Chapter 32
I lean against the tree and sigh.
It has been a while since I was last here and the memories are almost overwhelming.
I never planned to see this place again but fate had other ideas.
I push against the tree trunk and straighten.
This tree is the same one I watched those innocent men all that time ago. I can still see their blood staining the ground.
I jump down from the tree and slowly retrace my steps from that day. I stop as I come to the front gates.
The gold kanji that stood proudly above the gate is now faded. Sakkaku, my home sweet home.
I slowly enter the village, fully aware of the crimson stains that now paint the town. The memories of the end of each and every one of their lives play back in slow motion through my head. My stomach turns in knots as the memories become more vivid until it is like it is actually happening all over again. I shut my eyes in an attempt to shut the heinous sights out but it only succeeds in making the visions more real.
“Feeling guilty?”
My eyes flash open.
‘What do you want, Amaya?’
“Oh it’s not what I want but what you want. You want to forget everything don’t you? You want to forget your life up to this point and start over, letting every memory good or bad disappear. Am I wrong?”
‘I’m not sure what I want anymore,’ I think as I walk the familiar streets of my home town.
“I think you know exactly what you want. And I do too and I can make it happen. All you have to do is a little something for me and I will make every last memory disappear from your mind plus I can erase your face from everyone’s mind, freeing you from ever being forced to pay for your ‘crimes’.”
I remain silent as I ponder Amaya’s offer while walking. Soon I have reached my old home.
I walk up to the door and push it open gently. Inside there is no sign of blood. I hadn’t wanted to stain my mother’s house with those traitors blood. I still don’t fully believe Shizuka’s story of her betrayal but I don’t believe I was right in deciding our clan’s fate.
I make my way up to the study where my father had breathed his last.
I push open the door and step inside gently.
The room is a mess. There are glass shards everywhere and books and scrolls strewn about. My father’s coffee mug is lying on the floor next to a few broken trinkets. Animals have gotten inside and ransacked the place even further but the path of our struggle still remains clear.
I look out the window at the shining moon.
‘What do you want me to do?’ I finally ask.
I can almost see her smile in response.
I make my way through the graceful green grass. The familiar sight of the violet flowers flowing in harmony with the grass warms my heart.
I stop momentarily to pick one of the violets and tuck it into my hair, the way Shizuka liked to do it.
I finally reach the medium sized shuriken shaped rock. Shizuka and I found it on one of our adventures across the field. It soon became a favorite place of ours.
I decide to rest my legs on the rock as I wait. I am waiting until the sun is telling the world goodbye for one more night.
I lean back and gaze up at the colorful canvas of the sunset. I am so absorbed into the splash of color adorning the sky that I don’t notice the shadow behind me until I feel a hand on my shoulder.
I whip around, sliding off the rock and landing on my butt. I blink in astonishment. My highly tuned reflexes are usually on full alert but there have been a few rare occasions like today where I would be taken by surprise.
I stand up and dust myself off once I realize my guest has arrived.
“I’m surprised you made it. If someone besides Amaya had told me you were coming I wouldn’t have believed them. Which brings me to my point, how did you get here in the first place?”
The familiar cloaked figure shakes their head.
“Who are you?”
Again the figure shakes their head.
“How long are you going to keep me in the dark? You are the leader of the Akastuki after all. I have a right to know.”
Instead of answering the figure walks over and sits down on the rock, their Akastuki cloak swaying in the evening breeze.
“Why did you send me here?”
Still no answer.
“If you aren’t going to talk then how do I know what you want me to do?”
In response the leader grabs my wrist and pulls it closer.
“What are you doing?”
The leader ignores me and instead forms a single hand sign.
After a while I get the feeling that the leader is concentrating. Soon after I can feel their chakra flowing into the bracelet on my wrist.
A few minutes later the bracelet falls off. A surge of energy flows through me, refreshing me completely. I sigh and lean back, finally free of the hideous restraining bracelet.
“Thank you.” I say with a wide smile.
Before when I was wearing the bracelet I had felt slow and sluggish but without the bracelet I feel free and energized.
The leader nods before standing again then handing me a scroll.
I unroll it and quickly scan its contents. When I am finished I look up.
“Where did you get this?”
Leader shrugs then points to a sentence on the scroll. I read it then glance back up.
“You want to go there?”
Leader nods.
“What makes you think I know where it is?”
Nothing.
“Ok fine! I will take you but you have to tell me why.”
Again there is no response.
“This way.”
I turn and start walking back to the village, scowling the whole way.
“This is it.”
I point to the rock slab in front of us.
The leader looks at me expectantly.
I roll my eyes and activate my Ketsuiki-me.
The rock slab slides open to reveal a familiar passageway. I gesture to follow me and enter the dark hall.
I follow the hall to an enormous room covered in shadow.
Seeing the room again brings back memories, one standing out from the rest.
“I have a special surprise for you. It is time we worked on your blood control.” I flinch. I hated using that style of jutsu.
Yamiyasha points to a shadowed corner. Two men are lying there unconscious.
“They were to die anyway.” Father says heartlessly.
He walks up to one of them and presses a presser point, waking him instantly. Father drags him across the floor to the middle of the room. Before killing him, father does some quick hand signs.
“Fire release: flame bullet.” Father whispers. He directs the flame to go around the room, lighting all of the torches. The room lights up instantly.
Father leans in close to the man on the ground. The man shakes with fear. Father smiles and does his next hand signs slowly to draw out the man’s death.
“Blood control: drowning man.” Father says loudly, his voice echoing among the walls.
The man’s eyes bulge then blood starts trickling down his face. Blood flows from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. The man starts gasping for air but only succeeding to cough up more blood.
I close my eyes, not wanting to see this man drown from his own blood. Father comes over to me and grips my shoulders.
“Watch this, Utau. If you can’t watch a man die then you are a failure to me.” At that my eyes open. Fathers words piercing my heart like a sword. I glue my eyes to the dying man.
When the deed is done, Father points at the other man.
“Your turn.” He states.
I take in a shaky breath then nod. I walk up to the man and press the same presser point my father had. When his eyes open I flinch at the fear in them. I stare at his blue eyes.
“I can’t Father. He is only a kid.” I say.
Yamiyasha immediately grabs the back of my shirt and throws me against a wall. As I get up he lands a kick on my stomach. I gasp for air as my back slams against the wall once again. He grabs my neck and pushes me up the wall. I claw at his hand. He grips harder as my face starts turning blue. He drops me just as I almost run out of air. I lie there gasping for breath. I bring a shaky hand up to my now bruised neck. I flinch when my hand makes contact with the sensitive skin.
“Do NOT disobey me again, Utau.” My father warns.
I nod then stand up, my hand against the wall for support. He nods in the direction of the boy who was now holding the dead man’s head and rocking back and forth crying.
I walk up to the boy and grab the back of his shirt and pull him away from the man who I assume was his father. I steal a hesitant glance at my father. He nods; his face emotionless. I gulp then slowly start forming the hand signs.
My eyes lock onto the tearful blue eyed ones of the boy who looked to be my age. My eyes never leave his.
“Blood control: drowning man.” I whisper faintly.
I blink back into reality, a lone tear sliding down my cheek.
I look around, somehow the torches on the walls had been lit, lighting the whole room. The bright light coming from the many torches reveals the bloodstained floor. My eyes wander over to where the man and his son had died so cruelly.
I blink back another tear and tear my gaze away. Another glance around the room makes me realize the Leader has already gone further into the mountain. I run through the passageway at the end of the room to catch up.
I catch up to the Leader in the smallest but most important room of my father’s hideout. Everything important that he couldn’t trust to place in his office was stored here. Some of our nation’s most valuable treasures are stored here.
“What are you doing?” I ask as I notice the objects now strewn about.
“Hey, be careful with that!” I yell as a glass rose goes flying backwards.
I manage to catch the rose before its shattered but other objects are not so lucky.
“What are you doing?” I repeat.
I get no answer. Instead the leader just keeps shoveling through the many priceless objects stored here, obviously looking for something specific.
Finally the leader finds the object in question.
The leader straightens from the mess, holding a wooden staff with a glass orb at the top with the Himura clan symbol shining inside. Gold kanji lettering crawl up and down the ancient staff.
“What’s that for?” I ask as I come closer.
The leader motions for me to come closer.
“The staff is one of three objects that are needed. The kanji contain a powerful jutsu needed for your leader’s purpose. We know the identity of one other but the third remains a mystery. All three objects have been around since the founding of your clan.” Amaya explains.
‘What does the leader need them for?’
“That is for us to know and for you to remain ignorant of-at least for now.”
‘Why do you need me?’
“We need you to get the other two Himura artifacts.”
‘What’s the second one?’ I close my eyes.
For a while Amaya is silent.
“The wife of Akarui’s necklace.”
My eyes fly open.
‘I won’t do it. That necklace is the oldest treasure of the Himura known. Something that powerful does not belong in the hands of an outsider like the Leader. Besides it is currently in the possession of the Leaf, safely locked away.’
A deep growl emits from Amaya’s throat.
“You will do as I say!”
“No. I will not” I affirm.
“Amaya.”
I look up, startled. The sound of the Leader’s voice sounds outlandish to my ears, having never heard it before.
‘Or have I?...it sounds strangely familiar.’
“Amaya.” The leader repeats.
Amaya sighs before speaking.
“If it was up to me I would have waited but she has spoken. It’s painful for me since I live inside your brain. I guess you get your wish earlier than planned.” Amaya says reluctantly.
‘Wha…’
A wave of coldness interrupts my thoughts. The cold numbness spreads through my body starting in my toes. As it crawls up my body my brain begins to become fuzzy.
“What’s happening?” I ask, my voice shaking.
“Calm your mind, child. This won’t take long. When you wake you will no longer remember anything from this life. You will be born anew in a sense.”
‘I changed my mind! I don’t want to forget!’ I think franticly but it is too late, the cold wave has already spread to my mind.
***Authors Note***
Why is the font different?...
Anyway just letting you know she regains her memories soon. (Well I actually haven’t written that part yet so soon could turn into the next ten chapters…)
Her loss of memories just causes a bunch of confusion on everybody’s part.
I decided to make it my goal to upload a third chapter by the weekend before I get really busy with high school which is going to be really fun (notice the heavy sarcasm in my voice).
So look out for the next chapter!
Ja!