A True Shame
Whether it was the aching all over your body, the bickering voices around you, or that strange man's magic wearing off; you had woken up. Your dreams had been strangely vivid, strangely pleasant. You dreamt of your childhood, your sister, your mother, the ideal family you always wanted. You loved your sister, you fought and played like any other siblings would. You had not seen her, really seen her, in many years.
She spent most of her time learning, though what she was learning you weren't sure. You lived in the secondary house with your mother and your younger half sisters and their mothers. You loved them all, though it was a lot to care for all of them. You found yourself helping everyone out throughout the day, tutoring your sisters, helping their moms with cleaning or cooking, you even took on child rearing on occasion. Most days, you felt like one big family. Yet there were also plenty of days where you wanted your dad and your own older sister, maybe even them and your mom together. The perfect family.
But your sister was special, you were not. So you emulated her when you could, you learned to cook from your father's wives and your mom. You bugged some of your dad's business partners who sometimes stayed for weeks at a time to teach you to read. You managed to convince some of the workers to sneak you out so you could buy books and sweets from the stalls in town. You stood prim, you stood proper.
When your father visited, he always remarked how much you were beginning to act like a proper lady. “It's a shame,” He would say, “that my power couldn't have been carried by both of you.” It always hurt, you never showed it, but it did nonetheless.
You came back from ruminating when something crashed, making you jump at the sudden sound. The entire room paused, you didn't move or breathe, pretending to be asleep. Hoping to be anywhere but here, or to just disappear.
“Oh so she's awa-” The voice in your ear startled you, causing you to jump again, this time accidentally headbutting the person square in the nose.
You gasped and sat up properly to grip your own head as the man flew back onto the floor, gripping his nose and rolling around in pain. “Ow, you stupid bitch, I'll kill you!” He screamed.
You caught a glimpse of silver hair and tan skin before he was lunging at you, you screw your eyes up tight. There is a sudden whirring around you and two figures have blocked his path.
A man with long, sleek, black hair, tied into a neat low ponytail. The same man with the strange red eyes, you realized as his eyes slide back in your direction briefly. There is something unsettling about those eyes, like they can see right through your skin and peek right into the most intimate parts of your mind.
And the other man, a hulking figure with a great big something on his back. He grasps the hilt of the weapon with one hand, a hand that appears to be… blue? Your eyes dart to his face, also looking at you from the sides of his small eyes. His skin really is a gray-blue color and you can see sharp, seemingly never ending teeth grinning at you.
You aren't sure which man is a more disturbing visage. What you are sure of though is that the man you broke the nose of is probably the least intimidating and most domineering.
“You guys! She broke my nose!” He had stopped in his tracks when they stepped between you, though you could see his fist shaking with anger. His nose is gushing blood. You briefly recognize him as the same one from the other night who seemed just a little too excited to have captured you.
You could recognize him as handsome but upon seeing his silver hair you aren't sure if he is as young as you thought. Though that also means that he is the same one as you punched before, and now you have broken his nose. At least you weren't completely helpless.
“Hey! She's smiling, the dumb broad thinks it's funny!” At that the other two are sending piercing gazes at you again, you startlingly remember just what these men are doing with you. Though that is overshadowed by another voice.
“Shut up. Hidan. I won't tell you again.” A wash of terror at the booming voice rushes over you, a sickening feeling overwhelms your senses, one that makes you feel that death is near and inescapable. It petrified you, making you drop down to your knees. You hadn't even realized there was a fourth person in the room.
The man, Hidan, is saying something along the lines of “Take it easy Kakuzu, that blood lust of yours is freaking me out.” But you're too busy coming to terms with the fact that there is a monster right behind you, getting ready to pounce.
Your neck is stiff as you will it to slowly turn to see the face of your killer before you go. A visage of pure horror darkens your face. Behind you is… just a man. A hooded man, not even facing you. He's sitting against the wall, multiple stacks of money in front of him and one in his hand that he's counting. But the murderous aura that he's giving off is horrifying nonetheless. Especially as he finally looks at you.
The man is perhaps the closest to all of the monsters you envisioned before, his aura alone is enough to make you desperate to get away. However his underworldly green eyes and blood red sclera glaring are what send you backing away on your bottom, suddenly too weak to stand.
The hooded man doesn't move, but you yelp and struggle when an arm comes around your waist and are picked up higher in the air than you would prefer. You look up to see the blue-gray man has picked you up and is holding you doll like to his side, your body facing away in the same direction as his own. Looking down at the monstrous man.
“Alright I think that's enough for now.” The man says, quickly moving you to the other side of the room and partially places himself between you and the others. You just barely notice it, for some reason you feel a wash of gratitude.
The reality of the situation is starting to dawn on you, you look around desperately for a distraction while flattening yourself against the wall. You notice a window on the wall adjacent to yours, the rest of the room had been so baren and dusty it takes you by surprise. You can see that it is no longer dark out, as it was when they stole you. Instead you would guess that it is midday, you had slept for much longer than you realized. But even so, the streets outside were bustling in a way you weren't familiar with. Granted you had never been off your family's compound much, but this didn't seem like the town you were used to.
“What do ya say we head there now, this room is getting way too stuffy for me and Itachi? We can be there by late tonight and that gives us more cover of darkness than we had planned for before.” The shark-like man said, it seems that you were late to the conversation.
“I believe that would also be a good idea.” Came the voice of Itachi, ever modulated and smooth.
“That settles it then!” Hidan said loudly, taking something from a backpack next to the terrifying man, still counting his money. You weren't sure how anyone could get close to him. “Come now princess, be a good girl and put this stuff on so we can traffic you easier!”
If that was a joke, you didn't find it funny.