Rayne Says: You probably peed your pants when it said updated, didn't you? Then you feared it was yet another author note, but nope! It's a real chapter. Well, kinda. It's short, but I'm trying to get back in the saddle on this story. Everyone seems to love it and who am I to starve ya'll of the story you want? So here it is! Reborn.
As I ran through the lonely desert,
I discovered that I carried no guilt for killing those men.
I felt no pride in what I had done,
But I had enjoyed every moment of it.
And I looked forward to killing again…
Two days later, I'm still searching for a low-level weapons shop. I'm going to need a seedy dealer who's willing to take cash and not ask questions. Of course, that's not going to be the hard part. The hard part is going to be finding one who won't try to capture me now that I'm in the Bingo books. Yup me, Sakura Haruno, in the Bingo book. Who'd have thought?
I take another sip from my canteen and pour some of the rest on my face. There's probably a lovely sunburn building up on my face. I've been running for the past two days, avoiding Sand village ninjas, and have finally managed to find a place to relax for five minutes. Just a small cave weather worn into a cliff, but it's good enough for me. A wind storm had delayed my trip to the small crime town, but I was only two miles away now.
I sigh and stand up, stretching my worn muscles. However in shape I had thought of myself a week ago, I was now proven wrong. My whole body was screaming for rest, but I knew that if I ignored it I could keep going. Shielding my eyes in the bright sun, I looked out on the desert and took off at a slow jog.
"Do you know what weapons you're going to buy?"
"Not quite. I've never used anything other than a kunai or senbon."
"Hmm, we'll see what's available. We may need to find you a sensei."
"Whatever. Can I have some silence for the rest of my run?"
"You may, but don't expect me to sit idly by and let you pick out some pink katana."
"You never let me have any fun."
"You're my servant."
"More like slave,"-zap-"Jashin-sama."
"I do not completely control you, Hana-chan. Be thankful for that."
"Of course I'll be thankful for that one little thing." Zap.
"Feeling masochistic today?""No, I'm just tired."
"Maybe I was wrong. You seem awfully weak for someone I thought worthy of giving immortality."
"I am not weak!"
I began sprinting and flew over the sand as I went. Within minutes, I reached the small village. Pulling on the white hood of my cloak, I passed through a small crowd before venturing into the first weapon shop I found. It was a small store, but every space of wall was covered with some kind of weapon. There were axes, swords, crossbows, arrows, knives, kunai, shuriken, senbon, poisons, antidotes, and almost every weapon I could have ever imagined.
"May I help you?" the shopkeeper asked, his voice betraying the fact he smoked.
"I'm looking for weapons."
"Obviously, you're in the right place. Anything in particular?"
'Swords. Ask to see the swords.'
"May I see your selection of swords?"
"Of course, ma'am. We have a wide selection of available makes. Some real fine ones, course they're more expensive…"
"Money doesn't matter. I want a good weapon."
"For what purpose?" he asked, twirling his beard.
"Does it matter?" I replied, my voice cold.
"N-no my lady. I'll be right back."
He left to the backroom and I let my eyes wander over the wide selection. I lingered over a pink katana, but a mild zap told me I wasn't even allowed to consider it. Sighing, I put my attention back to the shopkeeper as he returned with an armful of swords and katanas. "Does the lady have a preference?"
'Katana. Take a katana.'
"Katanas only, please. Western swords have less refinement, wouldn't you agree?"
"Ah, um, yes. Here we have some of our best selection."
'The one with the black hilt. Hold it.'
"That one," I said, pointing to the specified katana. He handed it to her and she held it gently. She'd never held a weapon of such ability before. It sent a shiver down her spine. The katana was beautiful in a deadly way. The hilt was black with rubies encrusted into it and the casing had a decoration of red cherry blossoms on it. She pulled the blade out and gazed in wonder at its sharp edge.
'It's well balanced. Get it.'
"I'll take this one."
"Are you sure, ma'am? It's the first you've held."
"I am sure."
"Very well, but I'm afraid that it's part of a set. That katana has two sisters. Would you like to see the other two?" he asked.
"Yes."
The shopkeeper pulled out two more katanas, each different from the other. One had a red hilt with onyx encrusted in it and the casing depicted a battlefield with a torn banner waving from a skull. It was horrific, but beautiful. The other had a diamond encrusted, white hilt. Its casing was blank, but it held mystery in it.
'Take them. They call for you.'
"I'll take them all. How much?"
The amount that the shopkeeper said would have given me a heart attack if I hadn't been immortal. It was more than I'd made in an entire year as a shinobi and for working at the hospital. Luckily, the pouch of money I'd acquired had plenty for the price of the three katanas that hummed in silent approval as I gently held them. Mine. They were my weapons and they wanted to be used.
"Have a nice day, ma'am," the shopkeeper called as the tiny bell rang on my way out. As if he weren't scared that I'd come back in and slit his throat with my newly purchased wares. The idea was laughable. All three of the swords had strong ribbons so they could be carried with ease. I tied the black one around my waist, feeling that it belonged there, and the other two rested on my back. The silent approval of Jashin hummed in my veins, along with something else. I couldn't put my finger on it, but it was some kind of thirst.
Taking a sip of water didn't quench the need I felt building in my gut and traveling upward. A burning sensation began in my throat and my eyes burned with unshed tears. I collapsed on my knees and fisted sand in between my fingers. The sharp grains dug into my skin and I groaned.
"What the hell is wrong with me?"
'You know what it is. You know what needs to be done.'
Unspoken horror filled me. I recognized the feeling inside of me even though I'd never felt it myself. Having only seen it on Naruto and Sasuke's faces, I couldn't even see the bloodlust growing. My katanas, my lord, and I required bloodshed.
If I wanted this horrible sickness to pass, I needed to kill. And soon.
"Excuse me, miss? Are you okay?" a man asked, bending down and touching my shoulder gently.
I rose without thinking and grasped the handle of the black blade. It sang as it came forth from its casing and continued to sing as I swiftly cut across the man's chest. Blood spouted from his wound and his scream rang out. Women and children ran in fear as a few brave men came forward with makeshift weapons to fight me. They didn't know that they were sacrificing themselves.
Of its own accord, my hand reached down and dipped into the man's blood. Inside of me, I felt horror and sickness overwhelming. On the outside, my hands drew the triangle in circle across my chest. My feet drew the same symbol on the ground in blood. The townspeople were barely containing their anger and fury for vengeance. One stupid man came forth and rushed at me, a pick axe grasped tightly in his left hand. He struck out and I blocked with my arm. The black sword stabbed into his gut and his eyes widened as he collapsed at my feet.
Somehow his sacrifice had forced the others into action. They all ran toward me, cursing me, and telling me they were going to make me pay. If only they knew what would befall them. Maybe they would have run away. Instead they rushed ahead and fell on my blade. One by one their bodies littered the ground and built up into a small mountain.
When the last man had fallen, my necklace burned and I knew what I had to do. Throwing up my hands and falling on my knees, I spoke.
"This blood and these bodies are yours, great lord Jashin-sama. Do with them what you will and please forgive me for not presenting more."
It was if I was watching myself from outside my body. Never would I imagined killing innocent citizens as a sacrifice for a deity. Never. A deep laughter came from the sky and the bodies decayed before my very eyes. Where flesh had once been, now there was only bleached bones. I heard the cries of the wives and children at what I had done, but did nothing more than take my black blade from the ribs of the nearest corpse, wipe it on my cloak, and walk out of the town.
As my shoes left soft prints in the sand,
I returned to my body and found I felt nothing.
No disgust at the drying bloodstain on my once-pure cloak.
No fear for what I was becoming.
Nothing but the sated hunger for blood
that my god demanded.
Rayne: What you expected? Didn't expect? Review and I'll update faster, promise!