Chapter 4: Pain
I stared as the boy slowly crossed the room, his dark eyes narrowing in annoyance as he found that some of the weapons had been disturbed, and carefully placed them back in their rightful positions, and I raised an eyebrow.
"Why do you have all of those, anyway? It's not like you can carry them all around with you or anything…"
The boy didn't answer, and I frowned. He really was gorgeous, with pale tan skin that was perfectly smooth, along with finely shaped features…and those dark, dark onyx eyes that seemed depthless. But there was also another feeling to his perfection that made me wary. It was the coldness that surrounded him, the vengeance and anger that made me want to cringe and curl into myself in fear. I swallowed hard, and attempted at a teasing remark.
"What, afraid I'll bite or something?"
I was met with silence, and I sighed, standing up and stretching with a yawn. "Where am I going to sleep, anyway? I mean, Lord Orochimaru didn't really think of putting an extra bed in here…oh well!" I shrugged when he didn't answer, and glanced at the darkening skies, and knelt down besides the large cabinet that was on the far side, which made the boy stare at me with an almost quizzical look in his blank, empty eyes.
I ignored him, and searched with my fingers until I found what I was looking for, a long, thick blanket that was dark and soft. I grinned, and pulled it out, dragging it out, and darted over to snatch two of the four pillows off of the boy's bed. I glanced at him to see if he had any objections, only to find that he was in the bathroom, the shower starting up with a hiss. I was left alone with the pile of blankets and the pillows in my hands, and they provided a bit of warmth against my arms as I stood there. I heard the boy stepping into the shower, the sound of his feet rasping against the damp shower floor. Hmm…I wonder what he looks like nak–
Whoa! Slow down, you pervert!
I laughed to myself, and settled down on the floor as far away from the boy's bed as possible, along the far wall, and tried not to think about how soft and warm the covers had been against my skin when I had sat there for a moment, tried not to think about how truly uncomfortable the icy, cold stone floor was…
I curled into a ball, trying to conserve heat, shivering violently as a draft of chilly air passed over me. I jammed one of the extra pillows under my legs, so they at least were shielded from the cruel frigidity of the floor.
I heard the shower stop – wow, what was that, a thirty-second shower? – and the sound of water dripping as the boy dried himself off. I sighed, turning my back away from the door so I wouldn't see him come out. It's not like he would care, seeing me on the floor like this. I could tell that much from his dark, cold eyes. I shivered at the memory of them, and buried my head under the covers, my teeth chattering slightly. Damn, it was so fricken cold.
I heard the door open almost soundlessly, and the soft sound of his footsteps across the stone floor. I could feel the heat from the shower radiating off of him as he passed inches away from where I was curled, and I had to force myself to remain motionless; my body instinctively wanted to gravitate towards that warmth. His footsteps didn't pause or hesitate, either he didn't see me or he was just ignoring me. Since he was…special, like I was, I was betting on the later. It was a bit irritating. I mean, he could at least try to be a bit more social. I huffed out a breath, warming the skin of my arms that were wrapped around my torso to conserve heat.
In fact, everything about this guy was irritating, and I pitied myself…how would I deal with a roommate like this, and for who knows how long?! At least I would get away from him during the day…when I was training with my new teacher; Lord Orochimaru's apprentice…wasn't that what he said?
I grinned to myself, and the room seemed to get a lot warmer as I wriggled in excitement. I was going to be a ninja!
The only thing that nagged at my heart…was my mom. Was she worried? Of course she was. Was she looking for me? Of course she is. Will she think that I'm…dead? After a while…yes. Am I actually dead? Or will I suddenly wake up in the hospital…a horrible dream, and yet a wonderful one?
I found that the answers didn't come as easily as before.
The boy was silent as the covers slid back softly – as that sound reached me the ground seemed to get a lot colder than before – and he quickly lay down, the bed creaking faintly as he got comfortable. It was strange, every sense seemed enhanced all of a sudden, I could hear every shift that his body made, even the sound of his head resting against the pillow after a moment. I was suddenly reminded of the sleepovers with my friends from school…the giggles as we whispered about nothing particularly significant, but at the time seemed just so important. It had been fun…
Homesickness tore through me, and I felt my throat closing up painfully.
Oh, Mom. I wish I could go home. I know that I'm going to be happy here…but I still wish I could hug you again, tell you how glad I am that you're my mom. I took for granted the love you gave me before; I never knew that it'd all be torn from me so soon.
I would never see Mom again.
Grief welled up inside me, and I felt something dripping down my cheek, but I ignored it, burying my head in the pillow to muffle the sob that rose in my throat.
I clenched the fabric, which now suddenly felt like cold wood, between my fingers.
I awoke to find myself alone in the room, the boy's bed neatly made, as if no one had even been there. I frowned at the state of my hair, which was tangled and dirty, and stood. That guy and I were roommates…that meant I was allowed to use his shower…right?
Right.
I stood up, and, after seeing the crisp orderly state my roommate's bed was in, attempted to arrange my blankets and pillows so it somewhat resembled a bed. I'm not going to describe my pitiful results, because if I did, you'd just question my intelligence. I cringed to myself as I looked at it for a moment. I've never been a very neat person; it seems to be in my nature to be unable to make anything look neat. It's pretty embarrassing…
I quickly moved to the bathroom, turned on the hot water, and then looked for a way to lock the door. There was none. I flushed for no apparent reason, but then I remembered the reason, and flushed even more deeply.
He could just walk in on me…naked in the shower.
I winced at the thought, and quickly snatched one of the towels that was hanging on the nearby rack, and draped it over the glass that was the door, effectively covering me from view. I sighed, still uncomfortable, but quickly undressed and stepped into the hot spray. I grinned with delight as the grime and blood that was caked onto my skin washed away, and after enjoying the hot water for a few minutes I looked for the shampoo. There were two large bottles, one with a thick creamy white solution, and the other with clear-ish stuff that was a clean looking green color. I reached for the clear looking one, and poured some into my hand, rubbing a little. When bubbles appeared, I applied it to my scalp and rubbed vigorously to get rid of any dirt.
Finally, after washing out the shampoo and putting in a bit of conditioner, I rinsed off one last time and turned the water off. After five minutes of hearing the constant hiss of the showerhead, the room was eerily still and quiet. I grabbed the towel and hastily dried off, squeezing any excess water out of my hair. I changed back into the clothes I had come in, ignoring the blood that was stained on them, and looked for a brush. I found a small one in the very back of one of the drawers, and I could tell it hadn't been used in a while. I dusted it off, and, glancing in the mirror, began to brush through my wet hair with long strokes. It was a dark brownish-bronze when it was wet, and it stuck to my skin as I brushed. Steam swirled around me in rivers, and with my foot I kicked the door open so the bathroom could air out.
After brushing, my hair was partially dry, and I tied on my shoes and looked around for some kind of clock. There was none, but by the light that came through the window I guessed that it was around six in the morning. I sighed, and looked around once more, unsure of what to do. I suddenly noticed a pair of folded clothing on the floor besides my bed, and held them up in confusion.
It was a black short-sleeved shirt, with a pair of tight fitting capris that were the same black color as the shirt. A pair of sandals, oddly formed and designed, rested besides the clothing. I hesitatingly changed into them, and frowned. The clothing felt so strange against my skin, and it made me fidgety. There was also a large rectangular holder of some sort, and I ended up tucking it into my pocket because I couldn't understand how to put it on. The sandals were secure and slightly too big for my feet, but close enough to where I wouldn't stumble or trip if I ran.
After making sure I was ready, I moved towards the door, and slowly opened it.
The hall was empty as I poked my head out, and I slipped out of the room, my footsteps echoing softly as I walked down the hall that split into two directions at the end. I glanced down the left, which was empty, and then down the right, which was also empty. Right, or left? Left, or right?
After arguing with myself for a few moments, I finally spun around three times with my hand outstretched, and when I stopped, my hand was pointing down the left hallway. I shrugged, ignoring the shiver that went down my spine, and made my way down the left hall.
After a while, I began to hear murmurs and the clattering of food trays, which made my empty stomach growl. I moved towards the sound, and came upon two large double doors. I hesitated, and opened the door.
I was staring at a large room that held plastic tables and benches, in which ninja – men and women alike, all with serious, pitiless glares on their faces – were seated. There were a large table towards the back in which a group of people were seated, ones with dark brown shifts on, and leather collars around their necks. They were all silent, picking at their meager portion of food. I frowned, but then suddenly, a figure stepping in front of me got my attention.
Standing in front of me, blocking my way, was a large man that looked to be in his early twenties, maybe twenty-five at the oldest. His dark eyes glinted with a dark humor, and his teeth were bared in what I assumed was a grin. It looked more like a grimace of pain to me.
"Hey, you're the new recruit, right?"
I felt a shiver of fear at the look in his eye. "Yes…"
"What's your name?"
I looked away. "I-I'm sorry, I'm in kind of a hurry." I pushed past him, but his hand was suddenly tight around my wrist, and his breath hot at my ear.
"Oh really? I think that whatever you're hurrying toward can wait for a few seconds, don't you agree? I've got some score to settle."
I felt the twist on my arm, and suddenly I was in the air, and I felt something crack in my side as I hit the wall with a crash. I slumped to the ground, gasping for air, holding my side. I looked up to see that I had created a small crater in the wall, and my side throbbed. What the hell?!
I looked up at the man who was grinning down at me; the others hadn't even flinched, their eyes glancing over at me before returning to their food. What kind of people were they, to just stand by and ignore this?
The man kicked me viciously on the same side that I had landed on, and a cry escaped my lips that were pressed tightly together, and the man seemed to take pleasure from my pain.
"That little son-of-a-bitch humiliated me the other day, and now it's my turn to humiliate him. Look at yourself, the servant of the strongest ninja in this base, a servant who cant even defend herself! Or are you supposed to be some kind of ninja? You're pathetic!"
I glared at him, ignoring the pain in my side and stomach, and leapt up to punch him in the jaw. I put everything I had, every single ounce of strength into that punch.
His eyes widened as he saw the glow that surrounded my fist, and I felt a satisfying crunch as he was sent sprawling onto the floor, screaming and clutching his jaw.
His friends, who had been hanging back before, came forward to look at him. His mouth was slack, and my eyes widened at the piece of bone that was poking out where his chin should have been.
I had broken his jaw.
How…?
The other men were advancing, and I backed up until I felt the wall behind me. Adrenaline pumped through me, and my chest heaved as I gasped for air.
I should've gone to the right.
Sasuke made his way down the hall after morning training, heading towards the cafeteria. The light that streamed through the windows created blocks of bright light that made the shadows look like bars. It was true, in a way. This base was like a prison for most of the people here.
For that new girl…the annoying one.
She had fallen so easily for Orochimaru's trap…Sasuke wondered how long it would take her to realize that she was a slave of a ninja, serving Orochimaru until the day she died. There was no escape for her. Sasuke…he had a fair chance of escaping if he so chose, but the girl…no chance.
Orochimaru had told him that Sasuke was now the trainer of this new girl. He would have to get her up to the level of a jounin in four months at the most. Then she would accompany him on several missions, still as his student.
"It will improve your skills to teach someone your age. And if you accept…I will reward you with five new forbidden jutsus."
Sasuke had accepted immediately, and Orochimaru had told him that his new student had been seen heading towards the cafeteria, and that he should start looking there.
This girl was so annoying…
Sasuke's keen ears suddenly picked up the sounds of kicking and punching, and his eyes narrowed as he opened the doors with a flourish, and his dark eyes scanned the area for the girl.
There were a handful of men on the far wall, all grouped around something on the ground, all turning to look at him with pure terror etched in every line of their faces. Sasuke didn't care what poor defenseless genin they were beating up today…he just needed to find that girl.
"Where is the new recruit?" Sasuke spoke loudly, and the men's eyes flickered at each other nervously, and the Uchiha's eyes narrowed in suspicion. He didn't like the look of nervous fear on the face of the leader of the group, who had moved slightly to the right, as if to shield something from view.
Sasuke's eyes flickered down to the ground between the legs of the men, and saw a flash of golden hair before the man's body replaced it. Sasuke moved so fast that there wasn't time to blink before he was right in front of the group, his eyes bleeding deep crimson with three lazily rotating commas. The men shivered, and Sasuke stared at each man individually, letting them know that he was watching them from now on, moving forward to get to the girl. They scampered out of his way, and in less than a second they were gone from the cafeteria. Sasuke knelt beside the bleary eyed girl, and examined her with his eyes, not wanting to touch her.
Her face was streaked with blood that trickled down her chin and cuts on her forehead and cheeks. There were tear marks that made paths though the drying blood, though her eyes were currently bereft of emotion, and her arm was at an awkward angle, and he knew that it was broken. Her face was empty; calm as those blue-gray eyes glancing down at her mangled arm, before returning to their blank staring at the white ceiling. She didn't speak, didn't even glance at him; she didn't seem to know that he was even there.
Sasuke glanced at her arm, and waved a hand in front of her eyes, and when she didn't react he stood, glancing at the table of slaves that shrunk into themselves when he looked at them. Sasuke moved over to them, and gestured to two of the women, and jerked his head toward the girl.
"Take her to the medical quarters, and when she's healed take her back to my room."
Without waiting to see if they obeyed his orders, he put his hands together to teleport back to the training grounds.
If training until he couldn't stand straight didn't help relieve this peculiar feeling in his chest – the feeling that had arose when he stared into that girl's blank, emotionless eyes – then nothing would.
I didn't really know when the kicks and punches stopped, only that my entire body felt as if it was on fire, no, worse than that. How could it be worse than that?
I had no idea, everything seemed fuzzy and slow around me, I tried to focus on the ceiling but it remained as blurry and hazy as before. I heard a deep melodious voice speak somewhere to my right, and a strange sound that sounded like the rush of wind, of something disappearing. I blinked slowly, but when I did so my lids seemed like lead, never wanting to open again.
I forced them to open as two female voices spoke beside me. I couldn't understand what they were saying, but felt their hands softly lifting me up, trying to be as gentle as possible, but it still made me cry out in pain as the fire rose to a whole new level of pain, and my vision seemed to whirl into a white blindness, small dark spots expanding until they filled my vision with blackness.
I felt a tear slide down my cheek.
What kind of a world was this?
Why is this world filled with so much pain?
Something seemed to snap within my mind, and my mind was lost in the darkness.
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