Salt in the Wound

“I will take care of this. Leave me be.” A voice carelessly said. A door shut and I could hear the almost silent scuffle of footsteps. Someone circled me, running a hand over a cut on my arm. I flinched at the pain. “You said you hailed from the village of light? How may that be?” I couldn’t see a face, only hear the sound of a voice somewhat familiar. Come to think of it, I couldn’t move my head at all. “I know you can hear me girl. Speak.”

“Why can’t I move?” I questioned, a rising panic was moving up my throat, all I could see where the dim lights of a dull room.

“That’s not the answer I asked for.” Another scuffle. “It would be most wise to listen to me. I could kill you in an instance.” That voice shook me. So familiar and yet so strange and foreign it made me weak. Whoever it was did not play around. They would not hesitate to kill me. Before I could think further something tightened around me, crushing me. I screamed loudly as something cracked within me. “And it won’t be a fast death, I assure you.” They stated.

“I can’t explain why I’m here!” I gasped. “I know as much as you do!” slow tears sprang to my eyes and I was ashamed to be crying at someone who I couldn’t even see. “All I remember..” the grip around me loosened. “Is the blood. The screaming. I was dead…” I whispered, the memories slowly starting to seep in. “I was dead along with my entire village. I don’t know why or how I’m here.”

“You died?” He sounded almost uninterested. “What is your name again, girl?” The smirk in his voice was noticeable and I had to grind my teeth from lashing out.

“Ishiko Hitomi.” The voice approached me. “Who are you?”

Then he came into my focus. That voice and those eyes were one. The same vision of those eyes standing over me, that voice brought me back the first time, he made me fight. His hair was the color of brick, a ruffled mess on top of his head. And under his hair was the kanji for love, an almost twisted thing. He looked young but spoke as if he was thousands of years old and had experienced everything there was. And his eyes...they were surrounded by a tired sort of darkness, only making them stand out more. He was the person from my dreams. “I am the sand’s Kazekage.”

I was speechless. So young but at the time of my death, he was there. He came to me every night just staring through me, now here he was again in his entirety, still staring. “Why have you come here?” he asked coldly.

“I need help.” He looked at me to continue and I shut my eyes, unable to look at him much longer. “The night I died, a demon entered my body. He is bound to me now, it seems. I can’t control it, I am not a murderer…but he is turning me into one. I would rather die than endure another moment of this agony. Either you kill me now or he will eventually.”

“I cannot help you and I will not kill you. You must seek help elsewhere as it seems you’re a parasite to this village. I cannot be putting my people in the line of danger. You are a weapon Ishiko. What you do outside of here is not my concern. You will be taken from here shortly.” He turned from me and my hopes were smashed. How could someone say something that cold and not even look back? He wasn’t even kind enough to kill me.

“He was like you. The Shukaku dwelled within him.” Hitsuchi’s voice said within me.

“Do you not remember your own pain Kazekage?” I questioned as he walked away. He halted. “What it feels like to have a demon dwell within you? We are similar. I assume you have had great loss in your life...were you alone?”

He said nothing and after a while he continued to walk. Sealing me away inside this room.

It seemed like ages I had been I here, bound to this piece of board beneath me. It was startling when someone finally came into the room. “I have been instructed to take you with me.” Another voice said. My bounds were suddenly let loose and I sat my stiff body up. The man, by the looks of it, was a Jounin. He wore an emblem I had seen many times today on his forehead, a rather cold look in his eyes. Without even moving, a small cord wound itself around my wrists and knotted, a small but strong hold. We walked in silence down a dull hall, past many doors. I didn’t dare say a word. It came o my surprise when he stopped in front of a door and opened it, ushering me inside.

“Why are you putting me in here?” I asked. Nothing was said as the cord unwound and the door was closed. The room was forgettable, a sandy colored wall with a small cot in the center. Basic necessities were against the walls, and as in basic I meant a toilet and a sink. Nothing more.

“You can’t escape. They have put a seal on this room, no damage can be inflicted.” Hitsuchi whispered.

“Don’t speak to me. You are a monster that needs to be killed.” A small hiss came from the inside of me, but nothing more. I reclined on the cot, well aware that sleeping my pain away would be better than playing prisoner. It didn’t take long before I was asleep.

“What happened?” She asked me. I looked at the two young children, deep within the black, gaping holes that were once eyes. “Where did you go?” They were ashen and looked like paper, tearing and disintegrating.

“I tried Kimiko. He killed me.” I whispered, fear leaking out of my words. “I truly did try to save everybody.” Small tears ran down my face. Sumiko’s small hand reached out towards mine and as I lifted my own up to take it, it turned to ashes and fell into my palm. I screamed and leapt back. “You are not my sisters! You are demons! I tried to save you! I tried to save everyone” my knees hit the floor “but I wasn’t strong enough.“ Ashes crawled up my legs, the bodies of the people littered around me, falling apart as I looked into their dark eyes. Every soul left restless creeping out to suffocate me in their bodies remains. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this!” I cried out before the ashes went down my throat, floating through my lungs. My screams came out a mere noise.

I sat up quickly, wet, cold, and breathing low ragged breaths. Before I knew it I was crying, wiping imaginary ashes off of my body. “Tell me what you saw.” A voice said from the corner of the room. I gasped and stared at the boy who was Kage. He sat in a wooden chair, legs crossed and hands folded staring straight through me again. I shook my head.

“Nothing. I saw…nothing.” Closing my eyes, I pushed the visions away. “Why am I still here Kazekage?”

He leaned his head back and shut his eyes, almost appearing to relish in the very idea of my dreams. When he looked at me again his face was a mask of neutral feelings. “If what you say is true, I can use you to learn and study on. You are of vital importance to me. A threat to my village? Absolutely. A threat to me? Not at all.” He closed his eyes again. “Now tell me what you remember of the night you died.”