Chapter 2: Scarlet rot.
Five years passed since the rebirth of Malenia and she had grown noticeably taller, almost double the height of her peers.
It seemed she was fated to one day stand at great stature once more.
It also seemed like the scarlet rot had developed to the point where she would soon lose the ability to restrain it inside her body and be forced to release it.
She could feel it roiling inside her along with her chakra that seemed to have fused with it.
Having carried the scarlet rot for so long Malenia understood that keeping it restrained for longer would most likely result in the blooming of the first scarlet Aeonia which would definitely doom everyone in the orphanage.
If she were to release the scarlet rot however her fate would be sealed and the scarlet rot would once again start the process of slowly decaying her body starting with her limbs however that was now inevitable.
After all these years Malenia not only grew taller but also learned more about the world around her.
She was born in the leaf village, the military centre of the land of fire. The village was founded by it's first leader, Hashirama Senju and he was known as the first Hokage.
After his death, his brother Tobirama Senju took the position of second Hokage and after his death in the first great ninja war. Hiruzen Sarutobi took the position of third Hokage and continued to occupy it to this day.
Currently the second ninja war was ongoing so the orphanages were quite full.
It seemed that every month or so a few new girls would join the orphanage having just lost their parents.
'It seems that no matter the world, war is a certainty.' Malenia thought as she looked at a girl sitting by herself in a corner.
All the other girls were playing or talking to eachother while only she sat alone.
Malenia stood up and walked towards the girl.
Malenia's body cast a shadow over the girl's body and she looked up at her.
Extending a hand in greeting Malenia introduced herself, "My name is Malenia, what is your name?"
The girl merely looked up at her silently before burying her head in her knees.
Crouching down Malenia stroked the girl's platinum blond hair and spoke, "You have very beautiful hair, can I style it for you a bit?".
The girl didn't reply so Malenia started working on her hair, her hair was shoulder length and parted so she first grabbed two clumps on the back of her head and bound them with two colourful hairbands into two large pig tails.
"There you go." Malenia said and the girl looked up and touched her pig tails.
The combination of her small face and hairstyle excentuated her girlish charm which reminded Malenia of one of her daughters, Melina.
"Still need one final touch..." Malenia spoke and removed a rose from her own hair and put it in the girls hair.
"You look really cute." Malenia said and the girl flushed.
"What's your name?" Malenia asked once more.
"It's Shizune." Shizune said.
"Well my name is Malenia, do you want to be my friend Shizune?" Malenia asked as she held Shizunes hand within her own.
"Yes..." Shizune nodded and Malenia pulled her up to her feet.
Holding her hand Malenia brought her over to a group of girls and introduced her.
Watching Shizune surrounded by the group of girls who asked her all sorts of questions Malenia smiled.
That night Malenia waited until everyone had fallen asleep before she snuck out of the orphanage.
Walking through the dirt roads she avoided any residential places as she made her way to a secluded spot on the edges of a forest.
Standing in a grass clearing, Malenia loosened her tight restraint on the scarlet rot slowly and it steadily seeped out of her body.
The grass around her yellowed and wilted as it died and even some trees had part of their trunks damaged.
Feeling the scarlet rot circulating through her body freely for the first time in years Malenia let out a sigh full of melancholy.
Although everyone either worshiped or feared the scarlet rot, she who was envied by some for possessing it never held any fondness for it.
That wasn't because it took away her limbs then her vision before it started to destroy her very brain in her final days.
It wasn't because it doomed her to a life of solitude as people kept their distance from her in fear of it.
Nor was it because it forced her to push away anyone she cared about to protect them from her affliction.
No she had accepted those long ago.
The reason she despised the scarlet rot was because of her own pride.
She is, was the most skilled combatant in the lands between, a genius from young, who mastered the sword and reached levels of proficiency that even surpassed her own master the blind swordsman.
She was great even without the scarlet rot yet time after time she was forced to rely on it.
Relying on the scarlet rot meant that she wasn't strong enough by herself.
That's what Malenia thought until her pride was shattered to bits by the man who defeated her.
She was no longer undefeated, she was no longer the blade of Miquella, nor was she severed.
All that remained was Malenia. Even so, even after losing everything but her name the scarlet rot had clung to her.
Although Malenia wanted to refuse it, she could no longer consider the scarlet rot as a curse latching on to her, it was now undeniably a part of her body.
And so Malenia made a decision that night, she would never suppress the scarlet rot ever again. No matter what happened.
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