Author's Notes: What it do all? I'm back again with another story and this fic will be dedicated to my favorite character from the Naruto universe, Pain. (Yes it's Pain according to the Data book) You guys are probably like wah?? But he's a villain. I've always been a fan of the villains of my favorite stories with my all time favorite fictional characters being Sephiroth (FF VII) followed by Virgil (DMC3) and Yami Malik (Yu-Gi-Oh).
Eminence will basically be his life story from the beginning of his pain and so on all told from his perspective in first person. I originally was going to name it 'Eminence of Pain' but I later decided to just settle on Eminence since it would match the theme of 'ence' words I set for my other stories Immanence and Ambivalence.
I decided to write this thanks to my boredom while I wait for my good friend SoulCry to finish proof reading the latest chapter of Vanish Without A Trace for me. Not to mention a lot of the fanfictions that are based on, or centered on Pain are either mainly Akatsuki fics, PainXSakura (Which I seriously do not understand – not saying I have anything against this of course.), one-shots, or comedic drabble. So I decided to throw my own lot in the mix.
Before we get started I would also like to thank everyone who read this fic and every one of my other ones. I never imagined that I would become this popular over the year. Thanks for all your constant support and reviews. Hopefully I can keep on entertaining you all with Eminence as well.
Eminence
A
Requiem of Pain
1st
Itami: Casualty of War
War, it is such a fickle and delirious term. For some, it brings about change, power, righteousness, and even enlightenment; but for the majority, the lesser of the world, the pawns on the chest board – it only brings about one thing and one thing only, Pain.
Life before the war was pleasant, simple, and stable. Everything I needed, my parents provided for me. There were the occasional sibling squabbles with my brothers but that was a common thing among families like ours. Despite the monotonous life I lead with my family, it was safe and peaceful. Not once did I have to worry about my next meal, nor the terrifying thought that someone would kill me because I was in the wrong place or had something they wanted.
I knew of the shinobi world but it was more like a distant façade that happened in a different part and time of the world. Like a real life television show you would watch, you knew it was real but it still felt staged. Some of my friends would pretend to be shinobi and run around play fighting one another yelling out random moves that they had just came up with on the top of their heads.
But I was never prepared to face the real thing, especially when said thing was glaring down at me with a kunai gripped tightly in his blood-drenched palms. The crimson fluid that dripped down his hands weren't the same that traveled through his ice cold veins, nor was it the liquid of his enemy but the blood of my family, my INNOCENT family who had nothing to do with this war at all!
It all started on a calm normal day. We were experiencing light showers which we would consider a sunny day compared to the other days we had groan used to over the many years. I had finally finished with my afternoon classes as I was heading home along with my imouto in tow. She went to the same academy as me and was just a year younger. She was the baby of the family and she wasn't ashamed to remind my two older brothers and me when something interfered with her getting her way.
"The sky is pretty today isn't onii-chan!" I said to me as she danced around in her little raincoat. Even if she was spoil rotten I still loved her dearly. She always took my side during my disputes with our brothers who always seemed to enjoy picking on me.
"Yeah it is… what do you want to do today?"
"Can we go to the park again?"
"Sure thing."
We would normally hang out for about an hour or two after school to burn time before our parents got off from work. We felt that it was easier to deal with our brothers when our parents were around to play the mediator. Otherwise, they would use me as their practice dummy for their fake shinobi experiments.
On days like this the park would usual be crowded with kids our age and younger enjoying their time outside before the monsoon seasons returned.
"Nagato! Over here!" the sound a very familiar female's voice with long damp raven hair covering part of her face called to us as soon as we sat foot on the park grounds. It was my best friend Konan playing with several other kids from my class. In reality, she was my only real friend outside of my family. "And you brought Nigata with you again today too."
"Yo!" Nigata, my imouto, yelled as she waved at Konan.
"What are you guys playing?" I asked as I walked up to Konan.
"We're still trying to decide that. We're waiting for Yahiko to make his mind up. He won't let us play the usual games without complaining."
"I can't help it if I believe that we shouldn't do the same things all the time. It gets so lame repeating the same games."
Yahiko was another one of my friends but I couldn't really say we were close back then. We were more like associates, classmates. We got along because everyone in the class did; it was sort of like going with the flow of things. For some reason Yahiko always took on the leader role as if it was natural for him. I even found myself at times waiting for him to decide something before going on with what I had planned.
"Then hurry up and come up with a new game!" one of the other kids yelled.
"Oi! Give me a minute, kay?!" he yelled back.
"So what do you have plan for this weekend Nagato?" Konan asked as the two of us walked off giving the others some more time to banter Yahiko for his tardiness when it came to making up a new game.
"I don't really have any. I might help my oyaji redo the roof since it's starting to leak again."
"Don't ya brother's usual help him with that?"
"Yeah but he wants me to start helping him too. He said that this will teach me how to be a strong man when I grow older."
"I wonder who's hair would be longer when we're adults." She joked as she pulled on the tip of my hair that reached my shoulders. About the same length as her's.
The rain suddenly began to pick as Yahiko still contemplated his next great idea for a game that we all could play. I honestly could careless what he came up with as long as he hurried it up.
A loud thunderclap shook the ground a little as we all froze in our place. My imouto ran up to me clamping onto my arm as her body began to tremble.
"It's ok Nigata, it's just a storm." I told her, trying my best to play the idea aniki for her.
Another thunderclap struck again, this time even louder and violent that the first. The ground shook so hard that I could no longer hold my balance as I came toppling down to the ground bringing Nigata down with me.
As I lay there on the muddy ground I noticed one thing that caused me to feel a hint of fear. If it was suppose to be thundering this way then why in hell was their no major clouds in the sky besides the usual tiny rain clouds that appeared during these light showers.
As I tried to stand back up another thunderclap sounded off but this time it was followed by an explosion that felt like it was only several yards away from us.
That was when the sirens began to cry as a herd of people began to charge down the street in a fit of panic.
"What is going on?" Konan asked as she too began to fear the worst.
"I think we should run too." I said as I quickly swooped up Nigata and began to run, Konan followed after me. Just as we left the spot we were at the ground exploded taking several of the kids that were in the park with it. For a short instant, the rain took on the shade of a scarlet red as random body parts plummeted from the sky.
I covered Nigata's eyes making sure that she wouldn't have to witness such a horrific scene. I myself was fighting with all my strength to hold down my vomit that was pressing its way up my throat.
I glanced toward my right and noticed that Konan was rooted to the ground as her fear had finally got the best of her. I quickly ran up and nudged her shoulders.
"Snap out of it Konan! We need to get out of here!"
"W-w-what is going on?"
"I don't know but it'll be better if we escape first and ask questions later!" this time I pulled on her using more of my strength forcing her to get up. Just in time to barely dodge another explosion.
We joined the mass of people already running for their lives in the streets. It was hard to make out what exactly was going on with all the pandemonium that was happening everywhere.
"What is going on?!" I managed to ask a man who was running along side us.
"The war has spilled into the town."
'The War?' I said to myself.
We knew about the war that was happening with the major countries and the adults at that time always warned us that since Ame no Kuni was boarding three of the countries that were participating full force in this war. But I am positive that not even they believed that the war would actually cross the border into our territory like this.
"I'm heading toward my house to see if my family's ok!" Konan suddenly called out as she took a left heading toward her place. I started to tell her to stay with us but I knew that she was also very worried about her own family just as much as I worried about mines.
This was the time that noticed that my hand was still covering Nigata's face. I slowly pulled my hand back and noticed that she was weeping greatly. I hugged her closer to my body trying my best to console her but that was a task all on it's own when I also needed someone to comfort me as well.
A barrage of kunai rained down in the center of the street piercing several civilians in the process right in front of us. I watched as a body toppled over right in front of us but I wasn't fast enough to dodge the body as I tripped over it falling face first to the ground. In the same motion, I watch as Nigata flew out of my arms and landed on the ground with a loud thud followed by cry. I quickly crawled over the bloody body that I landed on over to her to make sure that she was ok. To say that I was relieved when I saw that she didn't take any major damage was a major understatement.
"Gomen Nigata!" I cried as I tried to lift her again, but that when I realized that what was on the surface didn't speak what was hidden on the back. As I picked her up I noticed the large pool of blood that was underneath her body and the large amount that continued to spill.
During the time I fell, she unfortunately had landed on a random kunai that pierced through her back.
I glanced up at her eyes and noticed that the color of life was already fading away from her once beautiful golden brown orbs. I felt my own eyes begin to burn as if someone had lit them on fire as blistering hot tears traveled down my cheeks. I collapsed to my knees since I could no longer withstand the amount of pain my heart had sustained in that one moment. I held back when some of my classmates were murdered by the explosion, even looked the other way when the people in front of me were getting mowed down by kunai, but there was no way I could fight it back anymore. At that point I no longer cared if I was killed. My imouto had just died thanks to my inability to control my balance in such a dire moment of her short life…
I felt the rain intensify to the point where it felt like it was literally pounding against my body with millions of fist. I began to punch the ground with all my might over and over until they were covered in my own blood as I wail into the sky as if it was the cause of my anguish.
"Get up kid!" an old man shouted as he pulled me off the ground with one arm and drug me along side him until I had regain my composure, at least enough to run. I glanced back to take one last look at Nigata's dead body but he jarred by my body forcing me to look forward.
"Trust me kid, it doesn't help if you keep looking."
"But…" I tried to speak but he stopped me.
"I know… she was close to you but what good is it if you die too? You think she'd be happy if she knew you just lied there waiting to be killed?" the man stated in a eerily calm voice that did not match our current environment.
I glanced up at the man for the first time and noticed all the scars that he had all over his body. Including the gruesome one that sat right over the left side of his face where his eye should be.
"You're shinobi aren't you?"
"Ex-shinobi kid." he corrected.
"Why are they attacking us like this?"
"There is a Konoha camp stationed several miles outside of this city. Some of the Iwa-nin feel that this town would serve as a perfect base for their operation to take out their camp and move in deeper into Ame no Kuni. Their plan is to wipe out both the Konoha camp and close in on Amegakure at the same time.
"But why kill us?"
"To make sure that there isn't ant Konoha-nin or Ame-nin in this town at all."
"But…!"
"No more buts kid. This is a war after all. Not many shinobi care about what happens to people who have no affiliation with them. I know they didn't teach you this in school but shinobi are heartless killing machines. They kill whomever they are told to kill without any discretion…"
I glanced up at him one more time as the rain continued to hammer down on us. I used my hand to wipe away most of the liquid from my face as I decided to only look forward. I didn't know who this man was but I owed him a lot.
"Where ya heading kid?" he asked as he finally let me loose from his tight grip. I guessed he felt that I was past the point of being suicidal.
"Home, it's just around the corner over here." I said not looking up at him.
"Ok kid, be safe."
I took off running toward my home. I didn't want to explain to my kaa-san about Nigata but I knew I would have to regardless. I was still finding it hard to come to terms with the truth, even though I was a witness and a possible cause of her demise.
Several crashes of thunder sounded off as I opened the front door of my home. It was quiet, to quiet for my liking. But there was also the possibility of none of them being home since all of them had things to do during this time of the day. I started to call out to them but I used my better judgment to remain silent just incase there was someone here who wasn't suppose to be.
The silence began to play mind games with me, as every noise I made was twice as loud as it would normally be. I slowly walked into living room as I heard a loud squish noise under my feet that felt like someone had spilled a large pitcher of water. I glanced down receiving the second fright of my life, mere minutes apart from the original. I stood in a puddle of blood that had soak through the wooden floor. To the right of the puddle, a severed hand with a ring on it – the same ring my okaa-san always wore.
My stomach and throat had finally surpassed their limits. I plummeted to my knees and released my vomit as the searing hot fluids burnt my throat as it pushed its way to the floor. After a few more minutes of repeating this I began to whimper, not just from the pain but also at the potential lost of my own okaa-san.
A cold, chilly feeling streaked through my spine as I felt someone was standing behind me. I slowly turned around with both my eyes puffy from my tears to the sight of a rough and stout man wielding a kunai in his right hand that was soaked with blood.
Our eyes met at the same time, his pale auburn orbs told me everything, I already knew the rest of my family was dead and I was surely next. My body didn't move, it was almost like my body was welcoming him, beckoning for him to finish off what he started. My mind was completely blank, I heard people during these times saw images of their lives flash before them but I saw nothing. My eyes were still locked in its staring contest with my families' killer. My heartbeat matched the pace of the rain as it continued to pound down on the roof. I finally forced my body to close my eyes so I wouldn't have to witness my own death but I heard something else instead.
A loud thud on the floor caused me to force them back open. The Iwa-nin now laid faced down on the ground with a large steak knife jabbed dead in the center of his back. I glanced up to see the same scared man from before hovering over us.
"What did I tell you about giving up on your life so soon kid." He scolded as he lifted me up with one hand like before.
"W-w-why?" I forced out as my body began to shake uncontrollable from the shock.
"I figured I would check up on you to make sure these bastards weren't already here." I nonchalantly glanced over at the body of my parents that were in the bedroom and sighed. "To bad I didn't make it here in time." He stated as he followed my line of sight.
"They were already dead before I got here." I said almost in a whisper as silent tears streaked down my pale cheeks.
"I see… lets get out here." He stated in a deep tone that lack any emotion at all. I couldn't tell if he felt sorry for me or not. I didn't even know if I should be grateful that he actually saved my life again. I quietly began to weigh the options of living a life without my family or pass on and be with them in the afterlife as we slowly walk through the streets that were littered with dead bodies on civilian and shinobi alike. Apparently some of the citizens decided to fight back extending their lives for a few minutes before more shinobi appeared to kill them off.
The pitter-patter sounds of a dozen footsteps slamming against the pavement woke me from my trance as I glanced up.
"Nagato!!" I heard a familiar voice cry out to me. I turned to the direction to see Konan dash toward me, her eyes bloodshot from tears more likely. It seemed that I wasn't the only one to suffer the lost of my family at the hands of this attack.
She literally tackled me as we both collided with the ground. The sounds of her sobs overshadowed the pain my back felt as I unconsciously wrapped my arms around her. I was the last person who was in the mood to comfort others but for some reason I just couldn't help it. For a second I felt more sorry for her than for my own misfortunes.
"Where's Nigata?" she asked as she pulled her head up. I tilted my head to the right so I wouldn't have to look at her face. I didn't think I would be able to take the pain if I saw the reaction of someone else who knew her. "… And your family?" she continued. I remained silent, as she quickly understood what happened, I didn't really have to say anything. "Gomen nasai Nagato!" she cried as she once again buried her head into the chest.
"And I just got the boy to stop crying…" the man sighed out loud as he stared down at us.
"Who is he?" Konan asked as she stared up at him.
"He saved my life." I quietly said, my voice on the verge of failing me.
"Arigatou." She said to him. He nodded back to her with a grim smile on his face.
"It to early to thank me yet, we still need to evacuate this village. It is already pretty much a lost cause to try to stay here." He said before helping us up.
As we returned to the streets I tried my hardest not to look at all of the dead bodies that rested on the ground. The once promising buildings that told over a thousand stories now lay in ruins. I don't know rather it was the constant patter of the rain against the ground or the fact that my nerves could no longer handle anymore shock but everything just seemed to fade out around me.
That was until a familiar shout was heard to the left of me. We quickly peeked over to see Yahiko being chased by an Iwa-nin. The look on his face wasn't the same mask that Konan and me were wearing but one of utmost anger and hatred. In one motion he picked up a rock and slung it behind him nailing the shinobi right in between his eyes.
In a flash, the man that was standing beside us was already over there. He landed a hard right to the shinobi's already injured head and followed with a left to his throat jamming his Adam's apple right through his windpipe. He then proceeded to place both of his large hands on the shinobi's head and yanked it sideways snapping his neck. The shinobi's body fell limp to the ground like a doll that was dropped. Yahiko stared up at the man with a frighten look on his face.
"Don't worry kid, I'm on your side. I have your friends with me too." he said as he pointed behind him over to us.
Even though I had already seen the man in action, it was still hard to believe that someone could actually be that strong.
"Who are you?" Yahiko asked.
"Just call me Akai." He said with his emotionless mask still on his face.
"Why are you helping us so much?" Konan asked as she walked up to him.
"I like I told the kid over there—" he nodded over at me "—I am an ex-shinobi. I have committed the same heinous sins that these men have done over my long career. This is my way of settling the demons that have been tearing at my soul." He stated as he began to walk ahead of us.
I didn't know what to say to that or what to think. It was easy to tell what Yahiko thought though. His eyes told me that he was beginning to look up to this man as a role model. I think Konan was more or less going through the same feelings as me.
The rest of the walk was uneventful, despite the amount of carnage that painted the landscape. He had finally reached the village's gate when Akai stopped dead in his tracks and looked at me.
"Kid." He spoke as he kneeled down so we could meet eye to eye. "Here is the key to my shack. It's several miles outside the village. This key is the only way you can find it because it's very well hidden from intruder's eyes so you and your friends will be safe."
"What about you?" Konan asked.
"I have a few things I need to take care of before I head out in that direction. I want all of you to run as fast as you can ok?" The look on Konan's face showed just how worried she was. He smirked a little as he shook his head. "Don't worry about an old man like myself. I know exactly where my shack is so I'll will see you guys in a jiffy." He cracked a wide grin this time actually allowing us to see some real emotion.
"Come on, let's go." Yahiko said as he touched my shoulder. I took one last look at Akai before I started running along with the other two. At that time I knew exactly why he wanted us to go alone and I think Konan and Yahiko knew as well. We all knew that this would be the last time we would ever see Akai.
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Closing Author's Notes: This will probably be the hardest fic for me to write and the easiest at the same time. The reason I say this is because of the minimum amount of information I have at my disposal about his past. But this also allows me to fill in what I believe happened back then almost giving me an open world.
I also realize that the manga is getting closer to revealing some of the major secrets about Pain and his powers. I will try my best to make the right edits to fit this information as it comes without actually ruining the story I have planned. Thanks again for reading!