He too smiled a small smile, his shocked expression still showing
She giggled and got up, then offered him a hand..which he took and got up "I have a game we can play!" She said
He looked at her sideways with a suspicious expression "You didn't even know what hide and seek was"
She pouted and mirrored his expression "but I know this one"
"Alright, what is it called?" he said with the same expression and a challenging look
"Catch my tail" she said the same way
"Sounds pretty lame"
"Why don't you see it first then speak later?" She said, hands on her hips
"Fine" he responded, crossing his arms
"Alrighty!" She said happily
He smiled
She walked towards a tree and tried to climb it "what are you doing!" He said worriedly, going after her
"Ge..tting..a..branch" she said climbing
"Come down, I'll get it"
"Nope" she said, almost there "jerks" she muttered
"Plural?" He asked with a puzzled expression
"Yeah..you and him both, I can handle myself just fine!" She said, sitting atop a branch, trying to break another one
"Who is he?"
"Kimimaro" she said, keeping her eyes on her task "he's...well, I lived with him and lord Orochimaru before...before"
"And why is he a jerk too?"
"He didn't let me do stuff myself..didn't want me to 'hurt myself'" she said the latter mockingly
He grinned "well your too small..it's not our fault" he teased
She stuck out her tongue at him, then she quickly pulled it back in as she fell because she'd leaned on a weak branch and it broke underneath her "waaa!" She exclaimed
She didn't meet the ground as she'd expected, instead she opened her eyes opposite to a pair of blue ones staring back "see, too small" he said holding her
She blushed as he put her down and she pulled some loose hair strands behind her ear "got the branch" she pulled it from behind her back
He giggled and placed his hands behind his head "good job"
She blushed more "shudup" she said quickly making him giggle more
"Okay..what's the game anyway?' He asked
"Ahem" she cleared her throat "okay, so you have to use this as a tail and run away while I run after you and try to catch it" she explained
"Sounds fun..alright, how do I wear it?"
"We tie it" she said simply
"Do you have a rope?"
"Uh-uh" she shook her head
"Well...we can use this ribbon.."
"NO!" She said, holding her hands to her chest while glaring at him
"S..sorry" he said, in shock and confusion..
"I...it's okay" she said after a couple of seconds, standing normally again, she thought for a while before beaming "hey..didn't you use a thread for fishing?!"
"Yeah you're right!" He said, starting to look for the rod "there" he said, finding it
They tied it around his waist and now he had a branch for a tail..
She smiled, proud of her work..but he had a hesitant look..
He'd noticed it in the morning, but didn't want to bring it up for fear of seeing her tears again..she cried at just about everything, and he didn't know if she'd cry about this too, but he decided to give it a try
He sat down and took off his shoes "um.. those" he said with a blush, looking the other way while offering them
She gave him an innocent look with a tilted head "hm?"
"Y..your feet are scraped...you're not running barefoot again" he said in a serious tone, still looking away and blushing more..he wasn't used to ordering people around
She smiled a little, with a slight red on her cheeks "no..you need them"
"Not as much as you..now take them...I..don't like..repeating myself..yeah" he tried mimicking his teacher
She giggled and he couldn't help but chuckle too "you're funny" she said "I'll do as you say..kinda, I'll take one, and you keep the other...that's only fair"
He shrugged "alright I guess" well, he'll take what he got, at least she didn't cry
They each put on a shoe and she had to stuff hers in order for it to not fall from her foot
And then they were set to go..sort of
"Ooone..twooo..three!" He said then sprinted at three
"One, two, three" she counted, giving him some distance then sprinted after him
...
They both laid on their backs, breathing hard...the game was a ton of fun..
She'd stumbled and fallen multiple times because of the shoe and so did he..running around in the woods with one shoe took some time to get used to
She managed to touch the branch a couple of times and even grab quite a few leaves..so she called it a win
"T..that was fun!" He said breathing hard then added after he rested a bit "I thake it back...the game is awesome!"
"Told ya!" She grinned proudly
"Yeah" he said then added after a while "where did you learn it?"
"Kimimaro!" She said with a closed-eyes smile then started telling him about it
~a peace from the past~
Orochimaru had left the hideout about ten minutes ago and Hiromi was already itching to play..
The only opportunity she had was when Orochimaru left, because she feared making him angry..she'd never seen him angry and she wanted to keep it that way
It'd only been a year since she left her village..and she was still awkward with people..she was too careful with Orochimaru and all the grown ups she saw, because of her experience with the villagers..avoiding contact and trying to act her best in their presence
Orochimaru never really showed her any agression..except for when he'd extract her chakra which was agonizing, other than that he was always calm and had a wide smile on his face
But then there was Kimimaro..
She'd leaned that he was imprisoned for most of his childhood, something they both had experienced..
He was the only person she could fully be herself with..she didn't fear him, and was able to be the child she was around him
In time, he also came to care about her..to a point that annoyed her sometimes..
But him not leaving for the day was the best thing that could happen
"Kimo!" She exclaimed, getting his attention "you're still here!" She ran towards him and threw herself around him in a tight hug
He couldn't help a smile from spreading on his face "yes"
She pulled back with a huge goofy grin making him chuckle...she'd noticed how different Kimimaro was with her, he was so unlike the stern person he was with Orochimaru
"Kimo, please play with me!"
"No, I have work to do" he said, turning to leave
"Kimo, pleaaaaaase!" She whined
"No, Aku" he said then turned around when he heard something...his expression changed from calm to panicked in a blink..she was tearing up "oh, come now!" He said in frustration/panic
She was still on the floor, her legs crossed and was rubbing her eyes "but I want to play" she said an a low pleading tone, melting his heart
He felt horrible, he really hated seeing her tears "a..alright" he said with a sigh...he was gonna get hell for not doing the work Orochimaru ordered him to do, but he was okay with it as long as she stops crying
She stopped rubbing her eyes and peaked at him "really?" She said in the same tone
"Really"
"Alright!" She exclaimed jumping
He took a step back, was he just fooled by a five year old?
She giggled and took his hand "sit down" he sat down "I'm gonna do your hair for you!"
"W..what?!" He said in horror..he liked his hair the way it was, the last thing he wanted was for it to look like hers
"Mmhm" she nodded
"Aku I...appreciate it..but I have a better Idea"
"You do?"
"Of course..I'll be back in a moment" he said nervously, getting up
"'Kay" she sat down waiting for him
He didn't notice that his belt/rope was loose and that he sat on it when she pulled him down, so when he stood up, he stepped on it and fell backwards
She looked at him in shock for a moment, before exploding into laughter..
He furrowed his eyebrows and sat right then looked it her laughing..his cheeks turned rosy and he too laughed with one hand behind his head
"Okay, what's the game?" She said when she finished
"Umm, yeah, I'll be back" he got up without stepping on the rope that was being dragged behind him..the bow on his back was lopsided because one side was loose
She had an evil idea, having liked the scene of him falling..she stood up and stepped on his belt..
Of course he didn't fall because of how light she was...
She had an 'oops' expression, trying to hide a smile, and he looked at her in confusion at first before catching on to her plans
She didn't succeed in making him fall, but she did give him an Idea "okay, how about this...since you seem to like seeing me fall, try to make me! I'll leave my belt loose and you try to catch it while I run!" He mentally wiped a sweat-drop because he lucked out..he had no idea what to play, so this was a lifesaver
She nodded quickly, multiple times..spreading a smile on his face...and then the chase began..
~back~
"Wow, it must have been pretty awesome having him around" he said when Hiromi finished telling her story
She nodded with a smile and a faraway look as she remembered something
~a piece from the past~
She'd been here for over a year and a half..and yet, she could never get used to the pain or bare it anymore than the day before..
It always hurt the same if not worse, and this time was one of the worst..
She was strapped to that ugly chair, strange devices all around her as chakra was agonizingly being pulled out of her small figure..
But this time, one thing was different...through the past year and a half, every time this chakra-extraction took place, Kimimaro would be out to take care of something..she didn't know whether it was sheer coincidence or something else..but this time, he happened to be here
"L..lord Orochimaru" he said wide-eyed in a mixture of shock and horror..standing at the door
If Orochimaru was surprised, he didn't show it "you're early Kimimaro..I think you might have grown out of missions of that caliber" he said
Kimimaro didn't react to what he heard, for that his eyes were fixated on her pain-filled face
He seemed to snap out of it "lord Orochimaru what are you doing?! Why are you doing this to Aku?!" He asked, more like shouted..standing inside the room, facing Orochimaru
"It's necessary" was all he said
Kimimaro looked at her then back at Orochimaru, his eyes welling "p..please lord Orochimaru, please stop it, please.." he pleaded, holding Orochimaru's clothing into fists, he stopped to look at her, her screams shaking him to his core as tears slipped down his cheeks
He turned back to Orochimaru and kept frantically pleading, the last thing his eyes could recognize was a one-hand-sign from Orochimaru then everything went dark without him feeling anything
..
He woke up in his dimly-lit room, head fuzzy..events slowly flowing until he pieced them together and got up hurriedly
He ran to the room where he last saw Akuma, but all he found was the empty chair where she sat..he was about to leave but stopped upon noticing something..he slowly approached the chair, wishing that what he thought was wrong
He wiped it with two fingers and held them close to his face...there was no doubt, it was blood..blood drops were on the chair and some on the handcuffs..there were also stains of dried blood
He teared up again, and his lips wobbled, but he bit them and clenched his hands into tight fists before sprinting to where he knew Orochimaru would be..he bumped into something because his vision was blurred with tears and fell down, hitting the ground hard
As if he didn't feel it, he got up and continued running until he reached Orochimaru..where he fell to his knees begging "lord orochimaru.." he took a couple of breaths "please stop it...don't do this to Aku..if.." he took another breath "it it's really that necessary..do it to me instead" his eyes were pleading "I..I can take it..but she can't..Aku's too small and..fragile" few more tears slipped down his cheek "she can't...she'd been hurt too much already..please lord Orochimaru, please I'm begging you..do what you want with me I won't say a word..I won't even make a sound...please"
"Get up" ha said, calm as ever
Kimimaro has never cried like that before..at least he didn't remember crying like this...he got up, sniffling
"This has to be done..the only alternative is death" he gave this brief answer
His eyes widened in horror as words failed him
Orochimaru felt like explaining further "she has tremendous chakra inside of her, it has to be reduced or otherwise she'll die"
Kimimaro's eyes teared up again..'s..she'll die?!' He questioned in disbelief, not voicing his thoughts for that he had no strength left to move his mouth that was half open
...
She was asleep, a much needed sleep after the torture...only, she looked rather peaceful, sleeping like a little angel, he thought, sitting beside her, his cheek resting on the back of his chair
..
She didn't wake up until midnight, opining her eyes slowly, she could recognize a tired face resting on the chair that was put backwards in front of her..his eyes were half closed but he refused to sleep
"Kimo" she said in a low, hoarse voice
"Aku!" He was at her side immediately, eyes tearing up unconsciously "you okay?" he said in a broken tone
"Y're..crying..why?" She said in the same tired tone, but worry and shock were clear in her voice
He chuckled and smiled, eyes closing..relief was shown with every detail in his face "you had me worried" he scratched the back of his head
She looked down "y..you saw" she wasn't asking
He nodded "it's okay Aku..I'm with you" he said, holding her hand tightly with both of his, as a silent tear slipped down his cheek and onto the bed
She managed a smile before sleep took over again
...
Ever since that day, Kimimaro was overly protective..even more so than before, it annoyed her most of the time, but having him around more often was worth it..he would finish whatever assignment Orochimaru gave him, however difficult it was as fast as possible and return to the hideout
He strained himself too much in order to finish his missions in as little time as possible, dangerously nearing his breaking point, but he never complained, if anything, he always had a smile on his face, one that was warm and made her feel at home
And as time went by, they only grew closer..
~back~
He gazed at her as she was looking at nothing in specific..wondering what she was thinking about..he really couldn't figure her out
But nevertheless, she was the first person to get him so emotional, the first to get him so happy, and to get him to open up and speak of things he only said to himself...all in the duration of one day
Thinking of such things, he too zoned out..
They've played and talked, and each gained a friend, as the day passed quicker than ever, and now it was dusk..neither of them noticed their drift into a well deserved sleep after the eventful day
..
She abruptly sat up..waking from yet another nightmare...despite everything, a smile found its way to her face seeing the blonde boy sleeping in a funny position
Again, he didn't leave..
She felt a tug of guilt, at the familiarity of the situation...yet again, she had someone that, strangely enough, cared about her and she felt the same..so fast..everything was
It was all in one day...so unintentional...she tried to avoid him, keeping him out of her mess of a life, but he glued himself into it, weather she liked it or not..because now she knew, that she had another person she didn't want to be separated from
Sadly, with her it also meant another person to get hurt...first Kimimaro, who tore himself between his missions and her, but she was too little and ignorant to notice at the time..
The next was Kakashi who paid with his life..
And now her newly made friend..but no, she was going to make sure than never happens again..
She reluctantly but adamantly stood up..looked around for a couple of seconds before her eyes caught sight of a sharp object..
It was annoying as hell, could someone close the curtains or something!
Oh, right, he lived alone..
He stirred a bit, his nose catching the smell of damp ground..strange
Opining his eyes, squinting because of the bothersome sun..he was a bit taken aback when seeing the woods, then he remembered
He looked to his side, expecting to find the girl but finding nothing
He quickly sat up with furrowed eyebrows, looking around
"Hm?" He squinted in an attempt to see what was on the tree he was facing..it wasn't sufficient so he got up and walked closer
~last night~
"I don't know how to start writing something" she carved into the tree with the sharp piece of rock she found "but I didn't want to leave without saying anything..I couldn't say it to your face because I know you won't leave but to be honest, I just can't" she took a breath and sighed
"Thank you for everything, I'll remember everything you told me, every word..I'll keep it to my heart just like everything we did today...I guess it's yesterday now" she chuckled
"I never knew what 'family' was..until recently, Now I understand what brother means..you and Kimimaro taught me...you.." she chuckled again "y'know I just noticed that I don't know your name..I think it's for the best" she felt a tug of sadness
"I'm bad..a curse..an Akuma..I hurt people I care about, but I really don't want to..I don't want you to be one of them..that's why..I think it's better if I leave..but I won't run..I won't.." she took another deep breath and gave a sigh
"It's funny I think..these things on your cheeks make you look like a kitty..yeah, I'll call you kitty, not that I'll see you again, but.." she began the line with a chuckle and ended with a clenched heart
"And I think you're right..I do tall like grownups sometimes" Well this took her over an hour, to muster all the grownup-ness she had and write this..
She looked down and saw something she forgot to mention "I don't need anything to remember you by because I'll never forget..but 'you don't like to repeat yourself..yeah' so I'll keep the shoe..I hope you won't need it"
With that, she dropped the rock and prepared to keep her word...because she wasn't going to run, she was going to face reality, no matter how much it hurt
She ran her fingers over the carved letters on the tree..how can you wish to see someone again and at the same time wish the opposite?
She parted the place, a place she won't see again for a long time
~back~
He thought he knew the full extent of hurt..a lonely childhood, being hated by all, and there's that one time he cut his palm with a shuriken when he fell on it..
But this was different..not having anything and losing something were completely different things
~last night~
It hadn't been even ten minutes since she walked away from there..
A strange feeling made duck, just in time to see a hand pass above her head..she barely turned around to see a tall figure behind her when she felt that strange sensation again...only this time she couldn't dodge in time, and received a punch to the gut that threw her back, slamming into the tree behind
She didn't have time to comprehend what was happening as another punch to the face cut any connection she had with the world..
...
A terrible headache and an irony taste in her mouth..those were the first sensations she felt upon gaining consciousness
Suddenly, her eyes snapped wide open that it hurt
Was it all a dream?!...did none of what she lived really happen?!
How could that be...how could she be back inside her cage?!Kakashi, Kimimaro, Orochimaru, and Kitty..were they only fictions if her imagination?!
She began breathing hard and fast, sweating..feeling panic/confusion/loss it was all crazy...she was really losing her grip on sanity...when "I see that you're awake" an unfamiliar voice said
Was that supposed to be reassuring, or even further confusing?! She didn't know anything anymore
"Hiromi, I presume" Hiromi!...that was what Kakashi called her..so it was real!
She didn't say anything in response, still trying to process everything and not quite succeeding
"You're quite special, Hiromi" said the voice in the dark "none of the jutsus my agents used affected you..so they had to resort to...undesirable methods" he added, making her unconsciously place a hand on her bruised jaw
"You see, Hiromi...specimens like you are rare...and I like scarce individuals" the source of the voice was moving, accompanied by a sharp knocking sound on the wooden floor
"But in your case..the situation is different" he said, as the movement stopped
"Hiruzen's weakness always laid in his incapacity to do what is necessary..while I on the other hand, Am to do whatever is better for the village, regardless the means" with that, he appeared, facing her from behind the bars
He was an elderly man with a cane and a bandage covering his right eye..and the mere sight of him, sent chills up her spine, let alone the words he just said
"As I just mentioned, none of the jutsus my agents attempted had any affect on you, so..you can either cooperate or, we can use more..undesirable means"
She had no Idea what he was talking about..all that she recognized from all that he said was the name Hiruzen which she remembered Kakashi telling her that it was the Hokage's real name
She had no Idea what relationship tied this man to the Hokage, but she doubted that it was a good one since this mane seemed like the opposite of what the Hokage was
"I've already wasted enough time waiting for you to regain consciousness...in other words, you don't have plenty of time to think your answer.." as he finished, the cell-door opened and two masked people roughly hauled her out and onto a chair
Her breath was quickening..and all she thought about was not Kimimaro, Kitty or the Hokage..she closed her eyes and prayed for Kakashi to be here, knowing fully that it was impossible..but the mere thought of him gave her slight comfort in that moment of panic
..
She wasn't unwilling to cooperate, she just didn't know the answers to his questions, because apparently 'I don't know' wasn't the right answer..
And the 'more undesirable' ways were indeed undesirable