Samuru frowned at the digital sphere before sighing and waving his hand, the sphere disappearing with a flicker. He looked to his desk, where a framed photograph stood. Grunting, he took it into his hands and gazed at it.
A man in his early twenties was grinning as a hand was placed firmly atop a younger boy's head, whose cheeks were tinted pink as a light scowl was spread on his face.
Samuru closed his eyes before leaning back in his chair, carelessly setting the picture back down onto the desk surface.
His plan could now begin.
//+//
She didn't go to the funeral procession. It wasn't her business.
Also, she doubted that she was even allowed to be in Konoha right now.
So she sat on a tree branch, just outside the boundaries of the village, twirling a glass vial around her fingers. She watched the clear liquid slosh around with idle eyes, her shoulders in a relaxed state.
She wasn't sure where her teammates were. For the past two days, she had stayed in the secluded forest, unsure on what to do next. She had no idea about the status of Konoha and Suna's relations, and she didn't want to risk going into either of the villages. It was all so complicated.
"...Yume-chan?" She tensed before looking down, only to sigh and look away. Below, Kaya averted her eyes to the ground, her hands clasped together at her waist. "I...I want to apologize about earlier. When I-"
Kaya was cut off suddenly when a wire plate jumped at her, slapping itself over her mouth. Panicking, she tried to rip the metal off, her screams muffled. Her eyes widened when Yume jumped down from the tree, advancing towards her. "Shut up." Kaya blinked and flinched when Yume grabbed her right wrist. Puzzled, the older looked over at her, watching as the purple-haired girl ripped the bandages off the hand.
The metal plate finally fell from Kaya's mouth, strapping itself back to Yume's upper thigh. Kaya hissed as the burn mark was exposed to the air, and made a forceful move to pull her hand away. Yume kept her grip, however, and glared at the burn mark before comparing it to her own.
On her hand, was a skull and cross bone. On Kaya's hand, however, was a dove.
"...What?" Kaya asked in a daze, realizing the burn mark on Yume's hand. Yume frowned before letting go of the other's hand, stepping back.
"...I think I understand, now." She said to herself, brow furrowed before glancing up at Kaya, "Have you seen Koji or Zai anywhere?" Kaya blinked before shaking her head.
"N-no. But, wouldn't they be at Sunagakure? All the Suna-nin retreated there." Yume contemplated this before shrugging it off, wrapping the loose bandages back around her left hand.
"I see. Well, have a nice life."
And with that, Okino Yume disappeared from Konohagakure, and from Murabashi Kaya's life.
//+//
Usaka swallowed before rolling his shoulders, eyes glued to the double doors. Intricate designs were carved into the marble, and he decided to follow them as he awaited his name to be called. His palms were sweaty with anticipation, and he almost jumped when he finally heard his name.
"...Get in here, Usaka-san."
Usaka sighed before pushing the doors open and calmly walking inside, staring at Samuru as he sat behind the oak desk. Face cool, he walked before the desk before falling onto his knees and bending forward, his forehead almost touching the tiles. "Forgive me, Boss-sama."
Samuru blinked before leaning forward on the desk, eyeing Usaka curiously, "Where did you hear that name?"
"Did you think that I wouldn't find out eventually, if you began to call yourself that?" Usaka questioned back, his head still lowered in false respect. Samuru's eyes narrowed before he sat back in his chair, chin resting atop folded hands.
"...Well," He said after a moment, seemingly ignoring the whole commentary, "How is the cursed seal treating you?" Usaka felt his chest freeze.
"Fine, sir." Samuru stared at him for a wavering moment before sighing, pulling a large stack of papers from a hidden drawer onto the desk. Usaka briefly looked up when he heard the stack slap the surface of the desk, and swallowed.
It was his contract.
"Now, what to do about the scum of the Okino family?" Samuru pondered out loud as he flipped through the papers, mildly noticing Usaka's eyes flash. "Hm, ah, here it is." Usaka stood up quickly, looking down at the contract while Samuru smirked, reading the statement aloud, "Direct disobedience results in instant death, unless another option is presented that is favorable to both parties."
Usaka's stomach dropped. 'D-Death...?' Samuru's smirk widened.
"Well, it seems that you won't have to worry about little Yume-chan anymore."
//+//
Zai stared at the house solemnly, eyes distant and aloof. Not sure on what to do, he and Koji had run to Sunagakure, arriving just a few hours ago. So far, nothing drastic had happened; it was like they had never existed in the first place.
Through the window of the house, Zai watched as a couple in their late thirties played with a toddler, who had bright blue hair. Zai continued to watch as the couple handed a stuffed bear to the toddler, who grabbed at it with greedy little hands.
Zai's heart felt as if it were going to burst.
Lowering his eyes, the older boy walked away towards the one place he knew Koji would be in this village.
//+//
Koji's hands were in the pockets of his jacket as he stared at the grave, remaining quiet. The grave looked so plain and dull compared to the rest of the cemetery, which was decorated by family and friends with floral arrangements and such. This grave was just a gray color, with sand at its base.
He didn't bother to look at the grave next to this one, which was adorned with red roses. The plain one was the one that he wanted to see.
'...You made her die.' He stared at the grave, his head protector at his neck. 'She worried about you until her death.' Sighing, he looked away from the plain grave and knelt in front of the one that was highly decorated. Quietly, he moved the roses that had been knocked over by wind into place, and he smoothed sand off of the engraved words.
Loving mother and wife.
He stared at the words, particularly the word 'wife'. After a long moment, he heard footsteps. Closing his eyes, he stood up and brushed the sand off of himself.
"They decorated it. Looks nice." Zai mumbled, his eyes downcast. Koji stiffened before nodding. There was a long silence before Zai looked up, eyes in pain. "They...They had another kid."
Koji glanced at him. "..." Zai swallowed, trying to remain calm.
"They...Look happy." He forced out with a sad smile, and Koji continued to stare. The silence was deafening. Finally, Koji closed his eyes and put a hand on Zai's shoulder before walking out of the cemetery.
"Yume's back."
//+//
She sat on a chair made of wires, elbows resting on a table made of the same metal. The underground haven was crumbling away; slowly but surely, it was beginning to collapse.
A vial of water lay on the table, and she stared at it, biting her lip.
'I have a skull and cross bone...She has a dove.
Her hand found the coolness of the glass vial inviting.
'This is a cure, right?'
The cork was easy to pull off.
'So, would I have a dove and would she have the skull and cross bone if I drank this?'
Yume swallowed, looking at the open vial with a furrowed brow. How could this make her feel? It was all so complicated. Much too complicated for her. She inhaled; she had nothing to lose, right?
She drained the vial in one swing.
//+//
"...Death isn't the only option." Samuru blinked at Usaka, who had regained his composure. Usaka tapped the contract with a low smirk. "It says so right there." Samuru frowned before shrugging, leaning back in his chair.
"Fine. What do you propose?" Usaka paused before stiffening; he hadn't planned on getting this far. "You've already given me your body; what else could you possibly offer to help me forget about her?" Samuru questioned slyly, placing his chin in his hand as he looked up at Usaka, awaiting a clever response. Usaka swallowed as he racked his brain, trying to think.
Minutes of silence passed by before he smirked, raising his head, "Murabashi Kaya." He watched as Samuru's smirk faded, replaced by a thoughtful stare.
"...So. You've been tampering with the library as well?" Samuru asked lowly, exhaling. Usaka didn't respond, and watched as Samuru tapped his fingers on the desk surface. "I had planned on Yume herself retrieving Murabashi for me, but since this has happened..." Usaka took this pause as an opportunity to kneel once again, but this time with his head raised.
"I would be honored in personally assisting in her capture...Boss-sama." Samuru stared at the kneeling form before smirking and waving a hand, the pile of papers bursting into flames.
"It'll be nice doing business with you, Usaka-san."
//+//
He laid on a hospital bed, staring up at the ceiling in deep thought.
'Uzumaki Naruto...Love...'
He turned onto his side, and blinked when he felt something brush against his arm. He looked down at himself, and his eyes softened at the silk red ribbon that had brushed against his skin. He touched it with his fingers fleetingly before bringing them away; his chest seemed to plunge in a warm sensation whenever he touched the fabric. After a moment, when his chest returned to its normal, cool state, he touched the fabric again.
He secretly liked this new warmth.
//+//
Her face peeked out from her arms, her knees up to her chin as she distantly stared at the small pond of water. She didn't know why her chest felt empty; it was like a part of her had disappeared.
"You're always by water when you run off." Kaya didn't bother to look up, and Keij frowned slightly at her back. She buried her face further into the depths of her arms, eyes closed.
"Go away." She mumbled, and he blinked in surprise. She was never this hostile. Hesitating, he stepped beside her before sitting down, glancing over at her. He continued to stare at her until she finally moved.
He blinked when she moved towards him, arms falling to wrap themselves around her knees. "...You're not acting yourself today." She suddenly winced, pulling her right hand towards her chest. His brow furrowed in concern as he grabbed her wrist gently, unwrapping the bandages.
A moment later, the bandages fell to the ground, and both of them stared at her hand in awe.
Her burn mark had disappeared.
//+//
Zai and Koji looked up and down the deserted streets of Sunagakure before they stared at the lone boulder that was off to the side of the road. Zai frowned before pushing the boulder over with a grunt, revealing a long, diagonal tunnel. Koji stared down into the darkness for a moment before nodding.
"She's in there." Koji stated before carefully walking down the tunnel, Zai following, not bothering to close the entrance behind him. The tunnel was short, and the two reached the entrance area soon enough. There were four holes in the earthen walls, two with colorful sheets over them to act as a door. Koji and Zai glanced at each other before they split up. Koji entered the north hole, and Zai entered the west, which had a violet sheet covering it.
"Yume?" Zai pulled the sheet back, only to see two empty futons. He squinted into the dim lighting, and could just make out a handmade bookcase in the back of the room. Curious, he stepped into the room to examine the leather-bound books. Eyebrows raised, he took a book out from the poorly organized shelf and glanced at the title.
Human Psychology stared back at him. He blinked before setting the book down at glancing at the rest of the titles. Heart Over Mind, Heart: Functions and Theories, Social Disorders, Physical Therapy, Insomnia...
The titles all sounded so technical and over his head.
"Zai!" Zai dropped the copy of Love's Mental Issues in surprise before rushing out of the room and into the north one, only to come up short. Koji was kneeling on the floor, brow furrowed and jaw set as he checked the pulse of an unconscious Yume. Zai's eyes widened.
"What happened?" He looked at the ground and cringed at the pools of what seemed to be saliva and other body fluids. Koji scowled before lifting Yume's body into his arms.
"I want you to take a sample of the fluid. I'm taking her to a hospital." Koji stated quickly before jogging out of the underground haven, Yume's head lolling off to the side. Zai swallowed as he watched Koji disappear up the diagonal tunnel before squatting down next to the fluid. He tilted his head to the side, however, when he noticed something shining in the clear liquid.
It was a piece of metal shaped like a spider.
"Hm?" Using two kunai, he picked up the piece of metal, only to jump when it started to move rapidly. Looking around the room, he snatched a glass vial off of the table and dropped the metal inside, stick the handle of a kunai to serve as a cork. Bringing the vial up to eye level, he examined the strange piece of metal as it threw itself against the glass, trying to break out.
"Is this..."
//+//
Taji stepped to the side, allowing another man to pass by him in the narrow underground hallway. His grip on his clipboard tightened subconsciously as he walked down the hallway, stopping at a metal door. Quietly, he slid the door open, only to step back in surprise.
"Usaka-san?"
Usaka didn't look up from his work; he silently placed a small pile of folded clothes into a box, turning back to the bed, where a few scarce personal items were placed. Taji blinked; he hadn't expected anyone else to be in Yume's room. "What are you doing?"
"What does it look like?" Usaka replied coolly, placing a framed photograph into the box as well as a beaten up book. Taji lowered his eyes.
"...Did you give her the cure?" He asked timidly, only for Usaka to push past him with the box under his arm, head low. Taji stumbled against the metal door, and watched as Usaka's back slowly disappeared out of sight. After a moment he sighed and stepped into Yume's room, looking around silently.
The futon had been stripped of its sheets already, and the shelves were bare. He looked over at the holographic window, and an orange red sun stared at him. Taji's eyes softened as he turned back to the door, sliding it shut as he exited the room.
'It's like she never existed...'
//+//
Koji sat in the chair awkwardly, avoiding eye contact from the many people that stared at him. The waiting room of the Sunagakure hospital was somewhat crowded; many of the people there were family or friends of the injured Suna-nin that returned from the failed mission at Konohagakure. Others were just related to other sick patients, whose causes of injury were unknown.
Koji's fingers reached for the head protector at his neck, but he resisted and kept his hands on his knees, gluing his eyes to them. He had been like this for the past twenty minutes since Yume was whisked off; the nurse had told him that she would be sent to an ER, but he doubted it. There were too many victims of war to focus on just one girl.
"Koji!" He looked up, relieved to see Zai jogging into the hospital, two glass vials in hand.
"What did you find?" Koji asked as he stood up, feeling more relaxed at the eyes that stared at him. Zai came to a stop before holding out two vials; one contained the clear liquid that Yume had vomited and the other...
Koji's eyes widened, "Is that...?" Zai grinned and nodded, handing the vial to an awe-stricken Koji.
"She must've taken that cure. It worked!" Zai exclaimed happily, and Koji stared at him, eyes still wide.
Three years. It has been three years since Koji had seen Zai so ecstatic. Slowly, a smile crawled onto his face; happiness can be contagious, he supposed.
//+//
Gaara glanced at the doctor, who swallowed nervously.
"Y-You're free to go, Gaara-sama." The doctor said, stammering a bit in fear. Gaara stared at him before inclining his head and exiting the room. His injuries had finally been completely healed after two days of the whole Konohagakure incident, and he was ready to leave this place. It reeked of sickly bodies. Quietly, he walked into the waiting room, and frowned when the room suddenly went silent. Inwardly sighing, he made his way across the room, eyes sweeping over the villagers.
He stopped his movements when his eyes locked onto a pair of bright blue. The boy stared back at him in surprise, as well as the other boy that was seated next to him. Gaara blinked before facing the two completely, glad when the room went back to its normal volume.
"...Koji and Zai, correct?" He asked lowly, and the two nodded, Koji going so far as to give a half-smile. Zai, however, averted his eyes. Gaara ignored this and swept his eyes across the room again before looking at Koji, "...Where's-"
"Emergency room, probably." Koji replied before Gaara could finish, cautiously looking over at Zai, who rubbed the back of his neck. Gaara blinked at the new information; Yume had seemed fine when he had last seen her. A moment of silence passed by before he closed his eyes and occupied the seat next to Koji, who looked faintly surprised. There was an awkward silence as Zai leaned forward in his seat to stare openly at Gaara, also surprised. Gaara kept his eyes closed, but was very aware of Zai's eyes on him. It was becoming agitating, but he remained silent. Zai, however, did not.
"Are you here to see her or something?" He questioned innocently enough. Koji's lips thinned, however; he'd be damned if he would let Zai start something in a hospital. Gaara finally opened his eyes and looked over at Zai, eyes blank.
"I was asked to return something to her." He replied bluntly before looking forward again, only to inwardly frown as a sickly infant began to cry. 'This hospital should be rebuilt; it's obviously not large enough for the entire village.'
"What?" Zai questioned after a moment, letting the information sink in. Koji glanced over at Gaara, scanning him for a moment, before he spotted it. Tied to Gaara's white sash, was the silk red ribbon.
'Well...Maybe Yume did have a few feelings before taking the cure.' Koji thought, remaining silent as Gaara locked eyes with him. After a second, Koji smiled lightly. "I see."
Zai scowled, "What?" He didn't get it. Gaara, however, just gave a brief nod before sitting back in his chair and closing his eyes. It was going to be a long wait.
//+//
Usaka nudged the dry wood with his toe as the fire slowly died out, burnt cardboard and fabric in the midst of the flames. Gray smoke filtered out into the air, and he stared at it dismally.
He had burned anything that would remind him of Yume; surely, she would fade from his memory? It would take time, but she would disappear. Inhaling, he ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the back as he bit his lower lip. She was free now; at least one good thing had come of this new contract. Her tattoo will disappear, but he knew nothing about her condition.
'Why did she have to break the vial?' Usaka questioned in his mind, tugging at his hair again. 'We worked so hard...To make up for what we've done...' He exhaled before letting his arms fall to his sides. Silently, he turned his back away from the burnt remains of his memories and walked in the opposite direction. 'What I've done...I guess it can't be forgiven.'
//+//
Temari hummed as the opened the door of the entrance of the hospital, cradling a bouquet of yellow roses in her other arm. She had probably overdone it by sending for the flowers from Konohagakure, after they had just attacked it and all. But, along with this bouquet, she had asked for a large floral arrangement of white cherry blossoms to be delivered to the grave site of Hokage Sarutobi, hoping that the village would accept her offer. Thankfully, they did, and she could picture the floral arrangement sitting by the gravestone elegantly.
She sighed to herself; she was starting to get caught up in the political turmoil that the past events had caused. Of course, she felt obliged to; she was the eldest heir of the former Kazekage, and she was sure that the Council was already debating on a new one. She could only assume that she would be chosen, and to get involved with politics now would be a wise choice. Pushing these thoughts to the back of her mind, she entered the hospital and past the receptionist's desk, straight into the waiting room.
She almost dropped the bouquet at the sight.
"Gaara?"
Gaara looked over at her from his seat beside Koji, and blinked. He stared at her for a moment before his eyes dropped to the bouquet of roses. He raised a nonexistent eyebrow, but said nothing about them. "What are you doing here?" He questioned instead, and Temari blinked; she had been eyeing Koji and Zai suspiciously before Gaara's question.
"Well, I was going to leave these at your nightstand," Temari motioned to the flowers, "But since you're healed, I guess you should come home; the Council is getting restless." Gaara's brow furrowed before he closed his eyes and stood up from the chair.
"Are they never restless?" He muttered under his breath before turning his back to Koji and Zai, who continued to stare. Finally, Koji cleared his throat, looking at the roses.
"I wasn't aware that Sunagakure grew roses, Temari-chan." He said lightly, and Temari flushed before scowling.
"It's none of your concern." She fired back, but stopped when Gaara shot her a look. Bewildered, she closed her mouth. Koji smirked slightly before looking over at Gaara sincerely.
"I can give it to her, if you like." He offered, and Zai stared at him with a raised eyebrow, left in the dark along with Temari. Gaara contemplated this for a short while before walking towards the exit of the hospital.
"There's no need." He replied before exiting the waiting room, Temari following behind. However, once Gaara had exited the waiting room completely, she paused and looked over her shoulder. The two boys stared at her, and she sighed before walking over to Koji and handing him the flowers.
"I don't have any use for them now." She mumbled before completely exiting the building, leaving both Koji and Zai momentarily stunned. Zai blinked in recovery before looking at the yellow roses.
"...Does Yume like yellow?" He wondered out loud, and Koji shrugged.
"Who knows?"