The first day of school ended with a basic physical exam. Mayuri was relieved that she didn't have to take off her clothes for it. There was a plan for explaining away the strange scarring on her body, but she didn't want to have to. She didn't have Hiroko to back her up here, and she was pretty certain that the other kids would just end up scared of her if they saw the horrific marks on her body. They were just civilians, after all.
The hearing test went fine, and the people conducting the physical seemed impressed by her grip strength and reaction times. That was a reminder that she would have to act weaker than she was during future examinations if she wanted to keep her civilian cover. The nurse squinted at the scale when they weighed her, and it took a quick burst of chakra to make her bone-armour lighter so she would be a little closer to what she should be.
"It must be broken," the medic mumbled to himself as she stepped off and on the scale a few more times until she figured out the proper weight she needed to be.
All was well for the next few tests. When they got to the eye exam, she didn't even have to look at the chart.
"My eyesight is really bad," she told the medic, squinting up at him. "Can I have glasses, please?"
The man pursed his lips, then smiled. "Why don't we have a look first, alright?"
There was nothing in his words that was immediately bothersome, but Mayuri hadn't had someone use that tone of voice with her for a while. Even though the shinobi of Otogakure tended to be gentler towards the children of the village, they hadn't talked down to her for a year or two. She had to remind herself that to this man she was nothing more than a snot-nosed child. If she acted like every other kid he would have no reason to remember or suspect her of anything, so she pasted on a smile and did as she was asked.
It was no surprise when she wound up with a thick pair of glasses soon after. For the first time since she had woken in this world, she was able to see the world around her clearly. She found herself grinning for the rest of the week, elation rising in her chest at each leaf and bird and bug she was now able to see. It felt like the first good thing to happen to her in months.
.
"Holy shit! You look like such a nerd!"
Hiroko had been laughing so loud that the people passing them on the street had taken to pausing to see what was happening. Mayuri rolled her eyes, but her smile didn't falter for even a moment.
"I do. Isn't it great?"
"It really is. Why the hell did you get such a dorky looking pair? Those are almost bigger than your whole face."
Mayuri pushed the glasses up the bridge of her nose. They weren't fitted quite right and had been slipping all day, but it was definitely worth it to be able to see the individual freckles dotting her sister's cheeks.
"These were the only ones that I could get for free. I'd bet money that half of the kids at the orphanage will be wearing the exact same ones."
"Your head is so small, though," Hiroko said, feigning concern as she looked her sister over. She brought a hand to her chin, stroking thoughtfully. "Maybe it's a medical condition. I guess there's no cure for being ugly, though. That sucks for you."
Mayuri shrieked and reached out to smack playfully at her sister, and Hiroko seemed to glow with joy. This was the first time she had seen her sister this happy since she had been taken away. Maybe even since they had first awoke in this world. It was amazing what a simple pair of ugly glasses could do for someone.
"I don't know if my roommate will last too long in the academy," Hiroko confessed as they walked through the village side by side. She had managed to get a free drink from a vendor as he was closing up shop for the day, pouting lips and big doe eyes working their magic on the old man. She sipped as they wandered, offering Mayuri some every so often.
"Why do you say that?"
"I don't know. She just doesn't seem like she has what it takes. She was having a hard time even keeping up with laps today, and the curriculum was made for little kids and everything. She's just too...soft." Hiroko shrugged and the liquid inside her cup swirled with the movement. Mayuri nodded in understanding.
"What happens if she drops out?"
"I dunno. She'll probably just get moved back to the civilian side of things, right? It's not like they'll kill her or something, so don't sound so serious."
Mayuri hadn't realized she had sounded so worried. She hummed, and snatched the drink from her sister's hands as Hiroko went to take another long gulp. She protested loudly, but didn't try to take it back.
They walked around the village, making small talk until the sun began to set. That was the signal that curfew was upon them. Separating was easier this time, a sense of security settling upon them with the success of the first day. Neither of them had died, neither had been hurt, no one was crying. Things were alright.
"I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yeah. Sleep well tonight, Yuri. See you tomorrow."
"Good night."
.
The days passed by easily, turning into weeks and then a month. It was surprisingly easy to settle into a new rhythm and a new life. Even so, Mayuri was beginning to get worried. She felt like this had all been too simple. Things would go wrong eventually, and she didn't want any eyes on them when things went sideways.
The classes she was taking were easy, most of the lessons covering subjects that she had already learned both in Otogakure and in her previous life. Mayuri did her best to keep her head down, earning almost perfect grades but staying quiet and invisible in class. There was no one she could consider a friend, though she always made sure to be pleasant and helpful to the people around her.
Hiroko, on the other hand, excelled in all of her lessons. She was charismatic and smart, earning friends as easily as she did perfect grades. When Mayuri learned that Hiroko was already at the top of her class, she was very decidedly not happy.
"You're being stupid."
They had found a park that was nearly abandoned at this time of day. The sky was beginning to turn its hue of radiant sunset colors, painting the sky with beauty that still managed to bring Mayuri to a halt whenever she saw it. Hiroko dug her feet into the ground, causing the swing she was on to come to a sharp stop. Mayuri sat cross legged adjacent her, reigning over the playground from the top of the slide.
"What?"
"The classes. Your grades. All the people you're talking to. It's drawing attention to you. It's dangerous and stupid."
Hiroko scowled and kicked her feet, sending mulch spraying into the air. The swing she sat on swayed, and her long hair followed suit.
"You're the one who's being stupid! You aren't doing anything. All you do is go through the motions! There's no life in you. This is our chance for freedom! We can enjoy life for once and you're getting upset that I'm making friends? That's bullshit."
"I'm not upset you're making friends! I'm just worried that you're standing out too much. You're showing off!"
"So what? Since when has it been a bad thing to be smart? Or to be good at stuff? You used to tell me to try to get better grades and suddenly you're bitching at me about having them!"
Mayuri balked for a second, confused. She narrowed her eyes, shaking her head. "Okay hold on. Do you mean when we like… twelve or something? That's ridiculous! That has nothing to do with now!"
Hiroko leapt from her seat, "It has everything to do with now! You've become this new person here and I hate it! For once in my life I'm actually doing good in school, I'm the best in my class, and all you can do is tell me to stop? That's bullshit. I don't even know you anymore! It's…." she trailed off, a strange look twisting her features. Mayuri was still, her face empty.
"Where is this coming from, Hiro?"
Hiroko turned away, shaking her head. She groaned, fingers tugging at the hem of her shirt. "I don't know. I'm just angry."
"Fine," Mayuri said. She climbed down from the slide. "I'll see you tomorrow."
She turned on her heel and strode off, fists clenched at her sides and face a blank mask, if tinted red with her embarrassment and growing fury. She heard Hiroko call out to her as she left, her voice desperate and edging on tears. Mayuri ignored her. It had been a while since Hiroko had blown up, but it wasn't exactly unheard of. It had been worse Before, when they were teenagers and had been fighting constantly. As young adults her mood swings and blow ups had been common. Even expected.
Mayuri knew how to handle it when her sister blew up at her. It didn't mean she liked it, though. It made her feel angry and embarrassed and even a little lost, if she was being honest with herself. It was even worse when her sister made good points. She didn't want to admit that Hiroko's anger could be her own fault or that she had any blame to take in this little fight of theirs.
She felt like a stranger in her own body sometimes. There was a hideous wall of bone between who she wanted to be and who she really was. People didn't like her the way they liked Hiroko, and although she didn't want to admit it, that bothered her. She was lonely and afraid that at any moment she might make a wrong move and the world would come tumbling down around her again.
She returned to the civilian orphanage just moments before the doors were locked for the night. Her nightly routine passed in a daze, and just like every other night she climbed into bed with the hollow echoes and empty smiles of children telling each other a polite goodnight under the watchful eye of the headmistress. The lights were turned out.
Her nightmares came back.
Mayuri woke to the sting of torn flesh and the soft sound of tearing cloth. She was grateful that she hadn't woke screaming this time. Her ribs had contorted and grown while she slept, sticking out of her chest at odd angles. She thought about Emi and the way she had looked, broken and bloodied on the floor, some of Mayuri's bones lodged inside her chest. She wondered if Orochimaru counted the young medic as her first kill, even if it was an accident.
She looked at the children sleeping around her, mere feet from a killer. They were bathed in the silver light of the moon, blankets pulled up around their chins and breaths puffing out in soft little snores. The sounds of life were comforting, if a little disconcerting at times. They were rambunctious and annoying at times, when she found herself surrounded during meals or weekends. They made her smile all the same, especially in the quiet of the dark nights alone.
She thought about the children in the Underground and how they fell to her hand. She thought about the weapon that her body could become with a single thought, and the way that it sometimes betrayed her as she slept. She willed the flowerbed of jagged edges her chest had become to disappear, bones squirming and twisting until they disappeared back inside her bloodied flesh.
She got out of bed and stripped away the stained sheets. She held them to her chest to staunch the bleeding, found her shoes from the pile at the door, and slipped silently out of the building.
She didn't deserve to be here.
Hi everyone. I feel like this is the first author's note in a while!
As always, thank you to everyone who reads! A special thanks to those of you who take the time to review this work. Sorry if I haven't responded to your comments, but please know that every one of them made my heart feel warm and happy. :)
I appreciate you all so much for sticking around throughout my long breaks and inconsistent chapter lengths. Sorry if the recent chapters have been shorter and slower, but I'm feeling a little uninspired recently. If you want, feel free to tell me things you'd like to see happen in this story or in this arc.
Have an awesome day!
