藤原のムラサキです。
Jiraiya and Murasaki made their way back to the red building as Kushina met them halfway down the hall.
"Come on, Murasaki-san…" Kushina said quietly. "Let's clean you up."
Kushina placed a gentle hand on Murasaki's shoulder, leading the miko away from the Toad Sage and down the hall to a different room. Murasaki could feel the sages eyes on her as she walked away, and found herself oddly reluctant to leave him.
Kushina and Rin helped Murasaki into some clean, civilian clothes, but Murasaki couldn't help but think about the look on Rin's face during the whole ordeal…It was so lost and haunted….
They walked slowly, silently together down the halls and outside, but they didn't head towards the cemetery. Instead they turned east, towards a large open field. Kushina hung back and chatted politely with Murasaki, who stared at the ground with her hands folded.
"Kushina-sama, why aren't we going to the cemetery?" Murasaki asked, shielding her eyes from the bright sun.
"Because, were going to the memorial. They were unable to recover Obito's body…" Kushina said, keeping her voice low so Rin couldn't hear. Murasaki nodded, continuing to stare at the ground as they approached the leaf-shaped stone.
The ceremony began as Kushina handed Murasaki a chrysanthemum to set on the memorial, beneath a smiling picture of Obito.
Silently, Murasaki watched Kakashi step forward, no emotion visible on the exposed part of his face. His silvery hair shone in the sunlight and at that moment, Murasaki felt something stir in her heart.
"No…" she thought to herself, "I like Obito, I cant like Kakashi…he's…he's an asshole!"
The surreal scene continued to play out before her, and when her turn came, Kushina put an encouraging hand on her shoulder.
"Be brave, you have every right to be here…" The redhead whispered softly with a smile. Murasaki nodded, striding forward behind the Uchiha's cousin, his wife, and their young son, Itachi, who turned around and stared intensely at Murasaki wile sucking on his finger, before being pulled forward by his mother. Murasaki took a deep breath and glanced around as she stepped forward as well, feeling like everyone was staring at her.
"I have a right to be here!" She thought furiously, stepping forward and placing the flower on the pile beneath the picture. Jiraiya's words played in her head over and over like a broken record;
"You have a lot of fire and a lot of fight…"
Could it be true? She always had seemed so shy and weak in her own mind…
Wiping tears from her eyes, she stepped away from the stone. Jiraiya nodded with a the ceremony, she was left to stand alone with Kakashi and Rin by the was kneeling on the base, running a thumb over his teammate's freshly carved name.
"I'm so sorry, Rin…This is my fault…" He whispered.
Murasaki withheld gasp when she heard his words. They were so…unlike him….
"Kakashi-kun! No, don't say that." Rin sobbed, throwing her arms around the teen's neck. Murasaki felt her heart sunk lower as she watched the two.
Of course…Obito liked Rin, and she liked Kakashi…now with Obito gone…
Murasaki backed away, being extra careful to be silent. She could say her final goodbye later. She made her way across the field, looking to the edge and seeing Minato, with his arm around Kushina, talking to Jiraiya, who was holding…the Konoha log-book?
Murasaki slowed down, quietly assessing the situation. As she drew near, she could hear them talking.
"I've suspected since I first saw her. She has the same eyes…" Minato was saying.
"But she looks so much like her mother." Kushina responded quietly.
"I've thought the same, too, but now I know it. The coincidences are too uncanny. And it was about ten years ago that I had that mission…" Jiraiya whispered, his deep voice making a low rumbling sound.
"So what are you going to do, Jiraiya-sensei?" Minato asked quietly. "We can clear the way for you if you decide you want to pursue the issue, which I strongly advise for many reasons."
"I'm going to test the waters first, and then, if it's possible…do you still have her clothes? We could get some DNA from the…"
Murasaki stopped short of their circle as Jiraiya spotted her and nodded, indicating her presence to the other two, who stopped talking and turned around.
"Hello, Murasaki-san!" Kushina said, waving brightly. "We were just talking about y- "
Minato interrupted. "Our baby. She's due in about a month."
Murasaki smiled and walked forward, taking a place beside Jiraiya.
"You want to take a guess at how much she's going to weigh?" Kushina finished lamely. Quietly and gently, Murasaki reached out and placed a hand on either side of Kushina's belly, closing her eyes and focusing on the child within. Murasaki suddenly felt weak and backed away with a gasp.
"I don't think it's going to be a girl…" Murasaki said softly, removing her hands from Kushina's belly as her head began to throb dully. "It doesn't feel…I don't feel well…" Murasaki said, quietly looking at the ground. The truth was, when she touched Kushina, she had felt the prescience of death…
"It's probably because your stomach is empty…" Jiraiya said softly, stroking Murasaki's hair in a fatherly fashion.
"I guess we should start looking into boys names, then!" Kushina said with a bright smile.
Minato simply shook his head and smiled.
Murasaki looked up at the woman in surprise. Kushina was so upbeat and positive, even in situations that would…that should…be depressing…
Silently, Murasaki made a note to be more like that, to be happy, or at least, pretend…
Jiraiya chuckled. "That's my girl…" He said happily, squeezing Murasaki's shoulder. Muraskai blushed, thinking back to the conversation she had just overheard.
"Did you know my mother? I just overheard your conversation as I was coming towards you…It sounded like you knew her..."
"Well, sort of. Your mother was Fujiwara no Yuriko, correct?"
"Yes."
"The actress?"
Murasaki cleared her throat. "Yes. I barely remember her. She left me in the care of the shrine when I was four."
Jiraiya's grip on her shoulder tightened slightly. "I supposed you need to get back to the shrine soon?"
"Yes…I left without Noriko-sama's permission…but I wanted to say one last goodbye to Obito first…"
"Why don't you go do that while I go get your clothes…" Kushina said with an honest smile.
"But…Hatake-san is still there."
"I'm sure he won't mind…" Minato said, giving Murasaki a push in the small of her back as she turned to face the memorial. "The last thing he needs is to be alone right now."
Murasaki took a deep breath and walked slowly towards the stone where Kakashi knelt, glancing over her shoulder at the adults.
"Um…Hatake-san? Are you going to be long?" He ignored her, but she continued to stare. After what felt like an eternity, he stood up, but didn't get out of the way.
"You know…Obito was an idiot." He said coolly. Murasaki's head snapped up as she felt that fire Jiraiya had spoken of flare up. Who the heck would say that about a friend who had just passed away?
"I mean it. I-"
SMACK!
Murasaki didn't know what possessed her to hit the silver-haired teen, who could have easily just killed her on the spot. She watched in slow motion as her hand collided with his masked face, sending him flying sideways onto the trampled green she watched him flop around and land on his ass, she felt like vomiting, or running away in shame, but for the first time, she found the courage to stand her ground.
"Don't ever say that about Obito-san!" She said just stared at her in surprise, his grey eye wide. For the first time, she saw the pain and sorrow of loss on his face. He got up, dusting himself off, and silently he left her standing at the stone. Murasaki stared at the place he had been sitting moments before, feeling all kinds of horrible. She had just slapped a shinobi. She had just slapped a jounin. She had just slapped Hatake turned to look at the stone.
"Please, Obito-kun…wherever you are…please forgive me." She bowed, brushing a finger over his name before turning and leaving.
xXx
Jiraiya walked Murasaki back to the shrine after stopping by a small tea house and eating lunch together.
Jiraiya seemed to be watching her closely, as if analyzing her every move. Murasaki was aware of this, and it made her nervous but she said nothing. They finished eating and continued on to the shrine, stopping just short of the tree line. Jiraiya looked at first, like he wanted to say something, but simply shook his head.
"Be careful, kid…If you ever need my help, you know where to find me." He said, digging in his pockets and handing her a small toad-shaped omamori before turning his back to go. Murasaki stared after him, a million thoughts and emotions raging in her head. Her eyes felt tired and sore as she watched the white haired sannin disappear around a bend in the road. She turned, facing the shrine, taking a deep breath before reluctantly setting foot on the grounds. She knew Noriko wouldn't be happy with her…
But luckily enough, Yuki-sama had come back from his travels. Yuki was the head priest, an elderly man with a kind smile and even kinder eyes. Noriko usually modified her hateful behavior when he was around.
He smiled when he saw her coming up the path towards the shrine.
"Well, if it isn't our little Murasaki…" He said, patting her on the shoulder. "Where did you disappear to?"
"A friend of mine…he passed on…" She said quietly. Yuki smiled at her.
"It will be okay…those with strong, pure souls will fly through this world with the blessings of the Kami…" He said, patting her on the shoulder again before turning to go back to his work. Noriko came out of the sleeping quarters and saw Murasaki, narrowing her eyes darkly.
"Murasaki, come here." She barked, beckoning the miko closer. Reluctantly, Murasaki came forward, watching her reproachfully. Once out of Yuki's hearing and vision range, Noriko grabbed Murasaki by the arm.
"Where have you been?" She hissed, her fingers digging painfully in to the young girls arm despite the thick silk layer. Murasaki squirmed, trying to break free, but Noriko tightened her grip. "You ran off to see those dirty shinobi, didn't you?" She said, shaking Murasaki violently. "Didn't you?"
"N-Noriko-sama!" Murasaki protested.
"Shut up, just shut up! Shinobi will rape you the first chance they get, do you hear me? Then, they'll kill you…" She said, forcing Murasaki to look into her eyes. "Do you understand me? Do you?" She pinched Murasaki's chin, causing light bruises to form. Murasaki nodded, and Noriko let go, turning to go.
"Lies!" Murasaki said, anger fueling her heart.
Noriko froze, turning around.
"What did you just say?"
"You're wrong…" Murasaki said, a little softer than before. Noriko's dark eyes flickered with unspeakable anger and hatred as she advanced on Murasaki, who looked around for all possible exits. Noriko stood in between her and the door. The Priestess raised a hand, slapping Murasaki on the face, sending her sprawling on the floor. Murasaki looked up at the priestess.
"I will kill you…" Noriko said calmly. "and your soul will wander these lands in torment…" She said, grabbing Murasaki by the front of her kimono and lifting her up. "And you will become a wretched demon… find no solace…" She said, pinning Murasaki to the wall with one hand and punching her across the face. A second hit fell on Murasaki's rib cage with a sickening crack. Murasaki gasped for air, looking up, horrified, at Noriko's face as she struggled for breath.
"Just like that wretched shinobi friend of yours…." She snarled, twisting Murasaki's arm until the bones snapped. Murasaki gasped and fell to the floor.
Something inside Murasaki came apart at the insult of Obito, and the Toad Sages fire flared within.
"You're wrong!" Murasaki cried, looking up at Noriko with angry, tear filled eyes. She lunged at the woman, knocking her to the floor. Murasaki struggled past her, almost making it to the door before Noriko grabbed the back of her kimono and hauled her back. Murasaki turned around and punched Noriko in the face with all her might, breaking the older woman's nose.
"You little brat!" Noriko snarled, grabbing one of the ceremonial instruments from a shelf. "You're just like you mother…she took everything from me…" Noriko hissed, striking Murasaki with the pointed end of the instrument, drawing blood. Murasaki struggled to stand.
"She stole my parts, all my parts…" Noriko said, hammering on Murasaki with the staff, creating vicious gouges in the girls back as Murasaki screamed for help.
"She forced me to retire and become a priestess…" Noriko snarled, ripping at the kimonos to deal more painful blows. Blood flowed freely down Murasaki's back and sides and she shook from the pain, sobbing.
"She was a whore who was too lazy to raise you after that dirty shinobi got her pregnant…so she dumped you on our doorstep…some sister she was…" Noriko said, dropping the staff and grabbing a knife from beneath her straw-mat bed.
"And from the moment I saw you, I swore…I swore that someday I would kill you…" Noriko said, laughing maniacally as she raised the dagger in the air. Murasaki curled, trembling, into the fetal position, the floor soaked in her blood as her vision blurred. Noriko aimed a kick at the girls ribs and Murasaki gasped, her vision darkening. She felt dizzy from blood loss and pain…
Murasaki felt her bloody fingers close around the omamori that Jiraiya had given her.
"Jiraiya-sama…please…" She gasped, trying to block out the pain. She knew she was going to die here…her entire body was going numb…
There was a loud sound and out of the corner of her eye she saw Noriko hit the floor, a trickle of blood coming from beneath her dark hair.
"Don't. Ever. Touch. My. Little. Girl. Again." Hissed a familiar voice. Murasaki looked up dimly to see the outline of Jiraiya, his entire body seemingly bristling in anger.
Murasaki struggled to stand, clutching the remains of her clothing to her body with her broken arm. Jiraiya knelt down, lifting her gently in his arms.
"It's okay, sweetheart…daddy's got you…" He said softly. Murasaki blinked up at him, her mind spinning from blood loss and confusion. She could barely feel his arms around her.
"Da-addy?" She whispered in a questioning tone before passing out in his arms.
A/N:I keep forgetting rhat after updated their system, it takes out some of the text and re-formats your writing, it's been so long since I've properly posted anything. Please bear with me while I re-learn everything, loves!
Thank you all so much for reviews and pm's, they are all so helpful!
