Chapter 3 (A Kunoichi Never Cries)
I grunt as I'm kicked in the stomach for the millionth time. I hold my stomach as I feel the cold floor against my bruised face. I'm sure I'm black and blue with red blood all over, with no chakra to heal as always. This was my punishment for trying to escape, I suppose, while I'm also being interrogated by some blue-skinned shark guy. The others silently watch as I refuse to break. I say nothing, I look at no one, I don't cry. Crying is always a bad thing, a sign of weakness. I've shown enough weakness as it is, but crying is something I will absolutely not do.
Blue shark face pulls my hair and lifts my head a foot off the ground while crouching. I stare at the wall out of the corner of my eye. I've been clenching my teeth since the first punch, even powerless; it's hard to keep my mouth shut. I'm almost tempted to spit in his face as he brings it closer.
"That's enough, Kisame." Pierce says.
Kisame lets go of my short purple strands. My face hits the cold ground hard, making the bruises on my cheek worse.
"It's no use, she won't speak. Since she won't tell us, she'll have to show us." Pierce glances over at the silver haired one, he smirks.
I'm manhandled outside. I had no idea where we were, but I made careful note of the scenery and how the entrance of their hide out looked. I'm dropped onto a hard dirt floor; there was no point in showering yesterday. I'm covered in dirt, grim, and blood. Deidara joked that I might be punished for what I did, but I didn't take him seriously. Even if I did entertain the idea, I didn't imagine it would be this severe. Next time I'll be sure to heed his warning.
I slowly stand up because I'm sure that's what they want anyway. The ropes binding my hands are cut, and my chakra returns to me. I begin healing myself, it takes up a good amount of chakra, but I'm back to being almost as good as new. I'm sore, and still dirty, and my chakra is now halfway gone. I straighten up now, but my vision still blurry and I feel a bit light-headed. My balance is off, and I can feel myself wobble a little as I approach the silver-haired man.
"She's a fast healer." The monotone voice is back. I recently discovered that it belonged to a red head, his name is Sasori.
I bite my lip. Knowing my circumstances, I probably won't be able to hide my ocular jutsu any longer. I sigh, wandering if I should use it right away; I really didn't want to fight anymore.
"Go ahead Hidan." Pierce gives the ok for him to attack I think.
Hidan takes out a black spike and licks the pointy edge of it.
"This'll be quick." He proclaims. There's a sentence he went without cursing.
Reluctantly, I calmly move my bangs away from my face and open my third eye. Hidan begins charging at me too quick to react. I hit eye contact with him and smirk, I'm in control now. I force him to miss his attack and hold up the spike to his own throat.
"Oi Hidan, what are you doing?!" The stitched-up masked-man says. I only saw him earlier today, a quick glance, nothing special.
"I can't . . . control my damn body!"
"I suppose this is the part where I explain what I did, right?"
Pierce's eyes narrow at me as he glares, no one makes a move towards me though. Good, I don't really have enough chakra to control two people right now, so it's best for me to avoid getting jumped.
"What did you do to him?" Pierce more commands it in a stern voice my father might use.
"You see I have my third eye, which holds my ocular jutsu to control the actions of my opponent."
"That's all it can do?" The orange swirly faced man asks.
I don't answer. Instead, I make Hidan stab himself in the neck and keep it there. No one moves, no one says anything. No reactions, not even a bat of the eye. Can't say I'm being any different though.
"Should we use Itachi instead?" Sasori questioned. I know damn well who he is at least.
"No. She needs to heal first for us to see her full potential; she probably doesn't have enough chakra to do anything else. Take her back, keep her alive." Pierce turns away and begins walking back.
I walk up to Hidan and offer my hand to him. He stares at me as if I'm some sort of idiot. Hidan stands, ignoring my hand and taking out the spike. He looked tempted to hit me again, maybe keep fighting, but instead he turns and follows the others.
They all walk away from me, no one is looking back at me, and no one is watching me. I look behind me, tempted to run again. How far can I go before they notice me running? Before they can catch up to me? They're too powerful for me to take on right now, especially the way I am now. Deidara materializes out of nowhere.
"Do you really want to try that again, hmm?"
I clench my teeth and begin walking back with Deidara behind me. I smirk as I study the scenery and make a mental picture in my head of it. Having my eye out like this was a piece of cake, and memorizing/studying how to get in was easy and simple too.
I sit on a much more comfortable bed. I assumed this was some sort of healing room. The mattress was thicker than necessary, and mostly everything in there was white and overly clean. There was hand sanitizer and gloves, along with needles in a special red cabinet. A loud clock ticks away the seconds. It only seems loud because of the awkward silence swirling around in the room. Deidara sat in a chair in the corner of the room with a bored expression. I was thankful he wasn't looking at me; I found I feel uncomfortable when he does. I mean, who wouldn't after being watched while cleansing themselves?
Deidara's eyes dart over to me and I look away, feeling childish and giving off the wrong message by gawking in the first place.
The only apparent female in the group enters the room. I honestly think she's pretty. She has dark blue hair she always wears in a bun. I think it's a real disadvantage for a kunoichi to have long hair and choose to let it hang down. I ended up cutting mine short, but people grab and pull it anyway. I suppose I should try a bun one day, if my hair is long enough to pull it off.
"Hello there, I'm Konan. I'm sorry about all this, really."
Konan begins rubbing medicine on my bruises. I did a really sucky job at healing myself since I was rushing. It stings, but I don't protest.
"Thank you." I tell her after she finishes wrapping me up. I have so many bandages wrapped around me that I felt like a mummy.
"You know you don't have to be so kind to her, yeah."
"Shut up Deidara. All you and the others want to do is fight her. You all really should learn how to treat women." Deidara says nothing.
Konan gives me a small white box with a red plus on it, "It's not much, but you could use this. I never gave this to you, ok?" Konan gives me a smile and a wink.
I accept it without a word. Konan was so kind I was afraid that if I talked, I would be overwhelmed and cry. I'm near my limit, and even though I'm a ninja, there's still so much I can take.
"That's all I can do for you." Konan exists without showing anymore kindness. I'm glad, because my vision would've blurred if she kept going.
I silently stand and begin walking back towards the basement, opening the creaky door.
"You're actually going back willingly?" Deidara's voice sounded shocked for once.
"I don't have the energy to try anymore escapes." My voice cracks, I rush down the stairs before he can say a word to me.
I collapse onto his mattress, the one I assume he's been sleeping on these past few days in order to watch me. The unkempt blanket is quickly tangled up in my legs as I furiously wipe my eyes. I hear Deidara slowly descend the stairs as I start to sob quietly. I curse at myself loudly, not caring who hears. If I cry now, then I might as well label myself off as their prey. I might as well not even try to get away or fight back. Deidara rests his hand against my shoulder. His hand is somewhat gentle now, his touch is soft.
"Don't look at me." I say sharply, unable to control my sobs.
"I'm not crying, ok? I just have something in my eye that burns. I don't like pain you know, I really hate it." I'm crying now. I know it and Deidara knows it, but I don't want anyone to see me, don't acknowledge it.
"I don't understand you. You're a ninja, yet you hate spiders and you don't like pain."
I don't answer; instead I hold my breath to keep the sobs in.
"It's fine now, no one's looking and it's dark, so I can't see."
My heart skips a beat when I realize Deidara would turn a blind eye to my tears. I mentally scold myself on how weak I was. I mean, how could I dare cry at all? Let alone into the arms of my own captivator! The arms of who have helped into breaking me down on a mere desire and injured me. He won't think twice about hurting me if I try to escape.
So why? Why am I crying so naturally in his arms?! Like I'm a child! Why is he letting me?! Wouldn't he scoff and insult me? I don't get it.
. . . .
I think I cried myself to sleep then.
I never cried so hard in my life.