Under Ice

Orochimaru knew I was coming, he knew where I was in the clearing before I dropped my genjutsu, and I barely had my swords out to block his attacks. He was trying to fight me back into the trees, but the mere second he gave me a break, I jumped over him and got further into the clearing.

"Finally come out to play, have you?" He was turned away from me, looking up at the clouds in the sky like he didn't just try to pummel me into the ground. It wasn't his voice, it was whatever ninja's body he was using, but I knew it was him. His chakra signature was faint, and my heart was pounding so hard I couldn't hear the yelling in my ear. I took the radio out of my ear, I needed to focus and it wasn't helping me.

My vision seemed to shudder between this world, and a darker opposite version, what I saw when I wasn't me, and something clenched my chest. Orochimaru turned towards me, the smile on his face didn't match his features, because it wasn't really him I was seeing, just the body he wanted to use-

Let me take over. He won't win- There was blood running down my arm again, deeper this time, but I didn't bleed for long. I won't give in.

"Hello Orochimaru-san. I believe Kabuto-san works for you then?" I tried to keep my voice even, I could feel the terror in my blood, it was worse than adrenaline, and I knew it would make it harder for me to think, act correctly. I couldn't let it.

I dodged before I realized he was trying to attack me, and all I could seem to do was dodge, he was faster and stronger than I was and what made it worse is that I knew, knew, he was just toying with me. If he got bored and wanted me dead, I wouldn't exist anymore.

So I did what I could and I kept dodging, I would keep moving at least until I got hit and couldn't or he backed off and did something different. I could hear him laughing, it was a horrible scratching sound, and I wanted to just strangle him to make it stop. Instead I started to touch the ground as I dodged, leaving explosive tags that would go off when a different chakra was close enough.

They went off on him, kicked up lots of smoke and dirt, but he wasn't even phased. I already had my sharingan activated, it was the only reason he hadn't actually hit me yet, besides the fact that I was probably his new pet. I made one of the blasts too large though, and it sent me flying, then skidding away. The smoke cleared quickly, and the next few seconds happened very fast, but then slowed down beyond anything I had ever felt. I saw him making handsigns, and my brain was registering what they were, my hands were making them, but I didn't know what was going on.

It was like I was thrown in an ocean, my limbs felt heavy and I knew I wasn't in control, but I could tell my body was still moving. It was almost similar to a fog, except the fog was taking over my mind, and then just like that the fog was gone, and all the emotion, fear I had been feeling was gone.

I could feel how the chakra in my arms was being formed, and since I could see what Orochimaru was going to do, I got ahead, and it just cartwheeled into me finishing the jutsu first. It turned out to be nothing more than just a genjutsu, and since I had my sharingan activated it couldn't do anything to me. I saw Orochimaru grimace, but he shook his head and it was gone.

"Stupid brat. You don't have a clue who you are messing with-"

"Yes actually I do. You are Orochimaru of the Sanin, you used to be a part of the Akatsuki. They kicked you out because you wanted Itachi-nii-san to be your new vessel, which is why you came here. You with wanted me or my brother, and I'm never, ever letting you near him. Right now I don't feel anything, but when I do, I would never forgive myself. I will do what I must to keep them safe, and I won't let you stand in my way Orochimaru-baka." I didn't grin or smile, my voice was more monotone than it had been in a long while.

I could see the anger growing on his face, I wanted him to get angry, I didn't care right now. I could help you, you know. I'll take over when you need me. It seemed as if I had a sense of humor with myself, because why would I need-

Red bright, everywhere and I could taste the copper, there was a searing pain on my arm- my mask kept him from biting my skin-

In my mind palace I could feel the bastard pumping something into me, I could feel the mark spreading on my body, and since I could feel where he was biting me, I pulled on the source of whatever it was he was giving me. If he wanted me to have it I would take it. Power is power after all, and it might just leave him weak enough-

It shouldn't have been as effective as it was, I felt even more flow into me, and the shock coming from Orochimaru was palpable, he seemed stuck in place for a few seconds, a few seconds too long for him, and then finally jerked himself away.

I was left in my mind palace, with chakra that felt as intoxicating as a drug, but I knew it was eating away at every nerve in my body. But it felt good, so I didn't really care at the moment.

A chill was immediately in the air, Mirai had a slight purple tint to her eye, and the new curse mark on her arm was receding quickly. She eyed Orochimaru cooly, he was sort of just there and she didn't want to deal with him. Since he obviously was willing to invest a curse mark in her, he didn't want to kill her yet.

His green snake-like eyes were livid with anger, he started screaming at her. "Stupid brat! You don't know what you have done! You took far more than your body is willing to handle!" He snarled, and his tongue shot out at Mirai, and she simply side-stepped it and brought one of her swords up at it, so it flicked back the other direction away from her. Orochimaru growled, "Prove to me you are worth it brat. You want to keep your brother safe? Don't give me reason to go after him."

There was smoke, and he was gone. Mirai stood there, she didn't really care that she had the curse mark now, it meant she would have more power. She took out bandages though and covered it, others would see it and be alarmed, not trust her alone even more. And that fact drove her to sheer insanity, because if you have a strong ninja, you would want to use them, put them in the field where they can do some use. Sure you could do a mission where they might die, but if they are an issue it doesn't matter.

Mirai put the earpiece back in her ear, and informed everyone on the other end that the enemy got away, but didn't hurt any of the other genin besides the team that got killed initially and his fake teammates, who probably didn't even realize their friend wasn't what he looked.

Mirai quietly crept her way to the tower, there was no reason for her to be security anymore when the threat was gone. It never occurred to her that team 7 might need her, because she didn't really care, and she wanted to get stronger, not be weak with emotions like the rest of the village was.

The sand ninja had already been at the tower for a few hours. Gaara was brooding in a room for the people who were early on a higher floor, but his siblings were near the kitchen, where all the food was. Upon seeing her they looked alarmed, but Mirai simply told them she was a chunin who was helping with the security. Mirai proceeded to sit on the counter across from them, because she didn't need to sleep, not now, probably not for a few more days.

Other members of the security team showed up, mostly jounin, and they all thought it was a good idea to question Mirai at the same time.

"I could tell there was a battle going on, and I was curious who was fighting who. When I got there everyone but one was dead, and even then I could tell from his chakra it wasn't a genin. His outer skin or whatever flayed off- it stunk like bat shit trust me- and the guy had black hair, snake eyes, and was skinnier than I am. I mostly dodged his attacks, he ranted about taking over Konoha, and then he put me under a genjutsu, which didn't take me long to get out of, but when I did he was gone." Mirai repeated those same words over and over, each time with different sass in different parts, and she kept refusing to take a nap or rest.

Mirai wasn't tired, wasn't hurt, she could keep an eye on the genin and make sure they didn't try to kill each other until the round was over.

And that's what she did, until team 7 showed up, then she found somewhere to hide, because she didn't want to see Sasuke-kun, not when she knew there wouldn't be any emotion. When she looked in the mirror, her eyes still had a purple tinge to them, and they were very glassy, but her blood felt new, on fire, and it made her want to get stronger, and she knew she could. With no help from Konoha.

"Fuck! Let me out of here!" I was banging on the walls of my mind palace, it had shrunk down to the side of a single room. I could see and I could hear what was going on, but I couldn't change anything. I was forced to exist and hate the predicament I was in, because it wasn't my fault, it couldn't be. Konoha was slacking, they didn't care, and they didn't do their job. She should be allowed to turn on them, because they fucked up and they let the damage happen.

Whatever was taking over my body acted enough like me, except I seemed more quiet and slightly more creepy now. I didn't talk much, and as soon as I felt team 7 in the tower I wasn't around anyone. I wasn't sure where I was at first, then I realized I was looking over the forest, it was dark, there were no other chakra signatures around.

I tried to fight whatever it was that was in control, and then I wasn't alone in the room, there was another me, but I could immediately tell it wasn't me. It was the me that came from my split mind, the me that didn't care so much about emotion and loving, and just wanted to get stronger.
I couldn't even say anything to it, to me, because I couldn't believe it actually happened. I knew it was something that could happen to ninjas, there was a clan that had a similar thing happen, but it was part of a kekki genkai, not just from going crazy. I refused to give in before, but when I faced Orochimaru I didn't really seem to have a choice. I couldn't hold on because I was weak, and in a way I was able to step up, but it was also a step down.

This was going to end up being a battle of the minds, which side was stronger than the other, dark over light, love over greed, greed to get stronger and do whatever it takes to win.

I was suddenly back in the tower, in whatever rafters were above the rooms that held the genin, and I could hear the voice of Naruto-kun, but I couldn't focus on it. I was watching Kabuto, he actually came in later than team 7, which meant he didn't talk to them and try to help them. For all I knew he got more orders from his bastard monster. I sat cross legged, and started to form hand seals, but it wasn't me. I could feel the chakra pooling and forming, it was for a powerful attack and I couldn't tell who it was directed at, and it needed to stop, my brother was nearby and so was team 7, and no this isn't happening here, I'll do it later-

My breathing was suddenly ragged, my lungs felt like fire, but I was actually feeling them, and my hands weren't moving anymore. I looked down at Kabuto, and he actually looked up at where I was, the slight crack I was watching him through, it was too dark for him to see me, but he probably felt the chakra grow and then vanish, and he knew it was me.

I made the chakra dissipate, my hands felt hot, sweaty, and I could see the dark purple chakra pooling off of them. I knew getting rid of Kabuto was a priority, but not when I had a chance of hurting my old team. I needed to get out of there, right away, and I needed someone who could help me take control.

It wasn't easy to find Kakashi, I actually ran into Anko first. She was trying to figure out what it is that happened in the forest, because by the time any of the other jounin got there Orochimaru was gone, myself as well, but the chakra in the air emitted a feeling of death apparently. She looked at me, and first she was confused but then she realized that it was my chakra they had felt, because for the first time in a while I wasn't hiding it. She was suddenly next to me and then we were moving, and before I knew it we were in a room, I didn't know where, but we were alone, and I didn't feel anything outside of the room.

I could tell there were seals, many in fact, but there was no way I could tell you what they did or where they were. I sat on the ground and let myself try to hide, I only did it for myself and for how it might make me feel, because I was on the edge of a mental cliff, about to either jump and give up, or actually lose my shit.

I couldn't close my eyes, because if I did then I saw the person who wasn't me, and she was so apathetic about it all that I wanted to scream and beat her into the ground, because now I almost had no choice but to go with that bastard, all because she cared about power at the moment it could be given. Anko looked like she wanted to either hug me or throttle me, probably because I went and I did something stupid, but I also almost died, and I knew that in some weird way she liked me.

She sighed. "I know what you have gone through Mirai-chan-" I interrupted her because no, she didn't know, there weren't two of her in her head, she wasn't existing to keep her sibling from doing the stupid shit I was. I was in danger now and I was turning on my village so my brother wouldn't have to, so he could stay in the village and be happy. At least a little happy.

"You don't know what I'm going through Anko-san. Sure you also have a curse mark, but I wasn't me when I got it, I haven't been me for the past few days. And you can do what you want to the seal sure, but when the time comes I'm not going to be in control and I won't hold back. I won't care who's around me, and I'll just attack and take out what caused me to lose control. I'm a ticking time bomb and-" Anko-san started to hush me, putting both hands on my shoulders and bending down slightly. I wasn't crying at all, my voice had been monotone but the volume had been getting louder as I talked.

"You're right Mirai-chan, I don't know exactly how you feel, but I do know what it feels like to be alone. The man that gave you that mark," She gripped the bandage over the scar, it still hurt if it was messed with and I couldn't hide my flinch, "That same man ruined my life. He taught me things I wish I never knew, and sure I'm strong now, but I'm more broken than you could imagine." Anko looked very sad, like she had never really had a chance to tell anyone her story before. Because yes she was also alone, her affiliation with that man drove her away from other people, mostly because they tried to hurt her as well. But she still stayed here, and defended her home.

But when the moment came the other me would take over, and I wouldn't really be able to make the choice to stay. And what was even worse, I didn't remember exactly when it would end up happening. It would be after the chunin exams yes, but until then I didn't know what I was going to do, who I was going to become.

I simply sat down on the floor, it was dusty, the room hadn't been used in a while, it was easy to tell. Anko pulled out a brush and ink, probably special ink for sealing actually, and she got to work on the seal she had to draw, it would have to be complex for the curse mark. I pulled the bandage off my arm, let it set fire with my chakra. Fire nature itself wanted to burn things, so letting it do its thing was very easy.

Eventually Anko made me lay on the ground on my back, and she stared at me for a moment, then told me to strip down to my underwear. She needed to write on my skin, and didn't want to ruin my clothing. I didn't feel anything as I took it all off, maybe she expected me to be embarrassed, she averted her eyes and looked away, but my mind was already freezing over.

The future was coming and I was no longer in control, other people were affecting my life, I wasn't the only person invested in me getting stronger, other people were putting what they could into me, and now that I thought about it, people had been doing so since I graduated early. But since it was obvious I was getting stronger faster than they wanted to deal with me, so they tried to slow me down, and other people were more interested in helping me be stronger than the village could protect me from.

As I stared at the ceiling, I realized just how tired I was, how much I wanted to just give up, but there wasn't a way I could do that without hurting Sasuke-kun even more. Life wasn't going to wait for me to be ready, it was going to do whatever the hell it wanted to, and it already was.

I woke up in a hospital room, all of my senses seemed horribly muted, I could barely smell the disinfectant hospitals are always notorious for, and I knew the sheets should be scratchy and I shouldn't even be warm, but I couldn't feel it. The only thing I felt was the burning core of the curse mark, it was fighting to get free, and whatever Anko did to was taking away the physical energy I had. I was still tired, but I knew I had probably been out for a few days.

When I looked around, I noticed a few cards and a vase of flowers sitting on the table next to me, one of the cards was flowery and pink, it screamed Sakura-chan, and the other card was blue, there was a landscape on it, and I knew it was Kakashi, who probably got Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun to sign it. They were probably enraged with me, I didn't talk to them since they got back, I missed their fights, and I ended up nearly getting myself killed.

I went through the motions without thinking, my bag was next to the table and I put the cards in it, I wasn't sure what to do with the flowers, there wasn't a name on them and they could just belong on the table. I knew I couldn't face anyone, not when Kakashi probably knew what was wrong, and the rest of team seven just thought I abandoned them. I felt like ice still, every part of me was cold and starting to care even less and less about what was going on, I just knew if I was around the people I cared about, I might hurt them or change into a person I wanted to shove deep deep down into myself, where no one else would meet her.

But she was me and no matter what I did, she would be there ready to take over, already I could hear her voice, my voice, as cold as I felt, telling me to just go find him, the man that would make me strong, and be near the man I needed to kill to save everyone.

When I saw the mark on my arm, the ice started to melt, but it didn't melt much before it froze again. Anko had turned it into a tattoo, so other people would see it and not know right away, the curse mark was easily still visible, but it looked like an interweaving of swirls, all together making it look like there wasn't anything there at all, just a tattoo. But I could feel the chakra pulsing in it, and the me in my head told me to touch it, let it loose, but I was able to resist the urge. It was a sleeping snake, and poking it would only provoke it.

There was no reason for me to check out or whatever I was supposed to do in a hospital, they would tell me to go see someone I would end up wanting to kill, so I left through the window, onto a roof nearby, and carefully made my way to the edge of Konoha. I knew I was being watched, there were people everywhere and I knew that no one would leave me alone, not after what all had happened and what all I knew was going to happen.

I simply sat on the roof of the building I had moved into before all the shit hit the fan. I didn't want to do anything, go anywhere, see anyone. I could go train, but there was no motivation in me to try, to want to get stronger when no matter what I did other people would make me get stronger for their own purposes.

I knew I was being watched the base of my skull tingled, but I didn't feel any chakra. Then there was a spark, and I felt the presence of lightning puppies, a presence that immediately calmed me down. If anyone could help me with this, it would be Shishou.

I turned to where I thought he was, and indeed he was on the other side of the roof. I couldn't really tell what emotions he must have been feeling. I realized in that moment how much I had drifted away from him, Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun. I felt a pain so sharp in my chest that I actually winced. I was supposed to be here for them, but I let myself get blinded by this other me, by Orochimaru and whatever power he supposed he could give me. There had to be a way around leaving the village, I couldn't hurt either of them again.

I stayed where I was and looked away when Kakashi-shishou walked over to me, I actually wasn't sure if I was still his apprentice even. I don't recall being told that it was broken, just that I needed to take a break. And look where it got me.

"Mirai-minarai- you've caused quite the fuss. Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun both miss you dearly. I apologize for trying to make you rest, but you really to need to-"

"I haven't been telling the whole truth Shishou. I've never been sure how to bring it up. I- maybe I'm just a coward. I don't know. But I need to talk to Hokage-sama. I have information you both need to hear. You can send me to T&I, they can look through my memories if they can get past my walls-" There was suddenly a hand on my shoulder, Shishou was trying to calm me down. I hadn't realized I went from talking at a normal pace to talking faster and faster.

"First lets get you to a hospital. I'm sure you could use healing in some shape or form. I'd like to get a look at your curse mark- Anko-san talked to me. She said you were very troubled and needed someone to talk to. I'm not taking you to see Ibiki-san unless it's necessary. We will make sense of this."

"Well her chakra is draining at a constant rate. Something in her mind is just using it, it could be connected to what happened during the exams." The medic nin didn't even bother talking to me, she was talking to Kakashi-shishou like he was my guardian, and in a way he kind of was. I was curled up on my hospital bed facing the other way, trying to block them out. It wasn't working.

So much stuff had gone wrong, I wasn't sure it was salvageable at this point. Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun were probably angry with me, I had kind of dropped off the face of the earth since their chunin exams started. But there was going to be an invasion here and I needed to be able to handle myself.

I had a feeling that the part of me draining my chakra was related to my sharingan. The events in the forest were traumatizing enough, along with the new chakra entering my system. A lot of it was being held back by the seal work done by Anko, but enough had made it out before she fixed it.

The other problem was that I knew my issue wasn't really just another me, more like nightmares that had turned to hallucinations. It made sense, I saw things that weren't there when I was in the land of waves, and here there was some other me that took over and twisted my thinking. But I had a feeling that in way, my hallucinations had just become her. I wasn't seeing swirls of color, just hearing her and suddenly not being me. I probably needed to see a Yamanaka- they would know how to fix it if it were possible to fix it.

I sat up, there was no reason to sit around and mope. I heard Shishou sigh, he didn't really get much of anything about my current state from the medic who looked over me.

"Shishou, it would be beneficial if I went to see a Yamanaka. They can get into my head and see what is causing the drain." I could tell my voice sounded tired, because well, the past few days had kind of sucked. I had a right to be tired.

"Alright. Hopefully they can get this done quickly, Hokage-sama wants to talk to you."

I appeared in my mind palace, kind of at least. I was put under by one of their signature jutsus, it was supposed to let them go in and reorganize everything. I was going to just wait it out, until the mirror reappeared. I saw the other me again, and the anger she felt was obvious. Whatever they were going to fix in my mind, would probably cause her to cease existing.

I was okay with that.

I could see the array of emotion go across her face, my face. She didn't like that I was against going with Orochimaru, but the thought of having to be around him constantly, giving him so much power over me, made me sick to my stomach.

Family was worth much more to me now, since I knew what it felt like to have one now. Before I was in the world I was always ridiculing marriage and having kids, but the ties you make with people, dedicating yourself to helping them become greater, had an appeal. When Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun are able to learn things that I think benefits them, and watching them get stronger every day, I feel like I've actually made a difference.

This other girl, she's more like the old me, the me that just wanted to prove myself and not bring anyone with me. I wasn't like that anymore, I had connections.

And just like that, she started to fade, and then I saw me, the new me, confident and strong. I could feel the bad chakra in my system, but it was starting to listen to my body. It would make me stronger sure, I had more chakra now and it was slightly stronger than it had been before.

I could feel a hand going through my memories, of my life before this, of the show I now live in. The Yamanaka was probably doing this for Shishou, to verify that I knew things I had no way of knowing.

I could tell they were done rifling through my mind, they wanted me to wake up.

So I did.

"She has vague memories of a world like this one, except she doesn't exist in it." It was the same Yamanaka from when I was little, and from when the clan was killed. I felt like there was a slight connection between us at this point.

"The drain was coming from a gift of the snake sannin, he left a genjutsu block in her mind that would cause her to activate his seal, that way she would be more likely to find him for more power. She was resisting it quite well though. She would rather die than betray the village."

I heard Kakashi-shishou sigh, hey at least you found out what it was.

I sat up slowly, and was surprised to find that my headache was gone. Everything felt slightly hazy, but that was probably due to the jutsu from the Yamanaka. I saw him smiling slightly, he seemed glad I was no longer in pain.

Hokage-sama was waiting in his office, it was actually the middle of the night. I don't know how long it had been, but for the first time in awhile I felt refreshed. I still wasn't sure how I would explain everything, but prophets did exist in this world, and the fact that a Yamanaka was able to see that I had memories of it all kind of helped.

Maybe it would at least.

"This is a lot to believe Mirai-chan. But it does explain a lot. If you are correct and the Yamanaka you saw before you came to see me did indeed see your visions, we have no reason not to believe you. Kakashi-san can help you manage your seal, it requires you to want it to be held in check. I don't think you will have issues with that."

Hokage-sama sighed, the young Uchiha seemed to have been hiding a lot her entire life. She coped with everything she knew, and did what she could to stop her brother from being targeted. But that just turned her into a target herself.

"It would be best for the village if you, well, there aren't many options." The Hokage looked up and made eye contact with the girl. She looked determined, and she probably already had an idea of what he was going to say. "You should join Anbu."

Alright everyone! This is everything I have so far. This is the chapter where I didn't like where things went, like, at all. I actually hated it. So I nixed it. I hope those of you who like the story like this, its much better than it was. Good news: I have an actual computer to type on now. That and the fact that I probably won't be off it when I'm not working, well, I'll have plenty of chances to type. I'm going to draw Mirai up soon, I have one drawing that is eh, it isn't good enough to be a cover. I know what I want my cover to look like, and there's a scanner at the hospital I work at, so when I get it drawn it won't have to be a picture or anything.

Anyway, I have a thing to say about reviews. This should be in the first chapter sure, but the people who matter will read it here. If you don't like something about the story, of course review and tell me. But tell me why you don't like it. If I just get "This is stupid" Then I'll assume you are too stupid to formulate constructive criticism. Tell me why you don't like it, and then I can fix it. I know I had issues with honorifics before, and people told me nicely, and I've tried to just not use them.

Plus, if you really don't like the story, well, I've put more time into writing this than you have by reading it. So go write something you do like. That is the purpose of Fanfiction after all, and it's how I started writing.

Anyway, sorry for the rant, I love you guys, and let me know what you think!

3 K-