A Fearful Smile
Duane entered the Hokage office and smiled at Orochimaru.
"Duane, how has Lady Eve been?" It had been two days since the attack from Uzumaki Setsuko. Duane gave the pale man a tired smile.
"Lady Eve is still resting. It was quiet a strain on her during the attack. However, Adonis says that she should be fine in another day or two." Orochimaru nodded, pleased. Caelestis and Noam had rushed her home as soon as possible. Orochimaru could not go and see her because of the duties he had and fixing the wreck Setsuko had left. Adonis had sent word that Lady Eve needed to rest for a few days, it appeared that she had collapsed several times. She was too weak from the ordeal.
"That is good. I worried for her health." Duane smiled again in agreement.
"Yes. We were all worried. But it seems luck is on our side. Lady Eve will be perfectly fine by the time the wedding takes place." Orochimaru smiled, unaware of the double meaning.
Adonis shook his head as he took her pulse. Lady Eve laid in her bed, only now having recovered her normal skin tone.
"You're fine. I still don't understand why you wanted to have Duane say a few more days of rest." She was silent, lost in her thought with dull eyes staring off into space.
". . . I have unfinished . . . business." Adonis looked at her startled for a moment before sighing and looking down.
". . . I heard about what was said in the attack. I still don't want to believe you'll really . . ." He trailed off.
"In order for the stress on my body to be kept to a minimum I must keep the stress on my mind at a minimum. Whatever stress my mind can't take is transferred to my body. I cannot use it to the full extent as I am now." Adonis had a sad look in his eyes as he stared at her.
". . . you aren't going to . . ." Eve nodded.
"I have to try. One last time before I can truly say goodbye." Adonis sifted his stare to the ground before speaking.
"You need to 'stay' here, I will watch over you." Eve let her head fall back into her pillow with a faint smile on her face.
Kakashi had always liked his privacy. Hence the mask. He didn't like people getting into his personal business. Heck, no one really knew where he lived. He liked it that way. No one trying to break down his door, demanding a fight. No one could hunt him down when he was late. He didn't even bother with mailmen. He just had one of those metal lockers in the village for people to put his mail. It was nice that way. No one disturbed him when he was home. It was a getaway from all that annoyances of life. So imagine his surprise when he saw Uzumaki Setsuko. Sitting on his steps. He stared in disbelief as Setsuko sat on his steps with her one leg tucked under her body and her arm wrapped around a knee she had pulled close to her body. Perched on her hand as she stroked its feathers was a raven. She was humming a slow gentle and sad melody. Her cheek rested against her knee as sung to the bird. After a few minutes. Before Kakashi made his presence known, her song stopped and she spoke.
"Are you going to watch a certifiable manic such as myself hum to a bird all day? Or are you going to go into your house, like you originally planned?" Kakashi stood there, shocked. She knew he was there? He was a jounin, taught by the fourth. He was well known. He was a former ANBU and she had known he was there. Kakashi knew she didn't have any real formal ninja training. She wasn't allowed to receive any at her village and she slaughtered all those she saw. There was no way she could have been taught at a level where she could sense him before he let himself be known. ". . . I stink at sensing people. But the wind told me. It always tells me. It will always tell me. It will tell me because it can. Because I am the only one that can hear it." She stared into the bird's eyes. "That is the way of a speaker. They can hear their element. In the dead of the night, their element can wake them by screaming in their ears. Just so the element can talk. Can survive. It doesn't matter if they're safe. As long as the element 'thinks' it is necessary for them to tell them something." She looked at the ground as her memories overwhelmed her.
"Why are you here?" Setsuko looked back at the raven and began to stroke its feathers again.
". . . because a dark shadow loomed over Konoha. A cancer has been spreading. Seeping into the hearts of everyone."
"That's not what I meant. Why are you here?" She held the hand with the bird away from her and it flew off. Her eyes closed for a moment before she opened them. Her eyes reached his, causing him to pause for a moment. When she had fought him . . . there was an uncontrollable rage and hatred in her eyes. Now her eyes held sorrow. A deep sorrow that nearly drowned him. Her ruby eyes possessed a level of despair that he couldn't deal with. Kakashi forced himself to look away.
"The wind can scream so loud. It sees all and knows all. It sends me visions of death and destruction. Betrayal. Rape. Murder. The past. The present. Even the future. It will drive these visions into my head. If I sleep, it does not bother to wake me. Just forces the images into my head. I wake up in a cold sweat, sometimes screaming. This is all because of something that was out of my hands to begin with."
"Bloodless Ninja, why are you here?!" Her eyes hardened as she stood up suddenly.
"To see how far this cancer has spread." She hissed in anger. She closed her eyes and turned away. After calming herself she looked back at Kakashi. "I've never had control. Never the power to rule my own life. But I can give others that power. Hatake Kakashi . . . I put this in your hands. Look deep into your heart. If you truly wish for my death, then tell me. And Uzumaki Setsuko will die." Kakashi stared at her, wondering what she meant. His mind told him not to trust her. Yet . . . something about her. Something screamed at him to hold her close and never let her get away. But that part was ignored. His mind forced to chose what was best for Konoha. His emotions were ignored. There was something that overpowered his senses. His next words came out of their own accord.
"Then Uzumaki Setsuko dies. That is what's best for the world."
"Who was it?" Adonis looked back to see Caelestis. Lady Eve was sleeping in her bed and he sat beside the bed, watching over her.
"Neither will tell me. I can tell it hurts them both." Caelestis was quiet, sorting her thoughts.
"Nothing?" Adonis sighed and looked back at Eve.
"She said it was a fool that should have stayed dead." Caelestis nodded as she scanned over Eve. Her eyes turned to Adonis once more.
"There is something wrong. Shouldn't she be fine." Adonis let silence fill the air before he answered.
"She had business to attend to."
Duane felt a sharp stabbing pain in his chest. His throat seemed to knot as he forced down the tears. He was in his room, reading. He could feel the tears brim at his eyes as his throat felt as though it had closed up. His heart tightened and fear clamped down on his soul. Something had happened.
"What's wrong?" Noam stared at Duane as tears rolled down his cheeks.
"S . . . something has happened . . ." Noam tilted his head to the side.
"What?" Duane's eyes went wide as he felt his heart being torn at.
". . . there has been a major disturbance. I can feel a shift in the air." Noam stared at him, confused.
"How?"
"My teacher taught . . . dear god no." Realizations dawned on him, causing the fears to flood his mind with a memory he wished never existed.
He watched as her crimes were listed off to a judge. Her head was bowed as her eyes lost any life. Blood was still stained her skin from . . . it. The judge of the small village spoke, but he didn't hear it. The all eyes were on Setsuko. Her chin length hair, soaked red, stopped anyone from seeing her face. The judge spoke again, the words finally being heard by him.
"Uzumaki Setsuko, Bloodless Ninja, you are charged with the murder of one ninja village, 48 sand-nin, 78 rain-nin, 100 hunter-nin, 40 mist-nin, atleast four hundred unknown ninja, twenty missing-nin, and countless civilians." He took a breath before speaking again. "And that is that we know of. Is there anything you would like to say before trial begins?" She was silent before answering.
"If humans don't want me, then why did they create me?" She asked quietly, almost innocently. "I never asked for this. I never wanted any of this. What did I ever do to humans? Was just being born enough?"
"Young lady, and I use that term loosely, you were not created by humans. You were born and chose this path. Now you must suffer for all the pain you have caused." He waited for a response but a cold laughter filled the air. "Is there something funny?" He could see a smile form on her face. She slowly lifted her head up.
"Yes, you miss counted. It was two villages." He felt his heart stop as his teacher broke the metal chains that binded her and easily snap the necks of her guards. People began to scream as her blood shot out and began to slaughter everyone. Setsuko began to laugh wickedly, her body shaking from it. He watched in horror as his teacher turned from the judge and he caught a good look at her. Her eyes lost in madness and her smile . . . . oh god that smile. A cruel and sadistic smile. A smile that sent her students uncontrollable fear. She had no compassion. No remorse. She no longer valued life and she was more than happy to take the ones that got in her way. His body froze as she walked by him. His mind finally found the answer. All those other times . . . when she lost control . . . they were not the true forms of the Bloodless Ninja. What she was right now . . . that was the true form. The other times were contained and far more controlled. She had not truly given in to her dark nature. But now . . . . now she had.
