Ramen! It was the most glorious thing probably ever thought up. All of those delicious flavours lovingly placed together in one bowl, creating the perfect miasma of savoury and spicy. Sayuri had not had ramen before from a stand. At least not when she could pay for it herself, and she was positively glowing with excitement as she waited for her bowl to be presented to her. She would smile at anyone who caught her eye, in a better mood than she had been in a while.

Adventuring with Mitsuo, the Sword Saint of Konoha and Tsuyo, the Golden Dragon Wielding Shinobi Healer I really have to ask him about whether or not he has an actual title at some point had been so far relatively pleasant. She had been horribly injured during her first encounter with her childhood hero Mitsuo, but really that had been her own fault. Stabbing him in the first place had been a horrible mistake, but at least it had been a mistake. When she decided that she would try to kill him, as opposed to accepting his answer to not train her, she had quickly learned why he was legend. Sayuri would rub at her left leg, where not too long ago she had been certain that she would never walk again, thanks to a certain flaming whip made of chains. It ached a little thinking on it, but she was grateful that Tsuyo had fixed it so easily, or that he had even bothered really. She didn’t know these people from a hole in the head and they were some of the nicest people she had ever met. Even if one of them was a tiny volcano with teeth.

She would smile again, happily drumming her fingers on the counter in front of her attempting some sort of cacophonous beat, swaying and bouncing a bit to the music she was creating in her own mind. Yes, today was an excellent day. She looked down at her pale blue and white pants and tunic still dancing happily, New clothing? Check! Food I don’t have to steal or beg for? Check! Sun shining? Check!

When the young woman finally brought over her bowl of delicious soup, Sayuri had to resist the urge to jump for joy. It was the little things that made her happy, and happily this bowl was far from little. She held out her hand to the woman and gave her some coins. Probably it was the right amount, she could not be certain but she was trying to learn. She would spend a few moments just looking at the beautiful floating pieces of food. The way the eggs and onions sat together with the noodles made her hesitate to eat it. It wasn’t just food, it was art.

She would look up shyly at the woman who had served her and speak with a voice full of wonder and happiness, “Thank you so much. This looks amazing, I’ve never had. . .” Her words were choked off by tears of appreciation that were welling in her eyes and threatened to roll down her pale cheeks. She would quickly wipe at her odd coloured eyes with her sleeve before clearing her throat and mumbling a quick, “Thank you” as she returned to staring at her delectable looking meal. The aroma was incredible, she could see why the stall was so busy.

As she carefully took the bowl in both her hands and sipped at it like an oversized mug, she would look around at the other patrons. These people look so happy, maybe living in a village isn’t so bad. Even with the reassuring thought though she would place her bowl down and check that her grandfather’s tanto was tucked securely into her belt, feeling the worn cloth wrapping on the handle she would relax visibly and would hoist the large bowl of broth and noodles into her tiny hands again.

663

Sayuri sat beside an enormous tower of empty ramen bowls. Also there was a young man who appeared to be the culprit in the mystery of the missing ramen. She would giggle quietly at her own joke before turning on her stool to look at the man unabashedly. He looked ordinary enough, but the amount of food he seemed to be consuming was both alarming and fascinating to her. She would watch him while drinking her own soup, and once the rumbling in her belly had subsided somewhat she would place her bowl down on the counter in front of her and taking a deep breath. The young man was striking to look at, white hair and pale skin like hers, and two different coloured eyes. His eyes were. . . mesmerizing. Yes, I think that’s the word for them. Mesmerizing, or hypnotic maybe? They looked more akin to precious jewels than to eyes, and she lost herself for a time imagining what jeweled eyes must look like.

Assuming he hadn’t already asked she would extend her hand to the white haired man in a gesture of friendliness before speaking in an excited tone, “Hi! I’m Sayuri, I, um, wanted to meet you. You look like me, did you know? I mean, not the exact same, but pretty close. And I just thought that. . .” Her voice would trail off a bit as she got to the part where she had to reveal her intentions. Thought what exactly?  That because you look the same you should be friends? Or that just maybe, if he looks so much like you, he might be many times removed family? It doesn’t matter anyway silly duck, you can’t make friends as easily with people as you can with animals. People are complicated, animals you just have to feed. Her last thought would redraw her attention to the bowls and the man consuming their contents. Who by all rights did not look like he should be able to consume that much food and live to tell about it. Maybe he was an animal of some sort, surely stranger things had happened. She would look him over, checking carefully for signs of a tail or fuzzy ears, seeing none however she let the thought slide away, back into the strangeness it had come from.

It was her hope that he shook her hand, she was trying to reach out to people since being in Konoha, both figuratively, and in this case literally. So reach out I must, and that means I have to say what I want. Not just hope he read my mind. Oh no, what if he can read my mind? Then he knows about the stupid things I’ve been thinking since I got here. She would blush a tiny bit as she remembered the awkward song she had been singing in her head just a few minutes before. “I’m new to Konoha, and I don’t know many people, or well anyone really, from inside the village. Do you have family near here? Do they look like you? Because if they do then maybe, sorry I don’t mean to be rude. I’m just excited is all.”

She would falter once more, pulling her hand back and fumbling awkwardly with her ramen bowl. So far, she had made exactly two human friends. And she was not entirely sure that they both considered her to be a friend. Mitsuo probably didn’t, he had brought her here to Konohagakure no Sato under duress. With her voice less sure this time she decided she would try one more time, “It didn’t occur to me until I saw you, that maybe I have other family. That’s all I was trying to say.” She felt a single tear slip down her cheek as she spoke, talking about family was not something she usually ever did. And so she was not the least bit surprised to discover that it had a melancholic effect on her. Still she waited with hopeful anticipation that the man would at least humour her and try to answer her question.  

694/1357

Sayuri watched as the handsome man in front of her struggled to answer her questions. It broke her heart as she realized that he was struggling because he didn’t know the answer. How could you not know who you are? What a terrible thing to have to go through. She turned in horror as the ramen stand woman interjected with her own idea for a name. Sayuri would unthinkingly reach out a comforting hand to the man seated beside her, placing it on his arm as a show of support in a clearly uncomfortable situation. As soon as her hand actually touched his arm though,  she froze, and muttered a quick “I'm sorry” before pulling her hand awkwardly back to her lap. Idiot, you can't just go around touching people. People are not animals,  and probably don't like being petted.

With a sigh she resigned herself to yet another failed social encounter,  when she heard a brutish voice from behind her. “OI, old man, I hope you have the payment ready, if you don't want us to put this whole stand under the ground.” Her head would snap up and look towards the newcomers,  her eyes narrowing to slits. She knew that tone, knew it all too well. While she had been unwilling to stand up for herself in the past,  these people had done nothing wrong and she was not about to stand idly by and let them be bullied.

Her hand slid to the tattered handle of her well loved tanto as she would stand and move towards the three very large men who at this point had the food vendors daughter in their disgusting hands. Sayuri was not entirely sure what they intended on doing with her,  but from the look on everyone's faces it was not going to be pleasant. At least not for her. She didn't have a hope of taking all three of them,  and if she was honest with herself,  possibly not even one of them without sustaining some serious injury. She concentrated her chakra into the blade of her tanto as she drew it, letting the white raiton crackle along the length of the metal. And with an angry growl at the lead man, “Let her go now.” she advanced to dispatch the closest man. And next thing she knew the three ruffians were lying on the ground,  clearly broken.

Sayuri stood still,  stunned. What on earth? I didn't do this,  so who? She would turn around looking for the source of the damage and it took her an but a moment to realize what had occurred. What she could not understand though was how. She walked over to the battered men and knelt by the one who had done the most talking. Talking in a low voice she spoke more to herself than to him, “I expect you've learned now why you should not intimidate people.  You never know who you're dealing with. I still don't. You should probably leave.”

She would release the white raiton from her weapon as she stood, and brushed the dust from her knees with her free hand. She was still concerned with the exceptional speed and skill with which these men were taken down. She hadn't met many people that she thought would be capable of that. Even though she,  in truth,  hadn't met many people. She walked warily up to the stand again, replacing her tanto in its sheath and sitting herself gingerly on the stool beside the white haired man. She would smile at his comment about unfairness,  it put her at ease somewhat,  at least she knew his heart was in the right place. “Yes, the weather is nice I think?  It's warm at least, I came from Kumo and it was very cold there. The sun is quite lovely.” She smiled at him as she picked up her soup again,  lifting a piece of meat out of the bowl with her fingers. “Thank you by the way. That was very brave, and kind.”

686/2043

”Chakra 130/150”:

Sayuri looked up in horror as more angry looking men approached the ramen stand. She glanced at Shiro, for he seemed to have accepted the name that the women had bestowed upon him, and watched as the man walked casually up to the bandits. “Wait, don’t just…” she sighed in frustration as he paid for his food and with an amiable smile and valediction jumped away from the ramen stand.  She followed of course, he probably didn’t need her help, but there was no way in hell that she was going to let this man get jumped by this many people. She knew little of him, save for what she’d seen in the past few minutes. And those actions had warmed her to him considerably, she never held it against anyone to not stick their nose into anyone’s business. But when they did, it gave her hope that the world was destined for something greater than what existed now. For what she imagined it could be, a place where a person could live without fear of anyone hurting them, telling them how they could live, stealing from them, or taking their lives.

Her thoughts firmly planted on a vision of a better future, she stood close to the white haired man, drawing herself up as tall as her small five foot four frame would allow and stared down the leader of the large group of bandits.  She listened as the large disgusting man said a lot of things that frankly she didn’t understand, mainly he was calling Shiro more than a few interesting names. Mr. Centipede? One-Eyed King? What the heck? Those are pretty much the worst insults I’ve ever heard. I mean, I guess if he was feeling insecure about his eyes then maybe, but then why add the King part? Isn’t it good to be King? She would look at Shiro out of the corner of her eye, trying to surreptitiously gauge his reaction and saw his gaze sharpen as he chuckled at the bandit. As the bandit leader continued his taunting, a low growl escaped her throat unbidden. “You will do no such thing.” She would speak quietly, her thoughts filling with the memory of her fallen family and her village long gone. She would flinch as from behind them one of the bandits smashed something wooden A chair? over Shiro’s head and splinters of wood bounced off of her head and arm.

She was shocked, both at the violence of it, and at the calmness with which Shiro handled the assault. He didn’t seem bothered at all. Sayuri had never been hit by a chair, but she imagined that it hurt at least a little, but if it did he didn’t let on. Who am I dealing with here exactly? I seem to be out of my depth. Again. Big surprise. Ah well, like grandfather said, if you don’t pick a side they’ll just tear you in half.

With that in mind Sayuri chose.

As the bandit leader continued his tirade she felt her the familiar pricking of tears in her eyes, and her muscles tensed as his voice raised, threatening violence on this village that she had come to love. She would look around at the men surrounding her and Shiro, she counted twenty one of them including the leader, more than she had ever seen threatening anyone before, let alone against her. She would turn her attention back to the leader, taking in his anger, his smugness and violence, and she hated him. “How dare you.” Her voice shook with fear and rage as she let eleven years of pent up sorrow and hatred come pouring out on this one man. “You think just because you can take something that you have a right to it? You’re nothing but a bully! A worthless fucking bandit!” Tears were streaming down her face at this point and she allowed them to, more concerned with shining truth on the situation than any sort of social propriety. “You ever burn any villages? Did you burn mine? Everything I ever loved was taken from me by someone just like you, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you take it from someone else.”

722/2765

As Sayuri screamed at the leader of the group surrounding her and Shiro the world faded away and all that was left was two things. The memory of her grandfather, and the man she now was projecting the source of her grief onto. She would grit her teeth and with an anguished sob reach for her tanto, fully intent on charging straight at the large arrogant man and plunging it deep into his evil heart.


“We are not justice, we're the evil that haunts evil itself, the darkness that feeds on darkness itself delving into the depths of hell we dragged the scum with us as we burned to death. Redemption? Salvation? It is all beyond you. Only. Death. Awaits.”


The world came quickly back into focus as she heard the promise of death uttered from the quiet and unassuming man beside her. Now though, where once had been calm and alabaster and benevolence stood the likes of which Sayuri had not even dreamt up. Waves of fury washed over her, and she struggled to hold onto her sanity. It felt as though someone had reached into her chest and taken, not her heart, but the thing that made it alive and it left her feeling hollow and without breath. It had not been long ago that she had felt pain enough that she thought she might die, or wished she would, but this was different. This was death. With considerable effort she would turn to look at the dark man beside her, tears still flowing freely down her face as she tried to interpret this unfamiliar occurrence. We? Does he mean me? What on earth is going on, did I do this? I’m sorry Shiro, I didn’t mean for this to happen. I don't want to be evil! Her thoughts were a jumbled mess as she attempted to breathe, she felt as though she were responsible for this change in the man standing next to her, as she had been the one screaming like an idiot just now. She saw his form, onyx coloured horns, black hair and blood and rage that burned with the fury of a thousand suns and what was left of the strength of her heart steeled itself. She would turn on the balls of her feet just slightly, moving her body so that her back was more in line with his. “I’m here.” She spoke as loud as her strained voice would allow her to. Despite the outward shell that was his macabre beauty, her decision had not changed. Seconds later her defensive position became laughably unnecessary as she watched Shiro expertly disarm, both literally and figuratively, the man who had just previously attacked him with a chair. With a rush the oppressive emptiness in her being was filled again with life and she breathed deep, adrenaline surging through her and giving her renewed energy.


He was fast. Terrifyingly fast. It was mesmerizing to behold and thankfully he had ensured that she was left with no one in her immediate vicinity so that her standing slack jawed for a few seconds was not lethal. It was the most brutal thing Sayuri had ever witnessed, and it came as no surprise at all when the leader began screaming for his men to attack Shiro using Jutsu’s. Until that moment the true gravity of the situation had not hit her, but as the elements crashed their way towards him she would press off the ground, running towards him hoping desperately to get to him. Before what? Before a lightning strike? No one is that fast Sayuri. As the ground exploded around Shiro and smoke filled the air, she would stop, her heart both sinking and hopeful at the same time. But when more fire rained down and still more smoke rose, she would spin quickly towards the leader a tremor in her voice. “We. Are. Not. Done.” She was beyond reasonable thought as far as her own safety was concerned. She didn’t know what else this man had done, but today she had seen him threaten an entire village and then use a ridiculous amount of people to obliterate someone who was trying to defend it. It was too much for her to bear, and she would let out a heartbroken wail, taking her blade in hand, preparing again to rush headlong against whomever stood between her and the source of her suffering. She knew full well that this was most likely to end in failure and loss, but she also knew she had no choice. Not in the way real choices are made,  these men weren't going to let her just leave,  not that she would regardless.


Clap. Clap. Clap.


A distressed smile would form on Sayuri’s face as she twisted her head around to seek out the origin of the clapping. She was elated to see that Shiro stood there, very much not dead, and she would narrow her eyes as he spoke his riddles. Later, silly duck. Right now you might actually die. Think about the blue roses later. Right now, you need to kill that man. Having just seen Shiro get actually exploded and live, Sayuri felt confident moving towards her chosen target. And the fact that most of the man’s apparently useless scum men were moving to attack Tsuneo made it all the easier for her, twelve people she had no hope against. But she could manage a couple. Probably. She would nod once to Shiro before flashing him a near manic smile and gesturing with her blade at the bandit leader.

959/3724

Sayuri had never killed anyone. As she looked across towards the leader of the group the idea that she had never, in fact, killed anything did pass through her mind. She had only very recently even used her weapon to hurt anyone, and that had been an instinctual reaction while she’d been half asleep. She was grateful for Shiro’s presence, and martial prowess. She was not certain of the cause of this battle, but it seemed that for the most part everyone had taken little interest in her. Small as she was at just barely past five feet tall, most people rarely did. But this was different, these people wouldn’t just yell or look at her with annoyance if she got in the way. They would actually, flat out, murder her. Not today they won’t. She needed some sort of plan, or her words of encouragement would count for naught soon.

Summoning her courage she channeled her chakra through her, feeling the all too familiar prick and tingle of emotion this time translated as glowing white Raiton flowing along the length of her blade, extending it to a wicked edge. The gentle pulse of the electricity along her tanto strengthened her resolve as she willed her chakra to perform her bidding yet again, remembering an old trick she had learned. A grin would form on all six of Sayuri’s faces as she and her five clones would begin moving in earnest through the assembled throng of thugs and killers. She had first learned to do this while quite young, and quite hungry. It was not something she was very proud of, but there were times when even she could see that something like stealing was not tantamount to an act of evil. She managed to weave her way through the mess and carnage, oblivious for the most part to the very real danger she was in, lost in singular focus on her target; the man who threatened to burn a village to the ground.

So while flitting past screaming men and women, sword strikes and broken bones may have appeared competent and adept to the casual and unlearned observer, Sayuri was merely utilizing her best practiced skill; staying out from under foot. In reality it was not any exceptional dexterity or finesse that was saving her from harm, but rather the impressive flurry of combat currently being performed by Shiro as though it were an expertly choreographed dance. For the most part her ruse worked perfectly well, due more in part to the fact that the bandits were more interested in Shiro than her, but it was enough losing only three as she ran. As she rushed at the leader there was only one man with a sword guarding him, annoyingly standing directly in her way. Undeterred she would have her clones trade positions with her as they all kept pace, to help disguise her movements as she attempted to slip past him and straight to the man’s charge. Without Shiro there, she would have been dead, no question. When the guard’s sword had come down to strike at her neck she’d noticed only as it was being drawn away by Shiro’s hand. She heard the sickening crack as the man’s elbows broke under the force of Shiro’s kick and the strangled cry as the man died to his own sword, tiny specks of blood splashing across Sayuri’s white hair as the blade pierced the man’s neck.

With only two of her clones left she moved one to engage him directly, hoping it would draw the leader’s sword attack while she could attack from a safer position, letting the other one circle behind Shiro. Without a word she slid rapidly down on his right coming up under his sword arm with her tanto, feeling the blade connect deeply with the flesh along his side and scrape across his ribs. The man howled as his blade swung through her clone causing it to dissipate, and he brought the pommel of his sword down towards her head. His blow was stopped short by Shiro’s casual intervention however, knocking the man’s strike aside easily, without any notice from Sayuri. She was both thrilled and horrified as she struck her mark and smelled the burning flesh, and a low growl built in her chest as flashes of fire danced in her mind’s eye and she screamed at him in woeful fury. “Who did you take? Whose lives did you ruin?” Tears streamed down her face as she moved smoothly forward and up slightly, angling her tanto to stab down into the larger man’s shoulder, thrusting it with all her might as more blood splashed onto her and she continued screaming. “I was happy and safe! I had a home! I had a family!”

The man grunted and howled again as the steel from her weapon found purchase in the meat of his shoulder as he swung full force at her face with his other hand, again stymied by Shiro knocking aside his attack easily. As she withdrew her blade from the man’s she quickly pushed it up to the man’s throat pressing it in until she saw a line of blood start to form, her left hand holding tight to his wounded shoulder, half climbing the man to do so. He made to attack her again, to claw her off of him, but every move he made was swiped effortlessly aside by Shiro standing still, watching. All she could think about was her own village and family. About the last night she’d ever seen them, the fire and smoke everywhere, and the screaming. Her heart was breaking as she struggled with her moral dilemma. She knew this man was not to blame for the death of her family and village, and yet she also knew by his own admission that he had destroyed many other families. “How could you? You need to pay for what you did.” Her voice shook with sobs and rage and fear. And she hesitated. This didn’t feel right right to her. Sayuri had never killed anyone.

1039/4736

“Chakra 105/150”:

Hearing Shiro’s command she stayed her hand and looked in the direction of his voice. She felt very confused as the dark haired man slowly reached for her and she narrowed her eyes at him trying to puzzle out his intentions. So far he had done nothing to her but be kind and defend her, and yet. . . the old familiar twisting knot in her stomach returned. As though she were observing the events occur from a third perspective she watched his cold hand reach for her collar. She tried to flinch away but her surreal state of mind left her sluggish and before she could react properly she was tossed by the collar to the side and onto the ground. She would hit with a graceless thud her tanto skittering out her hand, and a shudder running through her as she hit, left over from her fear and anxiety a moment before. She barely had time to register the fact that she had been thrown when she would shake her head to be sure what she was seeing was real.

Shiro was finishing off the bandit leader. She had done much the same thing before herself, when she was younger during a harvest festival. She had been very hungry and the frost had come early that year and killed most of the food in the forest and fields that she had grown accustomed to eating. But there had been gourds that were being used as decorations. She hadn’t had the heart to use her tanto to open one up, so she’d found a large rock and smashed the gourd on it. Over and over again until she could get at the fruit inside. She remembered thinking at the time how easy it was, and how delicious the gourd had been. But now. . .

Sayuri would turn to her side and retch, her stomach heaving up memories of gourds and bandits and fire and grandfathers. Tears burned her eyes as sobs racked her body, and she would slowly drag herself up onto her knees so that she was facing Shiro, wiping her mouth on the back of her sleeve as she struggled to regain her composure. She would look around in a daze at the felled bandits, bodies strewn about in pools of blood, shattered beyond repair. And then she would slowly turn her attention to her own person, carefully examining herself for wounds, but there were none to find. Still she would keep looking until a question formed in her mind, persistent and forceful. Who are you? Just as she would rise shakily to her feet to ask, Shiro spoke. She bit down hard on her lip as he addressed her, the broken body of the bandit leader still in his hands, she could taste blood in her mouth as she struggled not to interrupt him. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Not all of it. Never killing, she was perfectly accepting of, she hadn’t been willing to do that, that much had been clear when she hesitated. It had been a relief to be thrown out of the way, as undignified as it was. But the rest. . . This man had saved her, saved the people at the ramen stand, saved the the village. There was no way in hell she was letting him die, not if she had anything to say about it.

She went to step towards Shiro and panicked as her hand reflexively went to her belt and did not feel her tanto where it should be. Remembering her landing she would turn quickly on her heel and breathe a sigh of relief at seeing it there on the ground, still glowing white with Raiton Chakra. She bent down and picked it up reverently releasing the chakra from its blade “You’re such an idiot sometimes Sayuri.” she said quietly to herself as she would look mournfully at the bloodied blade. She knew she shouldn’t put the blade away dirty, but she also didn’t know what to do about the blood. She’d never had to deal with this before and was far outside of her realm of experience, so she did what anyone with her limited knowledge would; she would wipe the blood on her pant leg before replacing the blade in its sheath.

Sayuri would pick her way over to Shiro, dispelling her clone as she went. She would halt for the space of a breath, her eyebrows raising at his words and then continue until she stood face to face with him. She looked at him closely, his one silver eye and one red; though now that she was only about a foot away, she could see clearly is was a mostly black coloured eye with a slitted pupil. She looked at his jet horns and raven hair and pale skin, and face twisted with grief. She would lean in quickly to embrace him, holding him close as she poured out her heart's gratitude and plea.

“Thank you Shiro. A million times thank you. You saved that woman, all those people, me. . . “ She would sob quietly as she clung to the man, she didn’t have the proper words to express what she felt. She wasn’t well educated, and she felt horribly inadequate as she spoke. “Please don’t die. You can’t kill yourself, not ever. I couldn’t bear it. You were kind to me, you didn’t know me and you were kind, you’re not a monster. Please, I’ll never kill, I won’t, just please, please don’t die.”

She would hold him as long as he would let her, crying quietly, and hoping that by simply saying it out loud her wish would become reality. She could not bear the thought of Shiro dying, not by his hand or any other. Perhaps it was selfish or deluded, but he was the only person who had ever fought for her and lived. The thought of one more person dying because of her was too much. This man was so much more than a murderer, he had to know that. He had nothing at all to gain by dealing with those bandits. He could have sat quietly and ignored it, or scurried quickly away to the safety of his home. But he didn’t. And just like that the question burned bright in her mind again. And as questions are wont to do, it tumbled its way out of her mouth unbidden. “Shiro, who are you?”

1096/5832

She was sure that her sorrow would swallow her whole. Her heart was breaking, she could fairly feel it within her, the cracks of it causing wracking sobs to shake her being as she clung to the man who she had named hero. All around her she could smell the death and blood, the savagery of what had just occurred, which only caused her to cling all the tighter to Shiro as she begged him to stay, not in this moment, but at all. In her mind she was screaming the word over and over again, STAY! And when he did not push her away she quieted, the pain in her heart subsided a minuscule amount and her shuddering cries were reduced to gentle weeping. Despite the agony of it, she wanted to stretch this moment out forever. She felt safe as Shiro returned her embrace and the sounds and smells and horrors from around them both faded away. Standing there was a comfortable pause in the reality of time, nothing was there but the knowledge that she was alive, and he was alive. No one was dying, no one was telling her to hide or run, no one was chasing her out of yet another barn. She wasn’t being punished for stealing a handful of mouldy rice, or asking where her parents were. There wasn’t any fire or bandits.

She let her breathing slow as she listed to the sound of Shiro’s heart, her head pressed against his chest. The sound was soothing, it grounded her and kept her from floating away down a dark river of despair, down to a place that would only bring her more burning tears to overflow that very same river. Sayuri had spent a long time down that river, or so in her limited knowledge of grief did she believe, and she was not eager to revisit it. It was such a short time in the larger scale of things that were world changing, but in her world it had been the better part of her whole life. Still though, this peaceful space held back the raging torrent of grief that pressed against the walls of their shared compassion and as Shiro tenderly patted her she would raise her head to look at him and was surprised to see his darkness fading away.  She probably shouldn’t have been so surprised, it had arrived just as suddenly, why should it have departed any differently after all? Regardless she watched mesmerized as his coal black hair faded back to pure white and his eye transformed back to silver, a slight blush on his otherwise pale alabaster skin.

As he smiled down at her she saw the sadness in it and her brow would furrow ever so slightly. Why was there sadness behind that smile? She opened her mouth to voice her thought and the only word that came out was “Please. . .” She meant to finish her sentence with stay. She could still hear his words in her mind, “When the time comes, I'll take my life, killing the last murderer.” They tugged at her heart, the thought that Shiro believed he was irredeemable was unsettling at best and soul crushing at worst.  So in that eternal expanse of time she resolved to change his mind, however the chance never came.



She glowed at his words, the dimming spark deep within her, the one that had been growing faint surrounded on all sides by blood and death was rekindled by those simple words. She felt light again, recharged and prepared to face the world with new energy and hope. She looked deep into Shiro’s eyes with confidence, her one green eye and one blue eye to his one red eye and one silver eye. She was strong, just as her grandfather had always told her she was. Today she was stron-



Her smile faded as a rush of chakra overtook her and something shifted. The world around her melted away and became something else entirely, something that wasn’t right, wasn’t hers. She would let out a gasp, whether out loud or in her mind she wasn’t sure, the world didn’t make sense to her anymore. These were memories, Shiro’s. . . no, not Shiro. In her mind’s eye images and emotions were overwhelming her, she felt stretched beyond her limits, a piece of thread pulled taut to fraying and still being pulled. She clenched her mouth tight, tasting blood, but not her own blood, it was the blood of her - no his best friend.



She couldn’t imagine a reason important enough to warrant killing a friend. Let alone one that she, or he rather, held so dear. She had not had any friends when she was young. Not any that she could recall, save for her family of course. Her grandfather had always been her friend, and her mother and father. And there was Daisy, the cow. And now Mitsuo and Tsuyo, she would never kill them, not for anything. It was beyond imagining, something that had not once before now even crossed her mind. She gasped as she heard the whisper quiet cracks of her heart again as the stress from the uninvited memories pushed their way into her psyche.  



She begged over and over as memories of Shiro flashed through her mind as brilliant as the sun and as painful as fire. She didn’t want these, she didn’t understand what she was seeing, or why it was happening. Was she wrong, did he do this to her? She could hardly tell anymore whether she was feeling physical or emotional pain, she just knew she wanted it to stop. She was frightened, of course, but less so of dying and more so that she may have misplaced her trust. Until she saw the young man’s dreams of being Hokage, bright eyed full of hope and wonder. She saw those dreams come crashing down around him as his family died before his very eyes. Then she knew, it was not misplaced, she wasn’t wrong before. When she’d first seen him and thought how very similar they were, she was not wrong. But oh how she wished she was. This was not right, no one was supposed to feel this.



But it wasn’t her grandfather, it wasn’t her family, it was his. His chakra burned inside her as she stood choking on it and the despair it carried, and another crack formed in her rapidly breaking heart. She could feel its frailty, sense with her spirit,  more than physically feel with her hands the white haired man in front of her. How had he lived for so long with this? She couldn’t stand it and it had only been seconds. She watched a war, she had heard tales of war, this war actually and she was immediately horrified. The stories she had heard sneaking in to eavesdrop around campfires had not prepared her to see, and what's more feel war. She could hear the screams and smell the sea. She clutched at the darkness as the heat of battle roiled over her like a tempest and dragged her further into Shiro’s memories. So much, too much. Another crack formed and with it the pain grew deeper still and she cried out in anguish. She pleaded with the storm to let her go, but it was not to be for storms are finished when they are.

He was brave, there was no denying it. She was him, and yet she knew she wasn’t. And still he was brave, he fought to save his comrades, his friends and their families and loved ones. She admired him all the more for it but now she understood what he had said earlier.



She watched it happen, with every kill he made it felt easier to her, more natural. To him. She hadn’t known, she’d felt it when she had held her tanto to the bandit leader’s throat. That moment when she held his life in her hands. She got to choose in that moment, a very permanent choice. And she had hesitated. Now she was supremely glad that she had. It felt awful, making that choice, she wasn’t he was, but all the same she felt it, saw it, tasted it. And it burned her to the core. Pain seared through her as another crack splintered its way across her now crystalline heart.



She hadn’t realized how loud everything had been until suddenly it wasn’t. It was silent inside as she watched with growing horror the scene unfold in front of her. Sayuri had never seen torture, never really even heard of it. That one person could do that to another person was all the trauma required to force the final keystone fissure into her heart. Her heart shattered as she saw Shiro tortured, over and over and over.  And where once was perfect silence, now sounded as though a thousand shards of glass had fallen all at once in a dazzling melodious explosion. She thought she should die. He should die. They both should be dead. Him a thousand times over and her with a heart, powerless to do anything to stop it. Nothing to do but watch and cry and scream. The sound came rushing back, her, his screams, then theirs. Its was terrifying and she wanted to look away, close her eyes, anything. But there was nowhere to look, her eyes were closed, the memories were everywhere.

She saw so many people and things some she recognized, others she didn’t. The things she didn’t though, that gave her strength. She held onto that idea, as though her life depended on it, for as far as she knew it did. Her mind was a spinning vortex of blood and pain and misery. None of it her own.



The pain was spreading everywhere, the initial panic gone as her determination to be released set in. This was not it, these were not her pains, not her burdens, she wouldn’t die from them. She was struggling to keep hold of her own mind as Shiro’s chakra overwhelmed her. So she thought of the lesson Tsuyo had taught her just recently and she tried to focus on her own chakra. It was nearly impossible, the barest whispers of storm clouds with striking lightning and flower petals tossed by wind began interlacing themselves with the terrifying anamneses flowing through her consciousness. She focused as hard as she could on the image of a whole and healthy Shiro, on fields of flowers, Tsuyo and Mitsuo, the cabin, Daisy, her grandfather.  Some of those thoughts she saw overlapped, they were also his.

With a sudden rush, like cresting the surface of the water Sayuri was released from Shiro’s chakra. Her breath came in ragged gasps as she stared into Shiro’s eyes, one red and one silver, her hands still clasped around him in an embrace. Had she been expecting any of this perhaps she could have caught him, but as it was she was entirely off guard, and she felt as though she were a spectator still inside her own mind as he slid from her grasp and crumpled to the ground at her feet. Sayuri was in shock at the events that had just unfolded, both in the market and in her mind and it would take her a few second to register the change in his position. Such that she would lean down catch him just as he was already springing cheerfully to his feet again. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. How could he not know who did this?

Hearing that his head was hurt she felt a protective twinge and would instinctively move towards him to tentatively reach out to examine his head. If he let her she would carefully examine him for injuries trying to place the source of his confusion. His head hurts? Did he hit his head, is that why he doesn’t remember? I’ve heard of that happening, but… not like this. This wasn’t right, none of this was. She felt as though she had said that to herself a good many times in the past  few weeks, but that didn’t make it less true. She could feel tears beginning to slip down her cheeks as she tried to puzzle out what to do. She had to figure out what was going on, and if that was the case they were all in trouble. Because figuring things out was not what she was good at. “Shiro, you don’t remem-” Thinking better of having the conversation where they weren’t protected on any sides, she stopped mid sentence. She would offer her hand to Shiro, palm up,  if he took it she would walk them both to the edge of the carnage away from prying eyes, where they could have a private discussion without anyone overhearing too much. Otherwise she would merely ask that he accompany her to small alleyway entrance that she had spied.


2273/8105

One by one they fell, those who stood before the kings, those who opposed the absolute power of kings, and there'd be no salvation for those that faced them. Tsuneo never stopped walking, not once did the young man halt his own progress. Always seeking new power to protect his loved ones, his one, and only family; the Aoi Bara. They were outcasts. Never doubt one's family, always believe in them, and never give them up. The Aoi Bara was his family. Tsuyo, Gin, and Mitsuo. Those three were his only family. Tsuneo attained more and more power to seek revenge, however, ever since joined the Aoi Bara he's fought and trained to attain new powers simply to protect them and fight for them. Death arrogantly knocked on the palaces of kings as it did the huts of poor, equally. However, they were no kings hiding behind palaces, nor did they hide behind huts. The four kings walked barefooted pacing the steps of their destinies embraced death, faced it head-on, and made it bow before them. Tsuneo had walked forward not stopping for a second, never faltering, arrogantly daring whatever stood before him, and smashing it to the ground. The young boy of paper pale white skin and snow-white hair coupled with a silver and red pair of eyes never led his gaze astray. He looked forward ever so arrogantly, rebelling, and challenging all that ever hoped to stand in his path digging his pitch black tortured nails and his gleaming white fangs into his prey. Drowning in the blood of the wretched, the King of the Purgatory Dragon Gate, walked.
 
 
ERASURE~
 
 
However, that very same king now walked the lands of the village hidden behind the leaves memoryless. He had left this dimension to sink into another, to fight and train for a greater power that would aid him in the challenges to come. However, as he left a damage of crossing the seals of dimensions reached his brain sealing the memories into his Sage mode. The young king was called Shiro for the time being, the young lad once known as the centipede, the one-eyed king, and the harbinger of destruction was now a harmless white haired boy. Or so the wretched would hope. The young lad still had the heart of the tragic hero he once was. He had tracked down an illegal weapon's deal. However, the young man's information sources include reports of human trafficking, slavery, and drug sale. The young man's head was void of any memories of his duties, but the heart resists not the pangs of responsibility. Tsuneo moved, clad in white as though an angel. This angel would bathe in blood.
 
 
The young lad paced his steps from the net cafe he slept in as he headed towards the location of the meeting. Tsuneo would attract the eyes of the citizens around him as he vibrantly gleamed behind him the rising sun of the village he once called home, but his current self never knew that this used to be his home. A white shirt, a pair of white pants, and white sandals. Pale paper-white skin, snow-white hair, a silver and red pair of eyes, blood red lips, and jet-black nails that spoke volumes of the torture he had undertaken. The young man paced his steps regardless of people he attracted, people he creeped out, people he shocked, or people he mesmerized with his appearance. Unearthly, that was one way to describe the young boy. It wasn't to his comfort nor his liking that he attracted so much attention and thus he burst off running at half full speed. He would dart off and jump on top of a house as he began jumping from house to another till he was exactly below his destination, the Hokage mountain.
 
 
Looking up at the mountain as he saw the faces of the many great Kages, the kings that reigned over the village, and it was there, he could identify many of these faces if only the man had his memories. Tsuneo never the less, felt a burning sensation across each cell in his body as though basking in shattered glass. The stinging sensation brought out a voice from within whispering into his ears as though a devil consuming him like mist consuming vision. Tsuneo silenced his thoughts as he listened to the voice ringing from within the depths of his mind.
 
 
 
 
Tsuneo shook his head as he focused on the task before him. He darted across the mountain climbing to the top of it with finesse and grace non-stoppingly. Tsuneo reached the top and as he hovered in the air from his jump, he looked down at the groups standing before him. Their greetings were simple kunai, shuriken, and shadow windmills. Tsuneo quickly gripped one Kunai as it headed towards him watching the bloodied shuriken launched at him with the bunch of kunai remaining headed towards him. Tsuneo with quick movement reflected each projectile launched at him with his one kunai, and as the shadow windmill approached, Tsuneo mid-air simply rose a leg upward as he awaited the right moment  till it was fifty centimeters in front of him and exactly below his leg he would launch his leg downward full strength only to break the shadow windmill to pieces. As he landed on the ground standing tall with two legs unharmed from the array of attacks he spoke one sentence and one only.
 
 
 
 
A mocking devilish grin from the albino boy made a mockery of the existence of the men before him. He launched himself between the hoard of men, twelve to be exact. Judging from their postures they were somewhere A-rank and B-rank, but it was all an assumption. As three men with swords launched themselves towards Tsuneo. The young boy would duck as launched his leg in a rotating manner sweeping the man of his feet before striking him with his pale white palm in the stomach as the man rested on his hand hanging in the air for less than a second before Tsuneo pushed him towards the one behind him as the third approached Tsuneo side-stepped letting the blade's piercing attack pierce through nothing but air. Tsuneo would quickly launch his grip at the man's wrist as he launched his other hand at the man's elbow crushing it only to pull the man across him by the rest simply to land a direct kick at the man's stomach damaging him severely as the second one that had the first thrown on him decided to interfere and slash vertically as he jumped above Tsuneo. Tsuneo with his leg planted in the third's stomach carried the man above him shielding himself from the second's blade, however, in that moment Tsuneo had faded from vision only to appear airborne behind the second mid-air as Tsuneo gripped the man by his head pulling it backwards only for his other free hand to punch the man's neck through the nape breaking his neck. Tsuneo used the man as an object to launch himself back to the ground in a back flip from which he rushed toward four more. Tsuneo intercepted to punches coming from both left and right as he gripped both men by the wrist and forced their punches with force to hit the two men's faces, only for Tsuneo to do a split as he knocked both men off balance, and punched the ground as he relaxed his body to reposition himself slightly above them he would rotate and let both legs smash their heads to the ground. Tsuneo rushed to the remaining two dodging the kick the one before him shot by bending backward only to find out one was behind him aiming down a downwards kick to Tsuneo's head. Tsuneo grinned as he spoke, "It's time to use one percent of my power I guess?" He would be hit and struck down by the man's foot only for it to hit a wooden plank. Away from his former position and as he reappeared for a second above them he launched his foot at the man's foot planting it in the ground as he gripped the man with the horizontal kick by the ankle crushing it in his hands.
 
 
Tsuneo pushed the horizontal kick aside as he launched a jab with his elbow to the man whose foot he planted in the ground only to strike the man's head with the back of his fist as he half rotated his body launching a powerful kick to the man with the crushed ankle. The kick struck the man's head launching him away for three meters and Tsuneo wasted no time. He turned to the man behind him gripping his neck Tsuneo launched ten punches in less than half a second knocking him out, and leaping with insane speed, Tsuneo attacked the man he kicked gripping his head and crushing the ground as he rushed with the man's head planted in the ground crushing the ground as Tsuneo ran only to intercept another shadow windmill.  Tsuneo rose the man in front of him as a meat shield as the shadow windmill cut through the man Tsuneo by then had disappeared and with a crazy speed appeared on top of the man that attacked him with said shadow windmill. Tsuneo landed on the man with a punch planting the man's head into the ground crushing the ground from force.
 
 
Backup arrived and instead of their numbers going down, they were now fifteen men. This time they all rushed towards Tsuneo surrounding him with insane speed and as all were within ten meters, all Tsuneo did was stand there and before long a disastrous feeling washed over an area of thirty diameters. In a single second a demonic god-like pitch black skull appeared as it sucked their existences into oblivion. Blood, flesh, and bones torn from the men as they were slowly sucked into the oblivion of Tsuneo's hellish nightmare world.
 
 
Tsuneo's body covered in blood was cleansed of the blood bathing his whole body as he stood there alone. The devouring apocalypse appeared for a second. Eliminating all fifteen men in a flash and disappearing as it devoured all. Tsuneo's monstrously destructive ability. It left no trace of the victim, all that occurs is mass-destruction, and all that remains is nothingness. Tsuneo had destroyed another group of scum. The sensation was not foreign, there was no regret. Tsuneo had gotten on one knee as a child that was hiding below the mountain made his way up and as he reached Tsuneo he hugged him crying. Tsuneo patted his back as he caressed his hair with one hand. Tsuneo was awe-struck as the boy cried out loud: "Thank you." Constantly not stopping. Tsuneo rubbed his hair as he smiled and spoke.
 
 
 
 
Tsuneo had been tasked by this little child to take revenge. A child of his age talking of revenge. What had these bastards done to the child's mother that he had cursed them and offered to sell his tiny soul for revenge? He wouldn't let another one walk his path.... His path? Why did Tsuneo call it his path? Tsuneo's thoughts jumbled as he wondered what the heck was he in the past. Tsuneo had investigated them man by man. Made sure that not a single one of them was innocent as he traced the organization's members' pasts, he found nothing but a horrid past full of blood of innocent. He was never surprised by the backup arriving for one reason. Tsuneo was as professional as he ever was. He researched every single member and if the rest didn't arrive here as a backup he would've targeted them one by one and ended them. However, thankfully, they all came to him like moths to flames. The boy would ask where they went. Tsuneo lied...
 
 
 
 
He smiled as he patted the boy's head "I'm joking I took them all to prison so they can pay for their crimes." No, Tsuneo never regretted sending them to hell. However, he didn't want the boy to think murder was the way to go. The act of murder is filthy. Tsuneo wanted to plant hope and erase filth. Somehow this desire remained even with his memories gone. Tsuneo had executed these criminals. He smiled as he looked at the rising sun. It was a beautiful day. Those scum from earlier ago? They were nothing but trash, and its Tsuneo's job to take out the trash. That's all there was to it. The white haired boy simply stood there holding the boy's hand as he looked at the boy with a big smile the boy looked up at Tsuneo with another big smile. The two laughed childishly out loud. It was a fine day. The king upheld his duty. He erased the filth and that which puts in danger the safety and peace of the innocent.
 
They took the steps going down as they aimed to leave the area, it was empty, not a trace of a single life was left at the top of the mountain. Tsuneo made sure no innocent person was caught in the action. The fake construction sign worked effectively. Tsuneo would take the child by the hand and deliver him to his home. On their way a poster on a board that was beside them was planted there. Tsuneo stopped to look at it for a second before rolling a Kunai with his finger, holding it firmly, and launching it towards the middle of the poster. The poster read: Wanted group responsible for abduction, human trafficking, slavery, rape, and murder. The group was called the black snake. Members are identified by the logo of a black snake. Tsuneo had already dealt with the group of scum. Rather than a group of snakes, they were mere roaches. However, Tsuneo cheerfully walked and even took the child to the ramen stand where he treated him.
 
“Why’d you help me mister”
 
As Tsuneo chuckled he spoke gently “Because, helping people is a good thing!”
 
“Mister, do you think I could help people? I am not strong like you…”
 
“Strong?” Tsuneo chuckled “You don’t have to be strong to help, you just have to be willing.”
 
The child smiled as Tsuneo’s words reassured the little boy. Tsuneo right now truly believed that power was not necessary. Or was Tsuneo no longer his name even? Right now he was merely Shiro? The name given to him by the gentle lady at the Ramen shop. Tsuneo’s continuous tragedy and broken self completely faded. He was as though a newly born baby. One would wonder if Tsuneo would like that. The young man would keep talking with the child. A flashback would stroke his mind as he did. He would see a vision of the past. A boy of dark blue hair appeared. The boy held a warm gentle hand. It was the hand of a blue haired father. A red haired woman held his other hand gently and firmly. A tingling happy feeling filled his chest as the boy chuckled, laughed, and smiled. The boy looked ever so happy. A girl slightly above his age appeared she was red haired as the woman that held the little boy’s hand. The girl rushed to the little boy hugged him and kissed his cheek as she ruffled his hair. The boy complained cutely with his small arms waving everywhere. The girl patted him as she walked together with them.
 


Flashing back to reality the boy whose hand Tsuneo held began pulling on Tsuneo’s white shirt. “Mister are you okay?” Tsuneo’s eyes were wide open as tears fell as though waterfalls from his eyes. The world was blank for a second. A piercing pain struck his chest as though he had been stabbed through the chest with a sword. The young man’s eyes were wide open crying without blinking for a slight second. His tears rolled down his cheeks, falling off his face, and hitting the ground. Tsuneo regained consciousness, as his eyes calmed down realizing there were tears on his face the boy chuckled as he spoke “Eh? Where’d this come from.” Tsuneo would wipe his eyes as he rubbed the back of his head troubled. Tsuneo would continue walking the boy and as he reached the orphanage Tsuneo bid him farewell. The young man called the centipede left the area and went back. Those memories…. Whose were they? Why was he crying? He wondered as Shiro, but if it was his old self Tsuneo, he’d know the answer quite well. It was memories of him as a child, with his mother, father, and older sister. The happy family of four walked pleasantly together. Revenge? Yes, revenge… Tsuneo’s goal was revenge. Shiro realized that there was a connection between his old self, the memories, and revenge. Tsuneo the memoryless, or Shiro, decided to leave the area and head back to the Kage mountain. As he took the stairs looking down at each step. Bitterness covered his eyes as he dragged himself leaning on the rocky wall as he felt a sinister desire dwell within him. He was sad but could not know why he was sad. Tsuneo eventually reaches the top of the mountain. He stood at the edge as he gazed upon the vast village before him as the sun set before his eyes. People lived and did so lively. Tsuneo couldn’t help but be pleased with the liveliness of Konohagakure. The wind felt wonderful as it blew gently in the village. Tsuneo would eye the sunset gently with his different eyes. He had the chance to see this scenery again. He was pleased.

Sayuri was pleased when Shiro took her hand, not only did it mean that she didn’t have to try to convince him to move somewhere quieter where they were less vulnerable, but also she was not feeling safe yet, and this man was this first person in sometime that had made her feel safe. It was for a few moments but it was a safety she hadn’t felt in many, many years, and not one that she wanted to give up just yet. Her heart skipped a beat as he patted her head and called her a “very sweet person”. She would bite down hard on her bottom lip, both to keep it from trembling and to keep herself from crying. She could not handle this right at this moment, she needed to get away from this, not think about it or just sleep or anything. Not have one of the kindest people she’d ever met continue to be kind to her after everything she’d just witnessed. His smile was so beautiful and innocent, so unlike the cold and hard glare that had been there when he’d been. . . something else. She sighed as she pulled Shiro along gently by the hand to the entrance of the alleyway and positioned herself against a corner, giving herself a decent view of both the alley and the direction they’d just come from.

It wasn’t great she would rather just leave, but she didn’t know what else to do. She needed someone else to be in charge, she was not a ‘take charge’ person, not when it came to other adults, children perhaps because their needs were simple; food or sleep or play or more food. But adults were so much more difficult to figure out, and as her eyes swept the ground around them, taking in the blood and bodies she would feel a shudder go through her and she would close her eyes to try to block out the sight. It was a futile effort though as closing them only meant that she had a blank canvas for her mind to replay the horrific visions that Shiro’s chakra had gifted her with only moments before. A tear would burn its way down her cheek as she stood trembling, Get a grip silly duck, now is not the time. You can cry if you want but now is not the time to just stand here.

“Sayuri? Are you alright?”

She would force her eyes open and look at Shiro and as he moved his hand to her cheek her eyelashes would flutter and she would pull back ever so slightly in the barest of flinches. She knew she had nothing to fear from this man, but it would take more than that knowledge to erase years of fear.

“No Shiro, I’m not alright.”

She would murmur the words quietly as he pulled his hand away from her face. She was far from alright, the furthest she had ever been. And what she couldn’t understand was why he seemed to be fine. She only had his memories, and they weren’t complete at that, he had lived those things, how on earth was he smiling and happy?

“Haha, hurry silly, I'm still hungry let's go back to the ramen shop I'm hungry!”

And thinking about food?! She would take his other hand in hers, bringing both of his hands close to her face as she broke down into tears.

“Shiro, I don’t know what’s going on, I’m scared. I just came for lunch, and then all those people. . . I was going to kill him. I thought about it, I really did. But in the end. . . I just couldn’t. I don’t know what’s worse, that I wanted to, or that I wouldn’t. And then you. . . Shiro. Forgive me.”

She would drop to her knees in front of the white haired, innocent faced man, still holding his hands. The man that had just cheerfully asked to go back to the ramen shop after handily dispatching a sizeable group of people intent on destroying Konoha and it’s inhabitants. The man that in her mind she had failed, now that she knew what he had been through. How could she think that there was something wrong with him for thinking about food after all he’d been through, as though she had any right to judge.

“I’m so sorry Shiro. . . I just didn’t know.”

As she knelt there and wept her heart burned again with the word ‘STAY!’, the same word that still burned its way through all of her nightmares. The word that she wished she could have heard from her grandfather instead of the word ‘RUN!’. He was the last person to ever fight for her, and he had not survived. That night was etched enduringly onto her soul and into every choice she made, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she had to hear that word screamed over and over again in her nightmares but this time for someone else.




873/8978

Sayuri couldn’t help but to laugh as Shiro yelled about being old. Of course he wasn’t old, that was silly but the way he spoke about it now helped to ease some of the horror that had settled itself neatly into her heart. She noticed that although he was laughing and yelling, there was a sheen of sweat across his brow, and she wondered just what sort of toll this entire event had taken on the white haired man. She saw he was trying to make her laugh, and although she wasn’t keen to do so would take his offered hand and would walk with him away from the massacre that had just taken place, trying desperately to put it out of her mind. She marveled at the softness and strength of his hand, and briefly pulled it closer to her face to examine the spots where she knew his fingers had been severed over and over again. His hand was perfect, or at least as far as her eyes could see it was. It occurred to her then that while there were many wonderful things that were possible through the use of chakra, there were many more horrible atrocities that had been committed. It disturbed her greatly to think of all the ways that someone could twist such a beautiful gift into something so abominable. Herself she had the ability to channel raiton and while it was glorious, it was also something she could see being used cruelly. Not by her, never by her. But by someone.  

She would walk hand in hand with Shiro towards the smell of food, leaving the stench of blood and death behind her. For the moment she allowed the memories of the last while to fade into the back of her mind, focusing on the deceptively happy walk that the two of them shared. The sun was bright even though covered briefly by wisps of silk looking clouds and it helped to warm her skin a bit as they strolled. She had never felt quite this cold before; even when she was hiding in the forests and mountainous regions of Kumogakure. She remembered nights spent shivering and crying, cold and frozen amidst a raging blizzard begging her grandfather to come take her away from her then current misery. But even that in all of its suffering and hardship did not compare to the cold that seemed to have sunk into her very bones. She would pull herself closer to Shiro, hoping that he didn’t mind the sudden invasion of his personal space, in an effort to selfishly leech some of his warmth into her own body. She felt surprisingly comfortable and safe with him, despite her usual fear of being close to people, and if he would allow her she would lean her head onto his shoulder as they walked.

Looking around she spied what appeared to be a small restaurant tucked away along the street. She would lift her head up and slow her pace as she tugged lightly on Shiro’s sleeve, pointing excitedly in the direction of the promise of food and a tiny physical space to hide away in. There was a sign above the door on the outside of the building with writing on it, which she couldn’t read. There was always a sign with writing on it that she couldn’t read, it sobered her excitement somewhat and she would let out a tiny sigh of defeat as her arm lowered from pointing at the building. Stopping just outside of the worn, yet cared for building, Sayuri would turn her body to face in Shiro’s direction before speaking to him timidly.

“If it’s food you’re looking for, then maybe this will do? I’m not even sure that it’s a restaurant to be perfectly honest as I can’t read the sign. But it smells like food, which is close enough for me. Assuming that’s alright with you of course. . . what I mean is, we can go wherever you want. I don’t know my way around Konoha yet anyway, since I’m new here, so maybe you know of somewhere better?”

She would wait nervously for Shiro’s answer, though in truth she was more anticipating his judgement of her revelation that she could not read the sign. In this was she was terribly unsure of herself, in a way that she was not in almost every other aspect of her life. Save for being near people of course, that was a well ingrained fear and probably not one that she could merely ‘try harder’ to learn. Though as she stood there she realized that despite her near crippling fear of having people touch her, she was quite easily touching Shiro, without a hint of fear. She couldn’t be certain if this new turn of events would stay the same if he touched her without her knowing it was him, but it was a small comfort to know that she wasn’t afraid of everyone. Or more specifically, not everyone was scary. As her mind reeled with thoughts she would use her free hand to tug shyly at her own long white hair, a gentle smile on her face, and for once no tears in her eyes.

If he agreed with her choice of venues Sayuri would go inside with him, happy to be able to place her attention on choosing food. She would spend the meal telling him stories of her travels and adventures. About Daisy the cow, that was her only friend for so very long, about climbing the tallest mountain she had ever seen and about how she had finally met some people she could trust in Konoha. She was very careful to leave out both Mitsuo’s and Tsuyo’s names, as that need for secrecy had been made quite clear to her. At least as far as their names were concerned. As she continued telling her stories, she felt herself finally relax, all thoughts of murder and bandits gone from her head. And she would talk with Shiro long into the evening until finally she realized that it must be late and that Tsuyo and Mitsuo might be wondering at her whereabouts. As she got up to head back to the cabin she would turn to Shiro and let out a wistful sigh, embracing him once more. “I’m so glad to have met you Shiro, you’re a wonderful person. I hope I can see you again. And if you ever need me I’ll help you. I hope you remember me, as I will remember you fondly.” She would reach up to kiss him gently on the cheek before turning to go, tears sparkling once again in her eyes. This time however they were not sad tears, she was happy to have made a friend. A friend who fought for her and lived.

{Exit Thread}

1163/10,143

Training Fuuton:

C-Rank > B-Rank: 2000 words
B-Rank > A-Rank: 3000 words
A-Rank > S-Rank: 4000 words

Total: 9000 words

Words left over: 1143