Chapter Twenty-Eight:
Diata rested for a few hours after the attack. Her body was worn, mainly from the injuries she sustained from Akinyemi, but she was also generally tired. So many children had died because she was unable to protect them. Diata mourned the loss of her children, as did the other orphans in the house. Some of them lost siblings, others role models that they looked up to.
And for what? Because Kabuto decided that they were useless? Because he couldn't see past his immoral beliefs to realize for a moment they children he had killed were innocent?
Sometimes, Diata truly felt pity for Kabuto. How far must you stray from righteousness to judge humans based solely on the worth of their ancestors and heritage?
A knock sounded at her door, and Diata sat up. "Come in," she said, and a moment later, Akinyemi entered. He held tray with bread and a steaming bowl. Diata could smell it immediately and her stomach made itself known. She hadn't eaten much, and felt grateful that Akinyemi thought of her.
"Thank you," she said, taking the tray from him and giving blessings. Akinyemi sat on the ground, his arms over his knees.
"I couldn't stay down there. I can't understand a word anyone says," he admitted ruefully. Diata chuckled and smiled softly, spooning herself the soup. "Why haven't you started preparations?"
"For what?" Diata asked, looking at him. Akinyemi looked a bit uncomfortable.
"The children," he said and Diata looked away.
"These people don't... Follow our traditions," Diata explained hesitantly. "We aren't in the village - it is completely different here. The people here, they just bury them."
Akinyemi ruffled his thick eyebrows, "What? I don't understand."
"It's true," Diata insisted. She remembered seeing a funeral in process several weeks before, a old ninja had passed. "They give a ceremony in honour of them, and bury them." Akinyemi looked shocked, but Diata sighed, "Everything here is different. Aki, the people, they have different customs. They use different things. We-We can't just demand that they honour the dead like we do."
"That's stupid!" Akinyemi snapped. "How will their dead live in the afterlife?! Their leader just died, will they leave him to suffer!?"
"I don't know," Diata admitted, and began to sip her soul again. "It's what they believe. People can believe whatever they want to."
Akinyemi did not look pleased. Diata smiled at him and drank the rest of her soup - it burned her tongue a little, bit Diata didn't mind. She made room on the bed for Akinyemi, and tapped his shoulder.
Akinyemi looked up, and Diata smiled. He climbed in beside her, and Diata leaned her head back. They sat in silence for several minutes, simply enjoying each others company. "Akinyemi," Diata said suddenly.
"Hmm?"
"How was Kabuto controlling you?" She asked softly. "How could you not tell it was me?"
Akinyemi shifted, his eyes closing. "I don't know," He admitted. "That man, he just... He said something in their tongue, and I wasn't in control of my body anymore. Everything felt muddled, except for him. He spoke clearly and he made me so things for him. It was strange, I... I don't know how to describe it."
Diata nodded, "I understand." She remembered Wakana and her power. Although it sounded different from Akinyemi's experience, she could understand the feeling of not being in control of yourself.
"What did he do to you?" Akinyemi asked.
"He tried to take my name," Diata said automatically.
"How? What did he do to you?" Diata bit her lip, and looked away.
"I..." She felt the words burn her tongue. She didn't know how to tell him everything that happened in the past two years. It was too much to just fit in one sentence or one conversation or one lifetime. "He would torture me," Diata said, her voice hollow.
"How? What happened?" Diata was hesitant at first. Then, she turned away from Akinyemi and lifted the backside of her shirt. It still held the dark scars from her time with the snake. Some were fading, but most remained. The scars were always loud behind her shirt and clothed and screamed when Diata showed them.
"Oh," was all he said. Diata dropped her shirt and moved to sit straight again. "He..."
"That's just the physical ones," Diata admitted. "These people, they have something called 'genjutsu'. They use their energy and focus it on the mind to create illusions. Some of them are simple and easy to spot. So you focus your energy to your mind and break theirs."
"Did he use that on you?" It was already self-explanatory.
"Yes," She admitted. "Many times." Akinyemi stared at her, his dark eyes wide, anger flaring in them.
"I'm going to kill him," He hissed, and Diata shook her head, smiling.
"Always running in head first," She said, chuckling. "You really haven't changed, have you?"
"You have," Akinyemi said, and Diata's smile faltered.
"It's been two years," She tried to explain, but he wasn't having any of that.
"You stay here, speaking these people's tongues! You care for their children! What happened, Diata? Where did my cousin go?"
"She grew up." Diata said quickly. "Sorry you missed it. Things happened ― I had no choice."
"Tell that to your father," Akinyemi said, and Diata turned to him, angry.
"Don't bring my father into this!" She snapped, anger brewing behind her eyes.
"He won't even recognize you," Akinyemi continued. "You wear their clothes, speak their tongue, follow their customs. You aren't even Jaheemian anymore." Diata hit him. Her claws left thin scratches down his face, and she smelt the blood as it welled up.
"Get out, Akinyemi," Diata hissed.
"You know it's true, Diata," Akinyemi said, rubbing at the blood at his cheek. "If you aren't Jaheemian, and you aren't these tan people, then who are you? What have you become?"
"Better," She said, her eyes narrowed. "I lived ― I survived. That's all that I need."
"In whose eyes?" Akinyemi demanded. "I can see how Orochimaru changed you. I can see some of him in you, sometimes. Are you still my cousin? Are you still your father's daughter?"
"I am Diata Amari Efe Ekene Chimaka Berta Jaheem!" Diata snapped, sitting up straight. "I will always be Diata! Neither you, nor that Snake can tell me otherwise."
"He doesn't need to," Akinyemi said, moving off of her bed. "You've already told yourself so." Diata glared at her cousin.
"Get out," She growled. Akinyemi heeded her order and walked towards the door.
With a hand on the knob, he said softly enough for her to hear, "I... just want my cousin back." Then, he stepped out of the room.
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The next day, Diata had prepared all of the young children to go to the Hokage's tower, where his funeral will be held. Asuka helped and the older children helped get the younger ones ready. It took a while for all of the children to get dressed and ready, but eventually, they were urging all of them out the door. Diata held the door open as Asuka led the children out. She watched as Akinyemi leaned against the doorway to the kitchen, watching her intently, his dark eyes narrowed and his wolf ears pressed against his head.
Diata glared at him, and turned away, slamming the door shut behind her. Asuka had used a jutsu to keep the pouring rain off of the children, as they walked. She allowed Mei and Na'omi to lead the children as she stayed back and walked beside Diata.
"Is something wrong between you and your cousin?" Diata gritted her sharp teeth, her eyes narrowing at the puddle-ridden streets. "That bad?"
"He is being. . ." Diata paused for a moment, trying to think of the right word. "Asshole." This stunned Asuka for a moment. Then, she belted out a loud laugh, her cheeks flushing with the notion. Diata stared at the woman, shocked. She thought she had the correct term for it.
"That's a swear, Diata-chan," Asuka said, and Diata's eyes widened.
"Oh!" Then she frowned, bitterness seeping through again. "Well. I meant it."
"Why?" She asked, laughing. "What happened between you two?"
Diata chewed her lip, crossing her arms over her chest. "He. . . He believes that I have changed."
"What do you mean?"
"I am different than when I child. When I with him ― when we young. I was. . . different. Now, I am. . . me, he does not like it. He miss the 'old Diata', but I cannot bring 'old Diata' back to make him happy. I also do not want to, I like that I change, but he does not. . . he cannot accept it."
"Akinyemi-san hasn't seen you in, what, two years?" Asuka asked and Diata modded. "He had an image of you in his mind, while you had to adapt to survive when you were with Orochimaru. You can't change that, you can't change who you've become. I don't know what you were like before Orochimaru took you, but Diata, I am proud of the person you are now. I mean," She waved to the children who were splashing in the puddles before them. A few were using their kekkei genkais and making the puddles turn into large animals, or turning them to snow. "These children, they wouldn't have a future without you. You can't take back what happened with Orochimaru, but you can move forward. You can accept what happened, and you can become stronger than him."
Diata watched the children play while Na'omi and Mei scolded them to keep walking. She smiled, "Thank you, Asuka."
"You're welcome, Diata-chan," Asuka smiled and set her hand on Diata's hair. She jumped slightly, and Asuka chuckled, smiling. "Are you going to retake the exams?"
"I do not know," Diata admitted. "It is too soon to say. . ."
"I understand," Asuka nodded. "Let's hurry everyone up ― we're almost there."
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Diata stared stiffly as she stared at the rain-soaked photograph of the Hokage. She kept her face straight and her fists clenched at her sides. Orochimaru had killed this man, this innocent man ― the only man willing to allow her to go home, to give her hope that she could. And, now her only way back to the place she grew up was gone, dead, and to be forgotten.
What would she do? What could she do? How much longer would she have to wait? And, especially now that Akinyemi was here ― he would want to be out of Konoha as soon as possible, but she couldn't do that. Not yet, at least. She still had the cafe, and the children. Business was pretty big before she left for the month, but she didn't think it would last. If she left, what kind of person was she? She promised all these children that she would provide them safety and look at where she was.
Diata couldn't leave them. She couldn't leave these young children who have been exposed to the darker side of humanity too early. They were her responsibility ― they were all her responsibility.
Diata would find a way. She didn't know what would happen next. The Hokage was dead, Konoha was in shambles, Akinyemi was making her angry, and yet she would preserve. Diata was going to live. She would find the light in this darkness.
And she was going to go home, even if she had to walk through hell to get there.
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Heeey I finished the Chunin Exams Arc! I never thought I would get this far, haha! The story isn't over yet, though! Diata's story has a long way to go! I plan on finishing this story as soon as I can. Until then, I can happily tell you that we have moved away from all of the boring stuff and into the fun stuff!
What do you guys think of Akinyemi, by the way? He's an important character in the development of the story, and I personally enjoy him as well. He's pretty much Diata's only lifeline, at the moment. Send me your theories, suggestions, or ideas?
In the next chapter, I'll show a picture of who is playing his character (something I don't usually do, but I have a few good ones in mind ;)).
Until then, I'll see y'all next time, and remember...
Don't melt~!
- Happyritas OOO
