The Pulse Of A Dragon Chapter 4

It had happened overnight. No dramatic event, no explanation, no tear-filled farewell, nothing. He was well the night before, debatably the healthiest he had been in months. A slight uptick followed by sudden rock bottom. Yasu understood death as a final goodbye, yet irony struck down the motion and hardly allowed her a final 'sleep well'.

She was eight years old when it happened, eight years old when she was offered the weight of the world and told to do something with it. Needless to say, she hardly knew the significance of how she chose to continue. To be frank, she never would fully understand.

But not understanding was hardly the excuse for inaction, this she at least knew even in her young age.

She was going to die soon. Days passed with the lifeless carcass lying untouched in its bed; eye sockets are drawn into the skull, skin turning a pasty yellow. At least there were no bugs for the smell to attract, at least not yet. If for no other reason than the inability to stand within ten feet of the body, Yasu had to leave. But to where?

She could count the number of times she had been outside on one hand. She could count the number of times she had been without her father's guidance on a single finger. She could calculate her likelihood of survival in her head rather easily. It was zero. On the bright side, it wasn't like she could get herself into any worse of a situation. Maybe.

There wasn't a lot to pack during her quickened departure. A couple of coloring books, a crayon or two. No food or water, as if that were even an option. Her books? No, they were much too heavy for her small arms. Her youthful sentimentality craved for something, a memento of which to remember the life she was leaving behind. The poorly colored cartoons hardly filled that void.

That was the first and last time she mustered the strength to approach her father's lifeless form. Mustering her courage and clamping her nose shut with her fingers, Yasu was able to give the body a once over.

The body did not look like it was asleep, and Yasu knew better than to expect any kind of reaction. It looked horrid, hardly recognizable as her father. The stench was almost visible and the features she had grown to love were now all but dissipated. It was a less than glamorous final look, one that the father surely cursed from the afterlife. But he continued to wear a necklace, the one thing that remained unchanged.

The head was too heavy to move directly, and the hair follicles ripped from his scalp when Yasu tried to pull on them. She wished she was stronger, or that her father didn't have such a fat neck. She just needed an inch with which she could remove the keepsake from her father's collar and place it around her own.

When Yasu touched the skin, it was surprisingly warm. Yellow and disgusting sure, but warm. Warmer than she was, that much at least. His skin was soft, almost collapsing under the soft caress of his daughter's touch. If she put a little more effort into it…

She pushed upon his neck, right above where his Adam's apple would have been, with as much force as she could muster in her tiny form. She dug into his throat. Sharp nails easily pierce the soft skin, bone crumbling away into dust. A singular crack for the head to fall into a suspended stasis.

She found herself able to keep eye contact with the decapitated body much longer than she would have thought. Was it disgusting? Yes. Did she want to look away? Of course. But she owed it to him to glorify his form at this moment, fully take in the act that she had just committed. He deserved better than an amateur beheading, but that was all Yasu could provide.

She was able to pull the heirloom from the remnants of his collar. It smelled like him, disgusting enough to bring a person to sickness. And that's just what happened.

Bile pierced through her esophagus before she could stop it, yet just capable of turning her head to the side. Dribbles of wetness landed on her father's forehand, but the majority of the liquid landed on the hard floor with a splat. When her body was empty she retreated ten feet, the safest distance away.

She didn't take a second look, nor did she want to. The damage had been done. The image of her father's lifeless, suspended head would be the only memory she would keep of her father. The only image of him she was able to recollect inside her head.

It was when she stepped into the cold rain that she realized she didn't have any spare clothes.

"What's with her? The old hag needs to learn some manners."

Fuming down the side street with her head lowered, somehow managing to ignore the plentiful array of strange looks sent her way. Yasu was unreasonably angry and was deciding to take it out on Tenten and Shikamaru, much to their dismay. They matched her pace as best they could, following behind Yasu as she sputtered insult upon insult towards their Hokage. Someone with greater fealty than them would have surely been offended by now.

"To be frank, she had a point." Shikamaru relented with a sigh, "We did just randomly steal someone and bring them back to the village without any kind of heads up."

"Cause that's all I am to you guys, a product." She spat, kicking up dirt, "At least the Shonin acted like I was worth something. To you guys, I'm collateral."

"Until you prove yourself, at least." Tenten chimed hopefully.

"And how do I do that?" Turning on her heels to address the two, they finally noticed that it wasn't just anger that plastered her face. A sadness, a wanting for something that neither of them could pinpoint.

"Do you know any jutsu?"

"Kind of. I can make shadow clones, that's about it." Finally lessening her hostility, Yasu piped up.

"That promising, clearly you have decent chakra control. But that's nowhere near enough to be useful as a ninja." Shikamaru was deadpan, unknowingly destroying Yasu's wish before it could fully form. Tenten wanted to slap him. Now wasn't the time to be so strict.

"Whelp, there's that then. If I can't be a ninja, I must be useless." Yasu turned away again after throwing her hands up in defeat and shouting the sarcastic remark, "Just take me back to the Shonin already."

"I'd never do that. Even if Tsunade ordered."

Shikamaru's back straightened and the two listeners were both surprised by the sudden tonal shift in his speech. He was dead serious about this. The fidelity made Yasu squirm.

"Why?" A simple question in response to the declaration, a clarification of sorts. "I haven't told you guys anything about my past or why I was even there in the first place."

"Doesn't matter," Shikamaru spoke this as plain fact without a semblance of doubt. "We didn't force you to come with us. You could, and still can go back whenever you want. There has to be a reason you haven't yet, and I don't think forcing you to tell us that reason is going to change anything."

The speech was sweet to her ears, and it had been years since she felt such confidence emanating towards her, but he couldn't have been more wrong. The reason would have changed a lot of things. But he had a point, and that point was that she didn't want to go back no matter what she might say to the contrary.

"There's no reason to worry about any of that now." Tenten reeled the conversation back into the real world. Placing full assurance in someone was sweet and all, but it didn't solve any of the looming question marks they still had to solve. "Tsunade kind of dumped you on us, so it's our job to make sure you don't hurt anyone or wind up homeless."

"Well, that's sweet." Yasu deadpanned. "Thanks for caring, I guess."

"I'm the whole reason you're here." Shikamaru grimaced at the thought of the exponentially growing amount of effort he was having to put into this woman. Hinata and Kiba could have taken some responsibility themselves, but they were apparently content to dump the responsibility on their 'leader'. He expected as much from Kiba, but Hinata's complacency was more than a bit surprising.

"Again, there's no reason to worry about any of that. First things first, we need to get Yasu out of those clothes." Tenten was firmer in how she spoke this time around, clearly indicating to Shikamaru as best she could without outright saying that he needed to lay off. He shook his head but took the hint. "No matter how expensive they look, they don't exactly fit in around here. I don't mean to be rude, but they don't exactly smell nice either."

Yasu wasn't normally one to care about something as benign as what Tenten was describing, but the secondhand embarrassment was enough to make her blush. She looked just as she felt, out of place. Yasu had been wearing the outfit now for God knows how long, and even with being used to the scent she admitted that the occasional waft gave her a sour look in response. Tenten looked deeply into her eyes.

"You don't owe this village anything just because Shikamaru decided to save someone who looked like they were in trouble. Any ninja worth anything would have done the same thing. And you don't need to be a ninja to be worth something." Tenten spoke softly yet firm in her reassurance, "Even if you don't want to be 'useful' to us, that's totally fine. We can set you up to live as comfortably as you can here, live a normal life. Well… as normal as the Hokage will allow, that is."

What was normal?

The meaning behind Tenten's speech was not lost on Yasu, and the implication itself was enough for her to nod in feigned relief. The actual substance was what created a pit in her stomach. What was normal? Anything she had ever considered normal so far in her life turned out to be far from it; what then made this any different?

She didn't want normal. She had always been surrounded by chaos and confusion; it was what she felt most used to. It was what she needed. But this wasn't a desire Yasu could adequately put into words and ask of her companions. They only wanted what was best for her, even if she didn't want it.

"Thanks." A bland response, but the only one she could think to say. Regardless, Tenten nodded satisfactorily.

"Great! Now let's get you washed up and out of those clothes." Tenten placed a reassuring palm on Yasu's shoulder but quickly recoiled with a tsk. "I gotta remember not to do that…"

The public bath was a strange peculiarity, one of the more 'out-there' things that Yasu had experienced in her already 'out-there' life. If she were being completely honest, it was her first time seeing a naked body that wasn't her own. She knew better than to outright gawk at the other women in the bath, but she managed enough careful glances to satiate her curiosity.

"I wish my body was like yours…"

Of course, Shikamaru had not joined them, but Tenten elected to accompany instead. She had been working since early that morning, around 6 A.M., and was eager to wash away the day's fatigue. Yasu hadn't minded, she was somewhat relieved to have a familiar face to make easier the new experience of public bathing. Tenten muttered the comment offhandedly as she was getting dressed. "Why?"

Tenten hadn't expected a response and was lost for words for a moment. "I've been doing missions for over five years now. My hands and feet alone blister so much they feel like rocks. You're still soft."

Yasu ran a hand along her side. She didn't get the appeal. "You're strong. I feel like it'd be way too easy to cut me open."

"You know, the world isn't just about whether or not someone can cut you open. Guys like it when you're soft." Tenten frowned, facetiously insulted. She added quickly, "and not just the guys that want to cut you open."

"I've… never thought about it that way." Yasu relented, blushing uncomfortably. She hadn't had the chance to think about things as trivial as physical attraction in a long time. It was maybe more uncomfortable to think about than the usual torrent of worries that wracked her brain. "I'd rather be strong."

"Then get strong." Tenten's simple reaction as she buttoned the side of her pink blouse.

"It's not that easy, you know." Yasu tightened the grip she held on to her towel, all of a sudden self-conscious of her 'softness'. She reached towards the clothes she stacked neatly atop the bench.

"Hey!" Tenten cut in, motioning Yasu away from her usual outfit, "Putting dirty clothes on after bathing defeats the purpose of getting clean in the first place!"

"So I walk around naked?" Yasu blanked.

"Of course not." Tenten fastened her bag behind her and tied her headband before taking a quick step towards the exit, "I had Shikamaru grab some things, one sec."

A moment later, Tenten returned with a grocery sack. Handing over the plastic to Yasu, "I had to guess your sizes, so hopefully everything fits alright. It isn't much, but it'll do until we get the chance to buy you more outfits."

In the sack was a plain pair of tan undergarments along with a white tee shirt and black shorts. Yasu nodded gratefully while dropping her towel to the floor.

The shorts were too short for her taste in how they barely reached the bottom of her thigh, and the shirt was a bit long, but they were not uncomfortable. The same was true of the undergarments, somewhat loose but passable enough. If she were being completely honest with herself, the feeling of fresh clothes overpowered any potential discomfort she could have possibly felt. It had been months since she last knew the feeling.

"Mental note: you're definitely a small." Taking the now empty sack and using it to carry Yasu's previous outfit, Tenten couldn't help but admire the expensive fabrics. The jewels encrusted on the blouse alone shined brightly, taking attention away from the grime and sweat stains, "This thing must be worth thousands. Shame they only gave you one."

"Tell me about it," Yasu grunted.

Returning to the patiently waiting Shikamaru outside, the three of them took a seat next to the stream running alongside the bathhouse. Yasu had been following people around for the past two days, no reason to stop now. Shikamaru took a last drag from the cigarette he had been holding before flinging it haphazardly into the water.

"Shikamaru!" Tenten chastised Shikamaru, plucking the cigarette butt from the air before it could land, "You know I hate when you smoke, but the least you could do is not throw the trash around everywhere."

Shikamaru let out a long sigh, half of his mind telling him it wasn't worth trying to defend himself and the other half reminding him that he hardly had a choice when it came to Tenten, "It's been a stressful couple of days. I'm down to less than half a pack a day, shouldn't you be congratulating me?"

Tenten returned Shikamaru's sigh with one of her own, "You're a ninja. Stress is part of the job. You need to find something to deal with the stress that won't kill you when you're thirty."

Shikamaru chortled, "If I get stabbed before I'm thirty, it doesn't matter how much I smoked today. "

Tenten sulked, "If your health doesn't matter to you, stop because it makes you smell like an ashtray. I'd rather sit here and inhale Yasu's month-old sweaty socks before taking a whiff of your shirt."

"Duly noted, but kinda kinky."

Tenten shoved Shikamaru's shoulder impishly before removing her sandals. Shikamaru followed suit, and the two of them placed their feet into the shallow waters. Yasu did the same. It felt nice between her toes.

"Next order of business: where is Yasu staying?" Shikamaru pondered aloud, leaning back, and settling in his usual relaxed posture.

"You brought her here, why doesn't she stay at your place?"

"Do I get a say in this?" Yasu countered.

"What she said." Shikamaru answered, "Besides, my parents wouldn't want another mouth to feed. They're already complaining that I haven't saved up enough to move out yet."

"They're right, you know." Tenten said this with a laugh, "Almost everyone from your class has their own place now. Even Rock Lee rented a spot by the flower shop, and he's the biggest daddy's boy I've ever met."

"Don't compare me to Rock Lee, he lives in his own world." Shikamaru mused, "If you ask me, he should've stayed at home until he matured a bit more."

"I'm not sure that'll ever happen, 'power of youth' and all that. Besides, his dad gives his poor mom enough energy around the house."

"She knew what she was signing up for."

"True."

Yasu sat silently as the conversation alongside her continued. She didn't know anything about what customs this village had and even less about this 'Rock Lee' person, so she couldn't have thought of anything meaningful to add. Regardless, the droning sound of pleasant conversation was satisfying to her ears. She wiggled her toes beneath the water.

"What about your place, Tenten?"

"Huh?"

"Yasu's got a point, now that I think about it," Shikamaru gave an evil smirk, realizing that Tenten was being shoved into a corner by Yasu's suggestion. Tenten had been surprised by the sudden mentioning of her name and blushed a bright pink. "You live by yourself in a two-bedroom place. You even have a spare bed. It's a great idea."

"My—I mean, but – you –" Tenten was wracking her brain for a convenient excuse, anything to get her out of the hot seat. "I use it for weapon storage, that's it!"

"Just put 'em in your scrolls like all the others, easy fix."

Tenten was more than a bit aggravated by how quickly Shikamaru had tossed her excuse to the side, giving her no time to think up another. With Tenten continuing to fumble over her words and come up with halfhearted justifications, Yasu suddenly realized just how uncouth it had been to invite herself to stay with someone she had only just met. Tenten's clear and aggressive apprehension only made things worse.

"Never mind, it's fine. Forget I said anything." Yasu conceded with a wave of her hand, "I'm not just some charity case, I can figure something out. Camp out outside the village, sleep on a bench or something. I'm an adult, I don't need handouts."

"No… it's fine." Tenten finally gave in with a hefty heave of her shoulders, "It's not a big deal. I'm just being dumb."

Yasu could feel the unwillingness in Tenten's words but swallowed her pride before she had the chance to argue. She hated feeling like some kind of lost kitten, but her words had hardly convinced even herself. If she could avoid sleeping in a tent ever again, she would accept graciously.

"Well, that settles that. I'll leave the rest to you then." Shikamaru gloated as he finally stood. He withdrew a pack of cigarettes from his pocket as he made way towards the main road, stopping only at Tenten's bumbling protest.

"Hey, wait! You don't want to help Yasu get settled in? Come hang out?" Tenten pleaded in a tone very uncharacteristic of her, something Yasu noticed even in the short time they had interacted. Was Yasu that horrible to be alone with? "You haven't eaten yet; I can make us something for dinner. Kelp?"

"Not today." Shikamaru plummeted Tenten's hope as easily as he breathed, "I haven't gotten to relax by myself in two days. Besides, wouldn't wanna stink up your apartment with my smoke-smelling shirt."

For a moment Tenten wished she hadn't said anything about Shikamaru's smoking but realized a moment later just how stupid that thought was. Tenten surrendered with a wave of her hand, "Fine. See you whenever."

And just like that, Yasu was passed onto the next unwilling participant. She hated how common this was becoming.

"And this is gonna be your room."

The apartment was in a convenient location, less than a twenty-minute walk from the closest convenience store and even closer to the Hokage's tower where Tenten worked. The apartment was smack dab on the second floor in what was essentially the exact center of the complex, but the walls seemed thick enough for that to not be an issue.

The apartment itself was only partially decorated, but there was still enough personality for Yasu to get a grasp on what Tenten lived like. A few movie posters plastered on the walls here and there, a pleasantly quaint living room containing a small sofa and coffee table in front of a large flatscreen tv, a decently sized dining room attached to a small kitchen, and pink. So much pink. Pink walls, pink vases, pink flowers, pink furniture.

Yasu's bedroom was the only part of the house that wasn't pink. To be fair, the bedroom looked like it had been entirely untouched. Blank white walls, empty closet, the only furniture in the room being a singular twin-sized bed complete with standard white sheets and a single pillow. Of course, there also wasn't a weapon in sight. So much for that 'weapon storage' excuse from before.

"It's… nice." A part of her was being polite, another part of her was satisfied knowing that she was going to be sleeping on an actual bed and not a cot. To be honest, it was the only thing she cared about.

"I know there's not a lot going on in here." Tenten saw through Yasu's politeness, "I was hoping that it would… get decorated."

"What does that mean?"

Tenten pursed her lips, apparently contemplating whether or not to say something. "If I tell you this, do you promise not to tell anyone else?"

Yasu nodded, it was the least she could do in exchange for being given a place to stay, "Of course."

"I was gonna ask Shikamaru to… move in." Tenten was hesitant in her speech, second-guessing every word before she spoke them. Yasu didn't understand why, she could think of a million reasons why living with another person would be beneficial. Safety, companionship.

"Why can't anyone know?" Yasu turned her head in confusion, entirely ignorant.

"We aren't really close like that, not yet at least." Tenten awkwardly explained, "He's a good friend but I feel like living with someone is… a big deal."

"Why?"

"You know, it's very rude to ask so many questions."

"Why?"

Tenten grumbled to herself, clearly distraught at Yasu's insistence. "People that live together are normally, I don't know… dating, or something."

The lightbulb finally clicked in Yasu's head. She was dense, but it didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on.

"So you want to date Shikamaru?"

"No way!" As soon as the words had left Yasu's lips Tenten had denied them. Yasu could only give a curt grin. Tenten rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You have to be starving, I'll cook something up for us."

"Actually, I think I'll be fine. If I have to move another inch I'm gonna pass out on the floor."

She wasn't lying, even if she was being a bit dramatic in her presentation. Even more bothersome than the grumbling of her stomach was the fatigue buried behind her eyes. Not only had she been more physically active in the past few days than she had been in months, but the constant mental strain of meeting so many new people in a brand-new place also made her brain turn to mush. She had also only slept for maybe three hours total in the past couple of days, but that point was moot. Just looking at the bed in front of her was enough to make her realize how exhausted she was.

"If you say so." Tenten didn't argue, instead heading for the door and leaving Yasu to her own devices in the center of the room. "I'm right across the hall, just let me know if you need anything."

And just like that, Yasu was once again left with the accompaniment of no one. She didn't enjoy it as much as she remembered.