Chapter 4

Where in the seven hells was she? And why did it look so nauseatingly bewildering?

"Shizuku."

The name rang an intense bell of familiarity, leaving her in a state of confused awe. It was undoubtedly her name – it was way too familiar to her and instincts had her turning the moment she heard it. It simply felt… right.

The red sky was blurred by fast moving clouds, and if she focused on them for too long, she grew dizzy from their incessant pace. Looking around didn't help matters either, because despite feeling no wind, the trees surrounding them were just as rapid as the clouds in their movements.

It was while trying to avoid staring at one particular spot that she spotted him.

Uchiha stood opposite her several metres away, his eyes once more black and confirming her earlier suspicions about their changing colour. Somehow, he appeared more menacing in the strange world where colours were inverted and timing was warped, leaving Shizuku to take an uncertain step back. The moment she did, his eyes bled red once more, looking ominous against his silhouette.

"You're susceptible to genjutsu – more so than anyone I have ever met."

His eyes were to blame, survival instincts informed her, and she narrowed hers in response, wondering how she would escape his world.

"You cannot leave," Uchiha said like he could read her mind, freaking her out further. "I am in complete control here."

Although he made no move towards her, Shizuku found herself growing increasingly panicked, because for the life of her, she couldn't think of a sound way out. Did she target his eyes? Kill him off altogether? Or would either of those plans leave her trapped there for the rest of her life? Was it entirely in her head or were they somehow transported to another realm?

Again, reading her mind, he said with a minute tone of surprise, "You truly have no knowledge of genjutsu."

Obviously not, she wanted to snap.

Looking around only made her feel sicker and more frightened, so Shizuku settled on holding his red-eyed gaze, valiantly fighting back the shudders within her that they evoked.

"I will hold you here for as long as it takes to extract the information Sasori-san requires," he said, unconcerned for her lack of knowledge. Of course, she didn't really expect him to share his secrets with her. "However, this should be over relatively quickly, which is fortunate, for your sake."

Yeah, because that didn't sound ominous in the slightest. Breathing quickening as she imagined all the terrible ways it could go wrong, or that she could be traumatised, Shizuku made the mistake in taking her eyes off the strange man, stomach lurching in response to the fast paced world whizzing by around her. It felt like she could feel the entire planet spinning and she was merely stood there, left alone to watch the blurring scenes.

"These are your memories surrounding us," Uchiha supplied.

Try as she might, she couldn't focus on any of them and having them so vexingly close but still out of reach had her hands twitching, attempting to raise to her mouth out of anger.

By the tiniest amount, Uchiha raised one eyebrow.

And then her back was slamming against a wooden post, her arms spread wide as they were restrained. She struggled against the restraints, growling and spitting and screeching incoherently until he stepped forward and forced Shizuku to meet his eye. He was by no means gentle when gripping her chin, locking her jaw when she tried biting him, and she felt like the air around them pulsated as their eyes locked once more, the power of his genjutsu strengthening.

"That won't work here, but the restraints will make this easier."

Oh? He'd seen her transformation already?

"Of course," he replied to her thoughts without pause. "It is your clearest memory."

Shizuku willed herself to calm down and face the situation rationally. At that moment in time, Uchiha was her best bet at discovering the secrets of her supposedly blanked mind, even if it was through unethical methods or at the wishes of a sociopath. He could aid her in finding out who and what she was, and why Sasori and Deidara were so surprised by her transformation since it apparently wasn't a norm to them.

"It isn't," he explained with a sigh and she noticed the faint furrowing of his brows. "It is nothing like the Akimichi clan's expansion jutsu, and I have yet to cross paths with anyone else capable of such a jutsu. Moreover, despite their ferocious appetites, the Akimichi clan are not cannibals."

Then what am I? She directed the thought at him with every ounce of strength she had, even if it wasn't necessary.

"A Titan."

Titan…

It felt more familiar than her actual name.

"A species resented and feared," he murmured thoughtfully, then languidly focused on her eyes once more, his own narrowing fractionally. "For good reason."

What did that mean?

Wincing as the grip on her jaw tightened roughly, she stared up at Uchiha unsurely. Everything was restrained, leaving her completely at his mercy.

What was he going to do to her? Would she be freed from the unusual world now that he had his answers? No, Shizuku concluded at the resolution in his ominous stare. He'd undoubtedly decided on her fate and it wasn't pleasant – she could see it as clear as day.

"You were sent her for uncertain reasons, though it was unquestionably to cause chaos in our world."

He was going to kill her.

"The hows and whys don't matter, in this case."

No, she mentally begged.

She meant no harm. Truly, she didn't. Everything that'd happened in the past however many hours was solely down to her need to survive and find her answers. The battle with Sasori and Deidara even proved she wasn't much of a threat! They'd taken her out so easily that it was almost embarrassing. Surely that told Uchiha all he needed to know to ensure the safety of his world?

"Sasori-san and Deidara-san are talented shinobi. Not all can say the same."

"Pl-Plea-"

"Forgive me," Uchiha murmured, bringing tears to her eyes when he shut his in resignation. "I have given up too much to allow such a threat to roam free."

"Please," she managed to whisper.

I won't hurt anyone.

"But the risk is still there," he contended firmly.

Eyes reopening, he regarded her with the same impassive expression he'd adorned during the short conversation with Sasori, and in that moment, Shizuku knew her fate was sealed. Heart turning to a lump of searing lead that caused an immense pain to explode in her chest, all she could do was stare helplessly at him.

In his world of genjutsu, she was helpless.

Furthermore, she was restrained securely with no way of escape.

With her death surely imminent, Shizuku questioned whether the basic information Uchiha shared with her was enough. Her name, being a Titan, being sent to create chaos. Was it enough for her?

No.

"Please," she tried once more, the oddness of finally using her voice following her into his world.

Wasn't there any kind of mortality within Uchiha? Within any of the men in the matching cloaks? Or did they possess a switch to turn their humanity off, to grant them with the ability to carry out such callous tasks? Did they care at all that they were about to take another's life?

"You speak of it as though morality is black and white," Uchiha murmured with what could almost be described as a huff of amusement, but the expression in his eyes conveyed his unshakeable emotions clearly. "It never is."

Shutting her eyes in resignation, Shizuku allowed her body to sag against the restraints and it stunned her to notice that the pain registered like they were out in the real world.

"You have made quite the impression," noted Uchiha, but she couldn't hear his words. Not completely.

How was she supposed to be able to focus on him when there was an inescapable pressure on her throat that appeared out of nowhere? Uchiha wasn't touching her. Hadn't moved a muscle. But the pain was there – it definitely was and Shizuku knew she wasn't imagining it because she couldn't breathe.

He was killing her, wasn't he?

What was happening on the outside? Was that where he was attacking? Were Sasori and Deidara merely watching, or was the impossible actually happening and were they defending her?

Wryly, she smiled despite the inability to breathe.

Her only hope was that Sasori's need to make her an addition (as sickening as that need may be) pulled through in her favour, forcing him into saving her life. There was no expecting Deidara would protect her – why would he? She tried to eat him and in return, he'd relished in severing several of her limbs and throwing countless explosions her way.

But that wouldn't happen, would it?

She was dying.

"Wh…"

What happened?

Where was she?

The room she awoke in was different from the genjutsu world, and she sighed in relief at the normal pace everything was moving at.

Gripping at the soft covers beneath her, Shizuku gritted her teeth and put all her strength into turning onto her side, only to yelp in surprise when the world shifted without warning. The sound of her skin slapping to the cement ground registered before the stinging sensation, although it was all quickly drowned out by the mocking laughter that echoed around the room.

To say that she was dying… whenever the hell it'd happened… Shizuku could hardly believe that she didn't feel any adverse effects. Whatever he'd been doing to her had seemed so absolute, like there was no getting out of it. He wanted her dead, so it was going to happen.

So why was she awake and feeling okay?

"You got lucky," came a familiar voice that she shouldn't have felt relieved to hear but did anyway. "It's not every day Sasori no Danna gets serious, yeah."

Sasori…?

"S-Sa…fe?"

Canting her head back, she saw intrigue filling Deidara's single blue eye as he crouched beside her collapsed form, arms resting on his bent knees. "You can speak now?"

Not without great effort, but she was beginning to get it. Apparently watching others converse helped. Shizuku made a mental note to always take great interest whenever another was speaking, seeing as it meant bettering her own communication skills.

"Yeah, you're safe," Deidara told her with a huff. His expression told her he was unimpressed with his comrade's actions. "For now, anyway."

She shook her head, telling him while struggling to voice her thoughts that it wasn't herself that she was concerned about.

"Sasori no Danna?"

Heaving herself up against what she presumed to be a bed, she ignored the coolness of the metal that sent a chill down her spine and caused her to jolt instinctively, keeping her eyes locked on Deidara's.

If Sasori saved her life, then she was indebted to him and would thank him appropriately. After all, until that point he'd been nothing to her other than a captor with an unsettling fascination in her transformation – probably the reasoning behind his saving her, but regardless, he'd done it and for that, she was grateful.

Eye shutting in a show of reluctant endurance, the blond nodded. "He's good, yeah. Just repairing a few of his weapons."

Did that mean Uchiha was dead? A dark inkling had Shizuku believing that only one would walk away from a battle in the foreign world she'd found herself in, and if that victor was Sasori, then that meant Uchiha was dead. And despite it being absolutely ridiculous for feeling such an emotion after what he'd done, she couldn't help but feel guilty over his death, since it was evident from the apologetic flash in Uchiha's eyes that he'd been reluctant in killing her.

Honestly? Had their roles been reversed, perhaps she would have done the same thing. If a strange creature was sent with evil intentions and was destined to wreak havoc on her world, threatening her loved ones, then Shizuku knew she would act swiftly and repent afterwards. Wouldn't anyone?

Swallowing hard to soothe her achingly dry throat, she assessed Deidara's body for wounds or other signs of battle, but there were none – not that it really surprised her. From their short spat, Shizuku had quickly come to realise that he fought from a distance (if he'd even fought for her at all). It was a good thing really, for it potentially spared him from the genjutsu world Uchiha ensnared her within.

"Shizuku, huh?"

Blinking the deep thoughts from her mind, she once more met Deidara's eye with a frown, slowly nodding.

"Uchiha didn't say much about what you are before trying to kill you," he said after a few moments. As she had him, he analysed her body, gaze lingering on her throat. "But whatever you are, you heal fast, yeah."

Raising a curious hand to her throat, she tried to feel for evidence of what'd happened, but there was nothing there. Like Deidara said: she healed fast.

"Titan."

"Titan?" came his sceptical response. "What does that mean?"

She shrugged, because honestly? She didn't know either. All she did know was that it fit in her mind, like a piece of the puzzle was sliding nicely into place. It even brought forth a surge of comfort.

When she continued to probe the area, Deidara sighed with annoyance and grabbed her hand, lowering it several inches, allowing her to feel the almost fully healed wound. They both pretended she didn't flinch at the sudden contact. "He slit your throat – well, I thought he did considering just how much blood there was, but obviously not."

No, she believed he had. Someone like him surely had good aim, although there was no telling what those weird eyes of his did. Perhaps by dropping her into that other world, he'd lost his vision due to also being there with her? But that made little sense, because surely that meant he wouldn't be able to attack her so swiftly, seeing as both Sasori and Deidara had been between them.

More importantly: how durable did her being a Titan make her?

Another sigh brought Shizuku out of her musings, and she looked up to Deidara once more, hand lingering on her neck. "Dead?"

"Who? Uchiha?" the blond said derisively with a snort. "I wish."

He was still alive? What did that mean for her? What did it mean for Sasori? Weren't they supposed to be comrades? If so, then would he be kicked out of his group for turning on a fellow member? Would he be forced to hand her over? What if Uchiha struck again?

"Others got involved," Deidara filled in the gaps for her, fortunately without her spending an eternity attempting to ask him to. "They broke it up before someone got themselves killed."

Falling back out of his crouch opposite her, he kept his arms slung over his raised knees, watching her just as intently as she watched him. The trust was non-existent between them, and it showed in the way their muscles remained tense and prepared, although Shizuku was unsure what exactly she planned to do if Deidara actually attacked. She was weak against his fighting style, both due to the explosions and his ability to fight from a distance.

"Look, I don't like you. And I don't know why Sasori no Danna has to have you when he could just kill a stray Akimichi. At least that way he wouldn't have to do much research into the technique." Rolling his eyes, he said simply, "Having a cannibal on the team is hardly comforting, yeah."

That wasn't her, though. It couldn't be. Cannibalism – just the thought of it – turned her stomach.

But what if it was her? Or, at least, her other self? Were they even the same person? Sometimes it felt like they were, but other times, it was like she wasn't in control. She merely got to watch through the eyes of her huge ass self. And it was like Sasori said! Even her appearance was different. So surely that meant it wasn't actually her? Right?

"But the fact is that he does want you," Deidara muttered reluctantly. Looking away from her, he glared at a window she hadn't originally realised was there due to being distracted by him, his eye narrowing fractionally. At what, Shizuku couldn't tell. All she could see was a torrential downpour that didn't appear to be easing up anytime soon. "And even if we don't agree on each other's interpretations of art, I'm not about to get in the way of his, yeah."

Not bothering to hide her frown of confusion at his words, she watched him closely, wondering what the hell he was even talking about.

Better yet, why did it send a shudder of revulsion down her spine?