Muse of Torments

Despite being days –perhaps weeks after, she still touches her face. Just to make sure.

It was on reflex, one she developed thanks to the beast roaming the hallways with his infinite energy –she thought that if she focused, she would be able to smell its aroma, flames licking everything in their path –smoke as black as his eyes and soul. Now, her fingers gently caressed her chapped lips with enough gentleness to compensate for the hard floor beneath her and wondered, swallowing everything she once tried to accomplish, why she hasn't taken the single step necessary to ensure his disappearance.

Coward, a voice resonated through the endless sea of her mind –Himari's, because of course, the person who her demons would emulate will be the woman that abandoned her first. So close it was, just at the very tip of her fingers, if she just allowed them to stretch enough and sink deep on his skin, tear the pumping muscle apart and break free, he would collapse lifeless on the mattress –she will look at him with the smallest smile on her lips and a confident nod before falling beside him, taking her last breath…

Ino played with the skin on her lips, loose enough for her to take and stretch until it broke, she blinked when the movement brought pain and licked the first drops of blood away. Shadows danced in the rooftop, too close to each other to make any form distinguishable –she clicked her mouth shut and stretched her arm, saw her pale hand contrast against the dark, and allowed it to drop.

Itachi had yet to return for her, it had been early when he woke her, she had blinked awake by the sudden need for air only to be welcomed to reality by his features looming above hers. He had remained silent at her gasp, merely watching every inch of her face with an unreadable expression, his gaze pinning her to the floor –she wished for the ground to open and swallow her whole to escape his scrutiny, but she was forced to face him with barely contained fear. When she pursed her lips, Itachi's eyes fell to them with impressive speed, and whatever he saw made him knit his brows together before returning to normalcy, and again, a placid expression settled upon his countenance, a porcelain spectrum of dreadful beauty.

He looked like a creature who despised disorder, who cherished perfection, had been her chapped lips that brought him such displeasure? Was she shedding her fragile skin to appease his purist nature? Ino brought her hand to her sensitive lips and pressed hard enough to feel her teeth flush against them, sketching every detail of her denture on her skin –her throat created a rough sound on its depth that vibrated against her touch; was she beautiful enough for the beast to look down on her imperfections, looking for their erasure? Ah, Ino thought, passing her tongue through her teeth, witness what you brought upon the muse.

Another growl moved her vocal cords and altered itself into a low rumble of laughter when reaching her mouth cavity –yes, she thought again, her eyes widening and lips stretching under her still hardly pressed fingertips, my beauty it's my undoing. The antic brought a hiss and few remembrances of her once previous self-esteem, how quick had they been to strip her from any self-worth. Bastards. The both of them.

Such a display of vanity –unbecoming of an heir to entertain such stupidity. Was it, sordid beast? Then how she's supposed to entertain herself? There she lay, back against the damp floor of her barely lit cell, with only her thoughts as a companion –food, water, and a small bucket with a washcloth had been already consumed and used, and she wasn't as far away from sanity as to use what remained as toys (for the time being). If not for her vanity, she would be shattered by grief –Kosuke's mirrors were slightly more broken when she visited him, few more crystals nailed on the sole of her sandals when following Natsuo's form around –whose transparency incremented to the point where Ino could lightly see what stood behind him.

A shame to see him slowly withering away –to witness his departure and to know that he's hanging onto life under false pretenses, her promise to return alongside him to their beloved home and his beloved child was nothing but a ruse to get him to cooperate. Little coward, Himari's laughter rose from the depth of the sea –black pearl resurfacing against her will and floating in the tranquil waters of her mind; it didn't matter how hard Ino pushed it down, it came back up with equal strength.

("You want to live –don't you?" Another pearl rose and floated beside the other, Itachi's voice crashing against Himari's conceived one –was she mingling real memories with hallucinations? "Do not lie –I know your spirit, child. I've seen it. Nothing is kept from me. You'll do as I say." Another laugh joined her mother's, mocking her wish to live –against all odds, against better judgment, she just wanted to come back!)

Kosuke wouldn't shrink against the thought of death for a greater good –she knew, Ino was aware of her selfishness, he will carve his heart out with the sharp edge of his hitai ate if it meant to protect those he loved, it was shameful… she was the heir! Her whole life was to be dedicated to others –and yet…

And yet she walked alongside Natsuo, kicking away the glass shards to clean up her path, watching the boy walk slightly in front of her. They moved in silence, he didn't bring up the last time they saw each other and neither did she, when he turned, his eyes displayed the knowledge of a man his father's age, not the boy's. "Who is it?" He asked, his face obscured by his hair.

Ino swallowed –if he knew the name that was about to make it past her lips, would he know how unattainable their survival was? The name of a clan murderer, of a family's executioner –he was well known across Konoha's streets and further away from its borders, should she tell the truth now, would he discover the previous lie? "I don't know," she was untruthful once more, and it tasted sweet against her tongue, strange that shame hadn't taken hold of her this time, "mercenaries I believe –the woman, Yua, works for them."

Natsuo hummed, blinked at her once more before returning his eyes to whatever path was before them, Ino allowed herself to exhale the tension off her shoulders, "where are we going?" She asked him, glancing around the maze: corridors upon corridors of shattered mirrors so similar in between them that she couldn't distinguish which path they took from the unexplored ones.

The boy suddenly stopped, turned slowly to look at her and his eyes widened, "I don't know." He said, both suddenly realizing they were lost.

Ino froze, "what?"

"I don't know where we are going!" He wailed and the sound reverberated on the space, he tapped his forehead with his middle finger rapidly in a clear display of nervousness. "I –I don't know what are we looking for! What are we looking for Ino-sama?" He asked, then repeated the question three times before the mirrors cracked open further, nothingness replacing its place, constricting his landscape even further.

"A memory!" Ino, in her desperation, lost control of her voice, fear bubbling up the surface of her speech. "H-they say they need a memory you have!" Pain made it from her original form to her ethereal image, she had been walking for a while now, wasting precious chakra. The absence of her energy burned each and every one of her neurons.

Natsuo's impatient tapping did not stop, he looked at her and then at the floor, his figure melted with the background and resurfaced with less vitality than before, if Ino left now, he'll consume himself to oblivion, she was forced to defuse the situation. "A memory?" He asked, eyes scanning the seemingly empty room, "what memory?"

And fuck Spirits, fuck Itachi –he hadn't disclosed the nature of the remembrance she ought to find, what could possibly be? If she told him about her lack of knowledge what would he do? Would he sink further into his despair? "I…" What other option was there?! "I don't know…" She winced, closed her eyes to tame down some of the pain in her head, and breathed in, then out; when she opened her eyes again, Natsuo was petrified.

The little boy cocked his head to the side, in the depth of his amber eyes –there was both contempt and anxiety (was there, or Ino was solely mirroring what her own gaze reflected?) "Y-you don't know?" He breathed out, his lips stretching as if to laugh.

Ino tried to blink out of her stupor, to laugh at a time like this… "it's –it's under a seal, a barrier of some sorts, that's why Yua couldn't access it –whatever she touched it was a trigger of some sorts; maybe…"

"How I'm supposed to know then?" Natsuo's voice –Kosuke's, was possessed by a maniacal cackle, his lips were stretched wide and his eyes wrinkled, the only thing that signaled his real distress was his trembling. From the corner of his mouth to his shoulders he shook, "I wouldn't know," he laughed, "if I'm not dead then the seal still exists, I won't remember what's inside it until we prided it open!" He brought his hands to his hair and started to pull, Ino moved forward to hold his fingers, his nails dug on her skin.

"Kosuke," she hissed, using the pain as an anchor –her vision was going askew, she was reaching her limit rapidly, "I'll figure it out." She lied again, hoping –just hoping, that Itachi will disclose something more for her to look without a blindfold, why was he so adamant against telling her? What could Kosuke possibly know?

"Y-you…" Kosuke was breathless, howling hysterically, Ino pursed her lips, yanked her hand free of his grasp, and punched him in the face. Kosuke felt nothing, of course, he was nothing but an ethereal being, but the sudden movement and aggressive nature of her approach made him pause. His eyes, previously shinning with madness, became suddenly opaque –a far more dangerous mist falling upon them.

It was a guardian's nature, Ino knew better than to advance with such a reckless attitude, but it was the only way he would settle –he hadn't become immediately violent, at least, "I'll figure it out." She said again, letting him go and stepping aside, both hands displayed for him to see. He narrowed his eyes but moved no further. "I'll figure it out."

She was forced to release her technique or face death –she left without being able to add anything else, she prayed to whatever spirit above that her last words were enough to appease Kosuke's turmoil, for should he fall, he'll immediately die –and should he die…

Ino's first instinct once brought back onto the reality realm again was to roll off Itachi's grasp and puke whatever was inside her stomach onto the floor –her muscles trembled due to the exhaustion, having barely any chakra left moving through her system to even keep them functioning. Her arms were numb, her legs were shaking, she rolled back to rest her cheek on the next cleaner surface near her. She felt the sweat gathering on her entire face and nose, when she licked her lip upon reflex, Ino was able to feel the metallic taste on the tip of her tongue. She brought a hand to clean her face and was immediately greeted with her palm completely covered in crimson liquid.

Muffled sounds reached her ears, her eyes wandered around the room, unable to settle anywhere, she knew the beast was speaking –uncaringly, unconcerned, was it too much to ask to show some mercy? Some pity? Ino opened her mouth and nothing but a new discharge came out of her lips –shameful, she thought, feeling tears falling uncontained; she wondered if they drew a clear path over the red canvas of her skin.

She knew how chakra depletion felt like, she expected the numbness and the trembling, she expected the exhaustion –she didn't foresee the blood coming out from her nose and ears, Saiko Denshin wasn't solely a chakra-consuming technique, but also caused a huge mind and brain strain.

The next time she blinked, the blurry figure of the man approached her, red eyes breaking through the shadows clinging to his frame, she watched them with a reckless intensity just to give her eyes something to focus on as to make the room stop spinning. Itachi cocked his head to the side as if thinking. Then, with a gentleness that almost makes her burst into tears, he gently lifted her head and brushed away the locks of hair plastered on her face.

Why the sudden change? She wanted to ask –is this the pity she begged so much for? With her eyes glued to his, she was expecting to fall under the pit of his dominance, but the beast simply supported her head and lifted her up slowly, one arm behind her neck and the other holding her legs. She risked a glance at his lips and noticed how perfectly closed they were, she knew he could smell the vomit still trapped in the corner of her mouth and the blood dripping down her neck to his wrist –oh, what a gentleman!

When he placed her on the floor of her cell, she believed things would go back to normalcy, so when she felt the pleasure of the damp, cold cloth gently and superficially cleaning her face, it was instinct that forced her to tense. Itachi, however, was unfazed by her reaction –she swallowed, and he moved the cloth upon the sensitive skin of her neck and collarbone, she looked for a clue trapped upon his features, but he was as indecipherable as always; a perfect marbled expression.

She swallowed –exhaling through her nose at his kindness and refusing to look at him any longer, focusing her gaze on the roof, feeling the tears falling from its confinement and Itachi cleaning them alongside whatever remained of filth. "Were you cradling them into your arms?" She ventured, "when you killed the babies?" It was a faint second, a slight pause where his arm tensed enough for her to feel it against her skin.

Itachi finished cleaning the corners of her mouth. Ino was sure he was thinking the pros and cons of entertaining her. Then, he looked at her –eyes becoming black once again, "why? Are you not satisfied with my benevolence?"

She returned the gesture, gaze focused on the tip of his nose, "if anything," she whispered, "I just think it makes you worse."

"I see," he replied after a slight pause, she watched as he lifted his hand just above her face while his fingers squeezed the cloth, the filthy water cascaded down onto her freshly cleaned features, Ino couldn't say she was surprised. "As you wish." He added before standing, "take the pill on the plate –I'll come for you later."

Ino didn't accompany his departure with her gaze, she remained there –eyes glued to the darkness above, and after a while, she obeyed –diligently putting the food on her mouth and drinking the water so generously served for her, finishing by cleaning the remaining of the filthy water off of her with the sleeve of her kimono. It was a surprising turn of events to not faint in the face of total consumption, she assumed that the only reason she was still alive was the pills that kept her system going.

Ino lay down on the floor once more, feeling the pill work wonders inside her, forcing her body to create more stamina to fill the vacancy left –then she exhaled and brought her hand to her chapped lips, delicately outlining them…

Like a harsh gush of wind that appeared suddenly, untamed enough to quickly become a storm that'll bring upon her silvery clouds to pour down their misery onto her, the beast's chakra flourished under the scrutiny of her senses. It disappeared for a single moment and then doubled, so fiercely, that its harsh heat reverberated against the door –prying it open with enough strength to make it crash against the wall. Ino quickly jumped up and took a step back in horror –and slight fascination, at such display of power.

What on earth had happened to spark so brutally his energy? Ino was torn apart by her desire to recoil and the sudden realization: the door was open. Was this a trap? Why would she venture to look for freedom when his eyes would so easily see through any veil? They'll break her apart for her daring!

"Kunoichi," came the voice from the depth, its echo vibrating on her bones –she allowed herself to take a step forward, was this another illusion of his? A trap to test her obedience? Oh, the taste freedom, if this was another game of his –a retaliation for her speech, how could he compare what he put her through with a slight misstep on her part? Damn her mouth! Was he waiting for her to get better before punishing her?

"Kunoichi," the call was repeated –his tone far more bothered than before at Ino's doubt, the slight hope of a lesser punishment brought her forward again, following the sphere where the energy concentrated the most, it was a wandering point –he was… walking, where was he taking her? "Kunoichi." It came again.

Ino took a turn, pried open a slightly ajar door that complained at the intrusion –candles were lit all around the foreign space, completely bare except for a rustic table right in the middle. When she reached its side, she placed her fingertips on the surface, quickly tracing its details. "KUNOICHI."

Ino whipped her face towards the door –assaulted by immediate fear, a swarm of crows came rushing onto her in desperation as if escaping their predator, she covered her face with her arms and felt the brush of wings and peaks on her sensitive skin. As quick as they came, the movement dissipated, she heard the turmoil the birds made when parting to allow his entrance and, from the mouth of the room, came his image –once imposing, now barely able to grasp the frame of the door, he had his hand on his mouth, amongst his fingers, blood pushed through, "kunoichi-" he breathed one last time, filthy hand reaching for her, Ino tried to take a step back but was stopped by the table.

Itachi collapsed onto the floor.

Silence.

Immediate, undeniable,

Quiet.

Ino's nails were nailed to the wood –her eyes so wide open she could feel the moisture drying –someone was screaming –her, the crows, it didn't matter; upon her ears, only the sound of her heartbeat made it through, muffled by the tension that descended forcibly on the room. W-was this another trick of his? W-was he dead? Ino swallowed.

Then she felt it.

Her heart slowed its beating, casually following Itachi's –it refused to live without its forced companion in this pandemonium, it cried blood tears at being kept apart from its owner (conqueror –Ino had no say in who her life was tied to), the seal she refused to see and pretended not to exist reminded her, so suddenly, of the choice. This was it, the moment where her worth was put to test –will she, finally, allow Itachi to cease existing at the expense of her own life? At the price of letting go of everything she once dreamed of? The weight of her death brought her to her knees, and there she stayed, watching the corpse of the man who'll she go alongside with –will they be judged similarly or will the Shikigami allow Ino her own identity and sins?

Suddenly she thought of Inoichi, of her friends –did she have friends? Any at all? Would his team suffer her disappearance? Would they ever find her remains, what will they think when seeing her laying alongside Konoha's worst? The pain, the pressure on her chest expanded and reached her left arm, numbing it completely.

The truth was, Ino was a coward.

Ino was no hero.

"NO!" She screamed, crawling to his figure –tears gathered on her eyelashes and cascaded down her face, "YOU WON'T –" She cried, gaze blurring, desperately trying to turn him over –he was so heavy, she bit the inside of her cheek to push herself further, trying desperately to remain conscious. He won't -he'll never take her with him. Selfish bastard!

When she managed to finally move him around, his eyes were rolled up, she wobbled to the side by the amount of force she had to use and hurt her knees. She straddled him, grabbed her bosom when the pain blinded her, and tried to blink away the dark spots that settled in her eyes. "I'LL LIVE!" She shouted –where was his filthy mistress when she needed her?! and punched his ribcage. Ino placed both of her hands onto his chest and breathed through her mouth, activating her medical technique. She gasped when she felt his heart react to her chakra, her own heart mimicking the other's motions –they went in unison, hers mirroring his –what did he do? "What did you do?!" She asked, gasped again and pumped more chakra, more strength, more, more! Alongside her energy, she started to compress his chest –muscles refusing to cooperate, her arms, finally, collapsed under her own weight, and she fell down on top of him –yet, she continued her labor, praying, hoping…

I'm scared, I'm scared –please, oh Spirits, please!

She was a child –she wasn't ready!

A gasp again and the pain the blossomed inside their breasts –moving through each of their muscles like seaweed, claiming them back to the land of the living –unbecoming of an heir to cry, the voice in her head returned, but she minded not, allowing the desperation to be drained off of her body amongst the tears that traveled through her features. Itachi's heart was moving on his own –and hers, oh glory, followed suit. He was breathing –he was breathing! She could feel the movements of his lungs under her!

Exhausted, she was barely able to raise her head slightly, blond eyelashes against the skin of his cheek, dusting off the small particles of dirt that fell upon them, the tip of her nose slightly pressed on his jaw –flames and smoke. Further up she forced her arms to bring her until her face was looming above his, close enough to still smell his fragrance and feel his warm breath upon her lips. He was conscious –the beast, looking at her with black irises from where it hung the fatigue. She blinked when her own exhale mingled with his, so close they were, he watched her with his mouth slightly curved down –was it curiosity perhaps? She allowed her lips to reach further, barely brushing the tip of his nose, both of their gazes locked in each other.

And then she brought her forehead down, chakra focused on that exact point of contact –and Itachi fainted.

Silence.

Immediate, undeniable,

Victory.

"That's not really polite."

When Ino allowed her head to drop sideways to glance from above her shoulder at the intruder –she saw gray skin and sharp teeth, a tall figure in a dark cloak –and understood then, suddenly, Kosuke's reaction. She smiled at the creature who looked at her with a wide grin upon his countenance, her shoulders shaking by the laughter bubbling up from her stomach to her throat and out her lips –ah, Kosuke, she thought, so this is why you were laughing!

And laugh, she did.

A/N: I realized while re-reading the chapter that I wrote a rhyme, Spirits I'm so ashamed…

We officially passed one hundred pages on this second part! The first one has, roughly, 158! I'm pretty sure this second stage will be longer –can't believe I wrote almost 250 + pages (41 chapters) for a fic.

Just to clarify, Hyōrōgan pills boost the user's strength and allow them to continue fighting without resting for three days until the body collapses and needs a long time to recover –in that sense, Ino is fed a new pill almost on a daily basis which is why she hasn't collapsed yet.