Heart of Stone, Turned to Clay
Scroll 3: Retrevial
Life has a funny way of helping a person out. However, life seemed content to torment Akemi.
She had lost her mother.
She had been kidnapped by her mother’s murder, the same person being her father.
Now, to make her situation worse, she was tied up on Kisame’s broad shoulder, being carried away to only the gods knew where.
Yes, life hated her.
Her eyes snapped in the direction of her father; she watched him.
Kisame cleared his throat. “Itachi, if we continue on at this pace we will not arrive when we should.”
Itachi said nothing in response. Kisame grunted in annoyance.
“Where are we going?” Her voice was hushed. Kisame smiled menacingly, revealing sharp, jagged teeth.
“I believe that your father said it was not your concern.” By this point, she learned not to argue.
Akemi hung her head in defeat.
****
Akemi and her father sat alone around the fire. She gazed at the ground. She did not feel her father’s scrutinizing gaze.
“Are you hungry?”
Akemi looked up, startled. She met her father’s eyes. “A little.”
He stood and motioned for her to follow him. Akemi blinked and followed, cautiously. Itachi stopped and waited for her to catch up.
The woods enveloped the pair as they walked to the calm stream. “Do you know how to get fish without a pole?” Akemi stifled a laugh as a picture of Kisame flashed in her mind. Itachi glared at her. She stopped instantly.
“No.” He regarded his daughter carefully then sighed.
“Pick up a rock and throw it into the water for me.” She scrounged around for a few moments, finally finding a suitable sized one. “Throw it into the middle of the stream.”
She hesitantly walked to the water’s edge, hearing the sound of kunai knives being drawn. She tossed the rock. Silver fish flew from the water. She heard the zing of the knives passing closely to her head. There was a thud. When she looked, three fish were pinned to a tree.
“Uncle Sasuke can do that too.”
“Who do you think taught him?” She was silent as her father went and retrieved the fish, rejoining her a few moments later. “Come on.”
She sighed and followed her father.
****
“Ah, come on Itachi, don’t wake her.”
“We have to go.”
“Then I will carry her again. The kid needs to sleep.” She felt the brush of her father’s cloak as he moved away from her. She stretched and stood.
“No, I can walk.” Kisame smirked.
“What a little soldier.” The sarcasm was not missed.
Itachi remained silent, regarding is daughter judgingly. He turned and walked off.
“That is our cue to follow him.” Kisame murmured, wandering after his partner.
It would be so easy to escape right now. All she had to do was walk the other way. She started to walk away, leave her father behind.
A knife whistled passed her head.
“I do hope you are not planning to go that way Akemi.” Itachi’s voice rang out from behind her.
She grimaced. “Of course not. I thought I heard something.”
Itachi of course did not believe her lie.
Toward mid day, Akemi was growing weary. And like every young child, she began to complain.
“I’m hungry.” Kisame turned to glare.
“Don’t start kid.” She glared right back.
“But I’m hungry.” Itachi picked her up.
“Don’t whine. It is not very becoming.”
There was an explosion. She felt herself fly from her father’s grasp.
Weightlessness.
Falling.
Protective arms grasping her, saving her. She fluttered her eyes.
“Akemi, are you alright?” The voice was quite under the ringing in her ears. She nodded. Akemi gazed up and smiled.
“You came.”
Sasuke smirked. “Of course I did.”
“Hate to break up this little reunion, but we need to go Sasuke.” Shikamaru called, evading the broad stroke of Kisame’s sword. Sasuke gently lifted his niece. Shikamaru set off another explosion.
“Thank-you.” Then she slipped under the pull of unconsciousness.
She had lost her mother.
She had been kidnapped by her mother’s murder, the same person being her father.
Now, to make her situation worse, she was tied up on Kisame’s broad shoulder, being carried away to only the gods knew where.
Yes, life hated her.
Her eyes snapped in the direction of her father; she watched him.
Kisame cleared his throat. “Itachi, if we continue on at this pace we will not arrive when we should.”
Itachi said nothing in response. Kisame grunted in annoyance.
“Where are we going?” Her voice was hushed. Kisame smiled menacingly, revealing sharp, jagged teeth.
“I believe that your father said it was not your concern.” By this point, she learned not to argue.
Akemi hung her head in defeat.
****
Akemi and her father sat alone around the fire. She gazed at the ground. She did not feel her father’s scrutinizing gaze.
“Are you hungry?”
Akemi looked up, startled. She met her father’s eyes. “A little.”
He stood and motioned for her to follow him. Akemi blinked and followed, cautiously. Itachi stopped and waited for her to catch up.
The woods enveloped the pair as they walked to the calm stream. “Do you know how to get fish without a pole?” Akemi stifled a laugh as a picture of Kisame flashed in her mind. Itachi glared at her. She stopped instantly.
“No.” He regarded his daughter carefully then sighed.
“Pick up a rock and throw it into the water for me.” She scrounged around for a few moments, finally finding a suitable sized one. “Throw it into the middle of the stream.”
She hesitantly walked to the water’s edge, hearing the sound of kunai knives being drawn. She tossed the rock. Silver fish flew from the water. She heard the zing of the knives passing closely to her head. There was a thud. When she looked, three fish were pinned to a tree.
“Uncle Sasuke can do that too.”
“Who do you think taught him?” She was silent as her father went and retrieved the fish, rejoining her a few moments later. “Come on.”
She sighed and followed her father.
****
“Ah, come on Itachi, don’t wake her.”
“We have to go.”
“Then I will carry her again. The kid needs to sleep.” She felt the brush of her father’s cloak as he moved away from her. She stretched and stood.
“No, I can walk.” Kisame smirked.
“What a little soldier.” The sarcasm was not missed.
Itachi remained silent, regarding is daughter judgingly. He turned and walked off.
“That is our cue to follow him.” Kisame murmured, wandering after his partner.
It would be so easy to escape right now. All she had to do was walk the other way. She started to walk away, leave her father behind.
A knife whistled passed her head.
“I do hope you are not planning to go that way Akemi.” Itachi’s voice rang out from behind her.
She grimaced. “Of course not. I thought I heard something.”
Itachi of course did not believe her lie.
Toward mid day, Akemi was growing weary. And like every young child, she began to complain.
“I’m hungry.” Kisame turned to glare.
“Don’t start kid.” She glared right back.
“But I’m hungry.” Itachi picked her up.
“Don’t whine. It is not very becoming.”
There was an explosion. She felt herself fly from her father’s grasp.
Weightlessness.
Falling.
Protective arms grasping her, saving her. She fluttered her eyes.
“Akemi, are you alright?” The voice was quite under the ringing in her ears. She nodded. Akemi gazed up and smiled.
“You came.”
Sasuke smirked. “Of course I did.”
“Hate to break up this little reunion, but we need to go Sasuke.” Shikamaru called, evading the broad stroke of Kisame’s sword. Sasuke gently lifted his niece. Shikamaru set off another explosion.
“Thank-you.” Then she slipped under the pull of unconsciousness.