Immortal's Daughter
Chapter 28: third and fourth month
Koomahana
Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site
Thoughts
Paragraphs are flashbacks
…
…
Instead of traveling together to the hidden leaf, the Yukimra family separated at the house. The husband left to the hidden leaf to start the greening process, finding a job and getting a home for the three of them. The wife, Hana, left to start gathering other members of her family, using her bloodline to locate and communicate with them. Haku, the boy, decided to travel with Sakura and her 'older brother', according to him he was keeping his mother worry free by being with them. Haku and the brother argued for a few hours about him traveling with them, when Sakura got involved it seemed to get worse until the 'siblings' discovered that Haku needed to train and had no clue how to begin practicing with his bloodline. Relenting, the two siblings allowed the black haired boy to travel with them, on the condition that he keeps up, doesn't get in trouble and keeps them safe from the majority of the blizzards that seemed to be attracted to them. While traveling they came across a network of caves they ended up getting lost in, they found a young white haired boy with jade green eyes locked in a cell in one of the rooms. Haku froze the locks and Sakura slammed a foot into the frozen, fragile net of wood and metal, shattering it into pieces. The boy informed them that the only way out of the tunnel network was straight up, they did so with the Sakura's older brother's ability to draw roots down through the rock and pull them directly up to the top of the underground network. However they discovered that the surface was the middle of a clan compound and at the sight of the white haired little boy beside them, the clan raged furiously and attacked them. Sakura and Haku responded at the same time, lifting up earthen and iced shields, letting the older boy create a divot in the earth and rolling their protective sphere away from the compound with enough speed to make the kids dizzy and lose the clan of bone wielding psychopaths. Sakura informed them that they should split up because of the rather obvious trail they left behind, they could make several weaving paths with clones (something her and her brother had to produce because the other two were clueless with the presses) and all meet up again at the top of a village two days south from their current position.
Two days later, Sakura and her 'older brother' were standing at the edge of a long road, watching the village far below them sleep peacefully, like an innocent city bathed in moonlight. To their far left stood several tall men of the hidden mist, various swords of all types and sizes sat soundly on each of their wilder's backs. To their far right stood a tall woman with long inky black hair and icy blue eyes, dressed in a pretty blue kimono. Behind her stood several other people, each looking like nervous children, as if they were orphans seeing people willing to adopt them for the first time. Behind the three children stood an entire clan if insane killers watching for an opportunity to get into the village far below them. The clan in question gave a loud, echoing cry as their bodies erupted and shattered apart as their bloodlines bloomed awake. Her eyes closed and her hand tightened on the tall boy's, she stepped a little closer to him, feeling the earth beneath her feet rumble as the clan charged for them.
"What do you think we should do?" The boy asked softly, "who do we protect?" It was as if time slowed down, she turned to look at the men who have sworn their allegiance to the village far below them. One looked as if he was no older then herself, with short navy hair and half hiding behind a tall man with a sword as long as he was tall. The boy gasped, his eyes widening as he stared at her, the man didn't look to happy himself as if he just noticed how young she was. She pulled herself a little closer to her guard and looked to the other side, the woman with inky hair had one clenched hand and was glaring furiously at her guard, as if he was to be blamed for the coming bloodshed. In all honesty she hadn't accounted for both parties arriving at the same time, she called for the blue eyed clan to arrive at sunset and called to the swordsmen to arrive at midnight, but the clan of bone wielders was unexpected. She had met them once before by accident and planned to never cross paths with them ever again, but it would seem that the clan had plans to attack the village the same night she sought to talk to the clan and swordsmen. She looked once more to the navy haired boy, staring into his worried brown eyes, watching how he tugged and whispered hurriedly to his fellow swordsmen, as protesting to a plan they had made.
"I..." She looked frightfully down at the peaceful village below, she didn't know what to do. Her mission was to protect and gather the scattered bloodlines of the mist lands but she didn't believe in turning her back on innocents when she could easily protect them. However, protecting the hidden mist village wasn't a part of her mission, if anything it could be perceived as treason; she wouldn't be the only one her elders would want to execute, they would want to kill her guard as well.
"What are you standing there for?!" One of the mist nin shouted as he sped forward and skidded to a stop several feet behind her and her guard, his sword ready before him, "take the brat and run!" The girl gasped, her eyes widening as she stared at the back of the man ordering her to safety, with him so close she could now identify him as Zabuza Momochi, the demon of the Bloody mist—how strange for a demon to seek the protection of a strange little girl he didn't even know. "Boy, take them to the village and evacuate!" The boy with short azure hair nodded at his superior and hurried towards them, nearly stumbling in his hurry towards them. The other swordsmen each made their own decisions and readied themselves before the two children as well, weapons ready and smiles wide.
"P-Please f-follow m-me-e," the boy stuttered as he carefully reached out to her, as if he expects her to slap his hand and curse at him.
"Nii-san," she says softly, turning to look up at her guard with a fond smile, "I've made my choice." The blue haired boy straightened, as if he didn't know if her choice would benefit him or endanger his home; still he watched them closely, one hand hovering over his kunai pouch, ready to attack or defend depending on their next movements.
"Good," he smirked and ruffled her head through the hood of her cloak, "I was beginning to worry." She kneeled and wove her hands through several hand signs. He turned and threw off his cloak, letting it fall to the ground; revealing his short wild midnight red hair, dancing hazel cat eyes and a grin that looked as predatory as a grinning panther ready to eat. He was dressed in a simple dark kimono top with black traveling pants, a weapons pouch was on his right leg and warm thick knitted gloves covered his large hands; he looked like a traveling sails merchant and appeared to be just as threatening.
"Alright, let the fire glow bright in the mist!" The mist Jonin all looked in annoyance at the teen boy and the kneeling little girl, only to flinch back at the sight of the symbol of the hidden leaf stationed firmly on the black cloth wrapped around the young man's forehead, their eyes wide as realization dawned on them. their allies called them, their allies would help them, their allies were prepared to protect their village... but, why were they here?
"Wood Style: Eternal Spring Shield!" the girl's hands buried themselves into the earth and not a moment later did giant cherry blossom trees burst into being, lining the cliff face over the great village protectively. The insane clan slowed to a hesitant stumbling crawl, their eyes wide as they stared at the beautiful glowing blossom trees that now stood in their way. For a moment it was as if their insanity had abated, their deranged grins giving way to childish awe, it was as if they forgot their purpose and were content to just stare at the moonlit cheery blossoms for the rest of time. the small cloaked child at the very center of the moonlight glowing cheery trees looked up at the beautiful trees and slumped backwards towards the elder teen, who caught her easily. He crouched and checked her vitals before rising to his feet and regarding the wide eyed gaping youngest swordsman in the entire group of swordsmen still standing to their left, unsure of to attack the clan or the cloaked children.
"Hay kid, can I trust you with her?" The older boy asked suddenly, the blue haired boy stuttered and blushed as he tried to figure out what he should do, only to have the smaller cloaked child tossed into his arms without warning. "Good," the teen smirked, his skin darkening, cracking and splitting, his hair grew long and rugged, turning almost green in color, it was as if he was becoming a tree and soon enough the blue haired boy realized that was exactly what the red haired teen was doing; he was becoming a giant tree-man. "I don't know if I can come back from this but I'm trusting you with my little sister, protect her well." The boy was about to respond but the girl coughed and shuttered in his arms, drawing his undivided attention as he began to panic over the small trail of blood slipping past the edge of her lips. The red haired boy disappeared as he began the fight the bone wielding insane clan, the mist Jonin soon laughing and charging as they aided in his attack; the jonin allowed the younger boy to trap and immobilize the children of the clan while they dealed with the elder clansmen. The red haired woman that once stood to the cloaked children's right observed the fighting for a moment before she gestured for those who followed her to join in as well. She, meanwhile, moved towards the collapsed girl dressed in a black cloak and the panicking blue haired boy who really didn't know what to do.
"Relax boy, calm down," the woman sighed as she stepped forward and kneeled beside the cloaked girl wheezing in his arms. She gently reached out and pulled back the girl's hood, revealing her bright strawberry pink hair and ghostly pale completion and gently parted the girl's lips to examine the blood still welling inside her mouth. "She just feinted from exhaustion, the blood is from biting her lip to hard," the woman told him as she stood back up and regarded the fighting mass of the boy's elders, giant tree man, her clansmen and the demonic looking clan of bone users. "I doubt she's ever used such a large bust of chakra at one time before," Seeing the boy look down worriedly at the sickly little girl she sighed and slumped her shoulders a little, "don't worry, she'll wake up soon." Although if it'll be soon enough is another matter entirely, I fear she may not awaken in time…
"R-really?" The boy stuttered, looking relived, glad the girl would be okay. The woman looked down at him, watching him closely as he carefully shifted the girl and gently placed her against the nearest cheery blossom tree. He even went so far as to brush her bangs aside, which revealed a tiny nearly transparent leaf stationed on her forehead, looking innocent in the moonlight streaming down from above. She narrowed her eyes at the tiny transparent leaf, wondering what kind of tree it came from; the leaf itself was an ovate shape with a perfectly smooth edge and delicately pointed triangular tip. Narrowing her eyes at the young girl's forehead, the woman looked closer at the strange little baby leaf and realized with dawning horror the rarity of the strange little leaf, she's seen it several times during the third Great War and knew from experience that those with the misfortune to be in contact with it would die from exposure. The simple looking baby leaf came from a very rare tree in fire country in the southern lands closest to wind country, a breed of tree known for its year round pink blossom and smooth jade green leaves; this tree was called the fire blossom—conveniently named for its lethal effects on the human body.
"I wonder what this is," the boy whispered as he moved to touch it
"No don't!" the woman snapped as realization hit her but she was too late, the boy brushed his fingers against the leaf and the result wasn't quite what the woman had expected. She thought the boy would scream as his fingers suddenly burst out into boils that quickly traveled up his arm and then consumed his body or maybe there would be a surge of power from the little innocent leaf that would send the boy flying into the fray and possibly to his death; but none of that happened. Instead the little leaf glowed in the moonlight, as if it were reflecting it, and then it settled back against the girl's forehead, making her take in a deep breath as if she had died and then returned to life. Slowly the girl opened her eyes, and stared blurrily at the blue haired boy before her; the woman crouched beside the girl and stared intently at the leaf on her forehead. The girl licked her lips sleepily and turned to look at the woman, only to flinch back as she realized just how close the woman was, her green eyes widening in surprise.
"Who are you?" the woman asked sharply, "keep in mind that if you lie I'll boil you alive here and now."
"S-Sakura!" the girl stuttered out, her face paling in terror and her voice cracking in fear, "I-I c-called you!"
"You're the one who sent the message to us?" the woman asked, eyes narrowing further, "What do you want?"
"Peace is greatly appreciated," the girl replied fearfully, "I mean you no harm!" The woman stared at her for a moment, trying to detect a lie, trying to figure out just what a little girl would what with her but in the end, she could only make out pure honesty in the girl's voice and her unabashed show of complete terror only told her that the girl knew to be afraid of her. Still she couldn't understand, if the girl knew who she was, what she was capable of, why would she seek a summons? And here on this hill top no less?
"Boy," the woman turned her sharp jade eyes onto the boy, who flinched back himself, fear gripping him, "Who are you?"
"Ch-Chōjiro!" the boy stuttered, "I'm Chōjiro of the seven swords men of the hidden mist!"
"You're awfully young to be one of the seven swords men," the woman replied calmly. She watched in amusement as he bowed his head in shame and stared miserably at his feet, mumbling something about not being good enough and it was a mistake and how he should've known better then to follow his seniors. "My name is Terumi Nana," the woman said suddenly as she rose to her feet, "I am clan head of the Terumi clan."
"T-Terumi clan?" Chōjiro gasped wide eyed, "the famed lava users?!"
"Heh, and to think my mother was of the Mizushima clan," Nana smirked back at him, pride lacing her voice; from the quick glance she gave the girl she knew the little pinkette had quickly noticed her lie and was frowning at her for it. if the girl knew who she was then the girl should be able to figure out why she had to lie about her name and association to the clan she led fearlessly.
"But that's the Acid breath clan!" Chōjiro paled, "they eat acids for a living!"
"That is an exaggeration," Nana drawled disappointed in the boy, "They eat highly toxic plants, there's a difference."
I fail to see the difference, Chōjiro thought with a sigh, his shoulders slumping
"It is because of your parents that I sought your council," Sakura spoke as she pushed herself a little higher against the tree, wincing as sharp pain erupted from her hip up to her shoulder, feeling as if someone had just tried to cut her in half. Her sharp hiss, drew both Nana's and Chōjiro's attention, Sakura took several steady breaths with her eyes squeezed shut tightly, as if she could block out the pain by closing her eyes. Suddenly there was a roar in the rampaging clan of insanity; Chōjiro and Nana were both forced to intercept several wild looking bone wielders that headed straight for the weak girl. Their eyes widened as they saw a crazed man fly past their two groups, avoiding each strike from of the Terumi clansmen and the seven swords men, it appeared as if none of them could stop the bone encased man as he charged straight for the little girl who could only stare at him in complete terror.
"DIE WITCH!" the man roared, a bone sword held high and at the ready. With a shrill scream Sakura threw her arms up to protect herself, imminently the tree she was leaning against reached down and wrapped its branches around the man's throat before sending sharp new growths threw his temple, raining blood down on the ground directly below. The demonic clan feel short, their will to fight ending with the death of their commander, it didn't take long for the defenders to realize that the man who charged Sakura was actually the clan head and the leader of the insane blood craving clan. Without their leader the clan became lost, backing away from the swordsmen as if they didn't know why they were fighting, they almost appeared like lost kittens searching for something familiar.
"Sakura!" the tree-man creature shouted as he ran straight for the passed out girl, his body slowly returning to normal as he drew closer and closer to her. "Sakura!" the boy shouted just as a swipe from a member of the strange clan connected with his unprotected side, the man was quickly beheaded by one of the swordsmen. The young teen collapsed to the ground, he tried to stand again but the wound was deep and wide, spanning the side of his front ribs all the way to the back and was a good three inches wide. One of the swordsmen approached him and helped him stand up, careful of the boy's wound as they both hobbled their way towards the pinkette laying against the center cherry blossom tree. The strange bone wielders attacking Nana and Chōjiro backed down, not sure what to do now that their leader was dead, they each looked at each other as they retreated, as if expecting one of them to take the lead. Slowly, starting in the far back, the members turned to the high hill and one by one they all kneeled as two young boys calmly walked down the hill. One boy had smooth elegant black hair and feminine dark eyes, the other boy walking in front of him had short white hair and jade green eyes. The white haired boy looked briefly at the kneeling black haired clansmen but didn't pay them any mind as he walked, not bothered by the bodies and blood that stained the grounds like a painting of an ancient battle ground. Reaching the bottom of the hill, the dark haired boy smiled at the older brother to the little girl sleeping soundly against the wall of cheery blossom trees and turned his sight towards the trees, hoping to see the familiar girl he's been traveling with.
"Sakura-chan?" Haku called out softly, pausing briefly before dashing forward with a panicked shout, "Sakura!" the white haired boy hurried after him. Haku slid to a stop beside Sakura, pressing a single green glowing palm to her chest, slumping and sighing in relief at the warm steady beat of her heart. He looked up at the white haired boy who stopped at Sakura's feet, panting heavily as he stared at him with slightly wide eyes, fearing the worst.
"She's okay," Haku murmured with a smile, relaxing as he pulled his hands back, "She's just asleep." The white haired boy sighed in relief and slumped. He looked back up and examined the people surrounding him, seemingly unsurprised by the sight of a bandaged sword sitting evenly with his nose and the navy haired boy standing on the other end of it. He blinked slowly and then turned to look at his clansmen, each of them was looking to him, as if they expected orders to be given, he dismissed their presence easily. He looked to the swordsmen who regarded him as carefully as they would regard a wounded lion and then he caught the sight of Sakura's older brother, the boy was wounded on his side but seemed conscious enough to nod courtly at him. He nodded back and returned his attention to the girl who saved his life, hearing a dripping noise he looked up and found his clan head's body dangling lifelessly overhead; blood was making little crimson trails down his body to drip off his finger tips and toes. The boy looked back down at the knocked out girl, looked back up at the man, and looked back down at the girl again, this time though, he took another step forward and kneeled before her, his bent knee landing in the dirt beside the growing puddle of blood, one fist over his heart and his head bowed.
"You've saved me yet again," the boy said to her, "I owe you my life."
"What's your name boy?" the white haired boy lifted his head to look up at Nana, he seemed unsurprised by her glare, he seemed even less surprised to see the long sword in her hand stationed close to his throat.
"Kimimaro," the boy answered blandly, sitting back on his hunches as he stared dully up at the dark haired woman, "I am Kimimaru Kaguya, heir of the Kaguya clan."
"I am Haku Yukimura," Haku spoke up, "we got separated after saving Kimimaru-san from the clan and it was agreed we'd all meet up here." Haku smiled up at the woman as he tugged Sakura against his side, pulling one arm over his shoulder. "Thank you for protecting her," Haku added as an after thought, bobbing his head at the two shinobi to his left, Kimimaru straightened and hurried to Sakura's other side, pulling her arm over his shoulder and awaited instructions from Haku.
"Hold up brats," they both turned to see a bandaged face of an overly muscled man approach them with an irritated look in his dark eyes, "She's suffering from Chakra exhaustion and your friend over there is going to bleed to death if he doesn't see a medic soon." Kimimaru looked at Haku curiously
"What's Catra exhaustion?"
…
…
It's been three weeks since the two leaf Ninja and their two little bloodline carrying freibds appeared, the four appearing before his six most trusted men and the most elusive clan of the east. The Terumi clan leader and three of her strongest members have yet to move on, content to wait for the young leaf to awaken, claiming they still needed to talk. He was unable to throw them out of his village, or just killing them, because the girl was the Hokage's apprentice which gave her political immunity to every village. With her request to meet them, it made the Terumi clan leader and her little guards immune to his rule as well, because they were holding a political meeting. If he wanted in on this meeting then he would have to be there when the girl woke up, then he could have a few words with her himself. So he visited her room every morning and every evening, ignoring the three boys who seemed content to remain in her hospital room, before his councilors found his location and started pestering him with paper work. The Kaguya clan moved into his village as well, pouting inside their given cells like sulking children; with their leader dead and their heir lacking the gene for destruction, they were as lost as someone waking up on a battle field with amnesia. If only he knew to take out the clan head sooner, maybe they could've avoided the sabotage tactics and the attempted attack on his village.
"Mizukage-sama," one of the doctors greeted as he turned a corner, pulling him out if his thought abruptly, "the young lady has awoken, Haku is in the cafeteria and the Terumi clan head is on her way here now."
"You informed her before me?" He asked, looking up at the man with a glare
"My apologies Mizukage-sama," the man looked down at him regretfully, "I'm afraid that restraining the girl's brother and white haired friend was next to impossible."
"So the girl is alone?" He asked stopping in his tracks, the man beside him nodded with a smirk. The young Kage was almost gone in a breath of air, speeding through the pale halls at blinding speeds. He rounded three corners and by passed two nurse stations before he finally reached the room with two Anbu guards. Ignoring them, he passed through the door and snapped it shut behind him, firmly telling his men what he wanted without a word. Sitting alone on the far side of the room, her face turned toward the bright gleaming white moon shinning blindingly down on his village, was the girl he had been trying to see for the past two weeks. Slowly the girl's face turned towards him and he froze as he realized that the face starring back at him was not the face he had been watching sleep in the bed. The face staring back at him right now was the face of a woman, not just any woman either; it was the face of a woman who's seen a lot of death in her time.
"Who are you?" He asked stiffly, wondering why this woman's face was replacing the child's.
"What a rude child," the girl with a woman's face said calmly, her voice tilting lowly to sound more like that of a matured woman's, "that is no way to address your mother." As much as he wanted to retaliate, beyond just 'rude', he opted for staring at her like she was an idiot, it didn't appear to have any effect. "Come here boy, I don't have much time left," his voice chose that moment to not work, even as his feet were lifted off the floor and he started moving towards the girl-woman.
…
To say he was alarmed would be an understatement. He reached the edge of the hospital grounds with the four Terumi clan members just as the room they were heading towards light up with a brilliant white light. They double timed their racing to the room and arrived inside at the same time the light faded and the door slammed open by the two Anbu agents, Haku close behind them with a player of food in his hands. On the floor beside the bed was the Mizukage, Sakura herself was slumped half out of bed, leaning heavily against the windowsill. Haku hurried into the room and set the tray down on lamp desk, with Kimimaru's help, Haku pushed and gently situated Sakura back into her bed, even rearranging her IVs while he was at it.
"What just happened?" He asked lowly as the young Kage lifted himself off the floor with a cough and wheeze. The seemingly young man looked around himself in confusion, as if he didn't understand why he was in the hospital.
"Mizukage-sama," One of the Anbu called, whisper soft, "did they hurt you?" The young man looked up and blinked slowly before turning to look up at the two in the windowsill, then to the two young boys beside the pink haired girl. The teen stepped into the room and carefully placed a palm against Sakura's forehead, as if checking his temperature.
"I wasn't gone long, I swear," Haku said, sounding panicked and afraid
"Your fine Haku," the teen reassured him, "why don't you and Kimimaru go to the cafeteria and get some dinner, I know you haven't eaten in a while so don't protest." Kimimaru seemed to understand and silently guided the younger boy out of the room, then and only then, did the russet haired teen turn piercing hazel eyes onto the Kage.
"What just happened?" Yagura asked slowly staring back at the bug eyed teen
"I thought you would answer that Mizukage-sama," the Terumi clan head drawled, crouching lowly on the windowsill, as if she were ready to jump in and grab the girl before jumping back out again. Like the woman thought he was a threat to the young girl's life, as if he would attack her despite her unconscious state.
"The last clear thing I remember is fighting a man in the forest..." Yagura answered slowly, as if he thought it was just a dream but felt too tired to believe it to be anything less than reality. "How long have I been under that man's control?"
"Mizukage-sama," the agent at the door said softly, stepping into the room, "what is the last date you remember?"
"The day I fought the masked man was June first, year ***3," Yagura answered, his face scrunching up slightly in thought, "everything after that is kinda blurry..."
"Is it possible for someone to be controlled for ten years?" The young red haired boy asked, his face twisting up in confusion, "wait, how'd you get free?"
"I heard a woman's voice calling out to me," Yagura answered, "it was because of her voice that I was able to look away from the Sharingan eye in my mental reality. The next thing I know I was here, asking you what happened because my head was pounding too hard to think clearly."
"Are you sure it was the Sharingan?" The young man asked, straightening in his crouch slightly
"I've fought plenty of Uchihas during the war to know the difference between the Sharingan and the Maen." Yagura replied in mild annoyance
"What's the Maen?" The boy asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion
"Its a dōjutsu that grants the wielder many abilities that include penetrating vision, disruption of other dōjutsu, and unique healing through life-force energy manipulation, it can also miss-place or create chakra signatures, locate and track by sensing chakra, picking up chakra signatures from long distances, and noticing changes in an individual's chakra," Yagura answered honestly, rubbing at his pounding forehead, "its insanely rare though, most users die from chakra exhaustion before they reach ten years, because they can't control the eye technique and since it can only be passed down from parent to child its rarity increases with every child born with it as a 'sleeper gene'." The boy hummed thought fully and sat back on his hunches, staring passively at Yagura, as if he was trying to decide something. After a moment he nodded and stepped into the room calmly, folding his hands together in front of himself as a greeting to Yagura, the teen then began speaking.
"Hello Mizukage-sama," the boy greeted, "I am Mikio, Jonin of the hidden leaf. The two boys you met earlier are two children we've saved while traveling to you're village. The first is the dark haired one, his name is Haku Yukimura and has agreed to travel with Sakura-hime and I around the five nations before settling in our home village, Konohagakure. The second is Kimimaru Kaguya, we stumbled upon him two days before we arrived here, I don't know what his plans are. My mission is to escort lord Hokage's apprentice and village heir to our allies and protect her along the journey. There is much Sakura-hime has to discuss with you." Yagura was quiet as he absorbed the information, trying hard not to let his brain explode at the rapid pace if the intro-debrief-thing the young man speed through like master speed talker.
"I don't suppose you can give me the blunt run down of the discussion, can you?" Yagura asked as he pulled himself onto his feet, deciding to only consecrate on the last and most important information Mikio spoke of.
"I am afraid I was not cleared for the details of the discussion," Mikio answered calmly, "I was ordered to protect her while on her journey."
"I see," Yagura frowned at him but decided he could ask his questions for later, "fine, contact me when she wakes."
"Of course," Mikio smiled, as if he expected the order and still had no intentions of following it. He turned and smoothly adjusted Sakura in her bed so she wouldn't fall out again, speaking to the Terumi clan head. "Lady Nana, please forgive me for waking you and wasting your time, I should've waited until morning."
"It's no problem," Nana replied with a sweet smile, "I planned to visit with her anyways."
…
…
When did she last see light?
All she sees now is the color red, bright and blinding like blood
When did she last feel the earth beneath her feet?
All she can feel is the warm, sticky liquid that always sprays upon her
When did she last smell clean air?
All she can smell is the scent of copper, rust, salt, and liquid metal; the smell of blood has stained her nostrils, even contaminating her memories
When did she last taste something sweet?
Thick, warm, liquid is forced down her throat, coating her mouth and staining her taste buds to the point that she's forgotten the taste of food
When did she last hear silence?
Her ears ring, constantly, with the screams of agony from those receiving prolonged torture that is the wait of death
She's forgotten the feel of sun on her skin, the gentile caress from the wind, the grass beneath her back and cool water touching her toes; she's forgotten it all. She's forgotten the sound of true laughter, of children playing, of girls fantasying, of woman gossiping, of men joking. She's forgotten the sight of colors, of greens and blues, yellows and purples, of whites and oranges. She knows red is the color of blood, black is the color of the dankness, pink is the color of blood on her dress… pink that was the color of... of flowers... of spring... it was the color of.. of…
Sakura... Before her was still the woman bathing herself in other people's blood, laughing loudly at their screams and agony.
…
"Will you calm down? We can't let her belief that she can win,"
"But she will win,"
"Not if we work together," she looked up, starring terrified into those calm emeralds, "together we're unstoppable. Now, are you ready?"
…
She stared at the pinkette tying off the end of her bandage, she rose and regarded her carefully, looking for more wounds to tend to
"Go away forehead-girl," she ordered crossing her arms defiantly, "I could've done that on my own."
"Like you could've defeated that woman on your own?" the pinkette asked, her question sounded more like a slap to the face for Ami, "you could've won and you know it. Why did you freeze? That's not like you"
"You don't know me," she snarled, "So leave me be!"
"No," the pinkette drawled, "I made a promise so I'm gonna keep it."
"I never asked you too!"
"Too damn bad," she thrust one hand forward, nearly punching her in the process, "Take this and shut up."
"Why should I?" she asked as the pinkette dropped it in her lap, along with a long thin black cord, "What is this?"
"It's a crystal," she answered flatly, lifting up a matching teal teardrop that hung from her throat, "it's a comfort thing. Keep it."
"How do you know I won't just toss it in the trash?" she asked with a growl, the crystal clenched tight in one hand
"Because that's your early birthday present," the pinkette saidas she turned away and headed for the door, "you treasure all gifts no matter how bizarre they are."
"I'll just throw it away," she grumbled, staring down at the crystal with a frown on her face, the pinkette snorted in disbelief, "I will! I swear I'll throw it away!"
She looked back at her with a fond smile
"No you won't, you like crystals"
…
If she looked close enough she could see the slight budge from her present resting beneath her once pristine hospital garb. True to the pinkette's word, she kept the little strange crystal, putting it on before she left the hospital in search of her aunt. Now she didn't know to be happy for it's cool touch, so different from the warm liquid constantly being sprayed on her, or be afraid of it because it matched the still ice pressing against her back. Should she be happy that the pinkette could find her or afraid the girl would walk into the lion's den?
"Well Hime, what do you think?!" the woman's strange cackling laughter brought her back, "Are you enjoying this as much as I am?" the woman peered up at her, staring into her chocolate orbs, "you are! I can tell! That's great! How wonderful!"
I am? Ami thought staring down at the woman without emotion, what this is… is enjoyment? It felt so different from what she felt when she was still little and naive, playing tag with her dearest big sister, listening to her father's soothing voice when he was sober enough to read her a story before bed, playing chess with Kameyama and learning acrobatics with Ren… was what she was feeling—the lack of feeling—could it really be enjoyment?
"You're just like your father child," the woman cackled, "your father once destroyed a whole village! It was beautiful!" she jerked at the mention of her father, her eyes widening in fear and horror. Her father a murder? He destroyed a whole village? By himself? Her drunk of an old man who was so filled with grief that his only outlet was alcohol which lead to a violent rampage in their home, which lead to him beating her… he destroyed a whole village by himself?
"Oh you're going to love him," the woman giggled like a little girl, "he's as cool as the moon! As strong as an ox! And as beautiful as a city bathed in blood!" It was clear at this point that woman didn't know who her father was, her father was a civilian, he couldn't possibly fight…
"Hm? You don't belief me?" the woman turned back to her, sadistic pleasure etching itself across her face, "you've never met your true father. The man you grew up with believing to be your daddy isn't really your daddy," the woman giggled as she jerked again, fear sped up her heart beat till she could feel it pulsing in her toes. "Your father is named Hiden, and he is my master," she spun on her heal and grinned into her face, just a foot beneath her, "Everyone in that village will be dead!" she laughed hysterically, "Epically that pink haired witch! It was enjoyable watching my blade reflect back in her ugly green eyes!"
"I promise to protect you,"
Warm chocolate orbs were over lapsed with dancing emeralds
...You're a liar
…
…
I had a hard time trying to pick out Tenzo's undercover name, these were the names that had 'tree' in them, yes that was the theme I was going for, I was not about to give TENZO of all people a name with 'blossom' in it (I found about seven of them and they're all female)
Hideki—excellent timber trees
Hiroki—vast timber trees
Itsuki—tree
Kozue—tree branches
Masaki—great timber tree
Matsuko—pine tree child
Mikio—Tree trunk man (quite literal in one point of the chapter, that's why I went with this one)
Momoka—peach tree flower
Momoko—peach tree child
Naoki—honest timber tree
Suzuki—bell tree
I settled for Tenzo's code name to be Mikio because it seemed to be the most fitting and I honestly couldn't think of anything else :)
I had a lot of trouble with this chapter so I hope you liked it, I did a lot of last minute editing and writing, please tell me if I misspelled anything
please don't forget to review! :)
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