A Ghost Story
Shinobu awoke from a fitful, dreamless sleep.
She was in a raised bed, in a dark room, with no memory how how she got there.
And then her body went rigid with fear… She felt Orochimaru’s presence behind her… but she was still wearing the same clothes that she had been before… he did not disarm her.
“I must apologize for the treatment of you, my sweet child…” His voice was unsettling… it was course as sandpaper, and smooth as syrup at the same time. “If it were not necessary to lure out my enemy, I would have never had dreamed snatching such a-” With a swiftness that rivaled that of even the most seasoned Kunoichi, Shinobu’s leg shot out from under the covers, her Tabi’s hidden blade nailing Orochimaru right in the jugular!
Shinobu leapt backwards through the air, landing on the other side of the room, as Orochimaru gasped, and collapsed onto the bed, his fingers grasping hopelessly at his neck as blood gushed out, until finally, after mere seconds, his thrashing came to a stop.
Shinobu found herself out of breath as she watched... “I was sure he was a demon… oh god…” Orichimaru’s body lay motionless, and then twitched. “Have I really killed him? Did No matter how powerful he is, he is only flesh and blood… what a lucky blow.”
Orochimaru’s body twitched again… and then began to rumble, as though there were something inside of it trying to get out!
His head shot forward, there was nothing where his eyes should have been, and then, his mouth began to expand, as a black mass exited… Shinobu could not even force out a scream. Like a snake shedding it’s skin, Orochimaru had exited his own body, not even a scratch was on him, not even a hair was out of place.
“He trained you well… that Sasori.” Orochimaru mused, as Shinobu sank to her knees. “I remember what a hard time his grandmother’s poisons gave us, when we were on opposing sides of a war. Back then, your master must have been around 4 years old. I was still relatively young myself." His cruel and twisted smile made it seem as though he was telling this story for no other purpose than to impress upon Shinobu, that she was now nothing more than a pawn in a rivalry that her teacher was dragged into before she was even born.
"His grandmother," Orochimaru continued, "fought for the Sunagakure, and was an excellent toxicologist in her own right. Her poisons killed many of my countrymen, so when I finally met Sasori, more than a decade later, I was pleasantly surprised to see that he had surpassed her, and you my dear child…” he tilted his head, and pointed to where the wound on his neck had been, “your skills as a toxicologist are even better than his were when he was at your age. I am truly delighted to have found you.” He leaned in close, and Shinobu grimace as she now noticed the shape of his pupils… his eyes were not human…
“We are now in the infinity castle. Kibutsuji Muzan’s fortress, but don’t worry. I will ensure that no harm comes to you my dear.”
Deep down, Shinobu did not believe his words. Her trembling did not cease, and her lips now trembled to form words... “Y-your a monster,” she said involuntarily.
“Nufufufufu, you are a brave girl. I can smell your fear as clearly as I can see you, and yet, you stand. You fight the urge to cower. Ufufufufu…” He dipped his finger in the blood that now covered the bed, where his old body lay discarded. “I would very much like for you to stay alive my dear,” Orochimaru said. “Lord Muzan assures me that you will not be able to escape this infinity castle, he is quite self-assured of his invincibility, that man…” Orochimaru scoffed. "However, given how intelligent you are, I know it must be all the more painful for you to spend your captivity in this small room, and I do not wish to see your wits get the better of you. Lets not make this harder on you than necessary?”
“Then why do you let me keep my weapons!?” Shinobu asked, sounding braver than she felt.
Orochimaru gave another grating chuckle, and put his hands together, forming another hand-sign.
Reanimation Jutsu: Edo Tensei.
The floorboards broke at his feet, and a coffin sprang up from the ground. Shinobu backed away, as the cover fell with a startling clack against the floor.
Out of the coffin stepped a young girl, with the same fair skin and red hair as Sasori… She was of a very slight build, making her almost as small as Shinobu was.
This girl wore a black shirt under a tan tunic with elbow-length sleeves and bore the symbol of Yin and Yang on the hem, and black skin-tight shorts. She wore black arm-warmers, traditional black shinobi sandals with calf-length leg warmers covered by bandages, and a simple elastic black cap keeping her hair out of her face. Just like Orochimaru, she wore a purple, rope-like belt tied in an inverted bow around her waist. But when her eyes fluttered open, Shinobu gasped at the lack of white… Cold brown eyes, rested on a canvas of black, not white…
“This is Tayuya,” Orochimaru said. “She’ll be making sure you are well cared for. I hope you two get along nicely.” And with that, he exited the room.
Shinobu had passed thresholds of the fear she had previously understood. She was unable to speak. She only looked at Tayuya with fearful eyes…
“This girl looks even younger than I am… and she’s certainly not a demon. C’mon Shinobu, say something!”
It was Tayuya who broke the silence. “Orochimaru-sama has brought me back… It seems he has given me a chance to redeem myself…” Her voice trembled slightly, and Shinobu detected fear.
“You don’t have to prove yourself to him,” she said. “My name is Shinobu. Your Tayuya right? You don’t have to serve anyone. We can escape together.”
Shinobu reached out to the younger girl. Fear had caused her to make this offer before fully assessing the situation, and now Tayuya made her pay the price for it.
Tayuya grabbed Shinobu’s outstretched hand and spun her around, twisting it painfully behind her back. Shinobu grunted, trying not to cry out in pain as Tayuya snarled. “Escape Orochimaru!? You're as stupid as you are pathetic!” She released Shinobu, and sent her across the room with a kick.
Shinobu caught herself as she fell against the floor, but pushed herself up to her feet. The pain had woken her up a bit, and the momentary adrenaline gave her mind a bit more clarity. She was now, more in control of her fear. She drew her sword, and turned around, giving Tayuya a sharp look. “Then I’ll escape on my own.” She said. Behind her brave front, her mind was still calculating her chances of victory, and she watched as Tayuya withdrew a scalpel knife from her waist pouch.
“Even if I couldn’t hope to escape Orochimaru, I might have the advantage against this girl… she’s stronger than me, but judging by the way her muscles twitched when she grabbed my arm, I probably have a slight advantage when it comes to speed. My weapon also has greater reach than hers does, and given her age, its safe to assume I have the advantage in experience… I can do this!...”
Tayuya raised her knife, and Shinobu was about to raise her own sword in response, but paused when she saw that Tayuya wasn’t raising the knife towards her. Tayuya pricked her own thumb, and then began to rapidly weave hand signs!
Shinobu felt a new wave of fear wash over her.
“Summoning Jutsu”
Out of thin air, three monsters appeared, guarding the only doorway in the room. Shinobu gasped at their appearances… They all wore the same purple rope that Orochimaru and Tayuya did, and they looked like demons but… of a different kind… as though they were the depictions of the Oni from picture books and stories…
The one on the right was wrapped in bandages from the waist up. Its arms pinned to its chest like a patient in a straightjacket, and its head was turned upwards at a grotesquely impossible angle. The guard in the center was blindfolded, and had his mouth taped shut. It was bare from the waste up, but for two crude, dull weapons that looked like they were made from bone, tied to his wrists. The one on the left was hunched over, grayish green hair covering its head and face, a massive club rested across its shoulder. They remained blind… motionless.
“These demons are shrunken to fit this room,” Tayuya spat, a cruel smirk growing on her face, “but they’re more than enough to keep a weakling like you in line.” Tayuya withdrew a flute, and brought it to her lips.
Demonic Flute Sonata…
Shinobu saw herself suddenly too close to the monsters! She was bashed to a pulp! Just one blow from the demon on the right shattered her ribs and spine as she was knocked towards the demon in the center! Just one slash from him shredded her body in two!
The demon with the club spattered her blood all over the room!
Over
And Over
And over again.
By the time the Genjutsu had passed, her body was limp. Only her grip on her swordhandle remained firm. She collapsed onto the bed, the gaping face of Orochimaru’s discarded skin, being the last thing her eyes saw before everything went black.
***
Kanae's eyes fluttered open to the sight of Sanemi’s tense face inches from hers, his eyes filled with unmistakable relief and concern.
For a moment, the tension in her chest softened as she took in his familiar features. She managed a faint smile, feeling grounded in his presence. “Sanemi…” she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath. “What a sight for worried eyes you are.”
Sanemi exhaled sharply, releasing some of the worry that had clearly weighed on him. “It’s good to see you too Kanae.” His words were rough but caring, his hand moving instinctively to rest near hers. “You… I have no idea-” he cut himself off, his jaw clenching. They stayed like that, a fragile moment of relief settling over them both, though Sanemi’s anger was still omnipresent.
“I’m sorry for causing you trouble,” Kanae murmured, squeezing his hand gently. “I don’t remember what happened…”
“That's because you were under a Genjutsu,” came Sasori’s voice, cool and matter-of-fact. Kanae’s gaze shifted, and she spotted him sitting at a small desk in the corner, watching her with a penetrating, serious gaze. The usually meticulous and well-groomed puppet master hadn’t shaved that morning. Stubble lined his jaw, and his clothes were not as neatly pressed as they usually were. But his eyes were as sharp as ever, and his presence in the same room as Sanemi’s, without any tension between the two of them, indicated the direness of the situation. Only a few people had the temperament for Sasori to tolerate working with them under normal circumstances, and Sanemi was not one of those few... But these were not normal circumstances.
Kanae’s pulse quickened as she synthesized all that was happening, and what Sasori had just said... “Under… Genjutsu?” she echoed, the color draining from her face. Her mind began piecing together the fragments, the eerie pull she’d felt, the helpless wandering as she drifted farther from Shinobu.
Sasori nodded. “It was designed to draw you away, to isolate you from your sister.”
The words struck her with a chilling understanding. She felt Sanemi’s hand tighten around hers, grounding her in the storm of emotions. But all she could think was, “ Shinobu… I left her alone.”
Sasori rose from the desk, and brisked towards the closet.
“Oi puppet master!” Sanemi called, “wait a minute, Kanae doesn’t need to see this yet!”
Kanae felt the blood drain from her face. “See what!?” she cried grabbing Sanemi’s shirt in a panic. “What happened Sanemi!? What’s become of my sister!?”
Sasori sighed. “At this point, I might as well show her, Wind Hashira.”
Sanemi cringed, as Sasori flung the closet door opened.
There was a young man there, hanging by his hands from the closet rod. His mouth was gagged, and tears streamed down from his face. It was obvious that he had been tortured. “He was apart of a group of thugs sent to kidnap Shinobu,” Sanemi said, before Kanae had time to feel sympathy for him.
“And yet, Orochimaru didn’t kill him like he did the others,” Sasori said.
“Which means that bastard wanted us to know.” Sanemi snarled.
“Which means we have an invitation to visit wherever your sister is being held,” Sasori said, “which means she is likely still alive.”
“No, it means she’s certainly still alive!” Sanemi asserted.
Kanae slumped back down with relief, but her fear was still there. She closed her eyes tightly together. “Shinobu… please forgive me… I failed to protect you. Please forgive me!”
“Shinobu will be fine Kanae,” Sanemi said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “She’ll be fine, and we’re gonna save her, if she hasn’t saved herself already. You got that?” Kanae leaned into his chest and nodded.
“Sanemi, Sasori-san… that boy you have tied up… can he tell us anything more that might help us find Shinobu?”
“He already blurted everything he knows,” Sasori said. “He was weak willed, I hadn’t even gotten to the fun part of the interrogation.”
Kanae grimaced, and Sanemi shot Sasori a dirty look.
“In that case,” she said softly, “He’s been punished enough. Please release him.”
“Are you sure you want this?” Sanemi asked. “I knew plenty of guys like this growing up. They don’t change just because you show them kindness.”
“He isn’t a demon, Sanemi. Look at him! He’s been manipulated!”
Sanemi looked down, and let out a sigh, before looking up in Sasori’s direction.
Sasori snickered as he got the message. “You and your sister really are pathetic Kocho,” he said as he cut the boy loose.
He fell to the ground, and Sanemi marched forward to pick him up by his collar. “Your one lucky punk, y’know that? Now get outta my sight! And pray that Shinobu is alright, cuz if not, I’m gonna come after you…” He threw him roughly away from him, and he scampered out of the room.
Kanae now rose to her feet, but wobbled, and nearly fell, before Sasori’s chakra threads caught her and steadied her. “Patience Hashira,” He said, as he eased her back down into a sitting position from across the room. “I don’t want to keep Orochimaru waiting either, but we won’t move without a plan.”
Kanae looked down at her lap, and her face scrunched in pain, as Sanemi knelt down to offer her comfort. “The other Hashira are on their way here Kanae. Don’t worry.”
“I hate those people,” Sasori grumbled, “especially the odd-eyed one. So I plan on Killing Orochimaru and getting that girl out of there as soon as possible.”
“Thank you both,” Kanae said looking down. Her eyes were already beginning to blur with tears.
“The other Hashira are on their way,” Sanemi assured her. “We’ll rescue her. Don’t worry.”
“I’ll go buy us some food,” Sasori said neutrally, leaving the room, and closing the door behind himself. It was then, and only then, when the two of them were alone; that Kanae instinctively threw herself into Sanemi’s arms.
With the one person she felt completely safe with, she let it all out, and her unrestrained cries echoed loudly as she wailed, barely muffled as she pressed her face against his chest.
"It'll be alright," he whispered as he held her protectively in his arms. "It'll be alright...."
***
It was a distant memory. It must have been years ago, when they were younger… Shinobu’s room was cast in the warm glow of a bedside lamp. Her blankets were pulled up to her chin, and she gazed up at Kanae with expectant, gleaming eyes.
Kanae had promised her a story before bed, and Shinobu had been eagerly anticipating it for a time that was an eternity to a child. Kanae tucked the blankets snugly around her little sister, sitting beside her on the edge of the futon with a loving, amused smile. “What story would you like tonight, Shinobu?” Kanae asked gently, brushing a stray strand of hair from Shinobu’s forehead.
Shinobu considered her options for a moment before her eyes sparkled mischievously. “Tell me a spooky story Nee-san! A real ghost story!”
Kanae chuckled, shaking her head. “A real ghost story? Are you sure? You might not sleep very well after that, you know.”
Shinobu’s brow furrowed in determination. “I won’t be scared! I’m never scared! I’m not a baby anymore!”
Kanae tilted her head with a smile. She resisted the urge to start tickling Shinobu then and there. “Alright, but if you get too scared, you have to tell me.”
“Deal!” Shinobu beamed.
Kanae's voice softened, falling into a storyteller’s rhythm as Shinobu nestled under the blankets, her eyes wide with both curiosity and a touch of mischief. “Very well then, Shinobu, I’ll tell you of the shadowy creature known as Jagaikage, the Spirit of the Pale Serpent.” She paused, glancing at her sister’s expectant face. “This was no ordinary ghost, you know. Jagaikage had the power to appear in two places at once, to slink silently along walls, and even transform himself into mist to seep through cracks in the floorboards. But, it was his face that terrified everyone... painted in twisted colors like a ghostly mask that never smiled. His skin was so pale it seemed to glow, as if he’d crawled from the depths of the underworld itself.”
Shinobu watched, captivated as Kanae leaned closer, her tone dropping. “His eyes were cold, bottomless pits, glinting like a serpent’s, as if he could see right into your thoughts and unearth every secret you wanted to hide. Some say Jagaikage’s eyes could paralyze you with just a look, freezing you in place while his serpentine fingers reached out…”
Shinobu giggled softly, the thrill of fear dancing through her, but Kanae continued, her expression serious.
“Legend says he wore a robe woven from shadows, moving so silently you could only hear him if you listened very carefully for the hiss of his breath. And oh, the stories of his hands—long and bony, with talon-like nails painted blood-red, scraping against walls, floors… even tombstones.”
At this, Shinobu squirmed delightedly, though Kanae’s voice grew darker.
“But it wasn’t just his appearance that was terrifying. They say Jagaikage whispered promises of riches, power, and immortality to his victims before he cursed them, laughing with a low, spine-chilling rasp.” Kanae’s voice dropped to an eerie whisper. “People believed that if he ever touched you, even lightly, he’d mark you for life, and that mark would follow you into the afterlife, where he would come for you…”
Kanae paused, watching Shinobu’s face to see if she’d gone too far. But Shinobu, trembling with excitement, whispered, “So… did anyone ever defeat him?”
Kanae sighed, as though burdened by the weight of the tale. She was excellent at doing this when she told her stories, and Shinobu now hung onto every word and every movement.
“Some say Jagaikage could only be tricked, but he was clever enough to avoid any trap. Once, a brave warrior tried to lure him to a fight, which Jagaikage knew he could not win. This warrior,” she explained, “was as strong as he was wise, and believed that no mere spirit could stand against his courage and cunning. He laid out a plan to challenge Jagaikage by luring him into a sacred field at dawn, when evil spirits were weakest. But Jagaikage was clever still; he accepted the challenge and agreed to meet the warrior under the guise of honor, but when the sun began to rise…” Kanae said in a whisper, “...the warrior approached the field and found no one there. As he stood, scanning the clearing, he began to feel a chilling sensation creeping up his spine. He spun around—only to see Jagaikage’s shadow, elongated, wrapping around him like a snare.”
The spirit had tricked him. By appearing as a shadow, Jagaikage avoided the sun’s purifying light. The warrior tried to swing his sword, but every time he struck, Jagaikage’s shadow slid out of reach, mocking him with whispered taunts. Then, with a hiss of laughter, the shadow slithered up and wrapped around the warrior’s eyes, filling his vision with darkness until he was blind. Paralyzed with fear, he stumbled, hearing only Jagaikage’s low laughter before he vanished, leaving the warrior haunted, cursed never to see the sunrise again.”
Kanae leaned close, adding, “And it’s said that if you wander too close to Kagemaru’s shadow, you might hear that same laughter, waiting to wrap around you and pull you into the dark…”
Shinobu by this point, was shaking as she pulled her blanket halfway up her face. Yet, Kanae could see that she was hiding a smile under that cover.
Kanae’s face softened into a smile, watching her sister try to piece together the ghostly figure. “Ara? Was it not scary enough for you, you little munchkin?”
Shinobu laughed sleepily. “Nee-san, that’s too ridiculous no spirit could be that strange.”
Kanae grinned. “Yes, perhaps he’s too absurd to exist. You're not going to have nightmares are you?”
Shinobu shook her head, as she snuggled into bed. “No, that was just the right amount of scary and ridiculous. Thank you Nee-san.”
“Anytime. Good night Shinobu,” Kanae said as she planted a kiss on Shinobu’s forehead.
“Good night Nee-san,” Shinobu said, as she drifted off to sleep….
The memory faded, and Shinobu awoke, on the same bed where she had fainted after Tayuya's genjutsu. Tayuya still sat in her line of vision, watching her like a hawk.
In the dim silence of her room, the coldness settling into her bones as the truth lingered around her... She considered her jailor to be just as much of a prisoner as she was. Orochimaru's discarded body, remained there as a grim reminder that he was always watching them both....
"Nee-san, we were wrong…" she thought, the chill settling deeper in her chest, "such absurdly evil monsters really do exist…"