Shiina
"You missed a spot you piece of worthless trash!"
The blonde woman threw the perfectly clean plate at a girl's feet. The girl's long dark blue hair did not sway and her red eyes stared forward, looking out into space.
"I'm sorry…mother," uttered the girl with disgust and hatred.
"Better watch that tone of yours, Shiina! And don't forget to clean up that mess as well!"
The blonde woman leaves as she as she finished ordering the dark blue haired girl around. Shiina Tamayaki, which was the name given to her by her mother, who passed away five years ago due to a car accident. This new "mother" was someone new that her father happened to meet and marry recently. She did not like her, and her stepmother did not like her either. Shiina was forced to do excessive chores day after day at the command of her stepmother. The only reason why she's still tolerating her is because of the reason that if she leaves, her father will have nobody to guard him and that witch will charm him into devastation. She grabbed a broom and pan nearby. She swept the broken pieces of the plate into the pan. She emptied out the pan into a nearby trashcan.
"You couldn't do better if you tried…"
She continued to wash the dishes as instructed by her stepmom. She soon moved onto sweeping the floor and scrubbing the bathtub. She retreated to her room when her stepmom stopped barking at her. She opened the door and check the time on a clock in her room.
"Oh no, it already started ten minutes ago!"
She quickly grabbed the remote on her cabinet and turned on the TV. She took out a kodachi knife that was hidden away in her pocket.
"Now, most people will try and swing their weapons as much as possible, which is a bad habit because their opponent will duck under the swing and attack from below. What you want to do is have a variety of strikes. Quick jabs, powerful lunges, and sneaky maneuvers to throw off your opponents when the time comes."
Shiina quickly jabbed through the air with her kunai knife. The program that was on the TV was called "The Way of the Ninja." She watched it as a child and never stopped. She was fascinated with ninjas, their ability to hide, to strike from the unknown, and to bring a fear into people, a fear she wants to instill her stepmom with.
"Hah!"
She lunged forward with a powerful overhead blow through the air.
"Another important aspect of handling a weapon is accuracy. Always picture what happens when you hit something before you actually perform the action. For example, if you're throwing a knife…"
The man in the TV throws a kunai knife at a target.
"…just imagine the projectile hitting the target and it will always hit."
The knife hit the target right in the center. Shiina nodded in response of the lesson. She grabbed an unused pillow from her closet and set it up across the room. She twirled a kunai knife in her finger as she tried to picture her knife hitting the pillow. She threw her knife. Her concentration slipped up as she thinks about her mom giving her that kunai knife. It veered right and bounced off the wall. She bit her lip in frustration. She walked over to her knife and picked it up. She heard footsteps outside her room and quickly hid the knife away in her pocket. Her door opened.
"What was that?" asked her stepmom.
"It was nothing. My pillow hit against the wall since my hand slipped."
"Hmph."
Her stepmom picked up the pillow and pushed Shiina with it.
"Well, be more careful next time? Hmm? Wouldn't want the house to be a mess now."
"I'm sorry. I'll be more careful."
"Good. Now be a good girl and clean up your room. And shut up off your TV! Ninjas? Ha! Nonsense! Ninjas are nothing!"
Shiina gritted her teeth to hold herself back from punching her stepmom.
"As you wish…mother."
"Hmph."
Her stepmom left the room. Shiina slowly closed the door. She gritted her teeth again. She threw the pillow across the room.
"Ninjas are nothing?"
She stared at the pillow and pulled out her knife. She threw it the next second, only thinking about hitting her stepmom's face. The knife sailed through the air and pierced the pillow, making it slump. She looked at a white puppy doll on her bed. It had a red collar around its neck. It was the last thing that her mother gave her when she was a small child. She walked over to it and picked up it. She hugged it and smiled.
"Mom…I miss you…"
This was her happiness in life, her only happiness left, and the only one that she could talk to.
The next day, Shiina returned home from school. She quickly finished the chores around the house. She looked forward to going back to her room where she could be alone and not hear her stepmother's voice. She got to the room and opened her door. She noticed something strange about the door.
"Huh? Didn't I leave this room open when I left?"
She went inside. What awaited her was a mess of cotton and loose pieces of cloth. She opened her eyes at the scene. The doll her mother had left her was completely torn apart. She ran over to it and dropped down to her knees over the torn doll. It was not repairable. She has patched up and fixed this doll many times, but this had too many ripped pieces of leather that cannot be put back together.
"Oh? I forgot to tell you, but a bee buzzed by me in the hallway. Your room was open and I grabbed the nearest thing I could find. Oh, and don't worry, I didn't get stung."
It was the voice she hated the most. The voice that made her blood boil and her head swell up in hate and rage.
"My, are you just going to sit there? I still have some things for you to do."
Shiina's happiness was torn apart. Her hands trembled as she picked up the pieces. Tears start to develop in her eyes, but she shook her head to fight them off.
"Oh don't be so down, Shiina! It's just a doll! A worthless one too! It was old and it wasn't even professionally made."
Shiina clenched her fists at the word "just". She grabbed her right arm to stop herself from going berserk. Her trembling stopped. She picked up the pieces and put them on top of her cabinet.
"You're going to keep that trash? I'm telling you it's worthless. It's just garbage now at best."
"…I'll keep it even if it trash."
"Really? Then you really are just like your mother. Always keeping trash, which suited her-"
Shiina smacked the table.
"Don't talk about my mom!"
Her hand and mouth reacted before her mind could process what her next actions would be. Her stepmom got stunned by the harsh reaction, and then smiled coldly.
"Heh. I guess it's okay if you want to be just like your mom then."
Her stepmom walked towards the door.
"Oh, and don't forget, I'm in charge of what you do."
She exited and closed the door behind her. Shiina bit her lip. No matter how many times she told her father what her stepmom was really like, he would deny it and called her an angel, but it worked the other way as well if her stepmom tried to accuse her of something. In other words, it was an unending cycle of torture for her.
"I hate my life…"
She sat on her bed and looked at the ripped up doll. Then, she stood up as if she got an idea.
"I'll just remake it. Mom always taught me how to make a doll from the beginning."
After she said that, she walked over to her closet and took out a sewing kit. She reassured herself. She took a big breath and began. She took pieces of leather that matched the color of the original doll. She makes quick stitches and got some black buttons that were roughly the same size as the original ones. She continued working throughout the night.
"Um…T-tamayaki-san?"
A quiet, shy voice woke Shiina up. She slowly opened her eyes.
"Um…classes are over so um…you sh-should go home."
They were in a high school classroom. It was already five. Shiina slept throughout the last two periods of her classes. She lifted her head and looked at the girl with a cold stare. It wasn't intentional. It's just that her eyes have that effect to look cold. The other girl looked at Shiina in fear.
"S-sorry for disturbing you!"
She quickly bowed and walked over to her two other friends that were waiting at the classroom door. They closed the door, but Shiina can still hear what they're saying.
"I told you not to wake her up. She is the school delinquent and could've hurt you," said one of the girls.
"W-well, she was just sleeping there and it will be night time soon and…um…it gets dangerous around at night," said the shy girl.
"Who cares? She's not someone that would go down easily," said the third girl.
Their footsteps got quieter as a minute went by. Shiina rubbed her forehead.
"School delinquent…"
That's right. Shiina was the school delinquent. Even though most delinquents were boys, Shiina was different than all the girls. She always came to school late, had a defiant attitude when it came to group ideas, always claiming that they were shallow-minded, and just an aura of coldness that surrounded her. They also labeled her as a delinquent due to her clothing. She had two slits on her skirt and a black scarf covering the lower part of her face, which makes her seem mysterious. It's wasn't her fault she became labeled as the school delinquent. The year has been a hell for her. Her stepmom would work her until late hours, and then she would wake up when school is about to start. Shiina didn't blame her stepmom. Instead, she took that habit as a challenge, to try and make it to school on time no matter what. It helped her train her running speed and agility. She got to school only ten minutes late now instead of an hour late at the beginning of the year. During group projects, she would always spot the mistake in an idea and tried to tell her group that the plan was not going to work, it's just that Shiina is blunt and other students took this as a threat. She just wanted to voice her own opinions on a project, but the other students would be scared of what she would say, so she stayed quiet and told them to do whatever. Since she was always late to school, she made slits in her skirt so she can move her legs easier and get there faster, and the scarf just makes her look like a ninja. The aura of coldness started back at the beginning of the year. She got to school late and there were still some male students out front. They were commenting about her good looks and how they would like "wreck" her. Shiina just ignored them and walked past them, but one of them grabbed her arm. Her reflexes grabbed the arm and broke it instantly. That's when the other boys ganged up on her. Then, it turned into a giant commotion that the entire school saw. It was a single girl versus a group of male delinquents. In the end, she was able to fend off all the offenders, but she had scratches and bruises all over her body. She was able to defeat the group of boys. Some students cheered on her on for defeating the group, while many others feared her and labeled her as a delinquent due to her cold and harsh nature. Now, that's what she was only known as, Shiina the delinquent. What she really wanted though, was someone to talk to. That someone was the puppy doll that her mother had given her. Now that it was gone, she is trying to make a new one. She looked into her backpack. There were two unfinished dolls that she got frustrated over last night.
"They're not the same as mom's…"
She sighed and grabbed her backpack. She exited the room and headed to the front side of the school. As she walked out of the building, the same group that brought the title of a delinquent upon her were standing outside.
"Oh, and there she is," said one of the boys.
Shiina glared at them and snickered.
"Hey! We still haven't forgiven you for what you did in the beginning of the year! Now everybody fears you instead of us."
"How shallow-minded. If you come for another fight, I'll gladly kick your ass again. Other than that, step out of my way."
The boys took a step back. Her words were cold and harsh, as if they were carrying intent to kill. Her red eyes showed no fear and released a feeling of uneasiness. The one in the front let off a small, nervous laugh.
"Y-you're the one that should be backing down. Look, if you give up now, we won't hurt you because…"
He smiled.
"…you are pretty damn hot. I wouldn't want to damage your body in any way."
He licked his lips.
"…other than taking your virginity."
Shiina laughed. The boy in front stopped smiling. They took another step back.
"You really are pathetic. Me, give up? Heh. If you didn't know yet…"
She glares at them with a death gaze.
"…ninjas never give up."
"Y-yeah right. You're not a ninja. They only exist in stories and cheap TV shows."
"Oh? Then that means you're even more pathetic than a made up character."
"Why you little bi-"
A kunai flew right by the boys head and stuck itself into the ground behind him. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped opened. They all turned around to look at the knife that flew past all of them. They realized it really was a kunai knife. It could have taken their eyes out, no, by the speed that it flew, it could have taken off an entire human head with sheer force. Shiina walked past the stunned group and grabbed her knife.
"Woops, my hand slipped."
She walked away, not wanting to look at the pathetic faces of the boys. She walked along the path she took everyday to get home. She didn't really want to go home so she took long walks. When she walked home, there was always one daily routine that she did. She stopped in front of an alley. She let off a small whistle.
"He should be here…"
She looked down the alleyway, waiting for someone. She heard something small moving and it emerged. It was a small, white, puppy that was abandoned here and waited for someone to pick him up. It had a blank, red collar with no name. It looked exactly like the doll that her mother gave her.
"I'm back again."
The puppy barked happily to her presence. She took out a small biscuit and put it up to the puppy's mouth to eat it. The puppy happily chewed on it. She crouched down. She had a big smile and patted his head.
"I wish I can take you home, you're so cute."
The puppy barked happily in response. She never got a dog. That's why her mother gave her that doll. Even if she wasn't able to get a real puppy, she would have that doll to keep her company.
"I'm sorry, but I just can't. If I did, who knows what that woman would do to you."
She continued patting his head. The puppy whimpered.
"Just stay safe here until someone can pick you up, okay?"
The puppy barked.
"Good boy. I'll be here tomorrow to give you more food if you're still here."
The dog panted happily. She looked up at the sun in the distance. It started setting.
"See ya. I'm sorry I haven't given you a name yet, either."
She stood back up and started to walk away. She laughed at her own contradiction.
"A delinquent that likes cute things…heh."
She walked off to her house, leaving the puppy behind in the alleyway.
"Shiina! You're late again!"
She got away from one problem only to be slammed down by another problem. Shiina bowed.
"Sorry…mother."
She gritted her teeth. She hated herself for staying that.
"Just get here earlier! There are many things that are needed to be done."
Here, her power was limited. She could not be the ninja she wanted to be here in this household. At school was fine, since there were always idiots that would "volunteer" themselves so she can practice, but here, she was powerless. She wanted to revolt against her stepmother. She wanted to show her who's the more powerful woman in the house, but she can't. If she does, she would lose the support of her father, and her father would distance himself even further away from her. She cannot afford to give that up.
"Yes ma'am."
She went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Throughout her chores, she only thought about one thing: how to remake the same doll that her mother gave her. The two that she worked on late last night were nothing like the one her mother made.
"What am I doing wrong?"
She finished her chores and headed to her room. She opened her backpack and took out the two dolls she tried to make and sat them on the floor. She looked at them.
"They're still cute so I won't throw them away."
She pulls out a kunai and a kodachi from her pockets.
"I should make something to hold those things…"
She looked at her drawer. She opened it. There were shurikens, kunai knives, and another kodachi.
"…yeah, I should make something to hold these."
She grabbed a belt and tied four holsters that she found. One for shurikens, one for kunai knives, and the last two at each end to hold each of her kodachis. She looked up at her clock.
"Okay. Oh, it's already on."
She found the remote and turned on the TV.
"Okay. Today, we are going to practice the art of balance."
Shiina nodded and grabbed her kodachis.
"Now, just stick out your finger and balance a knife on it. Not sideways, but having your knife tip on your fingers."
"Knife tip?"
The man on the TV show balanced his knife with the handle pointing up and the knife's blade on his finger.
"This is necessary to get a feel for your weapons. This is necessary to teach your body to stay calm around weapons. Balance is also needed to make your mind constantly think about your next move. For example, if I'm holding the knife like this, which way will it fall? How fast will it fall? How would I move my hand if it falls? Would I be able to rebalance it after? These are the questions that your brain will process within a second, just like in a real fight when your brain process through a thousand different questions and moves within a second."
"I see…"
She grabbed one of her kodachis. She unsheathed the knife and revealed the blade. She placed the tip of the blade onto her index finger. The blade wobbled and she moved her finger and hand to try and balance the knife to stay. The knife fell forward and hit the ground.
"Now, it could take some time to perfectly balance your weapon on your fingers, but once you understand the concept, you can literally balance anything on your fingertips."
"Anything, huh?"
She looked around the room.
"I'll take that challenge when I get better at this then."
Hours passed by and it was just after one A.M. She finished all of her assignments. She turned off the lights and got into her bed. Just as she was about to close her eyes, she heard her stepmom's voice.
"Let's just send her away! She's nothing but a bother! She's not even a good daughter. At least, we won't have to spend money on her!"
She knew her stepmom was talking about her.
"Now, now. Calm down, Diana. She's my daughter, and I will do everything in my power to protect her. I made a promise to keep her safe and let her grow up in an environment that she liked."
"You're wrong! She's just here to laze off and play around! Don't you love me more than you love her?"
Shiina gritted her teeth, not wanting to know the answer if he said the thing she didn't want to hear.
"My daughter will always be the most important person to me. She will always be my little ninja."
Shiina's eyes widened and she made a slight smile.
"You made a big mistake. I'll show you what she really is!"
There were loud footsteps walking away.
"Thank you…Dad."
Shiina decided to make her dolls while in class. She didn't want to stay up to do them or else she would be too tired to concentrate. Since she had excellent grades, her teachers would not bother her. Her classmates were confused by the new hobby of the school delinquent, but nobody dared ask her about it since they were scared about the consequences. By lunchtime, she made three dolls, but the first two were too small and the buttons were too big, and the third one was too large and the buttons were the wrong shade of color. She gritted her teeth due to frustration.
"They're still cute…"
"Cute…"
Shiina looked up when she heard a soft, shy voice. She saw a hand move for her first doll. She instinctively grabbed the arm. There was a small yelp.
"T-tamayaki-san!"
Shiina turned her head to look whose arm it was. It was the same girl from yesterday.
"…My bad."
She let go of the girl's arm.
"N-no! I'm the one who should be sorry! I j-just reached out for them without your permission!"
The girl bowed frantically.
"…It's fine."
She took the dolls and put them into her backpack.
"I-i honestly didn't know you could make dolls like that."
Shiina stared at the girl's eyes and opened her mouth to say something. The girl retreated to the classroom door.
"S-sorry for disturbing you again."
The girl bowed one more time. The door opened and then slid closed. Shiina sighed and took out her bento. Then, she proceeded to eat by herself.
The bells rang to signal the end of the school day. She walked out, feeling bitter about making four dolls, and none of them looked the same as her mother's. Then, she noticed something as she walked out the front gates.
"Those guys aren't here today? Heh, I guess they finally realized their inferiority."
She continued walking, and headed for the usual alleyway to feed her little friend. She arrived at the alleyway and let off a short whistle. She waited for a moment, but there was no movement or sound.
"Did he finally get picked up?"
She continued staring down the alleyway.
"Hhe. That's good then. He deserved a nice home."
She started walking to her home.
"Hey, Shiina. Looking for something?"
It was the same, annoying voice from yesterday, the same voice that she threw the kunai at to shut it up. She turned around and glared at the person behind the voice. The gang of delinquents was standing behind her. She continued to glare at them.
"So, what are you doing here, Shiina?"
"None of your business."
"Oh? Actually, it is now."
"Hmm?"
Shiina tilted her head in curiousity.
"If it's a fight you want, I assured you, you'll lose again."
"No, no. We're here on a favor."
"A favor?"
"Yeah. Someone asked us to…how did the person say it? Oh yeah, to turn you into a little whore."
Those words don't faze Shiina. Instead, she laughed at his comment.
"Yeah, like that will ever happen."
"Oh trust me. We'll make it happen."
"Good bluff, but I don't think that will-"
Shiina stopped. She heard a quiet whimper. A whimper that she recognized.
"Oh? So you can hear it? Then you really do have good ears like a ninja then."
One of the boys behind him handed him a white, furry thing.
"Well, will this change your mind?"
He showed Shiina the face of the white furry thing. It had a red, blank collar. Its eyes were filled with fear, and it was shivering. It was the same dog she visited everyday. She gritted her teeth.
"You bastards! What are you doing to him?"
She puts her right hand on one of the kodachis on the belt behind her back.
"Heh. I guess this will work out then. Just accept our terms and we'll let him go."
She glared at him. Her breathing started to become a little shaky.
"What terms?"
"Just yourself up willingly so we can violate your body."
She grunted. She was confronted with a difficult choice that had devastating consequences on both choices. If she gave herself up, at least the puppy will be saved, but she can't. She can't let them do whatever they want with her. Not after what her father said.
"My daughter will always be the most important person to me. She will always be my little ninja."
She shook her head. She can't just let this puppy died. He had nothing to do with this. This was her problem, not anybody else's. And yet...
"…no, I refuse."
Those words came out of her mouth. The boy holding the puppy gets an angry expression on his face. Then, he smiled.
"Oh well. I guess we'll just have to do this the hard way."
He took a knife out of his pocket. Shiina's eyes widened. Time slowed down. Seconds felt like minutes. The knife came down onto the puppy's skull. Shiina reached out for the puppy.
"No! Don't-"
Her words were not able to reach him. The collar was stained in blood. The boy snickered and threw the lifeless body in front of Shiina. A pool of blood covered the white coat of the puppy. Her pupils shook in fear, shock, sadness, and rage as she looked at the lifeless body.
"Why…?"
She was barely able to utter that word out. Her lips trembled. She closed her mouth and gritted her teeth. He wasn't even involved. He just wanted a home, a home she couldn't provide for him. He couldn't do anything to them. He just wanted to be fed everyday, fed by her with the only food she could get. He wasn't something that she could save. She had lost her last remaining companion, the only companion that listened to her. Images of the torn doll and the puppy in front of her flashed through her mind. She got lightheaded, but shook her head to bring her back to focus. She reached back for both kodachis.
"How shallow-minded…"
The gang looked at Shiina since she said something they weren't really able to hear.
"Huh? You say something? If you said that you gave up, say it louder since you're going to be screaming in a couple of minutes anyways."
The gang laughed.
"How shallow-minded…"
Her hands grabbed the handles of the kodachis.
"Heh, what are you saying, Shiina?"
Everyone close to her was taken away. Her doll, her friend, and her family were all taken away. A single tear ran down her cheek. It was unreasonable. Why were they taken away from her? Did she do something wrong? All she ever wanted to do was become a ninja and protect the things around her. She wanted to be a ninja so she can be strong and fast to keep her things from being taken away from her. She wanted to be a ninja so she will never let the same tragedy that happened to her mother ever happen again. And yet, why couldn't she get anything right? It's as if God cursed her and took her things away. All of his actions towards her were…shallow-minded.
"How shallow-minded!"
She pulled out her kodachis and charged at the gang. Her scarf hanged on desperately to her neck as she moved with such a speed that turned her into a blur. Her belt buckled wildly as she ran with great speed. The boy in front wasn't able to grasp the situation that he and his gang were in. The intensity in the air was heavy with death and rage. He barely managed to see her and move his shoulder, but Shiina was still able to slice her arm and make a deep cut. She stopped in front of him as he backed up, covering the wounded spot with her other hand. He screamed in pain.
"Y-you bitch! Kill her! I don't care anymore! Kill that bitch!"
Shiina's eyes showed no fear to those words. They were filled with despair and hate, hate towards her own life, towards the world, and towards God. She refused to let anyone take her down. The boy retreated to the back of the gang. Two of the members jumped at Shiina. The first one swung his bat at Shiina's head, but Shiina duck and kicked her legs, making him fall. The second one tries to swing his crowbar overhead onto Shiina, but she easily dodges to the left, making him miss. During the confusion, she grabbed his hand and stabbed it through, making him scream in pain and drop the crowbar as he grabbed the wound on his hand.
"Dammit!"
Three more members surround Shiina. One had a knife while the other three were barehanded. Shiina slipped around the one with the knife and kicked him forward, making him stab one of the other two in the shoulder. She stabbed his shoulder as well, making him lose his grip on the knife that was embedded into the shoulder of the other member. The other barehanded member ran screaming at her. He threw a punch, but Shiina grabbed his arm, made his elbow bend backwards using her knee, and threw him onto the floor. Another member charged at her with a knife. He lunge the knife forward, aiming for her neck. She parried off the knife and sliced his should with her other knife. She could see the murderer of her friend, but there were still five guys in her path.
"Move."
She stated coldly, with no feeling and stared at them with the eyes of someone that will kill anyone in her path. They cautiously took a step back.
"What are you idiots doing? I said to kill her already!"
One of the men charged at her, carrying a piece of wood board. He swung the board down onto her. It stopped. Her knife easily blocked the attack. The boy tried pushing down as hard as he could. He was shaking. She turned her head and stared at the boy.
"If that's what you wish then."
She moves, making the wood board go down and made the boy fall forward. As he fell forward, she stabbed his wrist and slid up his arm as he fell, finally coming out before reaching his shoulder. The rest of the boys started to run away, not wanting to face the demon that Shiina has become.
"H-hey! Get back here! Don't leave me here with-"
Shiina appeared in front of the leader. Her eyes made him fear her more than anything that he could imagine.
"S-shiina! I'm sorry! Please don't kill me! I'm sorry! I truly am!"
"How shallow-minded."
He looked at her in confusion.
"W-what do you mean?"
"Saying sorry for what you done, doesn't mean that you're forgiven."
His eyes get filled with fear. She punched him with all of her might, sending him to the ground a meter in front of her. He tried to crawl away, but Shiina stepped on his back and forced him to stay down.
"Pl-please…don't kill me…"
She glared at him coldly, but she would never kill him. Unlike him, she just doesn't have the heart to take someone's life. She's not a cold blooded murderer, she is a ninja. She only wounded people, not take their lives. That's not what she wanted to do. She just wanted to learn how to fight to protect herself and the things close to her. She never wanted to kill anyone. She took her foot off, and started walking away. There was a little blood on her right hand from when she punched him. She looked at it and remembered the murder that made her go berserk. She turned around and started walking towards the body in the pool of blood. She'll give him a good burial. He deserved that. He listened to her everyday, no matter what her problems were. He was the only one that was happy for her now. He was the only one she could talk to. So, she should at least-
"Guh!"
A sharp pain exploded on the right side of her back. Warm liquid ran down her back and went down her leg.
"Got you…bitch…"
She gritted her teeth in pain and anger. She turned around and stabbed the leader in the stomach. She stared at the person who stabbed her. His eyes started to fade. She left her knife in his body and pushed him away. The pain in her back won't stop. She started panting heavily. There was a butterfly knife stabbed into her, with blood oozing out. She loses feeling in her legs. She started wobbling towards the puppy. Her blood dripped onto the floor as she stumbled over to the puppy. She falls forward, not being to be supported by her legs anymore. She threw her remaing kodachi away. She used whatever power she has left in her arms to crawl to the puppy.
"No…not like this…"
Her fingers began to numb. The lower half of her body felt heavy, as she dragged herself to the puppy.
"Not…yet…"
Blood started spilling out of her mouth every time she took a breath. She struggled to breathe. Her body demanded oxygen and immediate medical attention, but none of those things crossed her mind. All she could think about was not being able to protect anyone. She was a worthless ninja in the end. She wanted to become a stronger ninja. She wanted to eliminate any threat towards her and the ones close to her. She wanted to be stronger. She refused to go down like this. Her right hand becomes heavy and it started to lose its feeling. She pulled her heavy body with all of the power she has left in her body. Her left arm dragged her bleeding body over to the puppy on the ground.
"Dam…mit…"
Her left hand began to feel numb. Her right arm was heavy and useless.
"Why did I…involve you?"
She struggled to catch her breath. The pain in her back was gone, but that was because her body was shutting down.
"Why did…you have to die?"
Her left arm moves slowly and her body inches towards the puppy, which seemed very far away from her.
"I didn't…want this…"
Her vision started to fade in and out of blurriness. All she could do with her eyes was to focus her sight on a white blob over some red liquid. Her left arm started to lose power.
"Why didn't I just stay alone? That way, none of you would have had to die…"
The feeling in her left hand was gone. All she could was reach out to the white blob with her arm, hoping to reach it.
"I can't go yet! I still haven't…"
The world started to fade to black.
"I still haven't…"
Her arm felt heavy. It was the signal that her body has lost all of its energy. It was over.
"…made a true friend yet…"
The world turned into eternal darkness around her.
Shiina stands in the fields of the afterlife high school. She finally puts down her kodachis after fighting off the numerous amounts of shadows. Her scarf flutters in the slight wind that was coming through. She walks over to the shed near the track field. She opens the door and walks inside.
"I finally understand now, mom."
She walks over to an isle of puppy dolls. There were many different types, but she was never able to make the same one her mother did.
"I know why you gave me that doll."
She grabs a nearby needle and thread.
"You wanted me to never become lonely, right?"
She grabs a dark brown button as she continues walking forward.
"You wanted me to be able to express how I felt with people that I trusted."
She walks past numerous puppy dolls with different colors. Even after she died, she never stopped making them.
"I think I was finally able to find those people."
She shows a small smile across her face.
"And, I was finally able to become the ninja I've always dreamed of."
She continues walking and stops in front of a big box.
"I was able to protect the people around me."
She begins to open it.
"It was scary at first, because they seemed nice."
She reaches in to grab something.
"So, I tried my hardest to not let them get involved with me. I didn't want anyone else to suffer because of me."
She pulls out a white and furry thing.
"But I was wrong, wasn't I? They were just offering their trust."
She puts her button on the string.
"Mom, I finally understand."
She starts to sew the button onto the white thing.
"Being a ninja isn't just having a huge amount of power to make you think you can protect someone."
She continues sewing as the string runs out.
"Being a ninja also means to be able to have friends rely on you, and being able to rely on them."
The string runs out and she removes the needle.
"And for the first time ever, I'm happy with the people around me."
She looks at her finished product. It was a white puppy doll with a red collar going its neck.
"I was finally able to make friends, and I'm really happy."
She picks up the puppy. She looks at it and becomes proud of herself.
"So, in the end, thanks mom, and…"
She puts on a big smile. A smile that she has not displayed in a long time.
"…Shinda Sekai Sensen."
Shiina disappears without notice, only leaving the doll to fall to the floor.
