Chapter 7
Shino had dreaded this the whole march home. The moment when he passed through the Leaf Village's gates.
He felt he was dishonoring himself, betraying everyone, just by being here. But he'd felt it, felt her influence, urging him onward, homeward, when he'd even thought of running. Knew she would just pull him back. Remembered Noshiko's words of advice: 'Do not try her patience.'
Yet he couldn't fight his anguish. Everything here, the layout of the village, his knowledge of its shinobi, was hers for the taking.
That feeling only grew as he made his way to the family's land, as he stepped inside his own home, where his dad greeted him.
"How was the mission?"
"A success." Shino replied, and he honestly wasn't sure if it was his or her will that made him say so. It was true, and he could imagine, after enough time had passed, that he would just anticipate her will and follow it, out of fear, fear of the consequences, because though Lady Natsuki said she bore no ill will to the village, if she was capable of holding a whole serving staff against their will, of doing this to him, what else could she do? To the people he cared about?
And… if it continued on for an even greater period of time, would he ever possibly… forget why he was doing it? Would he forget that he was saying what Lady Natsuki wanted him to say?
That he at some point made the decision to become her puppet, but then forget he had done so?
Thinking that she and he were one and the same?
His dad nodded. "I'm glad to hear that."
As days passed, and one week turned into two, three, he wondered. He knew it hadn't ended, because every time he thought of telling his dad what had happened, he felt her stop him. It was just as Noshiko said. It really didn't seem to take much of her at all, to make him stay silent.
Noshiko had also said, "I do not know what she wants from you."
He could hazard a guess, from what Lady Natsuki herself had said to him: "I get bored, as you can imagine…." and, "Do think of more questions. For next time."
That ever ominous next time.
