A/N: Woo, a little insight to Seki's life. I decided to update faster since I'm sick at home. I still haven't gotten much reviews...
But never mind that. Sit back and relax, here comes Seki's own sad history.
Hurting
...12 years ago...
"Iwashi!"
Iwashi turned his head and waited for his brother to catch up with him. Keimyou's maroon eyes sparkled with happiness as he caught up with the father of his niece.
"She's alright! She was saved, she's going to be fine!"
Iwashi's eyes widened, and without a word he shunshin to the room that held his new born daughter.
Enzeru stared at her child, not quite sure that she was seeing what she saw. Her daughter, Houseki Raion, had unbelievably survived. The small traces of soft chocolate brown hair was visible on top of her fair head. She was curled up in a ball, probably unused to the cold air of the night. Enzeru quickly bundled her up in a blanket, still counting her blessings after what had happened.
Her husband appeared beside her, only minutes after Keimyou and the elder priests had left. She turned to Iwashi, tears forming as relief washed over her. Iwashi looked from her brown pupils to his child, still trying to attain some warmth from her mother's embrace. He gently took her from Enzeru's slim form, hugging her tightly, not wanting to let her go. Houseki finally relaxed, her eyes fluttering open to see the source of the warmth she was feeling. Enzeru joined her husband's side to smile happily into their daughter's bright red pupils, which instantly sparkled at the sight of the couple. She knew who they were.
Enzeru and Iwashi gave each other a comforting look, both of them thanking the heavens in their hearts. Their daughter had survived a demon's bite, and although the demon had escaped before it could be captured, everything should be fine after the priests had check her.
Nothing was out of place in this picture. Just a couple admiring their first baby, love flowing from their hearts to hers. It was beautiful, and nothing could be wrong.
Yet.
-
...7 years later...
"Seki Raion! You come back here, you little imp!" An old woman yelled as a blur of brown dashed in and out of the kitchen, taking along a few loaves of bread with her. The 7 year old turned her head to see the cook wave her fist angrily, running backwards as she tried to keep the bread in her hands. She turned back, after she realized the cook was not going to chase her.
"Come on, Seki-chan. We can't keep the kittens waiting now, can we?" Seki's head snapped up, and a brilliant smile lit up the whole hallway as she sprinted to catch up with her uncle who had come out from his hiding spot. The two of them arrived at the garden at the back of the house, which was the smallest and had a low chance of anyone coming here. Seki called out for the kittens and they soon came crawling out and stopped in front of Seki. She began to throw down pieces of bread from the platform she sat on, grinning every time the kittens mewed to express their gratitude. Keimyou noticed that they had no collars on, unlike the house pets. These were strays.
"Seki-chan, why do you like these stray cats? Don't you like the house pets?"
"I like the house pets just fine, but these strays have no one to love them. I don't want them to be lonely."
Keimyou stared at his niece.
"These kittens are unwanted, a nuisance and potential troublemakers. If they are left alone, they would suffer, but no one would care because they would disturb them anymore. But they have abilities to help people, Keimyou-san. They really do!" Seki exclaimed, earnestly trying to prove her point although she didn't have to.
"See that black and white kitten there, it can jump really high," Seki pointed to a small kitten devouring its bread as fast as it could. "And that one with a gray spot on its tail? It can swim faster than any of these kittens..."
Seki listed down all of the kitten's unique skills and abilities, and Keimyou watched the compassion and kind nature in her that was usually missed by the people in their clan.
"...And the orange one? Oh, its my favorite. Its nose is really good, it helped me to find Mr Teddy when I lost it one day. And look! Its very nice too, it shares its food!" True enough, as Keimyou followed the direction of Seki's finger, he saw the orange kitten drop some of its bread to a scrawny yellow furred one. Seki stopped then, just looking at the orange kitten.
"I like the color orange. I want my hair to be that color too!" Keimyou chuckled and ruffled her shoulder length brown hair. Seki grinned, but did not stop feeding the hungry strays. Keimyou's smile slowly faded, and his hand rested on her shoulder.
"Anou, Seki-chan..." Seki looked up for a moment at Keimyou's concerned face.
"You, like these strays..." Seki nodded vigorously, but Keimyou stopped her.
"... because they're like you?" Seki's eyes widened, her mouth opened slightly but no words came out. She turned back to the kittens, her head bowed and a shadow was cast over her face.
Keimyou pitied the little girl. She was only 7, and she had so many talents that people would've been proud to have her in the Raion clan. But they weren't.
-
She was upset when the a tiger cub had clawed her favorite toy, Mr Teddy. The tiger cub was a child of the tigress, which was the prized pet of the clan. No one saw what had happened, but a servant had found the tiger cub dead in Seki's room, where Seki lay unconscious, her hands stained with the cub's blood.
It was the first of the many attacks she got. Although she didn't hurt anyone after the tiger cub, people were still terrified whenever she had them. The eldest of the priests explained to Iwashi and Enzeru, that the cause of it was the unknown demon that had bitten her when she was just born. The poison of its fangs had seeped into a small part of her brain, which will cause her to go insane when angered or upset. She had no memory of her attacks, due to the poison which caused her mind to slip into a temporary coma, although her limbs moved at her mind's own accord.
Keimyou witnessed one of the attacks in secret when she was four, and he never told anyone what he had seen, even Iwashi. But he was still sickened at the malicious way she had tried to strangle the dog that had bit her, to death. After that though, when she had fallen unconscious due to exahaustion, and the dog had ran away whimpering, Keimyou saw the weak form crumpled on the floor, and the innocent face when she awoke in his room. He realized it was never her fault, and she didn't deserve to be blamed.
Iwashi explained everything to her when she turned 6, and Keimyou never saw a smile from her for the next few weeks. She locked herself from the world, only eating the minimal requirement needed to live, never speaking to anyone. Enzeru and Iwashi were at their wits end, so Keimyou gave them a suggestion. They were reluctant, but agreed in the end. Keimyou then went to give his proposal to Seki.
"Seki, would you like me to train you to become a shinobi, that everyone would be proud of?"
Seki used that as her goal, and regained her cheerful and bright composure after that. Keimyou never regretted his decision, and always saw the side of her that people missed or never bothered to see. Her compassionate, kind and determined attitude. She worked hard, and was potentially the strongest of all the other members of the clan. Seki ignored the whispers of others, and concentrated on improving herself, everyday. She had the love of her parents, and the love of her uncle and her many stray kittens. It was enough for her.
As long as Seki didn't kill anyone, she would be fine. And one day she would get the acceptance she wanted.
If only things were as simple as that.
-
"Congratulations again, Seki-chan! You will become a fine shinobi after this!" Keimyou praised as they walked out of the Suna Ninja Academy. Seki gave her uncle a wide smile and looked back down at her new forehead protector. She traced the symbol that represented the shinobis of Sunagakure, an hourglass with a bar on top. She hugged it tightly to her chest and looked back at her uncle as they walked to a nearby restaurant, "Hai. Arigatou Keimyou-san, for training me. I will make the Raion clan proud one day, I'm sure of it!" Seki exclaimed with confidence, drawing some amused looks from the customers at the restaurant. After ordering, Keimyou chuckled and ruffled Seki's now cropped hair. She had made him promise to buy some orange dye if she passed, but he still liked the soft brown color of her hair. Seki pouted and slapped his hand away from messing her hair.
"Anou, Keimyou-san? Why do you want to move here again?"
"Hn? I told you, I prefer to stay in this peaceful village. Besides, I want to escape all the ladies back home. How many times have I told Enzeru that I want to be a bachelor? Simple really, she just can't accept it," Seki giggled and Keimyou joined her before she asked her next question.
"Anou, Keimyou-san? How will I get missions if I live away from Sunagakure?"
"I made a deal with the Kazekage. You can be exempted from missions for a while, then you will come live here with me when you're 14. Four years is long enough for you to train up, ne?"
"Hai. But why do you want me to train? I thought experiential learning is the best."
"You have to train your stamina, Seki-chan. It's currently your only drawback."
"Oh," Seki said, suddenly realizing how many times their training was cut short due to her fainting out of exhaustion. Their food arrived just then, and the waiter noticed the forehead protector Seki had tied around her neck.
"Eh? A Genin already? You look very young, and new. Do you live in the Suna?"
"Iie, I live outside. And I'm ten by the way, that's not very young," Seki explained, frowning slightly. Keimyou and the waiter laughed, while Seki mumbled something about maturity. The waiter collected the money from keimyou and smiled gently at Seki, "Well, you look like you're going to be a great shinobi. I think you'll make Sunagakure no sato proud."
Seki's red pupils lit up. "Really?"
The waiter nodded and left Seki happily shouting, "Ittadakimasu!" before eating her ramen. Keimyou watched the newly promoted Genin proudly, and started on his own meal as well. They ate in comfortable silence, and only Seki turned around when she heard some people whispering about something dangerous behind her. She shrugged her shoulders, when Keimyou gave her an inquiring look. All she saw was a red head calmly walking down the street.
Nothing too dangerous.
-
"Okaasan! Is that a letter from otousan? Read it to me, please please please!" Seki jumped up and down as Enzeru walked into the family dining room, a letter in her hand. She laughed gently and placed a comforting hand on Seki's shoulder.
"Eat first, dear. It won't hurt if you read it later."
-
"Houseki..."
".. Bakemono!"
But it did. It hurt Seki's very soul when she woke up from her coma. Her mother had told her that she loved Seki, during their dinner. And after that, she called her a bakemono.
It hurt, so much.
The priests came back after their trip, to find Seki still sitting in front of Enzeru. She was clutching her chest, and seemed to be bleeding.
But the blood wasn't hers.
"Leave us!" One of the priests had yelled at her. Seki turned towards him slowly and saw fear flash across his fire red pupils. She flinched, and they continued to curse her.
"Get away!"
"Go! We hate you!"
"No one wants you! Leave now!"
She left, after washing up and with the little things she was allowed to bring. Her mind was in a whirl, she was confused, and heart broken. She lost everyone. Her father, her mother, her whole clan. She was alone, and insecure.
So she had an attack, every time someone mentioned something that triggered that memory. The memory of her mother's paling face as she read the letter after dinner. Of her own hands that snatched the letter, which started to shake as she read line after line.
...the Kazekage sends his deepest regrets...
...we could not revive him...
...Iwashi Raion has died...
Of her mind swirling out of control as emotions ran wild in her body. Of her mother staring at her with fear and shock written in every feature. Then, black.
-
Keimyou...
Seki suddenly thought as she stared at the farmer she had killed a few minutes ago.
Keimyou, in Sunagakure. He can help.
Seki slowly walked to the nearby river to wash off the blood, and looked back at the town behind her.
They won't welcome me anymore. Just like the others.
Seki thought miserably and heaved the sling bag on her shoulder. She started to journey across the sands towards Sunagakure, away from the town that had welcomed her just last week. She thought about how they would react when they find the dead farmer, and smiled ruefully.
That's what they get for welcoming a stray kitten.
-
...Present day...
Keimyou observed Seki's chest rising and falling, calculating the seconds in between until he was satisfied. He knew she would be fine. Her stamina was not up to standard, but she will survive.
She survived a demon's bite, what else could kill her?
He took one more glance at Seki before he left her room. There was little light in the room since there was no moon, but Keimyou could see his niece sleeping peacefully, her ever-so innocent smile on her face.
She doesn't deserve what has happened to her.
Keimyou then thought about the boy who brought her home.
And neither does he.
-
A/N: Ah, well this might explain a few things, ne? I didn't want this to be too fast, or too slow. I hope it was just nice. Well, I've updated, surely I deserve some reviews, no?
-JE