"Stop it you monster!" I heard a yell in the compression of being slapped. I was thrown into the air and landed hard on the ground; back in the cell we three slept in. I heard someone struggling in my disorientated state. I could not pinpoint it via hearing nor with my eyes since I've been dosed with the typical morphine shot near bedtime. We all would think that I'd be an addict or at least more resilient to this stuff by now. But alas, I'm still a lightweight.
My face was driven harshly back into the ground. I felt my nose crunch, bending sideways. It didn't hurt thankfully, but like a candle, my conscience was blown out yet again.
"The meeting of Mashuas are in session!" An australian sounding man slammed a mallet down and the room spawned light within itself. I was revealed in some courtroom seeing a bunch of myselves everywhere, in the stands on the court chair, and all in between.
"Mashua, ahem er…. Yup, just Mashua." The australian me licked his fingers and read a document. "As controller of our being, you hold the key to our survival, thoughts, memories, and knowledge of the system. As far as faithful knowledge is concerned, moving to Konoha by large margins proves to be a threat to our shared vessel's survival."
A murmur of bitter words was mumbled from behind. "Should you continue in the path of Konoha, and threaten the sake of us as the sake of the vessel, we will force us to reincarnate a new wielder of our vessel's control and exile you."
"I'm afraid that's a pretty hefty order." I remarked to the aussie. "And we all are widely familiar as to why we still stay at Konoha."
"Go on." He seemed interested.
"I pose that I may go uninterrupted in my work. As you know, there have been countless struggles of thoughts clashing between a controlling three, sometimes four."
"But you see, these have saved your butt in the past." He argued. "It is what we found that works in the mass chaos."
"What you are doing only contradicts how we are to survive!" I exclaimed. "This heightened awareness is only an improvement of our narcissism and furthermore clouds our judgement!" I was seized by the side guards in the courthouse.
"But you see, we're still all here." He drew a long pause. "We are all tools for the vessel's exposal and will. We just wanna look out for what's best for all of us."
"You're just afraid of me for yourself." I retorted. "All this preparation and you expect that I do what you say with regardings that we are separate, but you fail to confirm that I am in charge and you are the clutter. You can't outsmart me if you're only me."
"Yes, but the truth remains that we are you in the exponential form."
"I am the vessel you so hold to sabotage."
"Lies!" The Aussie jumped from his chair. His approach was quick but I prevailed to block his attack.
"Be gone you parasite!" I held my hand, palm aimed at his face. I was punched but remained stout. With a twitch of thought, everything turned white and disappeared. I looked at my hands in detail, but my form would not stay steady. It shaked and kept changing images as I moved my eyes.
"You play the role of God, yet you and I both know you're still human." The snake figure announced behind me.
"Me playing God?" I retorted. "That's funny coming from the Mr. Immortality fetish himself."
"But the way in which you took their lives Mashua, aren't you proud of how you wielded the iron fist of your subconscious?"
"There's nothing real here, it's just my imagination fighting itself."
"Hmm? I wouldn't be negative toward yourself. You've done much better than all my previous test subjects."
"So, you've come to take me?" I asked.
"Oh I wish." He looked at his changing hands. "But unfortunately, I am not able to control my subconscious like you. Normally, those with split personalities end up being consumed and eternally distracted by this jutsu. Convincing you and your friends to procreate is too risky for I know you'd or they'd kill the child without a moment's notice. As far as conscious authority, I have no interest in being a girl up onto the point of changing bodies once again. This left my final option, you."
I never responded, I only glared, not with emotion.
"But, alas, my poor child just won't co-operate, so I have to find another. Someone who's willing to find power at some humane sacrifice. It's been an… interesting week has it not?"
"Is this a trick question?" I was defensive.
"Why no, I was going to let you and your friends go since this all has been just a waste of my time." He smirked. "But I do ask, what can I improve upon for my next lucky visitors?"
"More flexible sleeping chains, harder beds, and less drugs."
"Hmm, for a second I thought you were being humorous. Now go Mashua, go back to the land that once stood, you'll find your answers soon enough. For it isn't who you think that killed your family and friends, why there were fourteen individuals whom I recalled partaking in the mass murder…. Including your father."
I awoke to those last three words, but I had no belief that he of all would do such a thing. It just seemed too fake. Being awake, I looked and saw pitch black.
"Great." I auded. It echoed for about ten seconds, giving an emphasis on the the bright 't' sound. A cave? Well, there was no light to prove that it was. It could be another one of Orochimaru's traps. I wasn't ready for a moment to let my guard down.
"Temari, Tenten?" I called out.
"Right under you doofus." Temari grumbled. "Ehh? who turned out the lights? And why aren't my arms chained to anything.
"It could be another one of Orochimaru's traps." Tenten replied for me. "Mashua, you got us a light?"
"Ehh," I was skeptical.
"Just point it downward Mashua, we'll be fine." Tenten sighed.
"By what Gai taught me, this jutsu goes through the eyelids too."
"Wait, sensei taught you a jutsu?"
"Uhuh."
"Are you sure that was Gai sensei?" Tenten questioned in disbelief. "He NEVER uses ninjutsu. He's like Lee and uses only Taijutsu."
"Maybe he's tired of his handicap?" Temari suggested.
"Will you two look away from my voice?" Now I just got to remember the jutsu handsigns… Uhh…
Horse… Dog… Snake?
To my doubtful and slow handsign positions came a thankfully weak flash of light. To the dilated eye, it was still pretty strong.
"I see two ways we can go." Temari spoke.
"I say the left way because I'm left handed." I theorized.
"Mashua, the last thing we need right now is sarcastic bullshit and guessing." Tenten scowled.
"Well, it's not like we have much choice Tenten." Temari backed me up. "And besides, guessing is better than nothing."
I tensed my body up to emit enough chakra to sustain a ball form of light. It was highly uncontrolled, zipping around against the walls which I assume have traces of metal inside.
"I haven't got alot of chakra, let's make this quick." And we went down the left cave. Stalactites and mites peppered the caves and caused themselves to occasionally be stumbling blocks for me. There wasn't much colour to the cave. The light emitted was yellow but the caves reflected the rays of only black and white. There were many cliffsides and 7+ foot rock walls to climb. I had to climb them blind for I needed both my arms in order to do so. Tenten started using her voice in an echolocational sense, between small bursts of my jutsu down the second half of our travels.
We trekked for a few more miles and finally saw the light for the exit. Tenten and Temari were relieved to find light and dashed to see what was outside. Tenten had a paused as she was at the end of the cave. She fell to her knees at what she saw. What I saw. Konoha was in shambles. I walked outside to find we came out of one of the Hokage's faces. Everything was engulfed in ashes, buildings and lots of forestry was burned. Dozens, almost hundreds laid dead over the main roads by the Hokage tower. I walked over to see the damage up close… Okay, that might seem a bit morbid, but I want to make sure no one I know was looking for me.
"I'm sorry for your losses." Temari muttered after a minuit of silence.
"What's there to be sorry for?" I retorted back. "It's not like you were a part of this were you?"
"No Mashua, this wasn't from the sand nin." Tenten defended. "This village was burned down. I've a feeling it was from one of our own country."
"You don't mean-!"
"The Nine-Tailed beast."Tenten interrupted Temari. "I'm sure that bastard Orochimaru tried fondling with that beast and bit off more than what he could chew."