Okay, so I have some really crazy stuff going on right now. Well, actually, the crazy stuff is happening to my Beta –Merciful. She has a sick uncle, a suicidal ex who won't go away, and she just told me about a job interview she has soon. Anyway, she told me she could only afford a few minutes to look at this chappy, so I apologize in advance for any problems. I wanted to get it out as soon as possible. It will be more thoroughly edited at a later date (where she sends me the file back, plus an additional file of criticism and suggestion…). Here it goes!
Warning: This Chapter gets pretty gruesome, so please watch for bolded Author's notes to guide those of you with weaker stomachs through it.
Chapter Ten
"Please understand Kazekage, this crime will be thoroughly punished and will most certainly not be pretty. Are you still sure you wish to join us?" The cold, stoney look Miu wore was a little intimidating. One would have expected hatred to linger in the eyes of the young woman, but instead there was a frightening emptiness. Something about her whole being seemed hollow.
It was a state Gaara could relate to. She was as she stood before them now, all business. That business was punishment. He would not miss this.
"We are aware of the situation and still insist," Temari said before Gaara could vocalize his agreement. There was an eager tremor in her voice, something she was trying to mask with her professional way of speaking.
"Fine," Rin said in an even tone. The ice in her posture and voice no different from any other time she had spoken. It made one wonder if perhaps she was the most experienced at this of her peer group.
Miu nodded curtly and they continued through the prison, flashing the permission paper all around like it was some sort of badge.
When the thick metal door of the prisoner's cell swung open, both men quickly turned to face the intruders. Looking ready to fight, but only for a moment. Their eyes seemed to adjust and focus on the scene before them.
"Guardians," Kenta hissed.
"Yup," Hotaka said, the surrender in his voice was not lost on Gaara.
These men, they knew. They would die and at least one of them has already accepted this punishment. Grinning to himself, he recalled his own days of murderous rage. It would be nice to enjoy a good killing again. A proper killing even. With a good reason for it. A good reason was something hard to come by when looking upon Gaara's own past with its famously violent encounters.
Without a word, Miu and Rin moved simultaneously toward the offenders, grasping them by the hair of the head and pulling them into a standing position. Forcing them forward and through the door with deliberately rough shoves, the two Guardians made quick work.
In a short time, they all stood in a dark, wooded area outside Konoha. Prisoners tossed at their feet. Both women fell to their knees and went about a prayer. With their eyes closed, they looked almost peaceful. Gaara couldn't help but think it made them look a little mad. After all, were there not two horrible men awaiting punishment unguarded beside them? Well, not entirely unguarded, as the sand nin stood in watch.
The sand siblings had been asked to stay back as it was ritualistic and considered bad luck to shed dishonoured blood on an uninvolved person or grounds.
Hotaka took the opportunity to pray, supposedly for his own salvation. His whispered words were too quiet to be understood, but most definitely heard.
Kenta seemed to think this the ideal time to make his escape. Managing to hop to his feet, Temari was the first to charge in, followed closely by her brothers.
"Stay back," ordered Rin as she paused her prayer. Her position unchanging, she reached out and with her eyes still closed, caught the would be escapee by the pant leg. Jerking of the fabric, she caused him to collapse back to the ground. Without as much as a glance at the criminals, she returned to her prayer.
With a sigh, the three from Suna went back to their positions about a large tree, all itching for the execution to begin. A morbid fascination perhaps, but one each would argue was natural given the circumstances.
Gaara eyed Miu with interest as she rose from her prayer. Her long braid swaying in an almost teasing way as she manoeuvred and scrambled up the tree her and Rin had chosen.
Her climb gave him a wonderful assortment of views. All of which he was desperate to burn to memory. Even as she perched herself on the tree branch and began to tie a rope about the limb with the calculated cruelty hidden behind an attractive poker face, Gaara couldn't help but allow his mind to wander.
Why was she tying a rope though? Was this their magnificent tortuous punishment? A hanging? How pathetic… Not to mention droll. Gaara mentally sobered and looked to Rin, who was busy using a stick to draw a circle beneath where her partner sat. He had no idea what that was for.
Wordlessly, the two women worked. Miu tossed the tightly looped and knotted rope ends down to Rin before sliding herself off of the rather high limb and hitting the ground hard. Dusting the dirt from her hands and knees, she took a rope end from Rin and grabbed Kenta by the wrists.
Each man was strung up by his wrists and left to dangle at the mercy of their captors with their toes barely skimming the dirt beneath them.
Smiling a little, Rin pushed Hotaka hard. He swayed and his toes lifted fully from the ground just as he reached the circle she had drawn. Grinning widely, she looked at Miu and held the back of her fist up to her.
Miu made a fist and clacked the back of it against that of her teammate. Each shed their cloaks, leaving them strewn upon the ground.
It was then that their faces grew more serious. Both men became punching bags as the girls dealt blow after blow to whatever body part they felt compelled to hit.
The movements were almost hypnotic to Gaara. Like a well practiced and strange dance, they moved about, light on their feet. Rin was clearly the lead and it became steadily more apparent that she was considerably experienced in this area. Briefly, the red head wondered if the young woman might be some kind of torture specialist.
Without warning they suddenly stopped. The lack of movement left the area unusually silent. Leaving Gaara to hear only his own shaky breathing and thoughts. His adrenaline was pumping and he hadn't even realized it.
Miu finally moved, brushing wayward locks of hair from her eyes. A glint of sweat on her forehead hinted that she was tiring. The perspiration trickled down the side of her face, over a delicate neck and vanishing into the material of her top.
The author would like to say that things get more gruesome from here on out. If you don't feel it is something you can handle, please scroll down until you see more bolded text.
Rin and her friend exchanged looks and nods, before pulling out the ritual daggers they wore strapped to their thighs. It was after this that the true torture began. Cutting away buttons and zippers, all but the under shorts of the offenders were removed.
With a light touch of the dagger's dangerous tip, Rin carved multiple symbols and designs into the skin of her first victim. For this procedure, Miu stood still and remained silent. Her eyes observing the act in front of her in a clinical, sterile way that left one wondering if she was actually seeing it.
Gaara was too entranced by the careful sliding of the knife over such sinful skin that he hadn't actually noticed Miu's lack of emotion.
Rin stepped back from the second man and admired her handy work. Temari looked a little ill and Kankuro was ready to vomit. There was a sick artistry about the patterns carved into the flesh. There were words to be sure, but as the blood spilled from the open wounds they became illegible.
"Your turn."
Now Rin stepped back, leaving Miu to slowly circle the men. She looked thoughtful almost as she passed where Gaara stood.
Her first time doing this sort of thing? He wondered, Or nerves? Maybe this is some sort or rite of passage… Before he could finish his thought though Miu had rushed in closer to her prey. Skidding to a stop she brought up a foot and unleashed a powerful spin kick to the ropes above.
They spun about, weaving their bonds together and making one nauseous. They had already been brutalized to the extent that Gaara could no longer tell who was who. The queasy one allowed his head to fall, his chin hitting his chest. Puke fell unrelenting from his lips, cascading over his skin, burning his wounds and those of his companion.
Both of them opened their mouths to cry out, but Miu silenced them before so much as a squeak could have been made. Her slender fingers stiffened hit something in their necks. A something that caused them to lose consciousness.
As the two swayed from the blow, breathing heavily from the strain their bodies had under gone, Rin reached to her skirt. With no other visible weapons, Gaara pondered what she could be doing. As her hand pulled away from the skirt, it looked empty, but upon closer inspection (read: much eye squinting) he spotted the thin wire.
She wrapped it around each protectively gloved hand and pulled it tight. Reaching around the first victim, she paused with the wire near his neck and then, she tugged back. The gesture sliced his head clean off. The act was repeated a second time, leaving two badly bruised and beaten heads upon the ground.
Okay, I think you should be safe from here on out. Rin has just killed the guys. Now we're gonna bury the bodies! Wow, how morbid is that exclamation point? Anyway, enjoy the rest!
Gaara tore his eyes from the specialist and looked upon Miu. She was crouched in a prayer and then she raised her hands. They seemed to buzz as she focused her chakra into them. In one mighty whoosh of action, she pushed forward and released the chakra at the same time, tearing the dirt from the ground and efficiently making decent depots for the bodies.
With surprising strength, Rin hoisted both bodies over her shoulders long enough to drop them into the makeshift graves. The both then pushed the dirt in a top the offenders' corpses.
When the ground was sufficiently packed back in, both women approached their audience.
"You understand why we asked you to stay back, right?" Miu asked gently.
They nodded dumbly.
"We're done here. Let's go."
"Rin is right, let's head out," Miu told them as she gestured to the dark sky, "It's getting late and we should get back. I'm sure Tomomi has her hands full. The girls will insist on staying up until we get there. Aiko can be so stubborn and Yumi will just do whatever Aiko does."
"You're telling me," Kankuro managed awkwardly with a small laugh.
"I'm sorry for all the trouble we and our acolytes have caused you. This was never our intention. I must convey many thanks on behalf of everyone at the temple for your assistance," Miu rambled an apology.
"It's no big deal," Kankuro said.
"Yeah, if he hadn't been so quick to charm Aiko, this would never have happened," Temari teased.
"Shut up," he growled to his sister.
Gaara fell in step with Rin, his curiosity peeked by her deliberate and calculated punishment style. She made no acknowledgement of his presence.
"This was not the first punishment you've dealt, is it?" he asked casually.
She smirked and said quietly, "No, this is the path I have walked for some time. Miu is significantly younger than myself though. This was the first time she has ever had to be so harsh."
"Significantly younger?"
"Yes, I'll be thirty three next month." With that Rin left the shocked looking Gaara to stare after what he had thought to be a woman his age or maybe younger.
Unbeknownst to him, Miu had caught them chatting and mistook his shocked stare for something else. Not one to pry; she instead moved more quickly, now nearly running as she led the group back to Konoha's entrance.
Confused, but blaming the late hour and the children she had been so concerned for, everyone else shrugged off the behaviour.
When she did get around to reading it, Merciful informed me it was one of her favourites. For the record, her Uncle is still going strong and that crazy ex? She's back with him...Haha
DLH