JOURNAL ENTRY 4: IN THE HEADQUARTERS
"… I'll save you…"
That was the first word that appeared in my mind. I opened my eyes right into the moment I felt the air around me. I slowly lift my upper extremities and sat in the bed. I suddenly felt a tinge of pain in my head. I noticed that I was in a room I was not familiar with.
It was a simple room. It was painted in light apple green. Nice color, I thought. I turned my head. The bed was just beside the window, and it was overlooking in a lake. There's a table near the door, and a vanity table at the right side of the room. There's really nothing grandeur about the place. It was certainly an ordinary room. I noticed that the cabinets were dusty. The room maybe used very rarely. I decided to sit at the edge of the bed. I noticed a large mirror standing near the bed.
I looked at the girl in the mirror. She was wearing a black pedal pushers and a revealing shirt (it actually shows the shoulders). She had a bandage around her right arm. She was blinking. I noticed her eyes were swollen, but they were beautiful… yet, hopeless. I suddenly yelped.
"Am I wearing a different dress?"
I stood up the minute I realized that I was wearing a different dress. I wasn't wearing pedal pushers before, but a skirt! And, not this revealing shirt, but just a plain simple shirt! Who change my clothes? What was going on?
I looked into the mirror, and noticed that the clothes fitted exactly to me. It looked so gorgeous to me. I turned around to see myself more. But, I stopped when I saw Itachi standing in the door.
Now, I remembered. I fainted. I was all dirty and messy. I was shivering in horror and pain, before I lost consciousness. And, I was in the middle of the forest with him… with Uchiha Itachi. I was kidnapped and confused on all the events that happened that day. That voice, that loud, lousy voice of a teenage ninja…
He'll save me… he said.
Stupid. Save me from what? He was totally a jerk. He was really young and too innocent to understand this kind of things. Can't help it. He was just a kid.
Just a kid… He was so brave to say those strong words…
It was late afternoon. I noticed the sun setting as it reflected its orange rays in the lake. It was a beautiful scene. It was tranquil. I sighed.
"You're already awake. You must be hungry by now."
Itachi approached me indifferently. I noticed a bandage wrapped around his arms. The stains of the blood were still there. The wounds were still fresh. I was thinking of touching those arms. But, it would be the densest idea to do that.
"How long am I sleeping?" I asked.
"About a couple of hours." He said impersonally.
"Okey."
I faced the mirror. I found myself looking vulnerably at the reflection. There was me, standing in front of it. And, at my back is the reflection of the one who kidnapped me and probably the one who I should blame in all these confusions in my head, Uchiha Itachi. He was standing there, looking at the mirror undemonstratively. I examined his reflection very thoroughly. He had girl-like features. The typical boy-next-door look, as everyone said. I looked deeply in his eyes. They were so shadowy. They were so attractive… very attractive. Those eyes, which have seen a lot of bloodsheds and corpses, an instrument of ultimate misdeeds and death. How could these eyes probably survive such scenes of bereavement?
"What are you looking at?" he asked suddenly.
"Nothing. Just my dress."
"It is exactly fits you."
"Yeah."
"Your old clothes are been thrown to the lake. You don't need them."
"Uhm… can I know who change my clothes anyway?"
Itachi sat at the edge of the bed. He looked at me sideways. I decided to stand in front of him. I noticed I wasn't wearing anything as my footwear. I suddenly saw a pair of sandals. So, I sat in the bed and decided to wear them.
"You want to know who change your clothes?" he asked again.
"Of course!" I screeched.
"I did."
"You did… change… YOU WHAT?" My eyes widened in surprise.
"I changed your clothes."
"You. Just. Changed. My. Clothes! Meaning… you saw it?"
"Saw what?"
"My… body… you… saw it…"
"Yeah. So, what?"
"What 'so what'? I'm a girl! And… that's…"
I turned away from him. I did it so he could not see that my cheeks were now glowing in red. I was extremely surprised. I wanted to faint. He was the one who changed my clothes! This was so embarrassing!
"You're blushing." He said, as he grabbed my left arm so I can turn to him.
"No, I'm not."
"Then, why are your cheeks glowing in red?"
I didn't answered. I bowed down so he could not see my expression. I was about to cry. I never thought that the one who kidnapped me would be the first one to see me… naked! He kidnapped me, and then anything could happen. I was about to cry, not because of despair but of embarrassment.
"Don't worry. I didn't do anything to you. Nobody is available to change your clothes, so I volunteered to do it. Also, I'll be your guardian."
Those words assured me. I took in a deep breath. I finally looked at him, with a puppy look in my eyes. I looked sideways and bit my lower lip.
"Ah… guardian… I don't get it."
"Surely, ANBUs will be looking now for you. Of course, I'll be the one to guard you from them. You are now an Akatsuki property."
Property. That word sent shivers to my spine. Once again, I was a property. But now, I was a possession of an organization, an assassin organization. This was the thing I was born at.
We suddenly heard someone knocking at the door. Itachi stood up and told to me.
"Just sit here, and don't go anywhere. Or else, I'll kill you myself."
He walked to the door and slowly opened it. A girl appeared in the doorsteps. She was beautiful. She had a long green hair with dark blue eyes. She was wearing a typical ninja suit, except that she was wearing boots rather than sandals.
"Itachi, Master wants to talk to you. Is she already awake?"
"Yeah. What does he want?"
"I don't know. Maybe he'll ask you about what happen."
"I'll go."
Itachi looked at me with a stern look. He gave me a faint smile.
"You stay here. I'll be back."
"You don't need to worry," said the girl. "That's why I'm here. Master requested me to look after her while you are talking to him."
"Thanks. Be sure she's still breathing when I get back, or else…"
"Yeah… yeah… yeah… Go on. I can handle her."
Itachi looked at me the last time. He pointed his index finger to me, as if he was reminding me not to go elsewhere. He was stupid. I can't go anywhere, for I don't know where to go.
The girl closed the door gently. She walked around the room, and sat at the chair of the vanity table. She looked at me. Her eyes looked up and down.
"There's really nothing special on how you look. You're just angelic and beautiful. I still don't get it why Master wants you to be here." She remarked.
"I also don't get it too."
"You amused me. Our prisoners usually cried for mercy in front of us and begged to be spare. And, here you are… so calm and so collected. Why? Do you expect anyone to rescue you?"
"No one."
"Then why are you so calm?"
"Sooner or later, I'll be dead. And, I'm happy to know that."
"Oh… such strong words. Want to end your life?"
"It already ended. It was just my body who was living."
"Hmm… much deeper than I expected. Anyway, I'm Keiko, and your name must be… Subaru! Right?"
"Yes."
"Chill out, girl. You're too serious."
She stopped speaking when the door opened. Itachi came back. He was carrying a tray of food. He signaled Keiko to get out of the room.
"Oh well… Subaru. I guess this is the end of our nice chitchat. Hope to see you using your bloodline."
"If you can convince me."
She bid goodbye. Then, went to Itachi's direction and said.
"She's totally a gloomy person. What's gotten on her?"
"None of my business."
"Yeah! Since when did Itachi care about others?"
"Just go out before I beat you up."
"Fine!"
Keiko bid a wave at me before she closed the door. I gave her a faint smile. I was quite amused talking with her. She's just like a typical girl full of curiosity about one's life. Seems like meddling someone's privacy. A rumormonger, that's the right word. I gazed to Itachi while he's preparing the food in the table. I suddenly felt lonely.
Since when did I become so happy? When? All my life was in pain, and I was born with it. Pain and despair are my best friends. Pain can never put away his eyes on me. And despair? My only comfort pillow I can cling with. Nothing left but pain and hopelessness. My soul was already empty and my heart was already dead. I've become so numb to everything that surrounds me. And now, I should be used to it. I was with the most uncompassionate human beings. Ninjas. I hate them deep in my heart.
…For all they know is to kill human beings…
My thoughts were disturbed by Itachi's cough. He meant it. Maybe because, he was calling my attention and I was not driven by it. I was about to speak when he spoke.
"You should eat. You'll be joining with me at the dinner with Master. He wants to meet you."
I stood up from the bed and approached him. I shrugged. I looked at the food, and there were the most delicious food I ever saw in my life. I suddenly remembered my mom's home cooking. They were also delicious…
"Thank you." I told him.
He assisted me to take a seat. I breathed deeply. I was about to take the chopsticks when I noticed he was looking at me.
"Now what? Are you going to watch me as I eat?"
He shrugged.
I picked up the chopsticks and chose the first viand I will eat. I chose sashimi because it was my favorite. I opened my mouth slowly and chewed it thoroughly.
"How was it?" he asked.
"Fine. It was edible."
"Hmm… seems like they've changed the chef."
"Yeah. They've changed the chef… a chef expert in putting poison on his foods without anyone noticing."
"You'll be staying here in our headquarters. If I have any missions, you'll be coming with me. Or, Kisame will be taking care of you. You are free to wander around. But, you have to ask my permission. Understood?"
I was so busy eating the food. It was so delicious. I was thinking that this might be the last food of my life. Any minute, I'll be choking and poisoned. End of Ichikawa Subaru… I wickedly grinned, then a snap suddenly brought me back.
"Are you listening, Subaru?" Itachi asked exasperately.
"Ah… yeah… I am."
"Make sure you are. Or else, I'll cut your ears of."
That was my first day at Akatsuki headquarters. It was dreadful. The house was surrounded by ninjas vigilantly guarding the area. They were so sensitive in every movement and every sound they could hear or feel. I felt like I was in high-sensitive building with complete latest set of security gadgets. I was an expected visitor, that's what I observed. I just heard from the ninjas outside the window that Uchiha Itachi is the best Akatsuki member.
Best. Meaning, I can't escape his protection. He was my assigned guardian. They've gave me their best member to kidnap me and at the same time, look after me.
And, the worst thing was… I don't know what am I suppose to do or, why I was here…
I was completely clueless…
A/N: Chapter 4 is done! I hope you like it. Thanks for reading it. I just finished my assignment in Literature and so much inspired to write so I create this chapter that easily. Please Review! Review… review… and, thanks to CoolRiku and AznNarutoGrl-91. Arigato! I'm out of here. Have a nice day!
