8 – The Beating

"Kiruma-chan, Ka-chan didn't kill Otou-sama. I did."

Silence. Kiruma stared at her brother, as if she was seeing something else. Something she didn't want to see. His coal black hair hung in his obsidian eyes, his mother's eyes. Their mother's eyes, that now suddenly reminded her of her father's. Eyes that could hurt human beings. Eyes that could kill.

"Kiruma-chan, stop." Yuuko's voice was pleading.

She stared at him, not knowing how to feel.

"Stop what?" she asked softly. She could tell he was unnerved by her sudden calm.

"Stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?" Her voice was deadly quiet. All the snappiness and anger had left her tone. The sarcastic front had melted away, leaving an ominous aura around the red haired girl. She didn't often get like this. This wasn't the tough Kiruma. This wasn't the mean Kiruma. This was the genuinely furious and disgusted Kiruma. Not many saw this reaction. Minor annoyances made her lash out. True anger was displayed in her deadly silence, a quiet voice and a glare so dark even Yuuko shivered under its murderous stare.

"Like I'm a murderer."

You are a murderer. She almost said it aloud, but held her tongue. It was true. Before, Yuuko had been her loving, overprotective older brother that could brighten even her darkest days, but now… She watched him silently, wondering something she had never wondered or thought she would wonder about him before.

Who are you?

"Kiruma-chan," he began, but she cut him off.

"You have a lot of questions to answer, Yuuko." Her voice was soft and threatening.

He registered the casual use of his name with surprise, eyes widening slightly.

"No more 'Nii-sama'? Since when have you talked like you're older than me, Kiruma-chan?"

"Since I had to grow up, and take care of what you left behind," she answered calmly, her voice steady, but somehow relaying her anger in a manner that made her seem even more terrifying.

It was her eyes, he realized. The ash grey, almond shaped eyes that once stared at him so adoringly were now slanted in quiet fury.

"I don't have much time," he answered, wincing as her eye twitched. Not a good sign.

Wrong answer.

"Then you shouldn't have found me in the first place."

The words were ice cold and biting.

He stood suddenly, the guilt still present in his eyes, but anger overshadowing it.

"Listen, Kiruma-chan," he insisted, gripping her shoulders. "He was hurting you. Otou-sama was hurting you. You told me he never hit you before but you lied. I know you lied."

She listened in silence, eyes never leaving his. His hold on her tightened.

"I saw the bruises. You came home covered in them almost every day. You tried to hide them but I saw, and so did Ka-chan, but she did nothing." His voice was trembling, with rage or pain she couldn't tell. Probably both.

Kiruma's eyes narrowed slightly, but she gave no other indication she heard anything he said.

"Kiruma-chan, from the first day I saw the bruises on your body I wanted to kill him." Kiruma felt disgust curl in her stomach.

"When I ran, I didn't go get help, or leave like Ka-chan told me to. I ran to the window first, and when he tried to shoot you I got so, so angry." His voice was barely above a whisper, and his voice was thick, trying to hold back repressed emotion.

"I went through the back door. I saw Ka-chan knock him unconscious, and then leave with you, so I took his gun, and I- I…" he broke off.

"You don't understand," he whispered, hanging his head until it rested on her shoulder.

His hair tickled her cheek.

"Seeing you hurting all the time, and then lying to me and saying it was nothing…" His voice cracked and she slowly reached up and rested her hand on top of his head, now unsure how angry she was. Her father's death was her fault. She was the reason Yuuko had killed him. He choked back a sob, making a relieved noise in his throat when she patted his hair soothingly.

"He's not even your real father, and he wouldn't stop hurting you," he choked out.

He felt her stiffen, suddenly very still. A quiet gasp caught in her throat when she tried to inhale. She pulled back, forcing him to look at her.

"Yuuko, what do you mean he's not my real father?"

He blinked, staring at her for a moment.

"Ka-chan never told you?"

Kiruma hated surprises. She hated not knowing.

"Yuuko," she murmured, eyes once again darkening.

"Who the hell am I?"

There was so much she needed to know, so much she needed him to know. She needed to ask where exactly he'd gone, why he hadn't come back, who her 'real father' was, if he knew why she burst into flames when she was distressed, how to take care of her mother, in addition to explain why she became a ninja, then joined Covert Ops, her mother's condition… there was so much.

"It's my turn to ask a question, before I explain," he insisted, smiling sheepishly when her expression darkened.

"This… outfit," he gestured at her uniform and the porcelain fox mask lying forgotten on the floor.

"Did you become a ninja? Or… some sort of guard?"

The corners of her mouth tugged downward into a grimace.

"I joined Black Ops," she muttered, dreading his reaction.

"You what?" His fingers curled into fists at his sides, his voice little more than a hiss.

She didn't repeat herself, feeling heat rush to her cheeks as she readied to defend herself.

"Why?" he demanded, eyes burning.

"Because mother went into shock when she kill- er, when she thought she killed father," Kimura snapped, crossing her arms. "Bills had to be paid, and I wasn't going to allow her or Apollo to go hungry."

"Ka-chan…" Yuuko seemed to have trouble digesting the new information. "…Ka-chan went into shock? Then who's been taking care of you?"

She didn't answer, waiting for him to realize on his own.

Exactly my point.

It dawned on him slowly.

"Kiruma-chan… you haven't been… alone, have you?"

"It's my turn to ask a question," she muttered, averting her eyes.

"Who is my father?"

He didn't answer, he was just staring at her, guilt filling his expression as he realized the implications of her situation.

"Kiruma-chan, a seven year old shouldn't be in Black Ops."

"A thirteen year old shouldn't kill a man," she answered icily. He flinched.

"Answer my question," she demanded quietly.

He sighed.

"It's too long of a story to tell now," he answered quietly. "I promise you, Kiruma-chan, I will tell you, and I will help you, but I have to get the authorities off my tail first."

"The police are after you." Her response wasn't a question. He nodded.

"I made it look like a suicide, but to make sure they checked the fingerprints on the gun. They took his body and analyzed it for evidence before burying him. They didn't find anything, but they came back to ask whether we wanted to bury him, but I said no and ran. I thought they were on to me."

"Sloppy," she murmured dryly.

He shrugged. "I panicked, and the Uchiha clan is sharp."

Then his dark eyes became serious.

"Kiruma-chan, I promise you, I will return as soon as I can and get you out of this mess. I'll come back, you can quit Black Ops, and we will help Ka-chan get better together."

"Okay," she answered simply. She didn't tell him that Danzo would take her life if she tried to leave with her memories. There were several things he didn't need to know. The fights she got into, her combat abilities, the emotion diminishing training she would soon endure… the list went on and on. She knew now that he would quite literally kill anyone who hurt her.

He watched her sadly.

"Out there… you had me on the ground in seconds. I never thought you'd learn to fight like that, Kiruma-chan."

She shrugged.

"Times change. I had to grow up." He frowned at that, but didn't comment.

He gave her one last hug, one that she reluctantly returned, and then he reached out and poked her cheek.

"Until next time," he whispered in her ear. Her lips twitched upwards and then he was gone.

Until next time, Nii-sama.


After the encounter, Kiruma didn't want to return home. She couldn't shake the feeling of returning to a crime scene. The place where her brother killed her father. Why hadn't the Uchiha Police Force questioned her? Was her house simply assumed to be empty at this point? Was she and her mother simply considered missing? For some reason she couldn't shake the feeling that Danzo had something to do with this. She had left dinner for her mother on the table, so she wasn't in a hurry to go back as she mulled over her thoughts. She had already put away her mask and uniform into her bag, now dressed in the same outfit minus the grey vest and porcelain face piece. She desperately wished Apollo was with her. She had been leaving him at home to keep an eye on her mother, but now that he was fully healed and itching for action, it wasn't fair to either of them to leave him home.

If Ka-chan keeps improving, she decided, she would take him out with her just like she used to. As she was walking down the street, she paused by a familiar home.

Minato and Kushina's house. She suddenly felt a strong urge to see them again. Something about Yuuko's visit had awakened a longing in Kiruma, a longing for that sense of family, the kind she had only experienced twice, once when Minato had rescued her from bandits, and again when Salem stayed by her side and cared for her when she'd almost bled to death. Now her chest suddenly ached for that feeling, the feeling of belonging somewhere.

She slowly approached the door, staring at the smooth contours of the red painted wood, complete with a shiny brass knob and a doorbell to its left. She hesitantly raised her hand to knock, her fingers pausing an inch from the door. She sighed and dropped her hand.

"What am I doing?" she murmured into the empty air. Intruding would be rude, and what would she say even if they did answer the door? That she wanted to feel loved? Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. She dropped her hand and turned to leave, shaking her head at her stupidity, when suddenly the door opened on its own.

"I'll go get the- eh? Kiruma-chan?" Kiruma froze, her back to the warm voice.

She whirled around, coming face to face with a surprised Kushina.

"I… I was just leaving," she snapped immediately, horror filling her gut as she realized she had just pulled her rude attitude on the kindest woman she knew.

Something in Kushina's gaze softened, her expression suddenly understanding, and Kiruma wondered how on earth the red haired woman put up with her at all, let alone managed to understand impossible situations after just a few words.

"Kiruma-chan, join us for dinner," Kushina suggested, a soft smile toying with her lips.

"I have to get home," she protested, trying to make her words kinder, but failing miserably. "But… thank-"

"No you don't," Kushina waved off her excuse.

"I'm sorry to bother you," Kiruma blurted, before she could ruin another sentence by being rude. "But my parents are expecting m-"

"Kiruma-chan, I wasn't asking," Kushina said softly, her eyes serious. "Join us for dinner."

Kiruma sensed a threat when she heard one, but this threat was different. When Kushina insisted she stay, it was more like the overprotective motherly instinct was taking over, and the words had an underlying kindness that Kiruma envied. It wasn't a threat that hinted at true danger, just that this woman would not be denied.

"O-okay," Kiruma answered reluctantly. Kushina moved out of the doorway and ushered the girl in, coughing expectantly at her when she stepped onto the rug.

Kiruma glanced down at her shoes, and then at the glowering woman before her. She glanced back down, then back up, and paled when she saw Kushina's hands on her hips. She hastily removed her shoes and placed them by the door, sighing in relief when Kushina's glower instantly returned to its former smile.

"Minato," she called. "Kiruma-chan is staying for dinner!"

A moment later, Minato entered the kitchen, eyebrow raised.

"Is that so? What a pleasant surprise." He smiled at her, eyes twinkling mischievously.

"What has our little fox been up to lately?" Kiruma's heart stopped.

She stumbled back so fast she slammed into the door she had just entered, rattling the hinges as she stared at the blonde jounin in shock. He winked at her.

Kushina glanced between them before shaking her head with a sigh.

"I'm not even going to ask," she muttered to herself before setting the table for a third person.

"How?" Kiruma demanded, regaining her composure. His eyes sparkled with mischief.

How could he have known?

"You may want to consider investing in a different hair color," he suggested. "I do tend to be familiar with red heads, and have quite the fondness for them."

Kushina hummed contentedly as she filled Kiruma's cup with tea, inviting the child to take a seat. She did so, staring as Minato quickly pressed his lips against Kushina's cheek before serving the food.

Her head tilted to the side in confusion. Was that some kind of ritual?

"What was that?" she asked. Kushina turned towards her, her eyebrows coming together in confusion.

"What was what, Kiruma-chan?"

"Just now, he…" she trailed off, not sure how to describe it.

"The kiss?" she questioned, still a bit lost.

Kiruma's face scrunched up in confusion, an expression that made Minato chuckle.

"Kiruma-chan, do you know what a kiss is?" Kushina asked softly.

She shook her head.

Kushina glanced at Minato, her expression sad for a moment.

"You'll find out when the time comes," Minato promised, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. Warmth curled in Kiruma's stomach at the fatherly gesture.

What about my real father? Will I find that out 'when the time comes' too?

Kiruma scowled. She hated surprises.

"Do you ever want to get married, Kiruma-chan?" Kushina asked.

"That's not something you need to ask a seven year old," Minato chuckled.

"I can't," Kiruma answered automatically, taking a bite of the food. She almost whimpered in delight at eating fresh home cooking. Her own cooking had improved drastically, but was still nowhere near the incredible taste Kushina's offered.

"Why not?"

Kiruma stopped herself before answering. She had been about to tell them that she didn't want anyone to become like her father, before realizing that she would unintentionally be discussing her situation at home. Instead she settled for the half-truth.

"It would be cruel and unfair."

"In what way?" Kushina asked.

"Hmm," Kiruma pondered how to answer for a moment, setting down her chopsticks. The warm atmosphere of the room seemed to be enveloping her, making it easier to speak kindly, making it easier to pretend she had a normal life, but somehow it was just making her heart ache more.

"We're all in the military," she began carefully. "That's what a shinobi is, that's what both of you are, and essentially what I am," she paused, knowing better than to openly admit being part of ANBU Black Ops, even if Minato already knew. They nodded, waiting for her to continue.

"My life belongs to the Hokage," she said simply. "Not to myself."

Minato blinked in surprise, and Kushina's eyes narrowed slightly.

"If I pledged my life to another, for example a husband, it's not fair to him once I am killed on a mission, or forced to go somewhere I can't return from. Especially if he wasn't a shinobi. It's the price of being a shinobi, and wouldn't be fair to my partner."

Her eyes lowered.

"Love isn't for people like me."

Her voice was slightly bitter when she finished, and her cheeks flooded with color when she felt Minato and Kushina's stares. She returned her gaze to her food, and suddenly she wanted to leave.

It wasn't real. Kushina wasn't her mother, Minato wasn't her father, this happy sense of being in a peaceful family… It was all a façade, and she didn't want any part of it anymore. It was making her chest ache with longing for it all to be real. She pushed her chair back, standing with her hands on the table, eyes on her bowl.

"Thank you for dinner," she muttered, not meeting their eyes, before she turned and grabbed her shoes, running out the door before they could stop her.

She heard a shocked silence when the door closed behind her, than an exclamation that made Kiruma freeze for a moment.

"Minato, Kiruma-chan shouldn't know the pain of being a ninja yet! What was that? She sounded a hundred years old! Kiruma-chan's life belongs to her, not the Hokage, and she shouldn't be saying those things; she's still a child!"

Kiruma slowly stood next to the door, clutching her shoes to her chest, heart racing as the sick feeling grew in her stomach.

"Shh, Kushina, you'll wake the neighbors. I don't know Kiruma-chan's situation, she's very private."

"I thought you were going to keep an eye on her!" Kushina's voice was reprimanding.

"She was supposed to be on my team, but she purposely failed the team exam and Rin was her replacement."

Kiruma's stomach dropped. She would have been on Minato's team if Danzo hadn't forced her to fail. That pissed her off.

Having heard enough, she took off towards her house, clutching her shirt as if that would help still the sick, aching feeling in her chest.

"Tadaima," she muttered to the cold silence of her home, imagining Kushina with her apron on in the kitchen, wooden spoon in hand as she turned with a bright smile.

Welcome home, Kiruma-chan.

Stop. Kiruma shook the fantasy from her head. Her father was an abusive alcoholic who had been murdered by her brother. Her mother was in shock, but very much alive.

Appreciate that you still have her, Kiruma scolded herself. She's getting better.

She was about to close the door behind her when a chilling voice stopped her in her tracks.

"So," the voice drawled. "This is where the freak lives."


Kiruma turned slowly in her doorway, hand clenching the brass doorknob with so much force a crack appeared in the wood it was attached to. Standing in the street, arms crossed smugly across his chest, was Sousuke Gato, with a hesitant Inari Kagome at his side.

Sousuke was a huge guy, with bulky muscles bulging from his arms and torso, clearly defined by the sleeveless tank top he wore, his standard ANBU sword looking rather small and insignificant strapped to his broad back. His grey hair and beady black eyes gave him a rugged look, and he seemed over twice Kiruma's height. Inari on the other hand, couldn't be more petite. She had the lean muscle all the ANBU recruits had gained, but her brown hair tied back in long pigtails made her look thirteen at the most, despite her actual age of fifteen. Her round blue eyes were wide and innocent, everything about her radiating weakness. Despite that, she had a nasty skill with poisons, while Sousuke's forte was physical combat, as his physique suggested. One look at the two told Kiruma several things.

One, they were paired because Sousuke had an immense protective instinct. That was clear by the way he forced himself in front of Inari as she faced them.

Two, he was the one picking this fight. He couldn't let go of her insult earlier, and was going to act on it. So he wasn't the smartest guy.

Three, she was in for a beating. Kiruma remembered her promise to Salem.

"I'm serious, promise me you won't fight them."

"I promise."

She sighed and stepped back outside, into the street, quietly closing the door behind her.

Barely had the door latched shut before Sousuke appeared directly in front of her, grabbing her around the waist and throwing her down onto the concrete. She coughed as she hit the ground hard, wincing as she smacked her head against the pavement. She pushed herself to her knees, glaring up at Sousuke as blood dripped from her head and into her eye, trailing down her cheek and dripping from her chin.

"Not so cocky, now, are you?" he growled. "This'll teach you to insult the strongest team in Black Ops."

He gripped her wrists and pinned them above her head, eyes flashing.

"Remember me now?" he hissed into her ear. Her eyes shot open in surprise. He was one of the thugs that had attacked Kurenai that day in the Academy, what seemed like years ago.

"You," she breathed, fire beginning to rage in her eyes. He had almost raped her.

"They kicked me out of the Academy because of you," he snarled, his face twisting to mirror her expression of fury. His voice lowered to a hiss, his foul breath hot in her face.

"Unacceptable behavior for a Genin, they called it. And now I'm stuck in this hellhole, all. Because. Of. You!" With every word the pressure on her wrists tightened, until she felt one of the bones crack. Pain shot through her left arm and she bit her lip to keep from crying out. A different kind of pain, more jagged and unpredictable, shot through her arms, making his gloves begin to smoke. His wicked smile widened.

"That won't work on me."

He was wearing fireproof gloves. She took a deep breath and instantly regretted it as pain shot through her ribs. Had she broken one?

Don't kill him, don't kill him, you made a promise, she chanted in her head.

"I don't want to fight you," she muttered through her teeth, almost biting her tongue off from the effort of speaking.

"Damn straight you don't want to," he growled, raising his fist, presumably to bash her face in.

"Wait, Sousuke," Inari called calmly, her voice high and feminine. He froze, releasing Kiruma's wrists and slowly backing up. Inari wrapped her fingers around Kiruma's neck and dragged the girl to her feet.

"Well, freak?" she asked silkily, eyes narrowing as she smiled, revealing a set of perfect white teeth. "Go ahead, burn me. Show me what you've got."

Kiruma's teeth clenched as she glared at Inari, her previous assumption overridden.

Innocent, my ass, she thought. This one's pure evil.

"Scared?" Inari asked, her face puckering in mock sympathy. Her fingers tightened around Kiruma's neck, making the ninja lightheaded from lack of oxygen. Her lungs began to burn. Inari curled her other hand into a fist and slammed it into Kiruma's gut, releasing her neck. Kiruma fell to the ground a second time, gasping. In a flash, Inari was sitting on top of her, hitting her with every ounce of power she had. Every time a hit made contact, Kiruma's body shuddered, unwilling to take more damage.

"Fight back!" Inari screamed, slamming her fist into Kiruma's face. Kiruma's head snapped to the side, pain shooting through her skull.

"Are we not good enough for you?!" Another hit, this time catching her neck. Pain exploded in Kiruma's shoulder, directly where the scar on her collarbone was. She gave a quiet gasp, but clamped her mouth shut directly after, refusing to give them the satisfaction of hearing her scream and instead locking her gaze with Inari's, her eyes defiant yet resigned.

"Stop. Looking. At. Me. Like. That!" With every word, every strike, Inari seemed more enraged, to the point where Sousuke actually pulled her off.

"Inari, we have to leave before someone comes," he growled urgently. "Danzo-sama won't be happy if he finds out we beat up his prodigy."

Inari snarled at him.

"Nobody will come for her," she growled. "She's alone!" Inari leaned over Kiruma, whispering in her ear.

"Isn't that right, freak? You're alone. Nobody wants you. And you know what else?" She reduced her voice to little more than a hiss.

"Danzo-sama isn't going to get his precious prodigy, because you will die alone, too." Before Sousuke could stop her, she drew a kunai and plunged it into Kiruma's lower ribcage, before leaping to her feet, grabbing Sousuke's hand and running away as fast as she could. Kiruma's body jerked and convulsed, curling around the weapon impaled in her chest as blood spread across her shirt. At that point she couldn't help it. A small whimper of pain escaped her lips.

Before she went unconscious, Kiruma only had one thought.

Thank Kami, she missed my heart.

Because true to Inari's words, when Kiruma woke up, hours later, she was lying in the street, surrounded by her own blood, and she was completely alone.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Author's Note: I'm feeling like it's about time Kiruma got a break. How far can an author push a character until they break? I'm afraid I'm hovering on that line... I'll work on it. Please let me know if there are grammatical errors or loose ends, I usually edit each chapter three or four times before posting, but everyone makes mistakes, so all feedback and criticism is greatly appreciated. Please review, and I hope you liked the chapter!