It was dark when she returned to the village. Her clothes were dirty and she had sweat clinging to her but she was happy. She was mastering the use of her weapons as well as the jutsus and was able to find out that what the different types of cheakra do. Wind chakra increase the sharpness of weapons , Lightning chakra provides an increased cutting power similar to that of wind, with the addition of inducing numbness, Earth chakra seemingly increases the defensive power of an object to its utmost limits, by further reinforcing the inherent properties of the material involved,Fire chakra engulfs the desired weapon in intense localised flames, which follow the subsequent path of the object in question, incinerating anything which comes into direct contact,Water chakra can be applied to act as a sturdy shield of armour and can withstand many physical attacks . Regarding her chakra and magic, her reservoirs were increasing steadily day by day. She did daily meditation, did increasingly complex variations of the Leaf Concentration Exercise as well as others that she found in the library.This meant that she had great chakra control but it wasn't where she wanted it to be yet. She was just starting ninjutsu and hadn't broached the subject of genjutsu at all and she wasn't sure she wanted to but it would be better to try than to not try at all. She was also continuing her medical studies and was planning on mastering at least one healing technique before she graduated the Academy. For now, she had her Magic for another healing alternative.
All in all, she was doing pretty good considering that she hasn't even enrolled in the Academy yet. She sighed, reveling in the cool breeze but she stopped sharply when a very familiar scent reached her nose. A cold glint entered her eyes and she looked around but she found that there was no one around her. The streets were completely empty. Bare of even a shinobi.
"That scent!" She walked slowly and she tried to find where it was coming from but there was no time for thought as the scent got stronger. Her walk became a long stride, and before she knew it she was running, long silver hair trailing behind her. "It's getting stronger!"
She didn't know where she was going. She just followed the sharp scent, eyebrows furrowing as a deep feeling of curiosity welled in her. She stopped abruptly when she came to a gate, the symbol of a red and white fan decorated in the center.
"This is..." Zero said, before she continued. She ran and ran and she looked around but the streets were desolate and empty but soon enough that changed as well.
What greeted her was something she didn't expect.
There were bodies littering the street, blood pooling and staining the ground. It made her dark urge to surface but even so she continued forward . She knew with just a glance that they were dead and that there was no way to save them.The Uchiha Clan was known to be one of the most formidable clans in Konoha, as well as the entire Elemental Countries. From what Zero had understood, it was because of the dojutsu that resided within the clan that allowed them a unique set of skills and powers. They were very powerful and her instinct reared up because whom ever was capable of taking down so many, must be a very powerful and skillful being.
As she made her way deeper into the compound, her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts as she took in every detail that she could. "Who could have done this?!" Blood stained the walls and there were only brief signs of struggle, which suggested that they were caught off guard, that they weren't fast enough to respond or didn't even know they were in danger until they felt that mortal attack struck.She stopped sharply, hastily hiding behind a corner as she saw two figures standing in a narrow street.One had long hair, was dressed in black and donned armor but the most prominent feature were the glowing red eyes staring intently at the other figure, whom was nothing more than a boy near her own age. They held a striking resemblance and held similar scents and she realizedthat they were related.Brothers most likely.
"You have been jealous of me and you have hated me." He said, voice deep and face devoid of emotion. "You have continuously aimed to surpass me. For that I will allow you to live for my sake. Foolish little brother... He said, turning around without a worry.
Zero's thoughts were confirmed and she watched as tears welled in the younger's eyes, filled with intense desperation and confusion as well as mounting anger."If you wish to kill me, then hate me, detest me, and live a long, unsightly life. Run and run... Cling to your pitiful life." He said, voice filled with something that Zero couldn't identify. He turned, only allowing a slight portion of his face to be seen but his deep red eyes seemed to bore into Zero and the other.
"And one day, when you have the same eyes as I, come before me!"
The other wavered and fell to his knees but he seemed to gain some strength for some reason. He threw a kunai to the other, trying to somehow do something, anything to injure the other. To stop him.
But it was futile, Zero realized, the elder was clearly more powerful than anyone in the compound, as he was the one to slay all of the Uchiha. The elder turned, eyes swirling into a shuriken-like
pattern. The younger fell to his knees. He fell unconscious, she realized. But then what shocked her was the tears welling in the elder's eyes. There was a look of deep regret and sorrow and she almost missed it if she hadn't been paying close attention. He disappeared a moment later but Zero stayed hidden a little longer. She's never seen anything like this before... and it was... something else entirely. From what she's gathered, the elder had part in the attack, the massacre.
She shook her head and aproaching the other and kneeling beside him. She pulled him close.There was a look of intense fear on his face, even in the realm of unconsciousness. She thought that it was just nightmares but taking a closer look, she sensed something odd."What is this?" She wondered, placing a hand on his head. In her familiarization with chakra and studies, she had learned that there was a certain way that chakra flowed. There was a disruption in the young Uchiha's chakra network and she instantly realized that he was in fact under a genjutsu and a powerful one at that. After pondering for a little she decided that helping him out of it will be best for now.There aren't any other people alive. I can't sense anyone else. Zero determined, eyes narrowing as she took deep, calming breaths to calm down the bloodlust .But he left him alive? Why? Was it only because he was his brother? But why did he do it? Why did he say those words? His actions... his tears, they contradict each other. Something else is happening but what!?"There's no time for that Zero!" She reminded herself"Arc of Time:Restore" She said, her voice seeming to echo strongly. Her left eye glowed and a magic circle appeared in it. If anyone from Earthland saw what she was doing now they would have died of a heart attack because Arc of Time: Restore -was a spell that permits the user to restore inorganic items back to the state they were in before they took damage. The fact that she is able to turn back the time of a living being is testament to her power, control, willpower, intelligence ,research and a lot of practice . Zero eyes narrowed as she felt a waver in the foreign chakra within the boy and there was a snap. She gave a breath of relief as she noticed the young Uchiha's form relaxed and his face smoothed with relief. She stopped channeling her magic and her eye returned to normal. She looked around and she frowned as she remembered the strewn bodies. She sighned briefly, she didn't know what to do. Didn't know what to do with the young Uchiha that lay unconscious on her lap. After pondering for a while she stood, lifting Sasuke to her back like it was nothing she made her way to the Hokage Tower.As she made her way to the tower, her mind once again drifted back to what she had just seen and started analizing it . She couldn't get the image of the elder Uchiha's face out of her mind, of his tears, and the sheer look of sorrow. "Something else happened." She muttered to herself, eyes trained forward. "I know it."The scent of blood was nearly overpowering, she thought. But I could smell his scent all over the compound. In fact, there were three scents altogether that were common. And I'm sure that the other two... they're also responsible, one way or another. One of the scents was drastically different from the others. It smelled so much like earth and decaying plant matter. Who would have such a scent? Not to mention... that form standing atop the rooftop, the one in the spiral mask.
I couldn't catch his scent from that far away but I saw him... I bet he has a part to play in this as well. Maybe he assisted the other?
I'll keep this to myself for now... This─ This needs a proper investigation but I can't do anything now. But it's only a matter of time. Secrets have a tendency to surface. Zero neared the Hokage tower and she jumped towards the wall, making her way up and to the window of the Hokage's office. Zero gave a sigh of relief as she saw that the Hokage was indeed in the office, alone as well. His eyes immedietly darted to where she was and his eyes widened ever so slightly when he saw her.She gave a nod as a greeting as she climbed in through the open window. Why it was open she wasn't sure but it wasn't like many dared to go against the strongest shinobi in the village.
"Zero-chan!" He said, eyes glancing towards the unconscious form on her back. "What─" A vague feeling of regret formed and already, he had an idea of what happed. It wasn't that long ago, in fact mere moments, that Itachi gave his report and left.Uchiha Itachi was declared a rogue ninja, ranked as an S-Class threat in the Bingo Book, was sacrificing himself for the sake of the village by becoming a pariah, by killing his family in the name of peace and infiltrating an organization that was becoming an increasing threat. The burden would weigh heavily on the young shinobi but there was no choice. What's done, is done.
If only Danzo hadn't...
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed sharply and his hands shifted through seals and activated his privacy seals. His ANBU were already on their way to the Uchiha Clan Compound to deal with the bodies. There was no way that he was going to let Danzo dispose of them himself. He didn't trust the man, especially after the conversation that he had with the old war hawk.
How far will you go in your misguided deeds, Danzo? He wondered, feeling his age quite sharply in that moment. "Tell me everything, Zero-chan." He said seriously. Zero nodded, already anticipating the man's orders and the recognition that she saw flashing in the old man gaze made her suspicios but put it in the back of her head for later. She gently lay the young Uchiha on a small couch situated in a corner before coming to stand before the Hokage.
"Hokage-sama," She said because there was a need for formality and seriousness at the moment as well as to not alert the man of her thoughts "I was walking back home not too long ago," She started, eyes boring into the Hokage's sharp eyes. "when I caught the scent of blood in the air. I thought that I had imagined it but the scent only grew stronger. I was worried, so I went to investigate. I went to the source." Zero gave a slight sigh. "It might have not been the best idea, but..." Zero grimaced. Hiruzen gave a nod, understanding. Inwardly, he didn't miss the way that every word she said was genuine. There were no visible signs of lies, although he couldn't think of a reason that she would have. He wished, however, most of all, that she could have been spared from all of this, as well as Sasuke. They didn't deserve to see such bloodshed at such a young age but it seems that no matter what, such things are inevitable."I arrived to the source not long after; The Uchiha Clan Compound.Aside from the smell of blood, I knew that something was wrong. There wasn't any one in the streets, not even shinobi keeping watch. There was just an eerie silence but as I went deeper into the compound... I found the bodies." "I saw more and more and I was about to turn back to get someone, a shinobi, or even you but I stopped because I saw him." She pointed towards the figure on the small couch. "He was there as well as an elder figure that was apparently his brother. They exchanged a few words . And then... the younger brother fell unconscious. The other, the older brother, he left afterwards without a look back. After that, I carried him here. And that's it." She said coolly, not mentioning her other findings. If the thoughts she had are true then perhaps the Hokage knows more information than she does. She wasn't lying. She was just leaving a few details out. There was a nagging feeling that told her it was necessary and that the old man is hiding something . Hiruzen took out a pipe, taking a deep inhale of smoke before exhaling it with a breath. His gaze turned back and forth from the two children, regret once again coiling in his gut. He sighed heavily, putting down his pipe.The silence reigned heavily over them but Zero waited patiently. She could see the weight that lay heavy on the Hokage's shoulders. She could imagine the decisions, the sacrifices that he had to make and the loses that he suffered . It took a special type of strength to do so and she can understand the way that such things could affect a person after all she have to make some difficult decision herself while she had been queen in her former life.The Hokage stood, moving towards the window and staring ahead towards the window. "Zero-chan, I must ask you to keep your findings to yourself." He ordered. "By tomorrow, the entirety of the village will know what has happened. Such thing is inevitable, especially considering the sheer... magnitude of such an incident."
He turned, eyes boring into Zero's. "I must ask how you are feeling. It is curious. Most children your age would have been terrified, would have run at the first sign of danger yet you ran right into it. I understand that you are well mature for your age, but that does not mean that you must withhold all of your feelings. I have to say, children or not, I would have sent them to see a psychologist, or something alike. Yet, I have a feeling that you would be opposed to such a thing."
As he said those words, his mind flashed towards a very brilliant child, just like the one before him. Kakashi was very jaded, very much broken. His emotions were buried so deeply and left forgotten until the only thing that was left was a very efficient, cold and calculating shinobi. The perfect weapon and one of Hiruzen's many, many regrets.
How could this have happened? He wondered. What would you have done sensei?
Zero debated on what to say. Her eyes drifted towards the young Uchiha, Sasuke apparently. She wondered how he would wake, wondered how he would take the news of his entire family and clan being dead and it reminded her of herself. Her godfather had been killed by someone she considered a friend , her godmother sacrifice, her cousin that had gone mad because of a curse and tried to kill every living thing, her dead parents that she never meet but hear a lot about and so much more.
"I am... I am sad, Hokage-sama.The only reason that I am not reacting as others is because I know loss. I am very familiar with pain and I wished that I weren't. I can't lie and tell you that I am like any other child because you and I know that I am not." She admitted. "I wouldn't want to go to a psychologist or any such things. I wouldn't want them to give me empty words coming from an unfamiliar face. I just..." She sighed heavily, eyes lidded heavily with tiredness.Hiruzen lifted a hand. "I understand my dear. There's no need to say more." She was a peculiar child, smart and intelligent and already he could see her going a long way. "I'll have some of my shinobi take Sasuke-kun to the hospital. I must go survey the damage myself..." Again.
"Hokage-sama..." Zero said softly, "May I go with Uchiha-san to the hospital? I don't know him but...
Hiruzen smiled tiredly, affection for the girl trenching deep in his heart. To think, I barely learned of her existence not that long ago and already... "Of course, my dear. We'll have a doctor look at him and after, I'll have a guard escort you home."
"That's not necessary ─" She protested, "I can go on my own. I don't want to be a bother to the shinobi."Nonsense. But I must ask, Zero-chan," He said, his tone serious yet asking for understanding. "It would be better if you kept your distance from Sasuke-kun afterwards. He will no doubt be overwhelmed with the attention from this unfortunate event. I can't say that he'll be too happy about, especially considering that his mental and emotional state might not be in the best condition ... Do you understand, Zero-chan?"
Zero nodded. "I understand, Hokage -
sama."
He nodded, satisfied with the answer given. He gave a flare of his chakra and instantly, a squadron of ANBU was in his office, all kneeling awaiting his orders. "I want Kuma, Tori, Hebi to take Zero-chan and Uchiha Sasuke to the hospital. Make sure Sasuke-kun gets medical attention and I want him guarded at all times until I say otherwise, am I understood?" He ordered.
Hai, Hokage-sama." They called out, perfectly in sync.
"The rest of you come with me."
Zero was impressed at the swiftness that they had appeared in. She wondered if it some sort of teleportation technique. She made a mental note to ask around later. She was sure that such a technique would be useful later.
"I'll see you later, my dear." Hiruzen said, giving Zero a small smile.
Zero bowed her head lightly towards the other, "Ah! Of course, Ojii-sama." She said, giving the other a small smile of her own. There was a faint sound of something akin to shock but Zero had her attention on the Hokage. "Thank you, for everything."
Hiruzen merely nodded. No, my dear, it is I that must thank you. He left a moment later, dreading the chaos that would soon follow. He could already imagine the reactions that the clans would give. He could already imagine the sheer demands that the civilians would have. He needed to act soon and carefully. There was no room for mistakes.Soon enough, the entirety of the Elemental Nations would know of the demise of the Uchiha Clan. It would be seen as a heavy blow to Konoha and they couldn't afford to look weak. Especially considering the tension that Konoha had with Iwa and Kumo, not to mention, the straining relationship with Suna. Zero watched the Hokage leave.
"Let's go, Zero-chan." Tori said, arms laden with Sasuke.Kuma picked her up ever so gently. It didn't show but he was half afraid he'd break the little girl. She seemed to small and fragile yet... There was something about her that spoke of strength and resolve. He could have been imagining things but he'd pushed the thought away. He had duties to attend to.They moved swiftly from rooftop to rooftop and they made it in to the hospital in less than five minutes. In their wake, civilians alike scattered away from them hurriedly, casting looks of fear and weariness towards them. They payed them no mind.Some civilians tended to have many misconceptions about shinobi, held many irrational fears and assumptions about them ─ especially towards higher level shinobi such as Jouninand ANBU ─ even though they were the ones that shielded them from the darkness of the world. It was tiring and more than a little insulting but any shinobi worth anything knew to not pay them mind.
"Excuse me," Hebi stepped forward, his mask and overall demeanor painting an intimidating image for the medic that he was addressing, whom was painfully civilian. "A-Ah," The medic stuttered and cringing a moment later as she tried to gather what semblance of control she had. "How can I help y-you ANBU-san?" She asked, moving away from the shinobi. Zero watched with a raised brow all the while held in Kuma's arms whom also made an intimidating image. They all did really. Still, Zero couldn't quite understand why there was such fear on their faces. Why would they fear those that protected them? It made no sense.It was like the residents of Magnolia being afraid of Gildarts. Ridiculous. The man was inconvenient in that he often destroyed things with his magic but he was very kind and protective of his guild and those he held dear.There were looks of surprise and whispers broke into the air yet the shinobi ignored them with ease.
"We require medical assistance for Uchiha-san." Hebi answered, completely disregarding the pitiful attempts of the civilians to be 'discreet' about their words. They must really think lowly of them if they thought that such efforts would be enough.
The medic turned her gaze to the young child held in the ANBU's arms before comprehension dawned on her. "Y-Yes." She murmured dazedly, "Of course!" She snapped upright before turning. "F-Follow me please!" She said, hurriedly making her way to one of the free and empty rooms, private as well."I'll take over from here." A voice called out and they turned to see another medic making his way towards them. There was a serious look on his face and the way his held himself spoke that he was clearly a shinobi.
Is he a Iryo-nin (Medic-nin), Zero wondered. He was clearly a shinobi. The way he walked gave him away, every movement he made was calculated and there was a sharp intelligence in his eyes. He seemed intimidating as well and it showed in the way the civilian cowered away from him ever so slightly, causing him to narrow his eyes ever so slightly.Maybe intimidation is a trait that shinobi have to have? Zero mused.
"O-Of course." The female doctor stuttered and she didn't waster time getting away.
The shinobi watched her go in silence. The new doctor shook his head, muttering under his breath as he motioned for towards the bed. Tori placed Sasuke on the bed with care and moved back to make room. The medic stepped forward with a frown, beginning to take his vitals and examination."What happened? Can you tell me any details?" The doctor said as he took out a fresh chart to write on. He briefly gave a glance towards the silver haired girl staring intently at him and was slightly surprised by the girl's purple eyes. He pushed his attention towards his task instead.
"Uchiha Sasuke," Tori started, "sole survivor of the Uchiha Clan Massacre." He answered. "There's not much that we know."
It was no use keeping the information of the Clan Massacre a secret. The entire village will know by morning. It wasn't like something on that scale could be covered up.
The doctor's eyes widened in shock and it was a struggle to keep his composure in light of such news but he succeeded and continued with his diagnostic in silence. He ran through various hand signs and a moment later, his hands glowed green and he began to check for any anomalies.
Kuma took the moment to place Zero down on one of the chairs. Somehow, he forgot that he even had the girl in his arms. She was incredibly quiet and still, taking in the surroundings and happenings with awareness and a critical eye. He could feel the questioning looks that his comrades threw his way but he steadfastly ignored them.The shinobi stood in silence and Zero did as well. She watched with interest as the medic went through what was dubbed as Iryo Ninjutsu. It was fascinating to see it up close and she payed very close attention to the hand signs. She hoped that the doctor didn't find any sign of her magic. She wasn't sure of he did or if anyone could in the first place.
She was going to use her magic out in the open of course but she would do so on her own terms and when she wanted to. The use of magic would bring questions, especially considering that the 'jutsu' she had was seal-less, but she was already planning on explanations. She was planning on passing it off as unique Kekkei Genkai.There were downsides to this though. She wasn't naïve enough to dismiss the rumors of what happens to those with Kekkei Genkai. There would be greedy individuals that would be power hungry and would be seeking her power, such as King Faust of Edolas but she had dealt with him and she was planning to the same here as well.There was no way she was going to end up in the Clan Restoration Act either.
She had thought long and hard and she wasn't even sure if she was planning to have a family in the future, so uncertain was the life of a shinobi. That, and she didn't even know if it was possible to pass down. She also didn't like the idea of having anyone with her DNA with plans of malicious intents or misuse. There was already enough bloodshed in the Elemental Nations she wasn't going to provide another means for more. Besides, as selfish as it sounded, her magic was hers. As such, she was planning on sealing her magic. When she died, her magic would disappear into nothingness and if there was ever a time that her DNA or organic material ended in the hands of someone else, the sample wouldn't be viable be it saliva, blood, hair or otherwise. Anyone that went through the trouble of obtaining a sample would be severely disappointed and in for a nasty surprise. "Hm." The doctor hummed underneath his breath as his mind assessed the results that were given. "Uchiha Sasuke is in perfect health." He announced, looking up from his task to see the shinobi paying close attention to his words. "There's nothing wrong with him except for a slight case of chakra exhaustion." He had been expecting some sort of injury or even tampering with chakra but it seemed like that wasn't the case. "All he needs is rest and he'll be fine. A Yamanaka will be here in the morning to help assess his... mental state."The ANBU glanced towards each other before turning to the medic and nodding in understanding. Two of the ANBU moved towards strategic locations in the room.
"Thank you for your assistance, doctor" Kuma replied.Nodding and glancing towards the Uchiha once more and finishing his notes on the chart he hanged the chart on the end of the bed and a moment later, left the room without any preamble. Zero was relieved that there was no sign of magic in the young Uchiha but it would still require further investigating to see if her magic could or couldn't be sensed. She wasn't leaving anything to chance. She wanted to be absolutely sure. She moved from her seat, nearing the edge of the bed and she stared intently at the still form. His face was serene compared to look of agony that he had earlier. Without a thought, she grabbed the young Uchiha's hand, completely disregarding the intent stares of the shinobi at her back. She felt his hand twitch ever so slightly and she wondered if he would be able to hear her words.She wanted to try anyway. "Uchiha-san," She said softly as she tried to put her thoughts into words. "I don't know if you can hear me, but I hope that you can." She said, just loud enough to be heard
"When you wake up tomorrow, the entire world that you knew will be in great disorder. Those dear to you will be gone and I have no doubt that you'll be angry and sad... You'll be wondering why.
It will be hard, Uchiha-san. I won't lie. It will be a lot worse before it gets any better."There was no use for sugarcoating her words. She didn't want to be given false hope or promises. She wouldn't want to see the pity in the eyes of people, didn't want their false sympathies. She was sure that the Uchiha wouldn't either."You'll probably be angry, you'll be sad, and be full of hate.But you can't let this get to you. You must overcome your fears, your anger, your hate. You must think over what happened, on why,"I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery," she said. "It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons. The future doesn't belong to the faint hearted; it belongs to the brave."But most of all you must remember that there are walls that power alone can't break through! It's people, not power that matters."She sighed heavily, reminiscing about her past ."I don't know if my words are even making sense, Uchiha-san." She stared at her lap, eyes heavy lidded with emotion. "But I hope that when you awake, that with time you manage to overcome this terrible nightmare. I can only hope that you get someone to help you through this as well. Having friends... the bonds that you make with them, I can't describe the amount of happiness it could bring you, the amount of strength that you can find in one another."She stayed silent for a few moments and stared at the Uchiha for a moment and wondered if the reason that she felt such emotion was because she herself had gone through a similar despair. She understood his pain. Closing her eyes, she gathered her composure. She felt tired and all she wanted to do at the moment was go home and rest. She let go of the Uchiha's hand, blinking in slight surprise as she felt it briefly tighten around her own. She smiled slightly and silently casting Yumejin no Akama Gēto(Dream God's Dream Gate ) that send him to his pleasant parts of his conciousnessand she backed away from the bed and turned to the shinobi.The ANBU stood stock still, almost seeming like statues. They stayed that way until Zero turned towards them. Though they didn't show it, the words that she said rang in them. It brought a feeling of warmth in their hearts. It gave them much to reflect about, brought memories to the surface.Maybe I should take a break and see the others... just for a bit. Tori thought and he glanced towards his comrades. They didn't show it but he was sure that they were thinking along the same lines, even if Kuma wouldn't admit. He knew them too well.
Kuma turned his head ever so slightly to the side.
"I'm ready to go now." Zero announced, peering undauntingly to the shinobi.
"I'll escort you home, zero-sama." Tori said, dismissing all her protests.Tori grinned underneath his mask but he gave nothing away. He picked her up ever so gently as Kuma had and. "Please tell me where you live Zero-sama and I'll get you there quickly."
Zero gave a small glare but she quickly rattled off her address. Before they left, she turned slightly in Tori's grip and gave the shinobi a wave of goodbye and a small smile. "It was nice meeting you!"The other two shinobi merely gave a nod.
Tori took a shortcut and dived out the window. They went from rooftop to rooftop again, apparently the preferred method of travel for Konoha shinobi next to trees.They arrived quickly to Zero apartment building and the ANBU placed her down, staring up at the apartment building with a nagging sense of de ja vu.
"Thank you for bringing me here Tori-san." Zero said, peering up to the shinobi with purple eyes.
"I'll escort you inside to your apartment. "Zero didn't bother to argue. She could see clearly now that shinobi could be as stubborn as Fairy Tail mages. It was a... comforting thought, that she could draw similarities between the two. Maybe there would be other shinobi that were as unique as her guild mates. She found that she looked forward to meeting them if the thought held true.They went inside the apartment, walking up the stairs and going all the way to the fourth floor.The shinobi took note of every detail. There were somethings that stood out to him, like the complete lack of chakra signals in the floor that Zero lived in. It felt colder too but it seemed like the silver haired girl didn't even notice. There were a few flickering lights that blinked on and off eerily. Other than that, there didn't seem to be anything that was really of concern but there was still something odd that the shinobi couldn't quite place. Zero stopped in front of her apartment and she unlocked the door without hesitation and was greeted with a familiar blast of cold air. She had a hunch that the shinobi wouldn't leave until she was safely within her apartment.
"Please take care Zero-san."The ANBU made to leave but before he could Zero stopped him. "Wait!" . "Please wait a moment, Tori-san." The ANBU turned questioningly towards the young girl. "One moment please." She disappeared into her apartment but she returned not a moment later with something in hand. She held it to the other in an offering. "Please take this with you Tori-san."
The ANBU tensed ever so slightly as he stared at the stark white bandages in the girl's pale hands. How did she─ Tori took a quick survey of himself and he could find no giveaway, no sign whatsoever.
"I could smell the blood on you Tori-san. " Zero explained "I heard that shinobi tend to avoid going to the hospital or receiving medical assistance. I don't want you to feel obligated to take it Tori-san but it would ease my mind if you would take it. You don't have to use them. You can do with them what you like, even burn them if you want. I don't know why shinobi do that, avoid assistance that is, but their reasons are their own I suppose, but please, keep in mind if you ever find yourself injured please come to me no matter the time or place. I know that you may not trust me or even have a reason to do so but I promise if you see a threat in my actions you can stop me however you deem necessary." She said, determined.It was... It was... Tori didn't know what to say or think. The words wouldn't come. There was no movement, no words. He took the bandages with a gloved hand and he disappeared with a flash of leaves. Zero released a breath she didn't know she was holding and she stared at the empty hallway for a moment before closing her door. She locked her door and activated the meager protective seals that she had. They would do nothing against shinobi but they'd deter civilians.
She walked slowly to her bed, feeling a heavy weight settle over her like an invisible pressure. She sighed heavily and she stared at the ceiling. Her mind drifted and soon enough she found her eyes becoming heavy and she gave into the world of sleep.