I spent the night under Karin's watchful eye, but couldn't bring myself to sleep. Kagura and I were the only ones there.
***
The next morning, things really began to come into motion.
"Okay, Kohana, we've run your tests, and you'll be seeing a panel of our councilors today," explained Karin as she handed me a fresh change of clothes, after Kagura and I had brushed our teeth and washed our faces. "Your escort will be here in a few minutes, get changed, quickly."
"Me and Kagura?"
"Just you," said Karin, as she went over to Kagura's bed. "Quickly!"
Closing the curtains around my own bed, I hurriedly changed out of yesterday's clothes and into my new ones, just in time to hear the sound of the door opening. It was quiet, yet still slightly audible, and I rushed to put my sneakers on. I shoved Sho into my bra once more, and yelped as my curtain was torn open, revealing a not very happy looking Sasuke.
Does this guy have any common decency?!
"You. Let's go," he said dryly, while I saw Karin staring longingly at him over his shoulder.
"Good morning, Sasuke," she said in a warm voice. The Uchiha ignored her, and grabbed me by the wrist.
"One wrong move and I'll snap you in half," he said to me under his breath, pushing me out of the door.
"Bye, Karin! Bye Kagura!" I said, trying to irritate Sasuke even more. He kicked me in the calves, making me yelp and refocus my attention on the path at hand.
"Ouch! Rude," I muttered, lagging along as the sting of his boot against my skin left me annoyed.
"Fuck you," he hissed, leaving me taken aback. Okay. For the rest of the trip I stayed silent, weaving through corridors and going down stairs and elevators until we came to a halt before a door, with the plaque "MEETING IN PROGRESS" situated on the wall.
Paying no heed to the sign, Sasuke did more hand signs in front of the scanning pad and opened the door, pushing me in. I walked in to see a chair in the center of a bunch of desks set up in a U shape, where every seat was occupied by those who I assumed were Uchiha. Among the faces I recognised Shisui and Naruto, who both grinned at my entrance. I walked to the seat and sat down, while Sasuke took his seat at the top of the U shape, on the left hand side of a man who I recognised as the one I had met with the kind lady and Naori in his office before.
"Kohana Yoruno. Origins unknown, yet has shown equal affinity towards water and fire. If shown correctly, can be taught how to use Boil Release. Has potential to master both natures as well as learn to master a third nature, if the need ever arises." The man next to Sasuke spoke with a dullness in his voice, a stark contrast to the reactions of his peers, who all looked at me as if I were some sort of intriguing specimen.
"Would she be deemed worthy to be a part of our military force, then?" piped up another man, with dark grey hair.
"No," was the reply from the man sitting next to the leader. "She's untrained, therefore, unable to be an efficient part of our military."
"Why can we not train her then?"
"It would take too long," said the leader. "We can teach her the basic skills, such as moulding her chakra, but as for teaching her how to perform jutsu, we won't attempt it."
"But, Fugaku-sama, how will we know if we don't try? For all we know, this woman could have been a prodigy!"
"Because, Kagami, her role has already been decided," said Fugaku with finality. "She is here before us today because we're going to match her to the person whose traits would greatly enhance her own. I have the medical reports here, from Kabuto and Karin, showing me just who would be the perfect match."
"Fugaku, don't tell me you're going to waste this woman's abilities on the Kirei-na-Kodomo project!" came an outraged voice, which was backed up by many mutters of agreement. I sat, frozen, still having no clue of what was going on.
"You tell me, Teyaki, would you rather have a valuable asset of ours lost on the fields, or would you rather have more of it?"
"Who wants to wait years for something like that?!"
"This project is about our future! The more secure our future is, the less we have to worry!"
"Fugaku-sama." My eyes widened as Shisui rose to his feet, silencing the arguing members. "I have a preposition to make."
Fugaku narrowed his eyes at the wild haired man, but nodded at him to continue anyway.
"Let me train Kohana, before you submit her to the project," he said seriously. "Once her first year in the project is done, we can resume her training, until it's time for her second year. That way, alongside adding to our project outcomes, we will also have a skilled kunoichi if we ever happen to run short. And if anything is to happen to her, at least we'll have her results from the project."
"How could one possibly be a kunoichi and a mother at once?" spat one of the older men.
My heart thumped loudly in my chest.
Mother?
"You know just as well as we do that the children are taken care of by our own!"
"Please, Fugaku-sama," said Shisui, pleading with the leader. "I will make her a skilled kunoichi, or at least give her the basic knowledge, and by the time her first year comes she'll be able to deal with what her second year of training will give her!"
Fugaku rubbed his chin, deep in thought, and my mind whirred.
"Who is her match, anyway?" asked the man on Fugaku's other side, peering over at the papers in front of the solemn looking Uchiha. Fugaku tore himself out of his thoughts, clearing his throat and nodding at Shisui to take a seat.
"Before I answer you, Shisui, I think that it's fitting that I tell everyone that the one who has been paired up with Kohana is..." He glanced down at his paper, moving his finger down.
"Ah. Sasuke, you have been paired with Kohana."
That doesn't sound good. I looked over at Sasuke to see him staring blankly at me. For once, there was no spite or irritation. He was just staring.
"But," continued Fugaku, "Shisui, I have heard your pleas. However, these are my conditions. First, we will submit Kohana to the project. Then, you will have those first few months to teach her as much as you can. I can't risk having her know these things before she becomes subject to the project. It's too risky teaching her all these things before we get what we need.
"That's all I'm willing to offer you."
I looked at Shisui to see him with his head in his hands, pulling at his hair. I blinked as I watched Shisui, who had a tormented look on his face, and I instantly felt sad. I was sure he was trying his best to do things for my benefit, but it just wasn't working out.
Finally, he looked up, and nodded.
"I'll take it." He briefly looked at me, and in his eyes, I saw sadness.
I didn't know why he was sad, and it scared me.
"Right, now that's sorted. Shisui, you take Kohana back to her quarters. Sasuke, it starts today. Council dismissed."
I remained seated as Shisui got up and came to take me out of the room, silent as he did so. Even when we were out of the room and out of earshot from anyone else, he remained quiet.
"Shisui," I whispered cautiously, as we reached the front of my quarters. "What happened?"
Shisui stopped, and I turned around to see him looking at me in regret.
"I'm sorry, Kohana," he said in a small voice, looking as if he were in agony. "I tried. I really did."
"I know," I said softly, putting a hand on his arm. "Thank you. But what did you try?"
"I tried to get you out of that stupid project, Kohana, and I thought you would've ended up with me. There's no way you deserve what's coming."
"What's coming?" I asked, a lump forming in my throat. Shisui shook his head, and looked away from me in shame.
"Sasuke. Sasuke's coming for you, tonight. I can't help you anymore, Kohana," said the Uchiha, looking like he wanted to crawl into a hole and die there. "All I can do is try to teach you the shinobi way. Apart from that, you're at Sasuke's mercy for the next few weeks."
I blanched.
"Oh god, don't tell me he's going to hurt me for my smart-ass remarks..."
Sasuke's coming for you tonight. You're at Sasuke's mercy.
Shisui grimaced at me.
"Kohana, all I can say is don't resist," he said solemnly, genuinely looking like he was near tears. "It'll make it so much easier for you, and you'll be able to rest much quicker. Don't think much about it. I'll see you in the morning, okay?"
"Shisui, what's going on?" I demanded, now feeling like I was going to cry. "You can't be serious! You're making it sound as if- as if- he's gonna come into my room- and-"
I don't want to say it. It's just disturbing on all levels.
Shisui pulled me towards him in a hug.
"It won't be that bad," he whispered, hugging me tight. "I'm sorry, Kohana. I'm so, so sorry." With that, he released me, and opened up my room for me. I blindly staggered in, feeling a pit in my stomach.
"Please, take care of yourself. I'll see you tomorrow morning. I promise," he said mournfully. I felt as if he were speaking at my funeral.
He shut the door, and I was left standing there like an idiot.
Things were starting to make sense to me now.
All those health tests.
Those chakra tests.
Being "too valuable" for the battlefield.
Wanting "more" of my "valuable asset" rather than "losing it on the fields."
The medical reports showing my "perfect match," whose traits would "greatly enhance my own."
"How could one possibly be a kunoichi and a mother at once?"
The Kirei-na-Kodomo project.
The Clean Children Project.
Sasuke's coming for you tonight.
I fell to my knees.
And I cried.