Chapter 32

Revenge

"Nobody moves or this bastard gets this kunai stuck in her throat!" Takako shouts out.

"H- Help me!" Jakako cries out.

"Shut up!" Takako shouts. "You backstabbing bastard! You were supposed to be on mommy's side!"

"She's only 5!" Takara says. "Knock this off Takako! She wasn't on your side or our side. She wasn't on anybody's side! She's just a 5 year old trying to live a normal life!"

"If Hiroshi was still alive, oh I would sell Jakako to him without a second thought," Takako says.

Takara's eyes turn into fire. "NO ONE DESERVES TO GO THROUGH WHAT I WENT THROUGH! IT WAS WORSE THAN ACTUAL HELL!"

"I know one person who deserves to go through that...," Sakura says under her breath.

"Like what you went through was so horrible...," Takako says.

Then, Takara wiggles herself out of her wheelchair. She then tries her best to run towards Takako.

"Takara, what are you doing?" Neji asks.

"Takara, you need to take it easy!" Sakura says.

"TAKE THIS YOU BASTARD!" Takara says to Takako, ignoring the others.

Takara then punches Takako in the face. Takako drops the kunai knife. Jakako runs to Sakura and Sakura holds her tight.

"You're safe with me," Sakura says to Jakako.

While Takako is on the ground struggling to get up, Takara slowly walks up to her and goes on her knees.

"What I went through wasn't so bad?" Takara asks. "I wish I could recreate what they did to me onto you." Takara leans closer to Takako. "Since you're not getting up anytime soon, let me tell you an average day I went through."

Flashback:

"Wake up Tak," Eito says while hitting the wall next to the 8 year old Takara.

Takara quickly jumps up and crawls back against the wall.

Hiroshi walks inside the cage Takara was in then locks it. Hiroshi walks up to Takara. He holds Takara's hair.

"When's the last time you cleaned yourself Tak?" Hiroshi asks.

"5 days ago is when Leitani told me to clean myself," Takara says.

"Okay," Hiroshi says. "Come with me Tak. It's time to clean yourself." Hiroshi starts to Walk while holding Takara's arm.

"Yes Hiroshi," Takara says and looks down.

Hiroshi stops walking. "What did you call me?"

"H- Hiroshi," Takara says while shaking.

"You don't call any of us by our first names! You call us sir, or whatever we tell you to call us," Hiroshi says.

Takara looks down. "Sorry, sir."

Hiroshi lifts Takara's head up. "What was that, Tak?"

Takara looks into Hiroshi's yellow eyes. "Sorry sir."

"That's right you tramp," Hiroshi says then slaps Takara across the face. It didn't phase her.

Hiroshi then leads Takara outside. He takes her to the lake that was nearby. Hiroshi positions Takara to have her back facing the lake. Hiroshi kicks Takara in the lake. Takara moves her arms around quickly to see if she can grab onto anything but there isn't anything to help her. Takara then tries to swim up but she is met with Hiroshi's hand. Hiroshi keeps pushing Takara down and listens to Takara nearly drown. Takara tries to fight Hiroshi by swinging her arms at him, but she is too weak to even phase Hiroshi.

Hiroshi then grabs Takara by her shirt and pulls her out of the water. Takara gasps for air and tries to cough out the water in her lungs.

"That's for calling me by the wrong name," Hiroshi says.

"I understand, I'm sorry sir," Takara says.

"Good girl," Hiroshi says.

Hiroshi then takes out some shampoo to wash Takara's hair. When Hiroshi squeezes the bottle, nothing comes out.

"We're out already? I need to send a letter to-," Hiroshi says until he cuts himself off. "God Tak, your hair is too long, but that's not a problem." Hiroshi smirks.

"W- what do you mean?" Takara asks.

Hiroshi takes out a kunai knife and cuts Takara's hair to the top of her ears. Takara watches her long black hair fall to the ground and she starts to cry.

"My hair!" Takara cries out.

Hiroshi starts to laugh. "Oh wow Tak, you look so stupid!"

Takara wipes away her tears, and then starts to shiver because it is 19 degrees outside and the water is cold.

"I- I- It's s- s- so c- c- cold!" Takara says.

"You're cold little Tak?" Hiroshi asks.

Without thinking, Hiroshi pushes Takara back into the water and holds her down. Takara moves her arms around quickly to try to get back up but can't. Takara gives up and accepts the fact that she might drown.

"I might drown, but it may be for the best. Let this suffering end, and maybe I'll be lucky in the afterlife..."

Present time:

"Was almost drowning multiple times so easy?" Takara asks while crying. "A walk in the park?" Takara then looks over at the lake and points at it. "That was the lake where I almost drowned multiple times."

Takara looks over at Jomei, Jakako, Neji, and Sakura. Jomei has tears coming down his face. Sakura looks devastated while Neji is looking away with tears running down his face.

"Takako, you need to go back to the hospital," Jomei says.

"Why? So that they can kill me? I'm f- fine!" Takako says. Takako then starts coughing.

"Hiroshi would always write letters whenever he ran low on things for me," Takara says to herself.. "To this day, I have no idea who helped him out."

Takako looks up at Takara. "He would write to me."

"What?" Takara asks.

"I supplied him with everything," Takako says. "I actually helped out on building this building. I gave him kunai knives, scalpels, everything that was in there. I would tell your father that I was going undercover for a mission."

Takara looks at Takako with disbelief. Suddenly, Yaketsuku comes up to Sakura and Neji.

"Dr. Yaketsuku! What are you doing here?" Sakura asks.

"I'm here to bring Takako back. It's not good for her to be here when she could die at any moment," Yaketsuku says. He then sees Takara on the ground. He runs up to her. "Takara, why aren't you in your wheelchair?"

"T- Takako said some horrible things, and… I just lost it," Takara says while looking down.

Takako then takes out another kunai knife. She slowly starts to walk to Takara. Neji notices right away and starts to walk towards Takara to get her away from Takako, but Yaketsuku grabs Takara before he could. Yaketsuku keeps holding Takara. Takako throws the knife towards Takara and Yaketsuku. Without thinking, Neji grabs it with his hand without any injury. Neji looks at Takara and sees the pain and horror in her eyes.

Takako slowly tries to stand up. She limps over towards Takara. Neji looks back and forth between Takako and Takara. Then, Neji throws the kunai knife at Takako. Takako screams in pain.

"What the hell?!" Takako yells.

Takako takes the knife out and throws it towards Neji. He again catches it. Takako gives Neji an evil look. Neji throws the kunai knife at Takako right into her heart and Takako falls down to the ground. Takara's eyes get huge and she starts to shake.

"Mommy!" Jakako cries out.

"N- N- Neji," Takara says while shaking.

"I had to protect you," Neji says while looking down. "I'm sorry."

"Why?" Takara asks softly while shaking.

"I killed another person in front of you, and she was your mother," Neji says.

"But, she was about to die at any moment, Yaketsuku even said so himself," Takara says. "You protected me, my little sister, and everyone else here. I am so thankful for you."

Neji goes up to Takara and kisses her forehead. "I love you so much Takara."

"Oh Neji, I love you so much!" Takara says.

Yaketsuku gives Takara to Neji and he holds her. Takara puts her head on his chest and closes her eyes. Neji smiles at the sight.

Yaketsuku looks down at Takako. "Um... I- I don't know what to do about this."

"We already had her funeral arrangements made, before I found you, Takara," Jomei says.

Takara looks over at her father. "Are you and Jakako going to be okay?"

"Yes," Jomei says.

"Takara, I think you've been here long enough," Neji says.

"I agree," Takara says. "Dad, get Jakako home. I wish she didn't see that."

Jakako goes up to Jomei. She holds his hand and they walk away. Takara, Neji, and Sakura watch them leave. Yaketsuku picks up Takako's body.

"I need to get going," Yaketsuku says.

"We understand," Neji says.

Yaketsuku nods and walks off holding Takako. Takara looks away.

After Yaketsuku is out of view, Takara notices something that sticks out of the rubble.

"I wonder what that bright blue thing is," Takara says.

Neji and Sakura look over to see what Takara is talking about. Neji then walks over while holding Takara. Sakura follows.

"Put me down, I want to see this," Takara says.

Neji gently puts Takara down and she grabs the blue object. She dusts off the front and realizes that she's holding a journal.

"Who's journal is that?" Sakura asks.

Takara's heart skips a beat. "It's… Leiji's. I shouldn't read this, but I really want to. I want to know what went through his sick head."

Takara takes a deep breath and opens to the last written page. Takara reads in her head. Neji and Sakura look at each other.

"Oh my God," Takara says in complete shock.

"What is it?" Neji asks.

"Leiji… was innocent."