Kuri Uchiha opened her eyes. There it was again. The sound of the killers footsteps as he stepped forward. Blood dripped off the blade where he had sliced her skin—or was it his own?
Kuri backed up, coward that she was, no weapon, no way to fight back. Kuri hid in the cupboard.
"Stay there, sister," Sasuke whispered. "Don't make a sound."
Kuri bit my lip. She tasted blood.
Nothing could convince her to move. Kuri was frozen. Kuri closed her eyes against the fear. Then she heard her parents screams as they were being murdered.
What was that? Was she crying?
No...that was blood. Pouring from her eyes. What was this pain? The anguish of death...the pain and darkness that came with the end of life?
The last two lights came into view. One that Kuri could not feel, could not read, frozen to her power. Itachi. The other, Kuri's twin, her Sasuke. The only one whose heart beat same as hers.
Kuri's mouth opened to scream...and no words came out. The blood from her eyes pooled into a circle, crystallizing. Kuri gazed at the hideous thing in awe and fear. Swirling within the little orb...light and dark...everything and nothing...her life flashed inside the tiny orb. The Shikon no Tama.
Xxx
"AHHH!" Kuri screamed, sitting up.
The little crystal swung around her neck.
Kurisuta Uchiha had long dark hair, bright red eyes—no Sharingan, just red—and was the same height as her twin brother. She wore the traditional robes of a miko, red pants and a white robed shirt.
Kuri was the strange and eerie Shikon no Miko. She was the Priestess Of Konoha. Everyone knew her for her famous Sight. Unlike the traditional Uchiha, she did not possess the Sharingan. Instead her eyes, though an uncommon silver since birth, possessed the powers of precognition and empathy.
Kuri had possessed both powers in utero. When her mother was pregnant she had a vision of the nine-tailed fox's attack on the village and informed the Fourth Hokage. Her mother had also experienced the agony of others emotions. It had been so dreadful that she was locked away until the birth.
Kuri had been a happy child; unlike her mother, the emotions of others caused her no pain at all. She was even able to manipulate others to an extent. Though pressured to use this as a weapon as a ninja, Kuri (and her mother) had insisted that her destiny was to be a miko.
All was fine...until that day. Her brother had protected her and ever since then...ever since then she was different.
Same dream. Every night. But tonight was special. Kuri grabbed her knapsack.
Tonight Kuri would escape the Uchiha compound.
Kuri climbed out of the window, escaping her brother's watchful gaze.
Now...what would annoy him the most?
"What are you doing?" Sasuke grabbed her arm.
She looked at him. I just wanted to go out.
"You can't just wander off like that I was worried." Sasuke said.
Kuri looked up at him again. Let me go to the festival, or I'll run away and go by myself...after I knock you out.
Sasuke sighed. "Ok you can go."
He pulled on his kimono and the two headed out into Konoha.
Xxx
"Hey isn't that the Uchihas!" Ino shrieked with joy.
"Yes that's Sasuke and his twin sister Kuri." Shikamaru said. "The one that doesn't speak."
"What do you mean she doesn't speak?" Sakura said.
"Just what he said." Choji said. "Once at lunch she wanted to swap with me, she looked at my bento, and suddenly Sasuke was there, and he asked for her."
"That just doesn't make sense. Twin Telepathy?" Ino said.
"Maybe you should consider that the Uchiha clan was murdered." Shikamaru said. "Maybe she can't talk cuz of that."
"No." Neji spoke for the first time. "Uchiha Kurisuta was at my house when she was four. She didn't speak a word to me. And it was our betrothal ceremony."
There was a long silence as everyone processed this.
"Well I think it's a farce." Ino said. "She just wants to hog Sasuke all to herself. Cmon Sakura. Lets teach her a lesson."
Xxx
Kuri was swept up in all the noise and happiness of the festival. So many happy feelings swirled around here; she felt she could stay forever.
She turned around to ask Sasuke to win her a goldfish, but he was gone, swept away by the crowd.
"Kuri!" Ino said. "There you are, Sasuke sent us. He's been worried sick!"
Kuri looked up, a skeptical look on her face. The hussies from her brother's fan club. She didn't approve of any of em.
"Yeah, he sent us to help you with her problem." Sakura pushed her back into a corner.
Ugh these girls were full of unpleasant feelings. Jealousy. Anger. Contempt.
Push it down. Swallow it.
As if the physical reaction would help, Kuri swallowed.
The girls mistook it for fear, and closed in.
"You never speak. Never make a sound. Never cry or whine. Nothing." Ino took out a cigarette. "We're going to make you scream."
Sakura backed away. "I-Ino...we shouldn't...I mean we can't hurt her. Even if...I mean she's Sasuke's sister. Won't he be mad?"
"Think of how happy he'll be when we get her to stop faking and talk. Plus she'll stop monopolizing Sasuke and we'll get a fair shot. Don't you want that?" Ino said.
"I-I..." Sakura was unsure, then took the cigarette. "Gimme it."
For the first time, Kuri felt a sense of fear. Not hers, but from a small girl standing far a way. Hinata. That girl...she'd been there when Kuri and Neji had been betrothed. She was the heiress.
Did she hate Kuri too? Was that why she was watching like that? But all that fear. Was she scared she'd be next if she tried to stop them?
Hinata turned, and ran off.
Kuri put a hand out to stop her, and Ino grabbed her arm.
"Stay still." Ino said.
Sakura lit the cigarette and pressed it to Kuri's pale skin. White hot pain coursed through her.
She breathed a sigh of relief as Sakura pulled her hand away and then...
A terrible fury filled her. Like no anger that she had ever felt before. Rage. Hatred. She turned and glared at Sakura, wanted her to DIE.
And in a moment, Sakura crumpled into Ino's arms.
Kuri looked furiously around and realized that Naruto was standing there, whiskers standing out, fuming from silent fury. As he met eyes with her, he realized how scared she was.
Arms were around her. Naruto picked her up, turned away from the two girls without a word, and carried her to the hospital.
Xxx
Kuri woke up in the hospital. She had her own room. No visitors, apart from Sasuke.
But there was an empty bowl on the tray next to her that showed someone had sat and eaten here beside her. Noodles. And what appeared to be a shiny little silver bell.
Kuri picked it up. Jingle. Jingle. She smiled. She didn't think she'd be able to smile today. She was, after all, a murderer.
She wondered when they'd come and take her in. Or was Sasuke covering for her.
"—told you, idiot, you can't come in!" Sasuke said from outside.
"What are you talkin about, ttebayo, I'm the one who saved her, so looks like you owe me!" Naruto said.
"Best just to let brother have his way. Besides I left my shiny in there." Rei said.
The two Uzumakis strode in. Naruto in orange, with his blonde hair and blue eyes. Reiko wearing purple, with red hair and green eyes. Both with prominent whiskers.
"Hey there invalid!" Rei grinned. "Sasuke said you attacked him with the tray last time he came in."
Huh. Did she do that. Vague memory. Probably. She had been still vibing off Naruto's rage.
Kuri grimaced and looked over at Sasuke in question, though he was too far off to hear her.
"Oh Sasu-chan is just fine." Rei's grin broadened. "So's Sakura by the way. Unconscious but fine. I took care of it."
Kuri's face must have looked even more confused because Naruto piped up.
"Sis is great at medical ninjutsu." Naruto said. "She fixed Sakura right up. Good thing Hinata found us when she did though."
Understanding dawned on her. So Hinata went to get Naruto.
Kuri sank into her arms, sobbing silently.
"It wasn't your fault." Rei said. "Any normal person would attack another person who caused them that level of pain. It was a human reaction."
Naruto pulled on her. "Cmon don't cry. If you tell us what happened, we'll keep it a secret!"
Rei rolled her eyes. "Brother she's mute. She can't talk even if sh—"
"Murderer." Sasuke said. "She thinks she's a murderer. She thinks she tried to kill Sakura."
"Nah you're no murderer." Naruto grinned. "You just got mad cuz I was mad, right? Sasuke kind of explained it to us. Besides that was just...just awful, ttebayo. I can't believe she did that. It's ok. We don't think there's anything wrong with you at all."
Tears flowed down Kuri's cheeks. "N-Na...ru...to..."
She fell into his arms and sobbed his name, her first words, over and over.