"You see that life will become a thing made of holes. Absences. Losses. Things that were there and are no longer. And you realise, too, that you have to grow around and between the gaps, though you can put your hand out to where things were and feel that tense, shining dullness of the space where the memories are."
~ Helen Macdonald, H is for Hawk
...
Shikamaru will rate the Gaara retrieval mission as the worst mission of his entire career. It goes to hell before his team even gets there, Asuma claims that team 7 is cursed. He scoffs. Maybe there was some merit to that… but realistically he knows that the Uzumaki twins just attract all sorts of trouble. They arrive in a clearing that is smoldering softly, dismantled parts all around the area. Only four of the six present. Shikamaru's brow furrows..
Where are Chiyo and Mitomi? Because the singular redhead in the clearing is not either of the female redheads that he knows. Neji beats him to the punch. Obviously sharing the same train of thought with him. Shikamaru knew that Neji was friends with Mitomi, despite what he would claim.
"Where is Mitomi? Chiyo?" Shikamaru watches as Naruto balls his fist. He instantly doesn't like the implications. Someone is dead, the air is thick. The Nara squares his shoulders, and ignores the concerned look his teammates throw him.
"The Akatsuki took her. Chiyo is… dead." Naruto bites out, like the words physically hurt him to speak. Why were they still sitting around then. Shikamaru wasn't going to waste time standing around while his girlfriend was out there doing something dangerous.
"We believe she may have escaped with Gaara recently." The Suna kunoichi states from her position next to Kakashi. She motions for Sasuke and Naruto to come over to her, handing a black scroll to Naruto. Shikamaru guesses that it must be the body scroll holding Chiyo then. He doesn't like this.
"Your sister will know what is supposed to be done with this." He nods slowly, taking it from her with great care. Kakashi looks at them. It's time to go. The red head stops him from moving with a stern look.
"Your reserves are still low, wait for Haruno-san please. I have a feeling my cousin is going to require a medic." Shikamaru did not like that, he did not like that statement at all. Because he felt that way too… Dread building up in the pit of his stomach.
He had a terrible feeling.
"Asakimi-nee you should stay with Kakashi-sensei, you look like you are about to fall over." Naruto tells the Suna kunoichi. The woman sighs at him but nods.
"That is probably for the best, my stores are rather low too."
Kakashi gives a reluctant sigh, but pulls his headband back over his eyes. Shikamaru is hardly paying attention as Lee goes off on some tangent about how they'll make sure to keep each other safe. Ino rolls her eyes, but she's antsy and ready to go. "Neji look in the direction of the smoke, can you see either Mitomi or Gaara's signatures there?" Neji does as requested.
"There are three signatures in the direction. One unknown. Wait… two new are approaching at great speed." Naruto struts forward. Obviously tired of waiting.
"Let's go!"
Team Asuma lead by Shikamaru and Team Gai lead by Neji don't even hesitate to follow suit.
…
Mitomi touches her cheek, sticky wet substance coating her fingers. Well fuck her. Kurama?
Already on it. It's all I can do now.
I'll try not to die then.
"Gaara, do not get hit by that blade it's coated in poison." Her cheek feels vaguely numb. Gaara nods, taking a defensive stance. Mitomi grabs one of her swords, arms shaking, fuck her body was a mess.
"Hidan… you know you cannot injure the product." Mitomi shudders at his voice.. She fucking hates these two assholes. The seals containing his extra hearts glow faintly under his skin, she counts five. Fuck this.
She has virtually no chakra left to use, Kurama is keeping her alive as he works on burning the poison out of her system. So ninjutsu was out, she has no premade tags or bo shuriken on her. Mitomi curses… this is not an ideal situation.
"They're immortal, the silver haired one has a deal with the son of the god of death and the other has five extra chakra hearts sealed inside his body." She tells Gaara as they jump away to avoid another attack from the scythe. Hidan looks absolutely gleeful.
"You know about Jashin-sama, little bitch?!" Mitomi gives him a positively droll look as she sets Obito's unconscious form by a tree. Even if he wakes up he won't be able to break from her seal.
"I know of lots of gods, and quite frankly your 'Jashin-sama' is the least scary to me." She wasn't afraid of some two bit wannabe deity playing at god. Considering that she's met the shinigami themself, someone pretending to be them doesn't actually scare her. To be frank her death doesn't even scare her.
But Hidan doesn't like hearing that and he aims for the kill again, despite the warning from his partner. Mitomi lacks the proper amount of well anything to dodge at a respectable speed. The three bladed scythe catches her square across the chest.
Just fucking great.
Backup arrives at that moment, Mitomi registers two very raw screams before the scythe is yanked out of her body and she falls forward into a pool of her own blood. The world goes black.
…
Naruto sees red, and for the first time in his life a golden cloak forms over his body. He acts before thinking rasengan whirling to life in his hand. They would feel his pain. All of his life Mitomi has been by his side, had his back, and protected him. Why couldn't he ever do the same for her? She always got hurt. She was sick. He was supposed to protect her… why did he always fail?
Gaara has her blood sprayed across his face as he carries her lifeless body out of the battle zone. Pulse barely there. Ino steps up immediately, "I can keep her alive until Sakura gets here." It's the best she can do, Sakura is the medical mastermind of their generation. Shikamaru is cold, his stare icy and murderous. The shadow around his feet darkens, it promises not nice things.
A motivated Nara is a dangerous creature.
Heads are going to roll.
Mitomi once spent an entire afternoon educating him on every single Akatsuki member… and their weaknesses. She wanted him to know. To be prepared. Shikamaru felt like he already had a personal score to settle with these two from the memories she'd shared with him alone.
"What's the plan Shikamaru?" Naruto asks looking over his shoulder, for once the resemblance between the twins is unmistakable. They both made the same face when people they loved were hurt. A dark expression that promises death to whomever dared inflict pain upon those they loved. It didn't bode well for their enemy.
"Decapitation and arsen, Sasuke think you can burn him to ash? His partner will be trickier… he has five hearts. Neji can you see them, they're basically chakra constructs." Shikamaru quickly dishes out orders. Plan coming together quickly.
They could do this.
Mitomi had made sure they were prepared for all the demons of her past.
"Lee, guard Ino and Mitomi, if the plan goes south your priority is evacuating the wounded. Neji, Naruto and Choji will engage the partner. Sasuke, Gaara, and I will take the other head on,Tenten if you can keep them both on those toes with aerial assaults we should have this in the bag no problem."
They launch their attack.
…
She's so tired.. She's been so tired for such a long time. Can she just rest now? Her whale body feels numb. Never has she experienced death like this. Is she dying? Did she even want to die?
Would she actually get to rest this time?
"She's losing too much blood!"
"Sakura-chan can you save her?"
"She's not dying on my watch."
They sound upset… but it sounds like it's far away. Under a waterfall even. Did she want to die? For so many years of her life she didn't even want to be here. Not again.. Not after losing everything. But does she really want to live?
Life was so hard. Is so tiring. She just wants to rest.
She floats. Her body.. Soul.. drifting aimlessly.
Why is she so cold?
…..beep….beep…..beep….beep…..beep….beep….
"It's likely she can still hear us in this state. Talk to her. It can help."
Someone grabs her hand, warmth, it grounds her. She wants to go towards the warmth. Towards the light. Be wrapped up in the warm embrace. Instead of cold. She's so cold. She doesn't want to be cold anymore.
"Are you sure?" She turns, a being with no face looks through her. She raises her brow at them.
"Don't you ever get tired of chasing me?" They shrug. Bonelessly. A large grin stretching out over their blank face.
"Who says I am chasing you? If anything I feel like you keep chasing me.. Perhaps you do have a death wish." She shakes her head…That wasn't the case anymore.
"I don't want to die. I want to live. To be alive." The being just wave their arm.
"It's going to cost you.. Reattaching your soul to your current incarnation… are you willing to pay the price." She nods. The being waves their other hand, a small white fox appears.
"Very well then. Kurai will lead you back. I do not want to see you here again little soul. Next time I won't be nearly as merciful. I will reap my payment when you are back in your body." The being vanishes, the fox nips at her soul pulling it along carefully. She doesn't look back.
She comes to slowly, eyes dry, itchy, she blinks a few times. Her vision clears and the first thing she sees is the brightest pair of blue eyes. Seriously, she's never seen eyes that bright and blue before. Beautiful.
"Mitomi, you're okay!" The boy sobs pulling her close. She fumbles with her limbs, she doesn't return the hug. He freezes pulling away quickly and carefully. Her eyes meet his, his brow furrows. Confusion pulls at her own expression. There is something familiar about him… but she can't place it.
"Do you know who I am, Mitomi?" She shakes her head…
"Mitomi?" She whispers the name testing it on her own tongue. Something about the name resonates with her. But she can't place it if it is actually her name. The boy looks just as startled as she feels. His name she can't even begin to fathom, what would a boy with such bright eyes and warm aura be named. What was going on here?
Why has she forgotten her name?
"I don't remember… I'm sorry."
XOXOX
Well this doesn't bode well…
Thank you for reading!
Also by the way, I have an Instagram page where I post pictures of Mitomi that I have drawn if anyone is interested! There are a few different character designs there of her lol.
~LaRae
