ϟ—Interlude Three — Shattered Swirl—ϟ
Scary—it was all so scary. He was just in his bed sleeping and then everybody was screaming. His home was an island—that Papa was carrying him away from. As Papa ran, all he could see was his home up in flames and soaked with water and blood all the same. He couldn't stop screaming as tears poured down his face.
"Be quiet, Kodaru!" sneered Papa. "They'll hear us."
"It's too late!" cried Big sis on Papa's other shoulder. "They're coming!"
"Dammit!" Papa shouted.
Kodaru's teary eyes blurred the view of the Shinobi chasing after them. Behind them, there was a roar. The sea of whirlpools that papa was running on moved toward his home. Kodaru's entire body pulsed with how hard his heart beat—he was wet and cold… Papa wasn't warm enough to stop him from freezing.
Above his home… Kodaru saw a turtle. It had eyes of blood and three spiky tails. Kodaru couldn't help but scream as terror overtook him—Big sis was screaming too. Papa had to stop them both from thrashing.
What came next was a tidal wave—bigger than any building that Kodaru had ever seen.
It swallowed their home under the waves.
As the evil Shinobi chased after them… it seemed like they were next.
Kodaru didn't wanna die.
⁑ —ϟ— ⁑
Papa won… but it didn't look like it would last long. The evil Shinobi were dead, but… Papa was hurt real bad. Blood as red as his hair was pouring out of him. The sun was starting to rise and the red beach they were on looked like hell.
As Papa tried to walk toward them, he fell. Kodaru and Big Sis ran toward him, trying to help. All Kodaru could do was cry. Big Sis wasn't much help either, she was crying too.
"Arasei… Kodaru," Papa wheezed. His voice didn't sound right… it wasn't strong anymore. Kodaru's chest was starting to hurt. He was crying too much.
Kodaru hated crying.
"I'm sorry that I have to leave you… by yourself." He reached out and both Kodaru and Big Sis grabbed his hand. "Arasei… you don't deserve this responsibility, but you must protect Kodaru with your life… never let your family down…"
Horror crossed Big Sis' face… but, she shakily nodded with tears wetting her face. "O-okay…"
"Kodaru… when you grow up, become strong so you can pay your big sister back." Even as he was dying, Papa managed the weakest smile. "Now… go."
"No!" yelled Kodaru. "Don't die, Papa!"
Papa grit his bloody teeth. "Go! Before more of them come…"
Big Sis grabbed his hand, pulling him away from Papa. "Kodaru, c'mon!"
Kodaru tried to stand his ground but it didn't work. Kicking and thrashing, Kodaru wouldn't stop crying for his Papa, his family—his home was destroyed, Mama was dead… he couldn't lose Papa too!
It was only when Kodaru saw the life leave his father's eyes that he stopped fighting.
Papa was already gone.
⁑ —ϟ— ⁑
Hungry… Kodaru was so hungry… He leaned on Big Sis' shoulder as they sat on the soaked wood. It was cloudy, everything was so gray everywhere. The water splashing on the dock made him thirsty, but he couldn't drink sea water.
"Big Sis… when are we going to eat again…?"
She grabbed his hand, holding on tight. "I don't know…" Her voice cracked.
Again, Kodaru started to cry again, putting all of his weight onto Big Sis. It looked like that since Papa died, she stopped crying. Ever since Papa died, Kodaru couldn't stop. His stomach hurt because there was nothing in it.
His body felt so weak… how was he supposed to pay back Big Sis at this rate?
All he'd ever been since his home was destroyed was wet and cold, wet and cold.
Kodaru hated being wet.
⁑ —ϟ— ⁑
A few days later, Big Sis led Kodaru onto a boat. Neither of them knew where it went, but… they both hoped that it was somewhere with food. The way the boat swayed on the water made Kodaru sick. Big Sis did everything she could to stop him from throwing up… it wasn't like he had anything to throw up.
At least he wasn't wet inside the boat. It was just dark and cold. They couldn't see where they were going when they walked, so they just—A thump as they knocked into something wooden. It fell and a crack was heard.
"What was that?!" screamed Kodaru.
Big Sis let out a shaky breath. "A crate, probably."
Ever since they left, Big Sis never let go of him. She pulled him along as she investigated the fallen crate. A gasp broke the sloshing silence inside the boat. "Bread!"
"Bread?"
"This crate has a bunch of bread in it, Kodaru!"
When was the last time she sounded so happy?
It took too long for him to realize what that meant.
Bread.
Food.
Finally, they could eat!
Big Sis laughed as she handed Kodaru a loaf of bread, it felt as big as his face. Without hesitation, Kodaru chowed down. It tasted so good—the bread was soft and chewy, it was amazing!
For the rest of the boat ride, Big Sis and Kodaru were never hungry again!
⁑ —ϟ— ⁑
The boat landed in some place called the Land of Claws. It sounded scary. But it was okay, because Big Sis was there to protect him. Kodaru just… needed to make sure that she could be protected, too! They did a lot of walking, going from village to village, town to town, people were a lot nicer here.
All they had to do was smile and they got free food, free water, it was great! But, nobody was nice enough to take them in. Big Sis never bothered to ask anybody to, so Kodaru didn't either. Things were going okay… until they ended up in a cave.
The cave was scary.
⁑ —ϟ— ⁑
Big Sis could feel things without touching them. So… the cave wasn't all that scary. But, it led to a really big hole in the ground… where a bunch of people lived. A city in a hole in the ground… it was so cool! There wasn't any food in the cave, so they were getting hungry again. But, it was okay! Big Sis was going to lead him to some food, there was no doubt about it!
What was even better, was that they were far from the ocean now. That made Kodaru feel really safe. What made him feel even safer though, was that Big Sis still never let go of his hand.
⁑ —ϟ— ⁑
"I'm going to be a Shinobi," Big Sis said, walking into their home. According to Big Sis, it was like a year since their home was destroyed. Well, their first one. Dokutsu seemed like a great new home for them!
"But… aren't Shinobi the same people that killed Mama and Papa…"
"Yeah, but Mama and Papa were Shinobi, too!" Big Sis said, sitting next to him on the bed. "Because of that, I think Shinobi can be good!"
"I don't wanna be a Shinobi…" Kodaru said, clenching his fists. "And because of what Papa said, if you become one, then I'll have to become one too so I can pay you back!"
"You don't have to pay me back, Kodaru!" said Big Sis with a smile. "It's my job to protect you, y'know… that's why I'm becoming a Shinobi. You can do whatever you want Kodaru, and I'll protect you no matter what!"
"...Are you sure?"
"Of course I am!"
Big Sis' smile always made him feel safe. If Big Sis was smiling… then Kodaru knew everything was going to be okay.
⁑ —ϟ— ⁑
Big Sis wasn't smiling. How long had it been? Since they got to the Land of Claws? Since she became a Dokutsu Shinobi? Nine… years? Ten? How long didn't matter, what did matter was that every day, Kodaru saw her smiling.
Now, she wasn't.
"Big Sis, what's wrong?!" Kodaru asked, looking her in the eyes.
Big Sis shook her head. "Uhh… I don't know…" Her fists clenched. "Nothing feels right."
"What are your senses telling you—?"
"I don't know!" yelled Big Sis, dread growing in her eyes.
Kodaru's breath hitched—He wrapped his sister in a hug. With all those years of protecting him, comforting him, training for him, Kodaru had to pay her back whenever he could. "Everything's going to be alright, don't you worry Big Sis!"
Kodaru only pulled back from the hug so she could see his smile.
Shakily, she smiled back. "Okay—"
Her eyes went wide.
Kodaru would have been confused had he not felt it too.
If he could feel it too—that roar.
The same roar from ten years ago—
—his home up in flames and soaked with water and blood—
—a turtle. It had eyes of blood and three spiky tails—
Big Sis screamed as she fell to her knees.
Kodaru himself felt like he was thrusted under the ocean head first. Intense pressure made his head want to explode. Shinobi mobilized outside to fight something. It was back. The same beast that destroyed his home was back—
—One of those spiky tails crushed their apartment. As they fell… Kodaru caught a glimpse of that beast. That horrid monster. It cried tears of blood as it was attacked from every direction. That thing was in pain and it deserved every last bit. Rubble collapsed over Kodaru and Big Sis.
Everything was black again.
Everything was cold again.
Water seeped onto him and Kodaru was soaked again.
All he heard was his sister's strained cries of effort and pain and the beating of his heart in his ears. Every part of his body throbbed with his intense heartbeat. He felt those damned tears in his eyes once again.
"Big Sis!" Kodaru yelled. "Are you okay!"
The rubble shifted and water seeped from above, dripping onto his face. It was going to fall.
There wasn't an answer from his sister—"Arasei!" Kodaru screamed out her name as panic made him colder than he already was. He heard her, was she hurt?! The rubble shifted again and it was going to fall it was going to fall—water went from dripping through cracks to steadily gushing through.
All he heard from his sister were groans of his distress—and then the rubble fell.
Kodaru shut his eyes and prepared for the worst that never came. Behind his shut eyelids… there was a faint glow. He opened them to see golden chains stopping the rubble from falling. With widened eyes, Kodaru looked to see where they came from—it was his Big Sis.
She… really was always going to be there to protect him.
"Thanks… Big Sis…" Kodaru weeped through relieved, choppy breaths.
What he got in response… was that strained smile.
Everything was going to be okay.
⁑ —ϟ— ⁑
Everything wasn't okay.
Both he and his sister were staring down that jar labeled three.
Dokutsu gave them an ultimatum.
Either choose a Jinchuriki amongst themselves, or they will choose the Jinchuriki themselves.
One of them had to have the beast that destroyed both of their homes sealed within them.
In the dark cave underground, Kodaru looked toward his sister. "Please… I don't… I can't—" It felt like shit placing this upon Big Sis after everything she'd already done for him. "I swear, I'll become a Shinobi, I'll do anything you want me to—"
Kodaru was crying again. "I can't be a Jinchuriki." Why was he such a coward? Why did he have this growing dread of doing something he knew he was capable of handling? Why was he always crying?
Dammit, he was the brother, he was supposed to be protecting her, but it was always the other way around.
"It's okay…" said Big Sis, swallowing. She was shaking—her chakra was so intense that Kodaru could see it. Was she that scared—? "I'll be the Jinchuriki… and you don't have to do anything.
"I'm your Big Sis… right?"
She looked to him, and she wasn't smiling.
Kodaru knew that it wasn't okay anymore.
All thanks to that same damned Bijuu.
Kodaru hated being wet.
Kodaru hated being cold.
Kodaru hated the dark.
Kodaru hated the Bijuu.
Kodaru loathed the Sanbi.
⁑ —ϟ— ⁑
When Kodaru awoke in the morning, he was alone. "Big sis?"
When Kodaru searched for his sister, he was alone. "Big sis! Where are you?!"
For the countless hours he panicked, he was alone. "Big sis!"
As the Dokutsu Shinobi dragged him down into a cave, he was alone. "BIG SIS!"
When the jar was unsealed—when Kodaru wailed as the Sanbi was sealed into him… he was alone. "Big sis…"
As Kodaru growled in his home, he was alone. "Arasei."
As Kodaru earned his Dokutsu headband, he was alone. "Arasei…"
When Kodaru accepted that she would never come back, he was alone. "Arasei Uzumaki."
When Kodaru defeated the Sanbi, standing over its half corpse in his mind… he wasn't alone, because he had himself.
"You're next… Arasei Uzumaki."
ϟ—Chapter End—ϟ