VIII

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Arc VIII Chapter 3

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“Shizue, have you found her?”

 

“Negative, Captain. Nothing.”

 

“...” Kumanosuke clicked his tongue, his annoyance visible. They inspected the snowy ground, but the girl eluded them. Their target was nowhere to be found, but the girl couldn't have gotten far. Their client ordered them to capture her alive, if possible. The Daimyo demanded the girl, and he was willing to remunerate them accordingly for their services.

 

And truth be told, he didn't care about the girl's subsequent fate. They were ninja, and true ninja didn't ask. Ninja obeyed. Ninja performed their missions. Ninja followed as long as gold and silver flowed. Konoha needed money now that times were dire. The invasion had devastated the village. Konoha's reconstruction required considerable financial resources, which forced the village to accept even missions of the more dubious and less honourable kind of missions, as long as they were lucrative.

 

Assassinating little girls wasn't a particularly honourable affair, but Konoha didn't complain. The Daimyo paid, and money was money. Their objective was to capture the girl. Failure wasn't acceptable. Success was mandatory, no matter the cost.

 

Determined, Kumanosuke and his squad continued their search in the cold. Corpses littered the icy plains. Blood soaked the snow red.

 

It took weeks, but they eventually tracked the girl down. They ambushed the convoy. They eliminated the guards. They eliminated the merchants. They eliminated her last loyal retainers, but the girl had somehow managed to escape the slaughter.

 

Kumanosuke gritted his teeth, his frustration growing. “Naomichi, Toshikuni, anything to report?”

 

Naomichi shook his head. “Nothing, Captain. It's as if the girl had vanished ... Captain?”

 

“...” Kumanosuke grew silent. The snow attracted his attention. Blood shimmered in the dusk, and faint footprints crossed the snow. A grin crossed his lips.  Found. Her footsteps betrayed the girl. “Shizue, Naomichi, Toshikuni, follow me. We need to hurry.”

 

Dark clouds loomed on the horizon. A blizzard gathered. They had to get her in time if they intended to capture her alive.

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Yuki ran, and ran, and ran. Desperation and fear drove her. Her frail body urged her to stop, but she couldn't, she wouldn't. She ran with all the force her weak body was able to muster. Her forces dwindled, but sheer grit and determination kept her going. 

 

In stoic silence, Yuki fought her way through the deep snow, through adesolate desert of crystallised water and ice. The cold and pain were her only companions after she had lost everything in life, but she endured, and endured, and endured.

 

Tears rolled down Yuki's cheeks. Her world had fallen apart before her very eyes. Her family, her retainers, they all died. No happiness, no joy, no light, only pain accompanied her. The emptiness inside her heart proved a burden too heavy.

 

Her heart bled, and Yuki capitulated. She had suffered enough. She deserved some sleep after all these years on the run. She deserved to rest in peace. The pure white snow invited her. The snow was fluffy, soft, like a cushion, like a bed waiting to be embraced. 

 

Her lips mustered a tender smile. The scenery fit her demise. Snow surrounded her, a kingdom of eternal winter, of eternal sorrow. The unforgiving cold assaulted her. Her feet hurt. Her tired, her exhausted, her heavy limbs refused to move. Her time had finally come. This was her destiny.

 

Yuki bit her lips to suppress the pain. Her lungs panted. Her breathing was uneven, unsteady. The cold air pierced her lungs, stabbed her chest. The stinging pain suffocated her. Her clothes were soaked red. The cut was deep, and the bleeding didn't stop. Every step took a toll on her weakened constitution. 

 

Her feet stumbled, and Yuki fell. The snow softened her fall and sleep came easily. Her eyelids closed, and her last resolve crumbled.

 

Yuki didn't resist the fate awaiting her. A little nap in the snow ... wouldn't hurt ... Just ... a few ... minutes ...

 

Reality turned black, and the falling snow buried the girl beneath.

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“Asami⁓ senpai⁓.

 

Asami⁓ senpai⁓.

 

Notice me, senpai⁓.

 

Asami⁓ senpai⁓.

 

Look, senpai⁓.

 

Notice me, senpai⁓.

 

Asami⁓ senpai⁓.

 

Asami⁓ ...

 

Aaarrrgh.” Tobi fell to his knees, his stomach taking a heavy hit.

 

Asami rammed her scabbard backwards, directly into his stomach with little regard for his well being, or life. 

 

“...” Asami leaned down, her white fur coat warming her, and a sadistic grin adorning her innocent lips. Tobi was twisting on th ground in pain. His suffering pleased her. Tobi deserved his fate. “Poor Tobi, what happened? Did you trip?”

 

Tobi broke out in tears. “Asami⁓ senpai ⁓ cruel and heartless. Asami ⁓ senpai mean and a bully.”

 

“...” Asami smiled, her lips made his blood freeze. “Tobi, ... stop trying my patience.”

 

Tobi stiffened. “Scary senpai~. Tobi hiding under warm blanket ...”

 

“...” Asami hit him once more with her scabbard, another gentle reminder.

 

“Ouch.” Tobi rubbed his abused head. “Why do you hit me? Tobi did nothing wrong ...”

 

Asami's wrathful scabbard struck again. “Because ...” 

 

“Ouch.”

  

“... you keep ...”

 

“Ouch.”

 

“... asking ...”

 

“Ouch.”

 

“... stupid questions.”

 

Tobi shielded himself against her onslaught, in vain. “Senpai, please stop! You are bullying poor Tobi!”

 

Asami glared. “That was ...”

 

“Ouch.”

 

“... the ...”

 

“Ouch.”

 

“... intention ...”

 

“..., baka!”

 

Tobi whimpered, “Tobi heard women are gentle and tender, but Asami-senpai neither gentle, nor tender. Asami-senpai, cold, heartless, violent. Abusive, cruel, evil. Always hitting poor Tobi ...”

 

“Tobi.” Asami gripped her scabbard, narrowing her eyes. “You know, I can still hear you, right?”

 

“...” Tobi paled. Panicking, he chose the only sensible choice, he ran. He ran as fast as the wind. “Seeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnpppppaaaaaaaaiiiiiiii, don't hit me!”

 

Asami pursued him, but her hunt met a sudden end. Her feet tripped over a pile of snow, and her lips kissed the frozen snow. 

 

“...” Asami fumed. How she hated this little pest from the depths of her heart. One day, she would suffocate Tobi with his pillow in his sleep.

 

Tobi noticed her absence and quickly returned. He fell to his knees to lament her early death, bemoaning her premature demise. His eyes overflowed with tears. “Senpai!!! No!!! Tobi knew senpai only for a week. Senpai never liked Tobi, but still, Asami was the best senpai Tobi ever had! Tobi will miss senpai ...”

 

“...” Asami grumbled from below, her voice laced with anger. “I am not dead, you idiot.” 

 

Tobi raised his arms in joy. “A miracle, senpai, you returned from the dead!”

 

“...” Asami didn't share his enthusiasm. Her scabbard struck once again with a healthy dose of Asaminess.

 

“Ouch”, Tobi grumbled. “Evil senpai.”

 

Asami ignored his complaints to investigate the suspicious pile of snow. A solid object made her trip. It wasn't ice, and the culprit was quickly identified. Buried beneath the snow, her eyes spotted black ... hair?

 

“...” Asami didn't hesitate, her hands shovelling the snow aside. Her hands discovered a lonely, half frozen girl beneath the snow. Weak, frail, closer to death than to life. The girl required help, help she wouldn't deny.

 

Asami hugged the girl, embracing her. Her comforting arms protected the poor child.

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