Author's Note:
WARNING!
In this chapter - and the next - there is (at times extremely) disturbing content. This is where my M for mature rating is coming in; from this point on, there will be confronting writing/dialogue, and references to other disturbing content. If you cannot handle the Hurt/Angst and Tragedy aspects of this story, then I would advise you to discontinue reading, as there will always be references to disturbing content from here on. However, this will be the most brutal scene of my story (tragedy-wise) so if you can get through the next few chapters, then the rest of the story should be fine.
Please know that I do not take character deaths lightly, and writing this chapter was very hard for me; I couldn't even re-read it to edit. I just wrote down what was in my head and submitted it. The next chapter will be just as hard, if not harder. Also, know that I do not like to kill off characters for fun; everything I write is done so for a purpose, cold as that may seem. Whether or not you agree with that purpose in the end is up to you. But this will play a major role in the developing plot for this story.
That is all for the warning. Read at your own... Risk? Leisure? Whatever.
Now for the recommendations.
I know that some writer's on fanfic actually use music to help their reader's get into the scene or story, and for the first time I am going to try that as it does seem interesting. So for those who would like to try it, here is a list of recommended music to listen to while reading this chapter and the next:
-Tokyo Ghoul - Unravel (cheesy, I know, but it fits).
-Tokyo Ghoul - Unravel Acoustic (awesome).
-Full Dead Island Trailer Music (without effects; it's really quite emotional).
-Anne Bonny - The Parting Glass (next chapter).
-Extreme Music - Bring Me Back To Life.
-Sleeping With Sirens - Iris Cover (next chapter).
-Bluestahil - Ultranumb (if you like the less emotional stuff).
-Egoist - Departures Blessing (next chapter).
-Seether - Broken.
-Damien Rice - 9 Crimes.
Otherwise if you don't do music while you read - like me - then disregard this. I hope you enjoy the chapter... Or not.
Chapter Four:
Sadako was halfway to the village when she heard it.
A blood-curdling scream.
It cut through the silence of the night with a sharpness that caused her body to jerk to a stop before she'd even processed what she'd heard. It was a horrible sound, and even though it was obviously far away, it was a scream of absolute terror. The hair on the back of her neck stood up in awareness – because she knew that voice.
Another shriek sounded.
Without a second thought, she spun around and sprinted in the direction from which she'd come. Her head was blank, devoid of thought in wake of the adrenaline that was rapidly pumping through her system – but not so much to clear the niggling suspicion that plagued the back of her mind. Her legs moved faster than they'd ever moved before under the weight of her anxiety. Please, please… Please be okay! She ran for over fifteen minutes, until her throat ran dry and her breath refused to come, and cursed the fact that her body was waning under the immense strain. Useless! Run faster!
At last, and faint glow could be seen through the trees, and a moment later she emerged onto their farm. Breathing hard, she blinked away the blurriness in her eyes and frantically scanned her surroundings. There was nothing out of place on the outside of the cottage, but that didn't relieve her worries in the least. She huffed and continued her reckless flight to the front door, where she didn't even hesitate pushing it wide to rush in.
What she saw made her stomach plummet with shock.
On the floor, by the hallway leading to her bedroom, the unmoving form of Hiroki-chan was surrounded by a large pool of blood. The next thing her eyes processed was the kneeling, shivering forms of Masumi-chan and Reiko-chan. They were both staring at her with horror –the moment she burst into the room, Masumi began to sob with a helpless look in her eyes, while Reiko's eyes remained wide and unblinking. This, more than anything, poured fear into Sadako's already shot nerves.
The last, and perhaps most important thing she processed were the three strangers stationed throughout the room. One, a redheaded female, was standing above Masumi and Reiko, flipping a kunai over and over into the air with a wicked smirk. The two men behind her leered at Sadako's frozen form.
What… What the hell is this?
"W-Who're you –"
"S-Sadako!" Masumi sobbed. Her terrified eyes were filled with hysterical urgency. "R-Run! Run now, Sadako!"
Sadako blinked down at her mother, unable to understand. She wants me to… leave her and Reiko…? She shook her head. "I can't, Masumi-chan –"
"Why're you just standing there! For Gods' sake, RUN!"
A snicker sounded from one of the men – and her brain got with the program. I have to go get help! I have to save them!
Sadako spun on her heel and sprinted back the way she'd come. The red-haired woman sighed, irritated. "How rude. I hadn't even introduced myself… Shinji, go fetch our runaway host."
Shinji gruned in acknowledgement, and Masumi watched in horrified captivation as he seemed to vanish into thin air. When the woman caught her staring at the space he'd just occupied, she chuckled darkly. "No need to worry about him, sweetheart. You've got some problems of your own…"
A minute later, Shinji came into the house dragging a flailing Sadako behind him by her long dark hair. She screamed loudly and kicked at his heels like a mad rabbit; when he came to a stop in the middle of the room, the man turned and backhanded her hard. Stunned, she fell silent for a moment. Her vision began to blur, but she blinked and it was clear again, and instead of being daunted by the blow, her adrenaline pumped even harder. She swung furiously at his face. The punch itself didn't do much, but her fingernail caught him above the eye; blood spurted, and the man cursed foully.
Masumi screamed as he began to rain down blow after blow on Sadako's small frame, fighting uselessly against the bonds holding her hands and ankles in place. Realising it was futile, she flopped down onto her stomach and began to crawl towards her daughter, screaming all the while. "Stop it! Stop! PLEASE, SHE'S GOING TO DIE!"
As she moved, the red-haired woman let out a high, cackling laugh that managed to pierce through Masumi's frantic mind. Grinning manically, she guffawed, "That's right, stupid bitch. Squirm like the little maggot you are! Try and stop him from hurting your maggot daughter! Come on, wriggle!" When Masumi just stared in revulsion, her grin turned into a hideous scowl of anger. She planted her foot on the mother's face, pressing down hard. "What's the matter? Can't do it? Your daughter needs you; if you don't hurry, she's going to die. You'd better start squirming!"
From her perch behind her mother, Reiko began to sob quietly, barely processing what was happening in front of her eyes. "S-Stop… Stop hurting Nee-chan…!"
The woman turned her head to fix her startlingly blue eyes on the young girl. "Did you say something, little maggot?"
Behind her, Shinji abruptly ceased his blows. Sadako rolled away and curled into a ball, coughing wretchedly and cringing from the pain in her stomach. Ugh… I think he cracked one of my ribs…
When she opened her eyes, the man – Shinji – was staring at the red-haired woman with a sick kind of glee in his eyes. It made her blood run cold. "Akane-san," he muttered in a low, pleading tone. Akane glanced back at him, assessing his features, but dismissed him with a huff.
"Wait your turn, Shinji. I'm having some fun first."
It was then Sadako realised what the woman was going to do.
With a surge of strength she hadn't realised she'd possessed, she pushed herself up onto her knees – hissing at the pain in her side – and finally made it to her feet. Before she'd even retained her balance, she tried to run to her little sister's aid. She made it three steps before a large hand closed around the back of her hand and slammed her face-first into the ground.
Blood spurted from her nose into her throat. She coughed over and over, struggling to breathe.
"My, my," Akane chuckled. "Seems I underestimated you a little. Not to worry, Mama-maggot – your daughter didn't need your pathetic attempt at a rescue after all. It seems she wriggles a lot more spiritedly than you." The woman stood and glanced down at Sadako, noting with a smirk the nasty glare directed her way. "Tsk, that look is wasted on me, little girl."
"You're right," Sadako spat, black eyes filled with a vehemence that, for a brief moment, shook the woman out of her hostility. "I'll kill you myself. I swear upon my father's grave."
She stared at the girl with wide eyes. Never in all my time as a rogue… have I seen such a look of hatred! A strange feeling was firing up in her chest; 'excitement', she realised with growing mirth. She was becoming excited from the deep hatred in this little girl's eyes. I want to see more…!
"Your father?" she echoed. She gestured at the body lying almost completely drained of blood on the floor. "You mean this pathetic maggot?" When Sadako just stared, the woman threw back her head and laughed. "He didn't even put up a fight when he saw me standing behind him! He pissed himself as I ran my blade through his jugular! No one will be giving this maggot a funeral, let alone a grave!" She leaned down and murmured, so that only Sadako could hear, "I'm afraid all you'll have left of your precious father – who couldn't even protect his own family – is a pile of dusty ashes that will wash away with the next rainfall."
Sadako refused to flinch away from those piercing blue eyes. Instead, she asked haltingly, "What do you want with us?"
Akane seemed surprised by her question, and pouted with a disappointed expression – like a child who'd just had their favourite toy stolen. "Hey, why're you trying to end the fun so early? Ask me something more interesting!"
Suddenly, the man standing in the shadows spoke up. "Akane-san... Shouldn't we move things along?"
Like an electric shock had run through her, Akane straightened up from her crouch near Sadako and glanced uneasily at the figure in the corner. "Y-Yes. I… Think that's a good idea, after all."
She turned back to face Sadako, who tensed at the sudden fury twisting her features. "Girl! You want to know what we want from you?" When she slowly nodded, the woman smirked and asked in a sickly-sweet tone, "There was a man here earlier, wasn't there? Where'd he go?"
Sasuke-tan… Sadako was instantly wary. What do they want with him?
When she repeated the question out loud, the woman smirked again, but this time there was an edge that made Sadako wish she hadn't asked. "Let's just say, he owes us a small favour. Or rather, owed. He's a little late on the payment…"
"How late?" she asked, trying to keep the focus centred on her.
"About six years."
"S-Six years?" Sadako did the math – ended at screwed. "Does he… owe you much money?"
"Money?" the woman echoed, and then roared with laughter at Sadako's perplexed expression. "Ha! You're a stupid little maggot! You think we'd chase after someone like Sasuke Uchiha for money?" Akane sashayed over to Sadako and leaned down to whisper, "The kind of thing that man possesses is something no one in the world can provide. Do you know what I'm saying, little maggot?"
She glared up at the insane redhead, staying silent while she processed the meaning behind the words. Something only Sasuke-tan has… Her eyes widened in realisation. "You… want his Sharingan." It wasn't a question, but she answered with a wide grin. "You think you're strong enough to take Sasuke Uchiha's eyes?"
From her kneeling position closer to Reiko, Masumi frowned in confusion. "Sasuke… Uchiha?" She shook her head back and forth, eyes wide with dreadful realisation. "That's – that's not right! It can't be! The man who was here earlier said his name was – Oof!"
"Shut up, stupid bitch," Akane growled fiercely, lowering her foot from where it had just connected with Masumi's head. "Obviously, he lied. His name is Sasuke Uchiha!"
"No!" she shot back, pushing herself up again. "You're lying! Why would he show up here of all places?!"
"That's what we're trying to find out!" Akane almost screamed, successfully subduing the hysteric mother. "But I don't think I like your attitude, maggot!" She turned to her male companion. "Shinji, show this piece of shit some respect!"
Shinji glanced down at Masumi, and curled his lip in disgust – but his expression was resigned as he released Sadako and made his way over to her. The woman whimpered and frantically tried to back away, but he was on her in a heartbeat, backhanding her so hard she went crashing into the wall. Her scream of pain was cut short as he followed up with a vicious kick to her stomach – Sadako flinched in sympathetic pain.
"W-Wait! Stop it, please!" Suddenly Sadako was the helpless one; groaning against the pain, she got to her knees and tried to crawl to her mother.
Akane spoke up then, wiggling her finger admonishingly at Sadako. "I wouldn't, little maggot. If you go any further, I'll tell Shinji to snap her neck. Or maybe I'll bleed her like I did your father?"
She faltered. Blinked hard against the sudden tears that threatened. "What the hell do you want?"
She smirked again. "All in good time, little maggot. But first… Perhaps a little more incentive to loosen your tongue?" Akane nodded at Shinji, who stiffened and glowed with excitement. He ceased his relentless beating, and as his eyes fixed themselves to Reiko's trembling figure, Sadako felt her stomach twist.
No… No no no! Need to distract them!
"Don't touch her – DON'T TOUCH HER! I'll tell you anything!" When her side heaved with a sharp twinge, she gasped, but didn't stop speaking. "Please. I'll tell you whatever you wanna know!"
Akane burst into a fit of laughter, throwing her head back and clapping her hands in twisted glee. "That's it! That's what I want! Squirm for me!" But she didn't stop Shinji from his advance, only guffawed some more.
As he drew closer to the smaller girl, Sadako realised something; these people… were genuine, authentic monsters. And they were going to kill her entire family right before her eyes.
The moment the thought penetrated her mind, she felt something inside of her shift. A burst of adrenaline, different to anything she'd ever known, blew from her gut down to her toes and then raced to settle in her brain. Sudden clarity invaded her senses, momentarily stunning her with possibilities. Before her buzzing eyes, a series of movements played out similarly to a game of Shogi – only this time, instead of having to think of a solution herself, it was already there for her. And she knew that if she executed the conjectured plan perfectly, she would likely save the lives of both Masumi and Reiko.
Strange… I wonder if I can do it?
It all happened very fast.
Sadako ignored the pain in her side and shot up from the ground with a speed that caught the man by surprise. Suddenly she saw her opening, her window of opportunity; while his back was turned and Akane was busy snickering at her sister's hunched and terrified form, Sadako knew she would only have one shot to end all of this. Beside her, Masumi abruptly ceased sobbing, staring at her daughter through swollen eyes. Her daughter's dark eyes were flashing red with something akin to bloodlust. For an instant, their eyes locked – Masumi blinked once in shock, then nodded at her daughter.
Do it, Sadako… Kill him!
She pounced on the bloodied Kunai that had been left unattended on the ground without notice, and without missing a beat, spun on her heel to slice the tendons in Shinji's Achilles heel. Then she followed up with a swift figure eight slicing motion to his knee and thigh, targeting the major arteries that were all of a sudden clear to her keen eyes. He howled in pain and dropped to the floor, but no amount of frantic clasping or applied pressure could stop the blood seeping through his large hands; he was bleeding out, and would soon be dead.
At least, that was how it was supposed to go.
But Sadako had missed two essential details; if not for the second, then perhaps the first would not have had an impact on the end result that was as plain to her as the current situation. The window above the kitchen counter was transparent, but also reflective. Still, his eyes only raised at the last second, meaning that if it hadn't been for the blood still leaking from her father's cold body, the man would be half-dead already and unable to hurt her family any further.
As it was, Sadako's infallible plan hadn't taken into account her immediate surroundings. Her foot intruded on barely a square-inch of blood, but it was enough. Shinji's rapt eyes raising to meet her abruptly flailing form in the reflective glass, and being a rogue ninja, his reflexes were honed nearly to perfection. As she brought the Kunai down in a vicious arc, she caught him above his injured eye, scoring him from brow to chin and taking his eye out with it. His piercing scream of pain shocked her senses, and she hesitated on the second strike.
That was her third miscalculation.
The right hook came from nowhere, but it was so strong that it sent her flying a good ten feet before her back met the wood from the front door. She knew, with the newly-acquired stunning clarity, that her jaw was broken, and the rib which had previously pained her was now completely broken from the impact. Perhaps two. The reason she knew about her rib was because breathing became little more than a whistle through her mouth, and she could no longer move at all.
"Sadako!" her mother screamed.
'I'm alright,' she wanted to say, but the words wouldn't come.
"Sadako! Sadako! Sadako!"
"Dammit!" Akane hissed. She seized the struggling Shinji by the neck and threw him to the floor, kneeling over him to press her palm to his eye. A green glow came from her hand, and she cursed again as he flailed more, raising her simmering blue eyes to glare at the crumpled girl.
"You stupid maggot! I'll kill you – what the fuck?!"
The woman was staring at her in shock, but Sadako barely noticed; her eyes were too busy processing the mysterious figure that chose that moment to step out of the shadows. He was large, larger even than Shinji. As he stepped into the light, Sadako noticed that his hair was completely white, almost silver. She couldn't make out his eyes, hidden by the shadows thrown from his deep-set brow, but nevertheless she knew they would be immobilizing if he fixed them upon her. For some reason, everything in her was rebelling against this stranger who was more frightening than any person in the room.
The man crouched before her, his large build obscuring most of the room, but still she couldn't see his eyes completely. Why is it so dark where his eyes are…? Still, she knew he was staring into her eyes, and she was helpless to do anything but sit there. Blinking was out of the question.
From behind him, Akane spoke up in a voice that was thin and lacking any of her previous viciousness. "Fukisawa-sama… What do we do now?"
The man studied her for a moment longer, then turned his head to say over his shoulder, "The debt has been repaid."
Akane blinked in shock, the glow disappearing from her hand. "W-What?"
"We have what we need," he explained in an even tone. "We no longer need to pursue Sasuke Uchiha." But there was a tilt to his mouth that suggested he was displeased about something. "Akane. Come over here and fix this girl's jaw; I need her to talk."
"B-But Fukisawa-sama, Shinji's eye is –"
"It can wait."
She closed her mouth and bowed a little, abandoning her wounded comrade to crouch near Sadako. Reaching forward, she firmly clasped her head on one hand and her jaw in another, and Sadako finally realised that was about to happen. Before she could formulate a noise, the green glow started up again and Akane wrenched her hands together.
An agonised scream ripped from her throat. Akane grunted in irritation and slapped her now-free hand over the girl's mouth, muffling her groans. "Shut up. You'll feel better soon."
But Sadako was floating in a sea of pain, thoughts jumbling together and muddling her ability to process. A few minutes later the pain in her jaw lessened, but her side was flaring up worse than ever thanks to all the breathing she was doing. The red-haired woman sat back then, face pale and palms trembling. Fukisawa nodded at her once, and she returned to her comrade's aid.
"Now," he began in a deep and powerful voice, "Explain to me how you came to be here."
