Chapter 8: The Mirror of the Mind
The sun was going down a sullen red, the last rays of warmth passing over Kintsugi's body as she rested beneath the hollow she had created from an old birch tree.
She felt no connection to it, any resemblance it had to the ones in the Earth Kingdom were meaningless without the life she felt in them when she was in her world. The villager's world.
It was small, but it only needed to fit her. With a thin layer of dirt and brush for cover, she closed her eyes to sleep.
She had managed to dig herself a home with a move of her hand a few miles off from the Hyuuga clan's side entrance and was now grabbing her sides as she laughed silently. She knew she was taunting them. But it was a closer walk to the BBQ than any other entrance. If they only looked, perhaps they could find.
It wasn't long until the fun had died down when she started to frown.
The sun was out of sight, but it was on the nights she camped, as the sun came down, that she wished she could see or sense more than just the difference between light and dark.
It was on the nights she camped, that she remembered the City of Gao Ling.
"Turn around!" a person in the crowd yelled at her as violent hands reached for her own.
She was scared and she was lonely. She was far from anyone she knew.
Rough hands wrapped cords around her wrists, the stray frays stinging her skin as she walked forward in panicked silence. Rashaan had told her to stay in bed, but she hadn't listened.
She had wanted to practice blood bending with her eel hound and with practice she had begun to sense things around her. She just wanted to see.
That desire had brought her to where she was now. Squished among a crowd and yet so alone on a lovely night in Gao Ling.
"But...but, you told me you could help me get better," warm tears ran down her face as she spoke.
"Eh?! Help you? We've been watching you, you know," A woman's voice rang out.
"Yeah! We've seen you controlling all those eel hounds."
"You're no Avatar, you're a monster!"
She felt pain on her cheek, though she wasn't sure if it was from the salt in her tears covering the wounds she had from practice that morning or the slap she had received from one of the villagers.
She turned in the direction of the voices, so many voices all yelling, all crying, all scared, of her. She hadn't hurt anyone and yet they were afraid. She felt it in their spirits.
They had seen her at the temple. Each night observing, disgusted with her and at what she could do.
"I...I won't hurt anyone," she spoke brokenly.
"You can't trick us. Them eel hounds ain't the only ones you've been controlling," an older man's voice accused, "we've seen ya mess wit' em' monks too."
She paused.
They were going to hurt her. It didn't matter what she had said or would say. They only cared about the bending. They only ever cared about the bending.
"...I'm not going to hurt you," she said silently to herself.
Her ankles were now shackled. Her hands had been tied and she was being led to what she could only assume was a long way down.
She wanted to stop walking but it was as if she needed to keep going forward.
With each step forward she saw Itachi's face, sensing his eyes with such detail and such worry etched in his brows.
"Be careful...," he said.
She took in the sight of him as she began to fall, her voice ringing out in a laugh all the way down.
Wiping the lingering sweat of the previous night's sad, sick dream, she breathed in the air of the charred meat burning before her.
She smelled like wet dirt and burnt food. Though she could always just waterbend herself a shower.
That would be nice.
She had been waiting for a while now in a booth upstairs by the window, visible to anyone who might happen to pass by.
"You have to go! You have to run away!"
Kintsugi turned left to stare at the small disheveled child before her. She sensed her so clearly.
"Run...from who?"
"From me."
The small, bald girl lifted her hands towards her, scratches running down her arms and blood dripping from the tips of her fingers, staining the floor.
Kintsugi blinked, but the girl was still there.
"Yo, sorry I'm late. A black cat crossed my path, so I had to go the long way."
Kakashi stopped short from the table thinking she had seen him. But she didn't respond. He stared at her as she muttered and lifted her hands swiping at whatever it was that had caught her attention.
"You can sit down," she said roughly.
"Hmmm."
Kakashi slid into the seat across from her looking closer at who had been the cause of his unfortunate predicament the previous day.
"You wanted to meet with me?"
Kintsugi lifted her hand to flip the burning meat as Kakashi looked on.
Dry hands, he thought.
"Do you ne-"
"No."
"Okay."
"Doesn't that hurt?"
"What?"
"Just using your hand like that."
She lifted her face making sure to look at where his eyes would be.
"You didn't come alone. I told you to come alone."
"Oh. I hope you don't mind," Kakashi's mouth twitched.
"So...where were you when this all happened?"
"Where was I? ...that's a very good question."
He wasn't getting anywhere.
"You know, I wouldn't have lasted very long that day. Against them, the Akatsuki, and neither would have you," she grimaced as she munched on the burnt meat, small, black pieces sticking to the edges of her mouth. "Let's just say you're my surety. "
"So, you were helping?" He lifted his hand, red scratches from his flight still quite visible.
"Do I strike you as a professional criminal?" She said as she faked a smile.
"That's what would make you so good at it. And what's this about being a surety?"
Wiping her mouth with a napkin, she continued.
"There are approximately two locations in this village that contain precious metals. Now, in order for me to have access to these locations, I need a voucher, seeing as I've just arrived."
"As far as I'm aware, only the Land of Mines or the Iron Temple contains a heavy concentration of precious metals. I'm not sure where you got this information but Konoha wouldn't be the most logical place to start a mining business if that's what you're getting at."
"I assure you," a fine line appeared between her brows, "Konoha has what I'm looking for."
"Sounds nice, but I'm not available."
She paused, sensing movement from below.
"I wonder which will get you killed faster. Your loyalty or your stubbornness. Remember who helped you out. I heard the news about your previous Hokage," she stood as she spoke, "the damages Konoha has also been facing."
Kakashi tightened his jaw.
"Konoha could use the money. And if I get out of line, you can always just kill me," she tipped her head, sloppily cut hair covering her eyes as she spoke in a low voice.
"Hatake-shi. Who do you visit each morning?" she whispered.
Her eyes were glossy as she stared at his own wide eyes, the edges of his sight growing dimmer.
Sedation, he thought, not again.
He had finally woken up, his head throbbing from having slammed his head against the table after Kintsugi had left.
Sighing, he scratched his forehead taking with it a small note.
Thanks for the meal.
He smirked. He should probably be worried, but the moment was just too humorous.
Walking down the stairs, he left money on the table.
She burnt it and didn't even eat most of it.
"Kakashi! How did it go? Where is she?" Asuma lifted his head to see if she was coming down the stairs with him.
"Let's just say, that's not how I planned it, but it's turning out better than I'd hoped, so let's just leave it and play it out."
He would figure something out tomorrow. There were too many things about that conversation making him question what he was about to do next.
For now, he needed to rest.
She wasn't that bad despite what she showed herself to be.
If you don't terrify people a little bit, then what's the point, right?
A/N: Late. Yes. Work. Yes.
