. "Is not an option, understood?"

Nodding once I follow her out the room, through the hall, to her room, and up a small staircase there. Squinting against the sharp morning glare of clouds I breathe in the air around me and hold it as hundreds of pleasant smells bathe my nose. Snapping my eye open I look around me I am surrounded by flowers! They're white ones, yellow, blue, purple, orange, striped, lavender, red, burgundy, sky blue, vermillion, black, violet, indigo, red-orange, and so many more!

I spin to try to take everything in all at once, feel drunk in the smells and the colors, and of my gods the petals are so soft!

"They are a vision are they not?" I turn to Umimo who has a tender look as she cups a blackish-purple three-petal flower with a bright yellow center. "This is my favorite though the meaning is not quite so dear; death is near is what it means."

I pay avid attention as she tells me each and every single flower's name and their meaning. Oh I have to tell Kimimaro about this later on!

888

POV: Jakon-sensei

He sits as still as possible, hardly even breathing. He can hear the small girl scurrying to him even from here as well as the soft footsteps of Umimo-sama. The gi- Zenshi's footsteps are not in his hearing but he knows she is there due to the small chakra signature following Umimo-sama. If he didn't know better he would have passed Zenshi off as a pet or something since her chakra was so small; or at least it gave that impression. They were hiding something from him, he knew it in the way he could feel the grate of the children's emotions yesterday. Their emotions are so very high; Jakon almost lost himself in their feelings.

For children they each feel such strong emotions to a degree even an adult would collapse under. Zenshi herself feels more emotions than is typical of a child her age, very complicated emotions that she can control most of the time. Yesterday night had been surprising in that she acted her age and that is which gave him hope that she wasn't broken like he had been.

"I'm so sorry for making you- Oh! Jakon-san, how may I help you?" The small girl blinked at him, her curiosity painted in her eye but not hiding anything else. Zenshi covers her emotions behind a smile, a grin, and now behind a blank face if her training goes well. Sometimes he wonders how she would've been like if he and his dead teammates hadn't captured her.

"I would like to ask for a favor Yakina-sama," he says and bows from his seated position. It's always good to be polite, especially to nobles and if he has her pegged right she'll respond in 3-2-1.

"Oh please no! I'm not my sisters so please sit up, whatever it is you need I'm sure I can help you with!" Her feet flutter atop the wood until her tiny hands bid him rise as she pulls feebly at his shoulders. "You may call me Chichi."

"You are very kind Chichi-sama." Looking up he sees her blush and holds back a grin. Children are entertaining, at least children who are not ninja

"It's no issue, so how may I help you?"

"Kimimaro," the girl blushed at the mention of the ve- Kimimaro, and he filed that away for future reference. Her blush intensified when Kimimaro actually walked in from the other room.

As usual the boy's face was set in a placid tone but there is spark in his eyes now, a shine of determination like polished jade instead of the rather dead look he used to have a week ago when he first met him.

"Yakina-sama will you do me the honor of teaching me how to use medical ninjutsu," Kimimaro fell into a deep bow and as Jakon looks to the girl it appears she is a moment away from fainting as her breathing picks up and her pupils widen to a large degree.

Hm, he'll teach them to read body language today as he teaches them to dodge poisoned darts. Once you can dodge darts, which are even sleeker and less noticeable than senbon, you can dodge anything.

"O-of course, w-when do you want to start," she responds feebly, never taking her eyes off Kimimaro.

"As soon as possible, though chakra control may be needed first, in return I can help you improve you chakra levels and if you so desire combat lessons," Kimimaro responds and Jakon notes how his negotiation skills need work. Facial expression control he has, unless it involves Zenshi it seems.

"I accept your terms," she replied quickly. "Please stand, no need for that!"

"Thank you shishō," he replies and yeah the girl is going to pass out in- no wait she seems to have gained control of herself.

"I- ah- I, l-let's go to the medic room," he sees her take a small breathe and hold it before releasing it as a sigh. She regains herself and then her shoulders set back and her look is serious now. "We'll start off with basic items."

Kimimaro see this as his queue and motions for her forward, "Lead the way shishō."

This just might work out. When the door closes Jakon chuckles softly and gets up in one smooth motion.

"What are you planning you devious man?" He stops from throwing a kunai at the stubborn girl-woman. Turning to face her he raises a brow as she approaches, chakra low enough he couldn't sense her and footsteps not even making a noise. He'll never admit it but she managed to surprise him.

"Nothing Yakina-sama," he responds smoothly not flinching when she leans into his personal space. He can see the fire in her eyes, the mischief in the tiny tilt to the side of her lips, and sense the amusement in her weak chakra. She is … fascinating, not afraid but cautious of him nonetheless. Tch, nobles.

"Oh come now, I'm sure you have something planned. Chichi went out thrilled to be having someone with her. She's usually the one of us who hates interacting with other. She is quite taken with the lot of you."

Her hands go into her kimono sleeves and he notices how they are smooth, not a single blemish on them, so unlike his own. For a moment he wants to grab them and study them, how can she possibly do anything with such weak hands?

"I can assure you all I have in mind is good intentions," for my student went unsaid but as her eyes dart all over him, his face completely blank, he gets the impression she knows.

"Let me tell you this shinobi-san," her tone is mocking as she pulls out a fan and snaps it open to cover her mouth. Nothing but her eyes now looking at him and he is impressed at how she manages to convey scorn yet nothing else. "I will do much for my family and if I feel that something underhanded is happening to my baby sister there will be consequences."

He holds back the urge to chuckle. How adorable, she finds herself a threat; well two can play at that game. He leans into her, catching her by surprise if the widening of her eyes is anything to go by. Foolish girl, does she really think she can control him with her looks. Her pupils dilate and grow larger and he sees her pulse jump in her throat as he hovers over her, making sure his breathe just dances over her.

"Of course, Seiki-Seiki-sama," he whispers and flashes to the door as she blinks. "Thank you for you words of kindness but," he delights in the way she blinks rapidly before her head snaps to his form by the door and her eyes are now more perceptibly wider a civilian would see, "it will not come to that. Have a good day."

He is gone and as he walks out of the hall and takes the servants elevator down to where the d- Juugo is waiting he ponders on what he will teach them tonight. As he thinks of the girl he chuckles, yes body language is best though Zenshi might get better tutelage out of them so he'll make sure to ask them to add that to her schedule.

Kimimaro already has impeccable control of his facial react ions but has trouble identifying his emotions that is usually the case with child prodigies. He can't help the grin that crosses his face as he thinks of Kimimaro. His plans are taking shape nicely; Orochimaru will never see the- Kimimaro ever again. He'll be a med-nin and with that knowledge saving lives, each life will be precious in his eyes now if all goes as planned.

"Juugo, let's go," the de- boy looks up from studying a small lizard in his palm. The boy picks up animals like others do dust. There was always some creature near and he doesn't know how to feel about that. How could a boy with chakra that can burn people alive hold such small creature with a tenderness that defies his callused hands?

"Hai sensei, the lizard says that the kitchen is short a member," that's another thing, the boy is an information goldmine. He doesn't even need people to get information but animals. Birds seem to be the ones more attracted to him of all things.

"Then we'll go there, remember what I said," he asks him and the boy nods.

"Listen, learn, inquire, talk, befriend, betray," he repeats though his brow furrows at the last one,

"Sensei, is the last one really necessary?"

"Juugo, spying and information-gathering are more of the riskier parts of ninja life. The possibility of being caught is higher so you need to always be on your guard but not seem too suspicious. Ninja are by habit paranoid so you every action will be studied until they deem you trustworthy and even then ninja don't reveal what's close to their heart."

The boy makes a soft choking noise and then his chakra fills with disbelief. Turning to him he raises a brow.

"Oh? What makes you think Zenshi isn't hiding anything from you?"

At that the boy's eye narrow and his right eye, those yellow yellow eyes, darkens with color as his chakra spikes.

"Because I found her as a baby lost in sea of rubble I created and when we saw each other after three years separated by you she was walking but she managed to run to me to me and has told me everything that has happened to her as she was cut open by the man you call leader and she loves me."

He ignores the guilt, the hate, and the envy in him as he turns away from the boy.

"There is that," he answers instead and together they enter the kitchen.

888

'What will we learn to day,' I sign to sensei as I rotate my shoulder discreetly enough that my kimono doesn't show the movement. Today had been … interesting to say the least. I have flower sin my hair, quite literally and it's a bit surreal because, well flowers. In my hair. It's weird but I haven't removed them all day and Kimimaro is currently placing them more strategically in my tied up bun.

"Kimimaro-san will continue his practice for medical ninjutsu," I hide my surprise and feel Kimimaro stiffen next to me so I shift my head and he squeezes my shoulder to stop my movement.

"Juugo-san will practice his control and how far his communications with animal life extends to," Juugo nods as he is currently holding a small nightingale in his palms.

"Zenshi," I turn my eyes to him as Kimimaro is still fussing with my hair. "What do you know of Fūinjutsu?"

My world freezes. F- Fūinjutsu? Ho-h what! Why!? I don't realize I'm not breathing until Kimimaro shakes me and I gasp as I let air fill my burning lungs.

"Not much I'm guessing," sensei responds with amusement clear in his chakra and his voice as he takes out a thick scroll from his flack jacket. "I know Fūinjutsu, at least the basics but you seem to have a natural aptitude for reading seals. What did you see when you first saw mine?"

Blinking I look to him open my mouth, close it, and then grab a sheet of paper and take a proffered pencil from Kimi-kun.

I don't know how to explain it but, well when I saw Jakon-sensei's seal I could see where it began, it is darker and there had been a pattern. One I didn't really understand but could follow. I hadn't really put much thought into it but the best I can say is that it looks like a puzzle. If I try hard enough I can probably identify what each part is but- but I don't really know the meanings behind it. Like being told to finish a puzzle but you've never seen a puzzle before.

I write this all down and hand it to him. He reads it, studies it some more if the flicker of his eyes over my handwriting is anything to go by since he has already read what I said.

"Would you like to learn how to seal Zenshi-san," I'm nodding before he even finishes as my head explodes with plans! Sealing! My sensei knows sealing and I can learn! Oh my god, oh mygod,ogmygod!

"Good, unseal that and read the books in there then when you are finished come to me. By the end of this month you will be writing exploding tags or else there is no hope for you." He says and I'm already unsealing the scroll. An 'oomph' leaves me as a pile of books lands atop me and I collapse to the grass but I'm grinning so much my cheeks hurt! I love to read!

"Now warm up, you have twenty minute to run all of Yugakure 5 times, with double the gravity seal, and complete 50 sets of 200 as I lecture you on body language. GO!"

Week 1 Day 3

"Zen-chan, are you ok?" Chichi pokes my cheek as my shaky hands tie my obi in place. My eyes feel dry and every movement I make has me hissing. I hate my sensei and his stupid torture regime and I'm pretty sure all this weight is making me shorter!

A soothing wash of chakra comes over me and I look to Chichi who has a look of concentration on her face as she passes her green-glowing hands over me.

"This should help with the pain, you're body's already recovering but all in due time Zenchan!" Her voice is so chipper I wince and hold back a groan of pleasure as the ache at the base of my spine goes away.

"Come on! I think now's a good time to know how to use make-up! We're going to a geisha house today!"

I barely register her words as I sigh in relief. Wait- did she say geisha?

Letting her tug me I fiddle with the seal on my chest and the scroll tucked safely away inside the kimono pockets. We arrive at Umimo's room and the rice paper door is already open so we step in with no further prompting.

"You're early, good," Seiki-Seiki looks to me then wrinkles her pretty little nose at me. I'm vaguely reminded of a bunny but Seiki-Seiki isn't cuddly. "Dear gods you eyes look like you were hit."

I shrug at her and his as the contraption pinches me and she gives me a small frown. Seiki-Seiki doesn't frown too deeply or much because wrinkles. Instead she conveys everything through voice, eyes, and hand gestures. Umimo can do it with one look.

"Do not shrug," she tells me and I nod.

"Are we all here?" Umimo comes out of her bathroom hair impeccable, kimono an icy blue even though it's summer and seen as inappropriate, and make-up less.

"Yup," Mimi comes in from the balcony, carrying a tea set. "Wow, you look worse than a dead person."

"Manners!" Chichi scolds her and Mimi just huffs as she sets the tray down and begins lighting the- well it looks like a hotplate but more ancient looking.

"Whatever, tea will be done in 5 minutes," she huffs and we all settle by the small table.

"Though I would not have phrased it as such Mimi does have a point, which is why I will teach you how to apply the right cosmetics." Umimo sighs as she turns to me. She takes my chin and tilts it up to the sunlight peaking in from the horizon. Her thumb is smooth over the underneath of my eye, where it's mildly irritating a bit but her touch soothes it away. "You have such a pretty face, let not the world take that away from you."

I blush madly as she calls me pretty and she is gone. Blinking I look to her as she calls over a maid and they bring in a large mirror. My heart skips a beat.

A mirror, a bright shiny mirror that reflects the sun and she is standing in front of it, fixing her hair but next to the corner is corner of a red kimono, my kimono. If she moves just three inches more to the left I will see myself for the first time. Shutting my eyes I feel sweat form in the palms of my hands, my heart felt like it was going to leap free of my chest, and I feel pinpricks in my eyes. My god it is just a mirror! Yet it terrifies me more than anything in the world and I don't know why! All I know of myself has been an indistinguishable blob of red atop a blurred that I know is my hair. Everything else was a blur and that's all I've known my reflection to be as: a blur, indistinguishable.

"Zenshi, are you ok?" I look to Mimi, who is the one to ask, everyone is silent. Umimo is turned to me now and I flinch as I see a pale hand, my hand, in the mirror and clutch my hand to my chest.

Umimo's face is blank but her small chakra is turbulent as she looks to the mirror then to me.

"You have not seen your reflection," she states and I wince. "Come child, come and see what we see beautiful girl."

My eyes widen as she calls me, me of all people, beautiful. All the sisters are beautiful! She is more beautiful than I have ever dreamed anyone can ever yet she calls me this! It is vain, so very vain but it fills me with warmth that she can call me this, and mean it. Beautiful, it is something I would never have thought to be. No one has called me beautiful in my past life or in this one until she has done right now.

She moves from in front of the mirror and I close my eyes.

Chichi takes a hold of my shoulders and pushes me forward until I am standing in front of it. it is like a large hole is ready to swallow me up.

Now or never, I chant in my head and slowly begin to open my eyes.

Looking at me is a small girl; so impossibly small with large eyes so dark a blue there seems to be a tinge of purple towards the pupil. I lift a hand and so does she as I reach it out forward. Fingers touch cold glass at the same time the girl's do and I jump in surprise so she does too.

Sunken cheeks, a pinkish scar just peeking out of her throat marring the pasty pale skin, yet adding a sense of danger. This girl has suffered as her haunted wide child eyes look at me. Yet there is a curve at the corners of her cupid bow lips that lean up, yet her eyes still hold defiance and strength as she look to me and they take life, and yet still more her hair is like beginning glow of coals catching fire. It is a red that is not quite burning but ready to take life that can set alight a forest.

Her lips are red as if she kissed a bloodied man and never wiped his blood off her lips. They are a dark red that many would find either disconcerting and can only be attained though the application of lipstick but on her, on me, it promises something else. There is red on my ledger, on my lips, and on my hair.

This is a girl, she is I, and I look like I have screamed into the void and lived to tell the tale while still trying to live with the knowledge of nothingness.

888

POV: Kimimaro

He waits for Chichi to come but when she does she looks pale and a bit shaky.

"I have caught a fish," he says and it's his way of saying she's late but when she turns to him she looks for a couple of seconds before breaking down crying.

He watches her with mild confusion and a tinge of disgust. Why is she crying? Why do girls even cry? Well except for Zenshi, he knows the reason for why she cries and it's usually because he makes her and that's not really nice of him. As she continues he gets more and more annoyed but instead of voicing out his rather urgent need to call her trash he takes a breath, holds it, and then asks himself WWZD, What Would Zenshi Do?

Well first she would slap him for thinking of something as dumb as that then hug him for actually considering her options on how to do things. Looking to Chichi he knows his s-sister, my god that that is weird to think about, would try to comfort the girl.

Reaching out a hesitant hand he pats the hysterical girl awkwardly on the back. This seems to set off a chain reaction as suddenly he is holding a sobbing girl who is clutching his yukata firmly and pulling it out of place. Gritting his teeth to stop from killing her he pats her head in intervals as well as her back and wow this is the most awkward thing he has ever done, more so than that time Zenshi and Juugo had torn his clothes with kunai from a distance of 100 yards and Kabuto walked in on them before promptly walking back out.

An eternity later, great he's becoming as dramatic as Zenshi, she calms down and then jolts away form his like a scared cat. Girls are weird, especially Zenshi.

"I'm so sorry! Please excuse my forwardness," she bows to him as she wipes her eyes and he merely looks at her.

"Will we be doing control or working on the fish," he asks instead and she jumps back up with a start before bursting out laughing.

"S-sure! We'll- oh gods- we'll do both," she says in-between giggles. He gives her an impassive look and she grabs his arm and they walk to the river.

Girls are weird.

888

Juugo POV

He likes the kitchen, the people are nice and don't give him weird looks. So long as he does what he's supposed to do they're all right with him.

"Did you see?"

He perks up as two girls pass by him, dressed better than the rest but still clearly servants as their clothes are not as fancy as the guests plus they're here where it's workers only. They take a seat in one of the many tables littered in the kitchen and he sets down a bowl of steaming soup before them. They don't even spare him a glance but he stays close by, ears open as they begin to speak.

"See what?"

"The girl the Yakina sisters have taken in! She's so small and wild-looking! The first day she was here she ate like an animal and just now they say she broke down crying in front of a mirror because she had never seen herself!"

"How awful!" The other responded and Juugo did his best to hold back his fury.

We must kill them! They dare talk of one of ours as animals! Show them; show them what an animal is like. Let me rule, let me kill them let me! Let's rend though throats free of their bodies and rip their wagging tongues from their mouth! Let me KILL!

Closing his eyes he breathe sand focuses on shoving Yami away. This is his training; control always control and blending in when he is the largest of them all. He is careful and moves to serve another pair because he knows about Zenshi and he is glad. She now knows how beautiful she is and that is good.

888

"What will we do today sensei?" Kimimaro asks sensei. He looks exhausted yet he still is doing our katas. I really don't want to get up but I must force myself. It still feels like I'm on fire but oh well.

"Today I will teach you how to combine you ninjutsu so you can create a move that joins your elemental moves into one deadly force. Show me what you can already do."

We send each other look and my head tilt they nod. While Jakon-sensei isn't a dick like a though he would be he is pretty cool but I still don't trust him to the point I will show him everything I am capable of.

"I'll go first," Kimimaro shifts into a stance, smooth even as exhaustion is clear in his eyes. Well at least to me.

"Suiton: Suidan no Jutsu!" This is his signature water move and unlike before where it only could only chip a stone now the water is sharp and slices the stone in half.

"Earth Release: Double Decapitation Technique," he whispers and slowly sinks into the ground. Juugo breaks off a thick tree branch and throws it to where Kimimaro had been. As soon as it hits the ground it is sucked in and Kimimaro is standing over the tree and in one stomp he crushes it as it is sucked further into the ground.

"My turn," Juugo calmly walks forth and his face changes Yami is out and his skin darkens. "Fūton: Reppūsho!"

I jump before he even finishes saying it. Kimimaro sees what I do and follows soon after and Jakon-sensei land next to us by a tree as with one swift punch Juugo knows down about twenty tree in front of him and the rest that follow him. There is a trench in front of him and I frown at it. Sloppy.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!" Jump one more and watch with awe and envy as a huge gust of wind is released form Juugo's hands that sends stones as big as me head flying and the trench that had been in front of him is obliterated. My big brother is a powerhouse!

Then he concentrates as with his hands he motions up and a large pillar of earth rises in front of him, massive and huge it comes out but slowly. By the time he finishes he's out of breath but a proud grin on his face. He has control; I realize finally and hop down to hug him. He hugs me and then walks over to the others. My turn.

Tying up my kimono so it doesn't get dirty I look at all the dirt beneath me and dig my toes into the fresh earth. I make sure the medieval torture device is adjusted for movement then with one stomp of my foot the area beneath me turns to stone. I have not done this in a while and the rush has me grinning madly as with another stomp the stone lifts up and I punch the air and my stone is sent flying to knock down a tree in front of me.

I have more to show though, the Earth is my instrument, chakra my time limit, and imagination my restraint. When I fight, I dance to the sound of my feet and large spike of piercing stone form, dirt turn to rock, rock to dirt, and dirt to mud and back.

Soon I'm panting and as I look up I am proud of what I have done, which only makes what I am about to do so humbling. With one sweep of my arm I send of rush of wind forward and it knocks done my stone spikes, shatter my stones, dries up my mud, and turns the land back to the state it had been in.

Though I have done the impossible, used chakra without seals, I can always get better and stronger. I cannot change my bones or do more complicated techniques like Kimimaro, I cannot defy physics and strength like Juugo can with his sheer power and the fact he can control all the five elemental chakra in due time, but I can be cunning and make someone step into their trap and kill themselves. This I can do and I will not let Jakon-sensei know f my transformation abilities for when the time comes he will be my ticket to freedom even if I have to kill him for the key to my chains.

"None of you are a fire type?" He asks us and I jump as I look to him. My eyes go to Juugo for the briefest moment but he catches it and turns to Juugo swiftly. "You can?"

Juugo looks to me and I nod, then looks to Kimimaro, who nods as well, before he nods to sensei.

"Why didn't you display it?"

"I am capable of learning to use fire jutsu but it does not mean I have learned. I do not know the first thing about how to form it so I have not tried," Juugo tells sensei quietly. We're all silent and then sensei nods his head and motions us forward.

"What do you all know of diamond formation?"

AN: You guys are fast, I love you all. I have so many new follows/fave's thank you all so much! Zenshi's training is going to be split into three weeks with differing POV's. Any questions please ask me via review and/or PM. I love you all so much and thank you for taking the time to read my shitty lil OC fic because honestly it's not SI anymore. Zenshi and I are completely different even in views but it's so much fun to write her!