Wincing, Mori brought a hand to her chest. The bandage was still there and the fabric itched like mad. The wound had begun to heal and it protested whenever she moved quickly.
Iruka had made sure she stayed put in his apartment and as sweet as the behaviour was, Mori was beginning to go insane. She paced endlessly around the apartment, cleaning and tidying until everything was spotless. She would stare out the window at the street below, gazing at the people restlessly.
One particular afternoon Mori laid on Iruka's bed, muscles tense. She needed to be out! Mori bit her lip as her mind and body debated hotly against each other. She flung an arm over her eyes with a groan. She promised Iruka she would stay put until everything had calmed down in the village. Letting out a small growl, Mori eased herself off the bed. She would go out for only a couple minutes and make sure no one saw her. Mori needed to feel the breeze on her skin. She hastily walked to the door and opened the door before peaking out, blinking against the afternoon sun. Looking around, she stepped out and sighed in relief as a cool breeze swept across her skin. It put her mind at ease as she heard the laughing of children, birds crying in the sky, and the wind blowing through the trees. Her feet took on a mind of their own and before she knew it, Mori was walking through the street.
'No! Go back!' Mori's mind cried out, but her body wouldn't listen.
A sudden rumble caught her attention, and Mori jumped to the side as the ground in front of her exploded. She skidded to a stop as smoke filled the air. Letting out a cough, Mori struggled to her feet as footsteps approached her. She blinked against the dust when a Jonin approached her. She didn't recognize him, but his eyes were hard and filled with hate as he stared at Mori.
"You! You're the thing who took the life of my friend!" he shouted and Mori's eyes widened.
"But...it wasn't me! It was an elderly man who made me do it. Please, I didn't mean to do it on purpose" Mori said weakly.
"Liar! You killed him in cold blood!" the Jonin screamed, his hands moving in a quick series of hand signs.
Mori struggled to her feet as the ground in front of her exploded again, sending her flying into the side of a building. She cried out as the impact caused her breath to whoosh out of her lungs. Blood gushed from her chest wound and she could feel it dripping down the back of her neck. Her vision flickered in and out as the Jonin walked up to her.
"You're going to pay for what you did" he sneered before some members of the ANBU appeared.
They grabbed Mori by the arms and hauled her up. Her eyelids flickered open as she was dragged to the interrogation building. She willed her feet tried to catch up, but her bones and muscles didn't seem to want to cooperate. Her chest wound flared to life, and a breathy whimper squeezed out from past her lips. Words floated around her muddled brain, and Mori weakly lifted her head. Blurry images of people standing in front of her, and Mori squeezed her eyes shut before opening them again. The bright lights on the ceiling swirled in her vision and caused a pounding in her temples. Her head hung back down as they began dragging her again, this time down some darker hallways.
'Why did I ever leave the apartment?' she thought as the ANBU took her into a quiet room.
Her heartbeat echoed in her ears as they brought her to a large metal contraption that resembled a large egg. They strapped her in and closed the top portion across her chest, leaving her head to hang loose. Mori could feel the blood dripping from her wounds as she waited for what was to come next. Footsteps appeared, and Mori felt her gut clench. Her head lifted weakly, and her dazed eyes blinked slowly. Her temples were beginning to pound more fiercely, and her body trembled. More voices echoed around her, but her muddled brain couldn't make out the words. A cool hand was placed on top of her head, and her eyelids fluttered shut.
"We're all set" an older male voice said in front of Mori.
The hand lifted and she felt a tugging sensation around the top of her head. Mori twitched as she realized that the man who came in was going to check her memories. Her eyebrows furrowed as flashes of memories came up one right after the other.
Her mother and father nudging her and her brother close together as a cold wind blew.
Her mother picking her up by the scruff when she and Hideo were tussling.
Mori racing out of the den and almost being killed by the strange man.
Mori meeting Kakashi for the first time that stormy night.
Mori battling against the demonic fox and meeting Iruka for the first time.
Orochimaru and his ninja attacking their pack and killing her father and the majority of the pack.
Her time in those cells and escaping.
Meeting the genin and battling against her brother.
Iruka.
Iruka.
Iruka.
The elderly man and the burning, twisting and piercing pain.
Waking up to Iruka caring for her.
A feeling of defeat and sadness overwhelmed Mori as the man took a step back. A stray tear escaped and rolled down her cheek and she heard an intake of breath as the man digested what he saw.
"I'm done here. This woman poses no threat to us. She's been through a lot, the poor girl" he said sadly, blue eyes looking at the young woman in front of him.
His partner nodded and gazed at the young woman before turning away, his long coat swishing against the floor. The man watched his partner leave before sighing and turning back to the tattered and barely conscious woman.
She needed a medical attention and somewhere warm, not here in the cold and intimidating room. He removed the metal surrounding her torso and unstrapped her. His blue eyes narrowed when he felt her shivering against him. Blood coated the front and back of her shirt, and he gingerly lifted her in his arms before walking outside, intent on bringing her in to get some medical attention.
