"Are you scared Rido?" she heard Sasuke's voice call from somewhere around her. "Come and find me."
Gladly, she thought. But there was hesitation. Rido had never given the sentinel full control before. The idea of the monster having utter control of her very soul made her weak with fear. A new kind of fear that wasn't like the kind she felt for Naruto's safety, this kind was the fear before getting on a thrill ride; though its something that you'd done before, something that's completely safe, you still panic.
"Come on, Rido! What kind of a coward are you? You're letting him die! You do realize that, don't you?"
Shut up! Rido yanked out a kunai. She felt her fingers tremble softly as she placed it at her throat, closing her eyes as she cut her airways. Once again, that familiar fear raised in her chest as she realized she could no longer breathe. It was only the sentinel, with its own breath and heartbeat, which kept her alive. The pain from her wound faded quickly, her sight along with it. She didn't try to fight the sweeping control that washed over her. It was familiar sort of sensation of fear; familiar yet still frightening.
"Oh, well, hello Milady Ridonasai-chan." The sentinel's said calmly. Rido felt the blood in her veins ice over. The sentinel had only spoken to her once before, when she was very much younger. But she couldn't ever forget that horrible unearthly voice. Like a million shards of glass set on fire.
"It's been quite a while actually, since you've called me to battle…are you avoiding me? Or maybe you're just desperate. Whichever, doesn't really matter."
She said nothing still. She couldn't, not just yet. Whenever she awakened the sentinel or it came out on its own it always brought a sticky fear with it. It took a while for her to shake it off.
"Sentinel?"
"No, no, call me by my full name please." It said in a bitter maniacal voice.
"Daikirai Shinenai-sama, I apologize for addressing you improperly."
Shinenai laughed evilly before saying, "Quite alright. How's that tasty nine-tailed child? Is he dead yet?" It started to chuckle loudly.
Rido paused suddenly, she hadn't thought of a sound way to explain how Naruto wouldn't be dying, not by her. But she sucked in a courageous breath anyway. "No. He's not dead."
The sentinel, who had been laughing all this time stopped. "What?"
Something about the way it asked made her hesitate. "Um, I've decided not to kill him. It's for—"
"Ridonasai-chan, you do know what will happen if Kyuubi stays trapped don't you?"
Rido exhaled slowly. She knew the basics of her situation; if Kyuubi wasn't freed and he and Shinenai didn't merge, than she'd eventually be killed by Shinenai when it ripped itself from her soul and went to search for Kyuubi on its own. Kyuubi and Shinenai were never one before, but because of the curse put on Shinenai when it was inserted, it now was only a half soul demon. It could never be whole again unless it merged with the most powerful of the tailed beasts, which just happed to be sleeping inside of a Leaf shinobi. She only figured this out recently, though, when she read the letters sent from her village by carrier ravens.
Most of the letters had been from her mother who was mildly worried but mostly just wanted her to hurry up and thought she needed some incentive.
"Yes I know what will happen." She whispered.
"Oh! I see. Your soul tells me all. I can see it with my third eye, you know. You care about this nine-tailed child. Ha! You want him to be safe. How trivial. I'm amused." Shinenai exploded into laughter. A high and rough barking that made her want to cover her ears. After a while it stopped so abruptly that Rido jumped a bit. "Stop being stupid Ridonasai. You know that you and he can't both live at the same time. Destiny is not what you want it to be. You're irrational desire to be around him is nonsensical."
It was true, Rido knew this well enough, yet she still chose to hold so tightly to something that could never be. She couldn't help it. It was what her soul wanted. She couldn't change that.
"Rido!" Sasuke called again. He sounded deeply agitated. Well, good, Rido thought bitterly.
"That's the enemy, correct?" Shinenai asked.
"Yes."
"Excellent! Let's have some fun." Rido could only wait anxiously inside her mind as Shinenai rocketed toward the direction of Sasuke's heartbeat. Rido knew now that Sasuke was no average rank ninja, but no human was any kind of match for Daikirai Shinenai, the beast whose name means he will never die, the immortal dragon-dog of Soul village legend, said to have eaten the souls of all who opposed him.
"There he is the innocent mouse he is. It's a pity this is so easy." Shinenai bounded for Sasuke who was taken completely by surprise. Rido could hear the sentinel's thoughts, no longer intelligent sentences, but uncontrollable spasms of need. Kill kill slash kill feed feed die die DIE!
But just as the sentinel lowered its opened jaw to the boys neck, it bucked backward, startled for some reason, and then shook its head as if shaking away some unwanted thought. Then it turned Rido's face to growl at the ninja on the ground, "Stupid genjutsu won't work on me foolish child! You caught me of guard but I won't be taken again."
Hearing the strange voice finally alerted Sasuke to the fact that this thing in front of him in Rido's form was not Rido. "What are you?"
The thing laughed, an eerie soul-sucking chime like monsters ripping the hearts out of babies in their cribs. The boy couldn't help covering his ears. What was this monster?
"Oh…." The thing paused for a moment, considering something. "Oh I see your soul, boy. You're a dark one. I like you. Such a terrible pity to waste such a fine, corrupt, soul." Shinenai shook Rido's head. "Oh well, it can't be helped. So remorseful about this child."
Once again Shinenai lowered its mouth to Sasuke's throat. Sasuke tried to fight, so hard he tried! But this thing wasn't just holding his body down, but it pinned his spirit as well, he couldn't move an inch without encountering intense pain or fear or sorrow. The thing was controlling his emotions so much he couldn't think straight. He couldn't dream of escaping and he couldn't die now! Not without fulfilling his life goal…
"Alright, you win." Sasuke whispered. He wasn't one to so easily admit such a thing. It practically killed him to lose let alone to a girl.
"Hmm? What's that? "Shinenai asked, sounding distracted. "Oh! You want me to stop, child? Um…I am hungry. So very hungry! Gosh! Rido? You want me to stop?"
"Yes!" If Sasuke died, she would never find Naruto.
"Oh, alright." With a tortured sigh it unpinned Sasuke. No sooner had he been freed did the frightened shinobi shoot up and retreat a step. Never before has he experienced such immense power. What was this trickery? Was this a tailed beast? No, tailed beasts showed physical sighs when their power was use. An aura of chakra, a darkening of eyes, yet this thing showed nothing. And the power! Could such a being exist?
"Where's Naruto?" Rido asked once she had regained control of her body.
"Resting safely at home, idiot." Sasuke said offhandedly. He was too concerned with the demon-thing to care what Rido thought of his manipulations. But Rido was relived. She had been so sure that Naruto was gone, knowing he was home didn't make her angry at Sasuke, but almost grateful. Without another word she spun and darted toward home.
Meanwhile Sasuke continued to brood relentlessly, obsessing over this new finding, and…..how he could use it to his advantage. The thing had said he liked Sasuke, well, Sasuke liked him too.