The moon shined in the sky as three individuals bearing straw hats and red clouded coats stepped over the border that led into the Land of the Frost. A man bearing a large scythe upon his back began to howl with giddy excitement, throwing his arms into the air.
"Oh yes! Finally we made it! Took us three days but we finally made it! Thank you Jashin-Sama!" Hidan screamed with ecstatic cheer, praising his god.
Inari released a sigh of astonishment, looking at the snow covered field before.
"What's wrong kid?" Kisame asked.
"N-Nothing...Its just..."
"Just what?" Kisame asked.
"This is the first time I've ever seen snow..." Inari said, a child-like wonder taking form in his eyes.
Kisame smiled, patting Inari's back. Hidan fell to the ground, making a snow angel.
"Stop acting like a child Hidan. We got work to do." Kisame scolded the maniacal psychopath, watching as Hidan stood to his feet and stuck his tongue out at the sharkish man.
"Whatever! So, how are we going to find the Jinchuriki anyway?" Hidan asked as he grinned maliciously.
"Simple. They're in the frost village, and we know what the jinchuriki looks like. So all we gotta do is search every nook of the village." Kisame responded.
"How far into frost country is the frost village anyway?" Inari asked.
"A day away. Probably half of one if we bust our humps." Kisame answered.
"Then what are we waiting for? Lets get running!" Inari proposed with a small grin.
"Yeah sure. If we did that, you would be left in the dust kid." Kisame said with a dry chuckle.
Inari pouted as Hidan laughed.
"He's right ya know! You have a hell of a lot of training ahead of ya before you can even think of reaching our speed!" Hidan bragged with a smug grin.
"Whatever..." Inari gritted out with a scowl, upset at being looked down on.
'Well...They're not wrong I guess. They are on a entirely different level of strength that I can't even begin to grasp. Compared to them...I'm nothing. I just started my training not that long ago too. I am a total novice...' Inari admitted to himself internally, sighing in defeat.
"Don't beat yourself up over it kid. Many people are weaklings when compared to us. The Akatsuki are made up of the strongest missing ninja in the Shinobi World. At least the main members such as myself and the immortal over there are. Most of the grunts that comprise our small army are as weak as you." Kisame began to explain.
"Really? How strong are you guys compared to other villages and ninjas?" Inari asked, genuinely curious.
"Well...I guess most of us are probably near Kage-level." Kisame said, causing Inari some confusion.
"What's a kage?" Inari asked, having nearly no knowledge on the world of ninja's.
"Kage's are the leaders of the Great Villages of the Shinobi world. Each of them are said to be unparalleled in strength. In their village, they are the alpha. The pinnacle of strength that a ninja can attain. The strongest of ninja."
"Woah...They sound kind of scary. If you guys are almost on their level, then that means you guys must be pretty strong...Wait, does that mean Konan is as strong as one of these Kage people!?" Inari blurted out in shock as Kisame grinned.
"Yeah, she is one of the original three after all." Kisame said.
"The original three?" Inari asked, having no idea what that meant.
"One of the founding members of the Akatsuki." Kisame explained.
"Wow...Who are the other two?" Inari asked.
"Pain and Kakumei." Kisame answered.
Inari visibly flinched at the mere mention of Pain, remembering his hellish training with the deranged man.
"By that look on your face, I'd say you don't like one of those two. Pain, right?" Kisame asked, smiling down at the black haired boy.
"...Yeah...He really gets on my nerves...Acting all high and mighty, seriously, screw him." Inari said with a scowl, his irritation increasing with each thought of the orange haired man.
"Hah! You got spunk kid! Don't let him catch you saying that though." Kisame said, ruffling young Inari's hair.
"I know right! He acts as if he is god! But he is wrong, for the only true god is Lord Jashin!" Hidan suddenly said, scaring Inari with his religious fanaticism.
"Y-Yeah, sure..." Inari agreed, not wanting to anger the man by admitting his disbelief in the concept of God, Kami or devils.
'After all...This world is far too ugly and cruel for a God or a Kami to have created...' Inari thought solemnly.
"What's with the long face kid? Does pain really bother you that much?" Kisame asked.
"No...Its nothing..." Inari said, shaking his head.
Kisame narrowed his eyes, before shrugging. He reached his hand down and ruffled Inari's hair.
"If you say so kid."
Inari smiled, finding it funny how kind Kisame was for someone who looked so scary. He sighed, before he fell in line with their pace as they began their journey once more. They continued their walk for awhile, until Kisame and Hidan suddenly stopped in their tracks, causing Inari to raise a brow.
"What's wrong? Why are you guys stopping?" Inari asked.
"It seems like we have some pals who want to meet us!" Kisame said, his beast like grin flaring up as he laid his hand on the hilt of Samehada.
Hidan began to chuckle sadistically, letting out a series of giddy laughs as he brought his scythe into his hands. He licked his lips as men bearing bandannas and masks arose from beneath the snow.
"Drop all your belongings and no one will get hurt." The seemingly leader of the bunch of snow bound bandits ordered, a look of determination blazing in his eyes.
"The only who will be getting hurt here is you." Kisame said with a smirk.
"You said it Kisame! Now, lets butcher these fuckers!" Hidan said, smiling psychotically.
"W-Wait Kisame, we don't need to-!?" Inari began to say, before being pushed back by Kisame.
"If you're not going to fight, then sit this one out kid." Kisame said bluntly and bereft of any sort of pity.
"Getting hurt it is." The leader said.
"Lord Jashin demands your blood!" Hidan said, dashing forward.
And thus began the slaughter.
〰️➿〰️
Shikamaru stared intently at the enigma that was Yuma Ito. It had been around ten minutes after they had started following him in silence. The most visibly shaken by his actions were of course his teammates, probably not knowing how to respond to Yuma's sudden change in personality.
Kabuto had left the group some time ago, telling them he wanted to give his teammates a burial in the forest and to go on ahead.
'I might not know him very well, but I do know he wasn't the type to kill so callously. Now he looks as if the murders he just committed were like stepping on ants to him. Sure, if he didn't act when he did we all would be dead, but still...To act as if he could care less about taking another persons life...'
Shikamaru narrowed his eyes as he watched Yuma's eyes light up upon seeing the main tower come into view.
"Look guys! We made it! Finally we can get out of this hell hole of a forest!" Yuma exclaimed cheerfully, much to everyone else's discomfort.
'Just who the hell are you, Yuma Ito?' Shikamaru thought, unable to get read on him.
Naruko faked a smile, trying to remain positive and bring the mood up as she nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, I could use a bath." She said awkwardly as Sasuke noticed what she was doing and smirked, deciding to help out.
"Really? You want a bath? Talk about a shocker." He said.
Naruko pouted and turned her head to him.
"Whatever! I may be a ninja, but I still am a girl ya know!" She said, bringing a chuckle out of Yuma.
"Yeah, sure. You could fool me with how tomboyish you act sometimes!" He joked, bringing out a laugh from Sasuke.
"Ha! You got that right Yuma!" Sasuke said.
"Not you too Yuma! Jeez, you both are total jerks! Humph!" Naruko turned her nose up at them, as they broke out into laughter.
The jovial banter of the three teammates went on for a bit, until it was broken up by a sudden question that froze everyone in their tracks.
"You really feel nothing, don't you?" Ino suddenly said, the laughter cutting off almost immediately.
Everything was silent now, as Ino stared horrified at Yuma's back, his lack of care or empathy for the lives he had taken shocking her to her core. Yuma continued to look forward, not looking back at Ino as she continued to speak her mind.
"You killed them so easily. Like it was nothing. And then you proceeded to bask in it, and then move on. Like what you did was completely normal. Like you couldn't afford to give a shit." Ino said, as Choji grabbed at her arm.
"Um, Ino...Maybe you shouldn't-!?"
"Shouldn't what!? Call him a monster!? Please, everyone was thinking it! I was the only one with the guts to say it though!" Ino suddenly yelled, unable to hold back her true thoughts any more.
"Ino! That's enough! Besides, we wouldn't be standing her if weren't for Yuma! You have no right to call him a monster!" Naruko yelled back, not liking how Ino was talking to Yuma.
"The problem isn't that he saved us Naruko! The problem is his complete indifference to the people he killed! Doesn't that bother you!? Doesn't it freak you out that you have a teammate who can just casually kill another human without any empathy!?"
Naruko flinched, and looked away, not wanting to admit Ino was right.
"See, it does bother you! Admit it, your teammate is a freak!" Ino yelled.
"You're wrong! Don't call him a freak! Take it back!" Naruko yelled back angrily.
"Oh really? Well lets ask him then! Yuma! Don't play deaf, stop ignoring me you freak!" Ino yelled, glaring at the stoic Yuma who still continued to ignore the platinum blond.
Yuma continued to look ahead, not turning to meet Ino's heated gaze. Ino's brows furrowed, pissed off even further due to being ignored. She took a step forward, but was cut off by Sasuke standing in her way with a pointed glare.
"I'm sorry Ino, but don't take another step." Sasuke warned her.
Naruko turned to Yuma, her eyes wavering as she did so.
"Yuma...Please...Tell us what you're feeling...We want to help you...I want to help you...Please tell me she's wrong..." Naruko pleaded.
All was quiet, until Yuma sighed aloud in an annoyed manner, still refusing to turn back and look at them.
"I would Naruko, but that would be lying. She's right. I couldn't care any less about those people. I didn't know them on a personal level, so why should I wast time agonizing over their lives I took?" He said, causing Naruko's and Sasuke's eyes to widen in horror at their thoughts ringing true.
"You sick fuck..." Ino said, wide eyed at his complete indifference.
"Yeah, sure you could call me sick. And maybe you wouldn't be wrong. But the fact here is that if I hadn't done what I did, you wouldn't be standing there to insult me." Yuma said, before turning his head to look behind him, a twisted smirk on his face as Ino flinched at his expression.
"Don't you get it? If I wanted too, I could've just let your team die and save the two people I actually cared about. You only breath because I chose to save you on a whim. An accessory to the people I actually wanted to save." Yuma said, walking past his horrified teammates as he smiled sadistically, stopping directly in front of the terrified Ino who took a cautionary step back in fear.
"I couldn't give less of a shit whether you were alive or dead. I honestly loath you. Do you even remember all the countless times you bullied and belittled me, or are you just too fucking dumb to remember?" He said with a smirk as Ino began to shake, Shikamaru and Choji frozen stiff by Yuma's menacing presence.
"The fact of the matter is you mean very little to me. As easy as I saved your live is as easily as I could take it away. Anyone who insults or threatens me or those I care about can go to hell. So yes, I don't care about the lives I took, and you should thank your lucky stars I don't, cuz if I did..."
Yuma's smile widened into a devilish grin as Ino took a step back and tripped over a branch falling to the ground. She looked up in horror as Yuma smiled down at her with the most ecstatic look she had ever seen on anyone's face before in her life.
"You wouldn't even have had the opportunity to call me a freak or a monster."
A sudden breeze billowed over the plain they stood on, Yuma's freakish grin turning back into a regular smile as he walked ahead.
"Anyways, now that that is out of the way, lets hurry up and pass this exam! I need something to eat!" Yuma called out casually as the others hanged back in fear, still recovering from the terrifying words that left Yuma's mouth.
All was quiet as everyone refused to speak to one another after what had transpired. Shikamaru and his team all left without a word, leaving Naruko and Sasuke alone.
"...Naruko...Yuma is...He-!?"
"He's what Sasuke!? A monster and a freak? Is that what you wanted to say!?" Naruko suddenly snapped.
"No. That isn't what I wanted to say at all."
"Then what is it?" Naruko asked.
"He needs our help." Sasuke said, causing Naruko's glare to dissipate in confusion.
"Huh?" Naruko said, floored by a response she hadn't seen coming.
"When he was looking forward, I saw it." He said, causing Naruko to lift a brow.
"Saw what?" She asked.
Sasuke gained a sad look in his eye as he looked at the floor with a pained expression.
"...Him crying."
Naruko's eyes widened in shock, as she turned ahead to look at Yuma still walking to the tower without them. She looked at him sadly as the reality of what was really going on hit her.
"...He doesn't want to admit it but...He..." Sasuke began, before Naruko cut in, finishing for him.
"He is hurt by what Ino said...He really believes he's a monster...He didn't feel anything for the people he killed...And its bothering him..." Naruko said, Sasuke nodding in agreement with what she had said.
"...Yeah. And that's why he needs us. He isn't a monster Naruko...He's our..."
"He's our friend."
〰️➿〰️
The sound of metal ripping through flesh filled the snowy plains as screams of pain and misery could be heard alongside maniacal laughter. A grey haired man swinging a scythe with no rhyme or reason could be seen forming a pile of bodies as a boy vomited at the grotesque sight. A shark faced man walked to the boy, patting his back as if to aide his ailed body and mind.
"If you wish to see the world change, you must be willing to bloody your hands. That is the reality here Inari." The man said.
"...I know...Kisame...Don't worry..." The boy choked out, pulling out a kunai from his pocket and walking to a downed man trying with all of his might to crawl away, blood pouring out of his stomach.
He stood over the man, gazing at the determination in his eyes, the man not taking notice of the boy. Tears began to well up in the boy's eyes as he gripped the blade in his hand harder, trying to find even a speck of resolve within himself. He wiped away the tears with his shoulder, and clenched his eyes shut, a unpleasant feeling welling up inside himself.
"I got...to get to...safety...My family...My dear Kohaku...I promised her that I'd buy her a new doll for her birthday...She is going to be nine years old...I need to-!?"
The man stopped. His eyes widened in pain and horror. The light within them fading, lids closing shut as the boy yanked out the now bloody blade he had used to snuff the loving fathers life out with. The last words that had left the now deceased mans mouth would forever haunt the boy.
"Daddy is coming home, so wait for me Kohaku..."
The boy's entire frame began to shake, overwhelming guilt overcoming his conscious. The man who had been laughing throughout his carnage took a seat atop a pile of corpses, a satisfied look on the grey haired mans face as he gazed at the boy who now began to sob.
And as the boy wept for his now lost innocence among a snowy plain dyed red with the corpses of bandits...
The sun continued to shine upon them...
And as it did so, a seed of doubt was born within Inari...
'...How is this...Any different then what happened to my home?'