Chapter 11: Damaged
I do not own any Naruto characters or settings. I only own my OCs, including Musei Shiro.
This chapter does not contain any content of blood or violence.
I hope you enjoy the story of Shiro, the Weeping Samurai of the Land of Iron!
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Kisame eventually woke up from his “hour” slumber, which had extended to a five hour period. Shiro had mastered Chakra control in a little over four hours, baffling Itachi immensely. Her ability to learn and pick up on things was especially impressive, and considering her unstable condition, this new talent of hers surprised Itachi most of all. The samurai had taken fifty laps up and down the mountain by the time Kisame had waken, sweat rolling down her unbelievably pale face and her black eyes filled to the brim with a scorching determination.
The broad-shouldered blue shinobi rose from his sleep, stretching his massive maw into a deep yawn as he reached towards the endless blue sky with his large, stiff arms.
“Oh Kami, Itachi-san,” Kisame chuckled darkly as he puffed out a huge exhale, his shoulders dropping as he arched his back to stretch. “You're in for a rough ride today; I get quite grumpy when I don't sleep very well.”
“You slept just fine,” Itachi muttered simply as he continued to stare out of the shelter, standing at the mouth of the cavern with his back facing his partner. Shiro was still outside under the afternoon sun, her brow dripping in moisture and her forehead creased in concentration. “Sleeping five hours in; that's something I rarely allow, Kisame.”
The shinobi let out an uneasy laugh and scratched the back of his head.
“Ahh...sumimasen, Itachi-san. I'll be careful about that next time.”
“It did though, give her time to train.” Itachi's crimson eyes bore into the flustered girl, her pale cheeks flushed in a bright scarlet. “She must train hard in order to even think about challenging Orochimaru-san; she needs a miracle.”
“He won't actually go for her, would he?” Kisame scoffed, following Itachi's gaze that was glued onto Shiro.
There was much silence between the two Akatsuki members, the gentle breeze wispy and faint as Shiro stood before them, perfecting Chakra control by casually walking up a tree or standing upon still water.
Itachi sighed.
“No,” he finally answered, his voice grave. “The truth is, I've heard that Orochimaru doesn't even want her sister either.”
“Nani? (What?)” Kisame raised an eyebrow. “What's the reason for her being there then?”
“Musei Yoru,” Itachi said, his voice deep and husky, “daughter of Musei Daichi and Ayame, younger sister by four years to Shiro-san. She was influenced into the art of kenjutsu by her sister, who was a genius with blades.”
“I see,” Kisame chuckled, pacing over next to his partner. “So he wants her for her skill, as his very own henchman.”
“Secret agent, if you will.” Itachi nodded. “His very own personal warrior, brainwashed under his carefully chosen words.”
“Isn't she under the influence that Shiro-chan had killed the village of Umi?” A large smile stretched upon the large shinobi's chiseled face.
Itachi's scarlet eyes remained attached to Shiro, who rested on the highest branch of the tallest tree in the area. Her white kimono was slightly streaked in dirt, her snowy hair adulterated by some dust. Her slim figure perched low on the slender branch, one knee resting on the bark while the other remained up with her arm resting on it. Her dark eyes stared off into the far distance, clearly focusing on something beyond even Itachi's view. Her white dress rippled in the wind, which was slightly stronger higher up where she crouched. The raven-haired shinobi let out a slow breath, deep and disappointed.
“Yes,” Itachi murmured, his eyes merging back to its original onyx hue. “According to what I've heard, Orochimaru-san has indeed poisoned the mind of the Musei girl.”
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The trip across the Land of Earth was long, as expected, and the trio had to stop at another cave shelter on the road; with only two days left until they reached the Land of Grass, a bit of recuperation would be useful, especially for Kisame. The large shinobi only let out a grunt of disappointment when Itachi veered off into the cave and sat down, which was a massive improvement from his earlier whining fits. Shiro, beaten, exhausted, and drained, collapsed beside Itachi and immediately fell limp next to him.
“If we would have gone another step, she probably would have died!” Kisame laughed as he took a seat in front of his two teammates. “Look at her! She looks so pathetic, splayed out like that!”
“She's had a hard day,” Itachi murmured gently, his hand softly stroking her long white hair. “Mastering Chakra control isn't easy; especially for someone who has only just grasped the concept of spiritual energy.”
“You could say that if she was a mere apprentice,” Kisame scoffed. “But this is the infamous Shi – ”
“Don't,” Itachi growled sternly as his Sharingan pierced through the darkness with a crimson glow.
Kisame glowered at the Uchiha for a moment, his facial features contorted in a sense of confusion, before letting out a light chuckle.
“Gosh, Itachi-san.” He smirked. “There's no need to get defensive; it's only a title, for Kami's sake!”
“It's a cursed name that was forced upon her for something that wasn't even her fault,” Itachi continued to glare through the thick darkness with his glowing scarlet eyes. His voice was hardened like steel and lethal as venom, threatening a violent outbreak if Kisame made any more comments. “And because of that name, she can no longer live a peaceful life. Her existence will forever be plagued by the rage of the survivors of her outbursts, and forever be haunted by the blood that stains her already bloody past.”
“Isn't that just too sweet,” Kisame teased as he pursed his lips together, his beady black eyes dilating in retaliation to Itachi's Sharingan. “You're just two peas in a pod, aren't you Itachi-san? You understand each other because you're both ruthless murderers.”
“Urusai!” the raven-haired shinobi roared through the cave, his booming voice echoing through the empty cavern. “We both had no choice but to kill! She killed because she can't control the damage that's taking its toll onto her sanity. I killed so I could save my younger brother.”
“And look where Sasuke is at right now!” Kisame challenged his partner, suddenly up onto his feet. “He's seeking revenge on you because you killed your entire clan! He's out to kill you because he doesn't understand your true intentions!”
“And he never will!” Itachi growled back, his long, loose hairs falling to cover his tightly shut eyes. “I did what was best for him, and I did what was best for my village! There is nothing more a shinobi could ever do, and the one thing a shinobi is entitled to is secrecy! And I intend to keep this story in secrecy!”
Kisame glowered down at the still-sitting shinobi, whose eyes wandered down even lower to a knocked-out samurai girl. Her white hair splashed out everywhere from under her slender frame, her face that was scrunched up in tension and concentration earlier was wiped, clear, and gained back its original blank expression. In her slumber though, it seemed as though all of the pain that had been inflicted upon her in this world had disintegrated into ash; her lips were no longer pressed thin, but were fuller and a healthy rosy pink; her jaw grew slack and her mouth was slightly ajar, wispy breaths entering and exiting her lithe body.
“She will be crushed when she learns Yoru wants to kill her,” Itachi whispered as he remained looming over her. “As I was when I learned that Sasuke wanted to kill me. Even though it was my plan from the start...it still felt like a kunai piercing a hole right through my chest; nothing hurts more than knowing your very own beloved younger sibling, whom you had cared for so much, plans to kill you with their own hands.”
“I...ta...chi...” a light murmur escaped Shiro's pink lips. The shinobi's eyes widened as he inched closer to her sleeping body, his senses more alert than ever after hearing his name. “Ai...shi...”
Shiro's voice cut off before she could finish her sentence, leaving Itachi let down. He pulled away from her and sighed.
“I'm not sure which voice to trust,” he blinked as he let out a sharp breath. “The voice in which she captivates me when she's awake, or the voice she murmurs when she's asleep.”
“They say one's true emotions comes out when one is unconscious,” Kisame muttered as he too stared down at the slumbering girl. “That's when the soul takes over the mind.”
“I wonder what part of her is the most damaged...” Itachi murmured softly, his hand gently stroking Shiro's head once more. “The mind of the Shidare no Bushi, or the soul of Musei Shiro.”
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Gomen'nasai for the extremely slow updates! I've been so busy lately I've barely had enough time to breathe! Nevertheless, I will try my best to update as soon as possible! Arigato gozaimasu for your patience!!
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