She was tiny.
Unimpressive.
Pein was less than displeased with the thing Tobi had brought home. He was supposed to kill the entire village, not bring back useless children!
He glanced over to the child, the useless creature. She was staring at him, her large, golden eyes filled with fear. She was scared of him.
Everyone was.
Pein clenched his teeth, and looked deep into the child’s eyes. They reflected no past, present, or future. Only pain and sorrow.
Just like him.
Pein found himself in a position he had never been in before. He felt… compelled to make her happy, to please her. He wanted to see her smile at him, as if her was the greatest person in the world.
A shiver ran down Pein’s spine. He wasn’t supposed to be thinking like this!
“Tobi! Get rid of her!” Pein barked.
As soon as he said it, he felt ill. He hadn’t meant it!
Tobi shook his head. “No! Tobi-sama wants to keep little girl!”
Pein sighed. This wasn’t… no. He shouldn’t!
“Very well…” Pein said. He tried to sound bored, as if the girl wasn’t of any importance.
“And send Konan in!”
Tobi left the little girl, and sprinted away to find the blue haired woman Pein had asked for.
Once alone, the child looked… fragile, and dirty. She was probably ill, as well as malnourished. She kept coughing into her small, pale hands. The coughs were deep, and sounded painful. She had been like this a long time.
Konan slipped quietly into the room.
“You called?”
Pein nodded slightly. “The child. Can you…?”
Konan shrugged. “Yeah, whatever.”
She lifted the child off the ground, and swiftly left the room with her.
Pein was glad she was gone. The girl made things… too complicated.
*
Clean. She looked so much more alive when she was clean.
Pein could see her clearly now. She had a small, doll-like face with soft features. Her golden eyes glittered against her pale skin, almost like polished gems in the sun. She was an absolute picture of angelic beauty- far too beautiful to be thrown in the street like a piece of worthless garbage.
But she had been.
Pein closed his eyes, head burning. Why… why am I thinking like this? What is she doing to me?! He couldn’t help but think of her, even then.
Pein glanced downward. There she was, staring at him. Observing. She was smart for a child, too smart.
“I know her name,” Konan said softly.
Pein looked over. “You do?”
“Her name is Keiko- no last name, just Keiko.”
Pein had heard that somewhere before, a long time ago. He squinted, hoping a memory would come. Pein could faintly see a young woman, with dark hair and grey eyes- from such a long time ago. Her name had been Kieko- last name unknown. She was an orphan like he was. Pein remember asking her to join the Akatsuki, but she died of a mysterious illness before saying yes.
Pein wracked his brain for several moments before he found what he was looking for.
“Keiko- her name means happy child.”
Konan and Pein both looked down at the girl, who didn’t look happy or sad. She looked strong.
And, right then, Pein knew he had to do everything in his power to make her even stronger.
She would never be treated like trash again.
YOU ARE READING
Little Girl
FanfictionThey found her in the early morning, when the air was cool and thin. Her name was Keiko. Just Keiko. She was like a child, with her large, innocent eyes and calm demeanor. But Gaara knew not to trust appearances alone. And he was right. *I do not ow...
