"Ok, we have one more stop to make before we can get going." Shikamaru directed the boys following him. Neji, having noticed the direction they were headed, turned towards Shikamaru with a questioning gaze.
"Do you think she'll come?" he asked the newly appointed Chunnin.
"Who will come? Who are we getting?" Choji asked in between potato chips. The boys ignored him.
"Honestly? I'm not sure... it all depends on if they talked last night." Shikamaru told Neji.
"Huh? What the heck are you guys talking about?" Naruto asked as he glanced around the unusual surroundings. Akamaru whined and Kiba nodded his head to the pup.
"We're getting Miyu, right?" Kiba guessed. Shikamaru nodded. "Yeah, I thought so... I recognize these woods." Just as Kiba commented they came upon the gates of the Uchiha compound. These streets were rarely traveled since the massacre and thus most of the Konoha ninja, especially the Gennin, were unfamiliar with this part of the village.
"Ohh, yeah that's a good idea! I betcha Miyu will know exactly how to bring Sasuke back! She always knows what he's thinking. I swear those two have some sort of crazy other-level type connection. It's weird!" Naruto chirped happily unaware of Kiba's sulking.
"So if Miyu and Sasuke are so 'connected' then why do you think she won't come, Shikamaru?" Choji asked as the group strode deeper and deeper into the silence of the Uchiha compound.
"It's simple... you guys saw how Sakura was this morning, right?" scattered nods and various unsure 'uhhuh's chorused, "Sakura was pretty messed up... like emotionally. Just think how Miyu would react in that kind of situation." Shikamaru paused, giving the group some time to think about it. Everyone stopped walking for a few moments as they pondered the question.
"Well... I can't say I know Miyu well enough to know how she would react to such a situation..." Neji muttered.
"Uh, yeah, me too." Choji nodded, clearly clueless.
"Well? Naruto, Kiba, you guys know Miyu the best. What do you think? How would she react to meeting Sasuke before he left?" Shikamaru pressed. The two quietly muttered half answers to the group. "Exactly." Shikamaru nodded knowingly.
"Huh, what? Wait... we didn't even say anything!" Naruto protested revealing his poorly covered lack of knowledge.
"Have you guys ever noticed something... off about Miyu?" Shikamaru asked. The group turned to him curiously, confusion palpable.
"You mean like her weird Sharingan stuff?" Kiba asked.
"No, I don't mean ninja stuff. I mean personally. Miyu has never really connected with any of us on an emotional level." Shikamaru hinted.
"What? No, Miyu and I are super close. We connect all the time." Kiba protested. Akamaru whined again and Kiba pursed his lips.
"Think about it, in all the time you've spent with Miyu has she ever revealed something emotional to you? Has she ever connected with you about a feeling? Has she ever empathized with any of you about anything?" the group gave scattered negative answers, "that's what I'm talking about. Miyu doesn't feel emotions. I don't know for how long, but I know for as long as I've known her she's never felt anything. She might be able to connect on a personal level with experiences and conversation but she's never once had a feeling."
The group was silent for some time, contemplating the new information.
"What does that have to do with her joining us?" Neji asked, not quite as shell shocked as the others having not known the girl very well.
"Well... I could be wrong, but this is what I think. Uchiha have been known in history books to draw energy from strong emotions, it was seen in the Great Ninja War a lot but wasn't ever documented well. We know that all Uchiha feel, they all have super strong emotions, which is why they can draw energy from them. So it's not that Miyu doesn't have emotions, it's that they don't affect her. I think she's been bottling everything up for a long time now. Sasuke leaving could've been the final straw." Shikamaru explained.
"So what?" Choji asked, "If she's been bottling everything up then it shouldn't be a problem. Actually it should help us. She won't have felt anything from Sasuke leaving and should be a great asset on this mission."
"Imagine a balloon. You can fill it up with as much air as it can possibly hold, then if you blow even more air into it, eventually it'll be too much air for it to hold." Shikamaru told them.
"So... Miyu's gonna pop." Kiba stated gravely.
"I don't know for sure... all I know is that Miyu is incredibly emotionally, and possibly mentally, unstable. The last thing I want is to see her pop..." the group nodded with pursed lips and fearful expressions but carried on their way nonetheless.
Now that the group fully understood the severity of the situation, a cold feeling passed over them. The Uchiha compound no longer felt like a normal road as the ghosts of the past began to haunt them. Worry buzzed around the group.
It was easy to forget why they were going on this mission, to save Sasuke. Sasuke was the focus of this day. They already had one friend in peril, adding another to that list put a rotten feeling in their chests. Could they be there for Miyu and Sasuke? Or did they have to choose one?
It didn't take much longer for the group to find the head household where they knew Miyu would be. The hole in the wall and broken window didn't go unnoticed. Shikamaru sent a worried glance towards Naruto who furrowed his brow in concern. Naruto stepped up to the door and knocked a few times. They waited patiently, listening to crunching and some crashing before Miyu met them at the door. Her appearance made the group widen their eyes.
Miyu stood there, her hands bruised and bloody, her hair a tussled mess, her feet scratched leaving bloody footprints behind her, all paired with a completely expressionless face.
"M-Miyu, uh..." Naruto started, halting himself. He had never seen Miyu in such a disheveled state before. Even when she was broken from battles he had never seen her look quite like this. It was something about her expression... Naruto couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he knew it was wrong.
"H-hey, Miyu." Kiba cut in. Miyu turned her head towards Kiba, her expression stagnant as if robotic. Kiba hardly recognized the girl. He bit his lip in worry. This wasn't the Miyu he grew to love.
What happened to her?
"Miyu, I'll cut right to the chase." Shikamaru started, resignation already in his eyes. He knew she was a lost cause for this mission. She needed help that they didn't have the time go give right now. Shikamaru was given a mission and right now that was his priority. "We're going to bring Sasuke back. We need you on our team. Will you help us?"
"Sasuke's not coming back." Miyu spoke monotonously, causing a chilling sensation to rocket down their backs. They had heard Miyu speak in monotone before, but this was different. This was colder.
"That's why we're bringing him back." Neji voiced, hoping his calm demeanor could help sway her.
"It's pointless." Her tone dropped a degree and Choji actually shivered.
"Come on, Miyu. Sasuke's our friend and we need your help." Kiba forced out. He didn't particularly like Sasuke, but not enough to wish such a poor fate upon him. And... As much as Kiba hated to admit it, from how Sasuke's leaving affected Miyu, Miyu needed Sasuke. Kiba hated seeing Miyu like this and silently vowed to drag that damn Sasuke back by his ear if it would make Miyu better.
"Why chain him to the village? If he wants to leave, let him." She ground out, "good riddance..." she growled under her breath, her growl deep and animalistic causing a small shiver of fear to pass through the group.
"Miyu, come on. This isn't you. We have to save him; we're his only hope. He's part of our team, our family. I know you feel the same, Miyu." Naruto argued, seeming half angry and half worried. At the mention of 'family' Miyu's gaze snapped towards him, a hellish flame igniting in her gaze.
"Family..." she spat. "Sasuke knew what he was doing. I won't force him back. He left us, Naruto." Her growl was so ferocious the nearby trees shook and Choji subtly took cover behind Shikamaru. "Why would you even ask me, anyways? I have no special skills, I'm mostly distracted, and any tracking abilities you can get from Kiba."
Shikamaru's shoulders stiffed as the stress started to get to him. He didn't have time to fix Miyu and Sasuke... he had to pick one. And right now, having been given a direct order from the Hokage herself, he was forced to pick Sasuke.
"Because, Miyu, on top of your amazing fighting skills, your bloodline trait, and your Sannin level instincts you're in love with Sasuke. And he's in love with you. Naruto might be able to bring him back, but he's not a sure fire bet. If we really want him back, it has to be you. He won't listen to anyone else. He doesn't want anyone else coming for him. It has to be you." Shikamaru spoke with a commanding tone, one he expected to work. Never before had he seen his logic paired with his strong will fail to get someone to see his strategy. After all, Shikamaru is a genius and 99% of the time his strategy works. Even if that strategy is just to get someone to follow his strategy.
Never before had someone refused his logic, until now.
It was as if his words never even registered on Miyu. He mentioned her love and, despite Kiba's not so subtle internal panicking, it did nothing to sway her.
"He left us. I don't care about him or what he does. Sasuke is a traitor to this village." She spoke in a dark tone. Choji peaked out from behind Shikamaru.
"B-but Miyu... traitors are killed." Choji weakly argued. Something clicked in Miyu's gaze and she glanced briefly at Choji before he hid again.
"You're right. Sasuke's a traitor. Sasuke should die." She declared before shutting the door, a haunting look on her face.
The boys stood outside the door silently, stunned, for some time. There was no doubt on all of their minds that the look on Miyu's face would cause them all nightmares for some time...
ONE CHAPTER REMAINS!
Sorry for the late update, I was busy this weekend ATTENDING MY COLLEGE GRADUATION!!!! That's right, I've officially graduated college! Ah! Crazy! Things are going to start getting super busy for me and I really am going to need to block off time to write so I can continue this story for you all! It's going to be tough to find time, but I'll do my best!
Also, quick note. The song at the top is super important to this chapter and the coming barriers Miyu will be faced with in the book to come.
HAPPY READING! I LOVE YOU ALL!