I am here! [Private]

[Ayame]

She pulled Nataku inside the house. She wasn't able to take him upstairs, but she was able and willing to demolish the entire house, just to make him feel good. Just to wake up.
Everything was happening so fast. She went to her room, took the mattress and a pillow, knocking down almost everything, until she reached the first floor. Her fast breathing, almost like she was suffocating, sobbing, her loud steps and the sounds of things falling on the floor, breaking, were the only thing that could be heard in this house at the moment.
The girl let go of the mattress on the floor, put the pillow on it and moved Nataku there. She went to the sink, and tried to take a glass, but her hands were shaking so bad that she dropped the glass in the sink. She felt like she was losing him. That made her sad, horrified, angry. These emotions raced through her mind. She quickly took the glass and threw it with an angry scream into the sink, making it break into pieces.
"Useless piece of shit!" said to herself.
Then she turned to see Nataku.
"I have to pull myself together." - she thought and took another glass, that filled her with cold water and ran to Nataku. Maybe he would need the water.
The girl placed the glass on the ground, and put her head onto his chests.
"His heart is beating... that's ok..."
And then looked him. She couldn't stop her tears.

"You've seen things that someone your age should never have to, however what you don't realize is there's so much more of that going on in the world. There are even worse things out there, and as you get older you'll only experience more." - came to her mind. That was what Nataku once said to her.
"You tried to prepare me for something bad that is going to happen to you, father..." - she thought.
- As long as you're here with me I can handle everything, father! - she whispered. She wanted to call him father. She needed it. For first time in her life she was crying so much. Her entire life Ayame lived like an egoist. She never cared about anyone, except for her survival. But now things were different. That man here reached into her soul and pulled from there emotions that she never felt before. To love someone more than your desire to survive. She loved him as a father. Of course, she never knew what was like to have a father, but he showed her and now she was holding on to this feeling like a drowning man trying to clutch at the straw. She would not accept losing him. If she had to chose between her dead Uchiha family and him... she wouldn't even think about it. She'd chose him.
- I'm here, father. Don't worry, I'll take care of you. You'll be okay.
Ayame gently began to stroke his hair with her shaking hands, like he did when she was having nightmares.
- You're my sanctuary, Kurosawa Nataku. You hold my sanity. Don't let the nightmares come back again.
She watched his sleeping face and realized… she has never seen him sleeping until now.
- Father… with what demons are you dealing with? What demons are you hiding?
She laid beside him, put her head on his chest and squeezed thigh the shirt on his chest with her hand. This way... she'd never lose him.
- You can tell me everything. Give these demons to me, I can handle them. I will keep you safe, father. I'll become strong so no one could hurt you. I'll kill anyone who tries to hurt you.

Laying there on the floor, beside her father, a girl was hoping to see his eyes once again. And her brother's eyes.

 

[Kurosawa Nataku]

The world had never been so vivid. A tropical rainforest filled with colorful wildlife surrounded Nataku. For some reason, this place did not feel strange or off to him, but rather it felt normal. He didn't think about how he got there, or what he was doing. He just wandered and observed. Shafts of sunlight snuck their way through the gaps between leaves in the canopies up above. The trees were massive, unrealistically large, to a point where climbing them would be difficult even for a seasoned shinobi like Nataku. The more he stared at the top, the further it seemed to get. Nataku got the message: he wasn't supposed to go up there.

So he kept wandering. For a moment, he thought he heard someone scream out his name in a worried fashion. He thought he heard tears. Suddenly he felt something and those thoughts vanished. He was flung onto the back of a large bird. Although he couldn't place it, there was something familiar about this bird. It began to run quickly, passing by colorful flowers and striped creatures. Everything was so peaceful, and Nataku wished he could stay there forever. The ride was quite bumpy, and as the bird kept running the trees began to thin out. More and more light got through, until suddenly they weren't in a forest. They were in an open grassy field. The bird didn't stop there. Nataku could see that there were a few clouds in the sky, and that it was a really sunny day. He felt warm, and it felt good. In the distance a massive wall was getting closer.

They approached the wall and Nataku saw there was a big gate with a knight in armor standing in front. The bird stopped, and the knight made a motion to signal... somebody? In response, the gate opened. Nataku couldn't shake this uneasy feeling, there was something off about everything. Behind the gate, there was only desert. Nataku realized that this was strange. At first, he accepted it all as normal, but over time he was beginning to understand. This wasn't reality. There was only sand, as if the gate separated the environments completely. Without realizing it, Nataku was on his feet and the bird was gone. He began to walk toward the desert, not knowing what else to do. Situations like this were alien to him. He began to wonder if he was in a Genjutsu. He heard a voice from behind him, and turned to face the knight.

</I><I>Father," it said. That was strange. He gave the knight a funny look. It spoke again. "What demons are you hiding?"


"Hiding demons? No, I am one," he said. Strangely, he said this in his dream but a mumbled version of it came out of his mouth. Ayame would hear it. He felt something on his chest and his eyes darted open. They were brown colored and normal. He recognized his surroundings immediately. He was home, but something was off. Ayame was on top of him, shaking. The place was a mess, with broken glass and things knocked over. He was on a mattress, but he was also not in a bedroom. A look of confusion appeared on his face. He put a gentle hand on the back of Ayame's head. Despite everything, his first concern was her. "Are you alright?" he asked.

He slowly began to regain his senses. What had just happened? Last thing he remembered there was a fight in the desert. Nataku helped save a stranger, but then it was black. Who was the strange man he had saved? What happened out there? Was that all a dream too? Nataku didn't really understand dreams, largely because he hadn't had one for nearly two decades. There was something about them that unnerved him. Allowing yourself to be weak, to be unaware, and captivated by a reality that doesn't exist. He didn't sleep anymore, not since he gained the eyes. So the fact that he had just dreamed was a bigger deal than it should have been.

Nataku didn't want to show any weakness. He didn't want to admit that he was lost. That's why it hurt him to ask the next question. "That guy in the desert... what happened?" He still wasn't convinced that that even happened, but the current situation told him that something went wrong. Maybe the guy attacked them, but then why was Ayame still around? Could she have defeated him and protected Nataku? Nothing explained why Nataku passed out, and how he got there. Was Ayame really strong enough to carry him all the way back home? Or perhaps, it really didn't happen.

 

[Ayame]

Ayame heard what Nataku mumbled, but remained in the same position, squeezing his shirt tighter.

Then she felt his hand on her head and asked if she was alright. She was about to jump on him, but then… she saw his eyes. She gazed into them and realized… Nataku was lost. He seemed confused. Distant. That triggered something in Ayame. Her greatest fears were about to become real.
She blinked and when she opened her eyes she saw the house she was in. But the house was in flames and she was alone in the room with no one by her side. She blinked again and everything came back to normal.
“What…” – she thought. But she had to remain strong and not worry Nataku. This time this wasn't for her. It was for him. Maybe that was part of growing up. Or maybe it was because she cared about him more that her survival. Ayame wiped her tears with her hand, took the glass with water and hand it to Nataku. Then she faked a soft smile and tried to hide the horror in her eyes.
- I’m fine, Nataku. Don't worry about me.
“He doesn't remember what happened” – Ayame tried not to break down and analyze the situation, so she could be in help of Nataku “He changed so drastically… and he doesn’t remember what happened after… after that. He changed after I said that name… did I… did I trigger this?”
Without realizing she made a fists.
“Who is that… guy…” she was afraid to even think about the name and saying it out loud was unthinkable.
Then she remembered that Izura and Nataku… no.. that guy… Izura and that guy knew each other. So she had to be clever in this conversation. She didn’t want to lose Nataku again.
So before explaining everything she had to see if what she was thinking right now was correct.
- Nataku... - she started with a tender voice, still keeping the fake soft smile, but she seemed unsure - You're not the only consciousness living in this body, right? There is someone else living in that body, that's not Nataku... am I right?

 

[Kurosawa Nataku]

There was a moment of eye contact between the two. Nataku caught something in her eyes that worried him. Ayame assured him that she was fine, but she didn't look fine. She was crying, and even if she tried to hide it it was obvious. The smile she gave him was beyond fake. She handed him a glass of water and he took it. "Thanks," he said as he sat up and took a drink. She made fists and Nataku wasn't sure why. She was repressing some emotions that she wouldn't share. The conversation steered in a direction he'd rather it didn't go.

She asked him if he was the only consciousness in that body. Nataku responded without thinking, "It's actually the opposite. Like I told you, I am one consciousness spread across several bodies." Although something clicked in his head when he said it. He actually considered why she might be asking the question. The way she asked it; something must have happened that made her feel that way. Nataku thought about this and became concerned. If there was another consciousness, perhaps he didn't fully understand his powers. What if each one of his paths that he created added to his consciousness, and that meant that there were several people living inside the same set of bodies? He became worried. It would explain the memory loss and how he ended up in places without remembering how he got there or what he was doing. He thought that was just a side effect of the massive amnesia he had after the Cabal attacks.

Nataku decided that was an overreaction. Maybe this was related to his powers in a more basic sense. When he first gained his powers, a seal was used to separate his two paths, but they both shared his consciousness. Perhaps that separation never fully went away when Nataku thought he had unlocked it. Maybe that was it. So perhaps Ayame wasn't too far off. Still, it was concerning knowing there were parts of his life that he couldn't recollect. No, there was a bigger issue. Three years big. During that time, was he actually active as another person? The wheels started turning in his head. He stayed stoic and silent in front of Ayame as he attempted to figure it out. Who was he? An identity crisis was occurring.

Then he realized something. Ayame was asking him this question. That meant she saw what happened. She had a reason for asking. Suddenly, a serious look appeared on Nataku's face. He looked straight into her eyes and said, "Ayame, I need you to be honest with me. What happened out there? I need every detail." The look on his face showed he meant business. He would not tolerate anything but the truth.

 

[Ayame]

Ayame looked at him with a concern look in her eyes.
"No... don't ask me this, please..." was what she thought. She wasn't stupid. She knew that this name might take away Nataku once again. There was a moment of silence in the room, as the girl was watching the floor on her right side, trying to stop her tears. And she succeeded. Then she looked him again, half angry, half sad. She knew this was the only way, but it was hurting her too much.
- Nataku... father... - she started - this thing... you really wanna know it if it means it'll take you away from me?
Of course he would want to know. She would too.
- I... before I tell you... I need you to know one thing. I love you. I never had a family. I never knew what was like having a family, a home. I see you as my father, Nataku, and I treasure you more than my own life. Before I met you my only goal was to survive, despite everything and everyone. I never let anyone to get close to me, I didn't cared about anyone. After my firs kill I felt free. I knew I was ready to kill, so I could survive a day. People for me were only targets, not human beings with emotions, love for someone, family. You... you were target too. But you changed that perception for people I had. You enrolled me to the academy, I met people and I interacted with them as a normal human being. I was able to reveal myself to you. You kept me safe, protected me and without realizing you became the most important person in my life. You became my father, my family, a sanctuary... and I wont accept the possibility of losing you. You changed me, Nataku. A demon couldn't do this. Maybe you're wondering why am I telling you this... It's because I feel that things will become really bad. And I want you, Nataku's consciousness, my father, to know that whatever happens there is a person out there who loves him, who'll go through hell and back for you. I'll come after you and bring you back no matter what. I'll keep this village and this home safe, so you'll always have a place to return. I won't give up, I promise you this. Because family never abandons each other. And now when I have one I'll not lose it!
She took his hand in hers.
- Nataku... that men you protected there... he is my brother. Uchiha Izura. After you defeated these guys I saw his memories. My family is dead, only he survived. In his memories... I saw... you. But you weren't Kurosawa Nataku there. It seemed that you took care of Izura back then. I got angry, cause I thought you were lying to me about everything and screamed at you with the name that I heard from his memories. Then you changed. Nataku... your eyes... someone else was looking through them. The eyes never lie.
Nataku could see some tears on the girl's eyes, but she didn't cried.
- You started healing Izura, but your hands weren't glowing in the usual green.. it was red. You and Izura talked for a while. You knew each other, but it seemed that you were not getting along. Then Izura came to me, but I was looking at you the entire time. I was scared for you. And then... you fainted. Right before you hit the ground I managed to catch you, but I fell with you. I told Izura to help me get you home, so he summoned his bird that brought us here. I manage to get you inside the house and brought the mattress from my bed here, while breaking everything that was on my way. The name of that man in Izura's memories that you said he is dead was...
Ayame held tight Nataku's hand and her hands began to shake.
- Yasha Sojobo.

She stared into Nataku's eyes, hoping they don't change again.

 

[Kurosawa Nataku]

Nataku noticed something. She called him "father". That was new, and it felt strange. Strange, but he actually liked it. She asked if he really wanted to know. She said that it would take him away from her. He didn't understand what she meant by that. How could he? He was the one struggling now. She was the one who had to care for him. But he didn't see it that way. He would never see it that way. And that's what would lead to disaster.

Ayame started by not telling him what happened. Instead, she told her own perspective of how she felt towards Nataku. At first, he wanted her to skip that part. But suddenly he began to understand something about how she was talking. She was speaking as though he was leaving. As though this was the last time she would get to talk to him. Am I dying? he thought. The words she was saying were so powerful it made his eyes water a bit. "Ayame.." he muttered softly, in a loving voice. In that moment Nataku really accepted that this was his daughter now. Not just some child he helped out, not just anyone. He really loved her, and it was clear she felt the same way about him.

She said something that was a bit amusing to Nataku, but he didn't laugh. She said a demon couldn't have done what he did. She was wrong because he was a demon. It was just a misunderstanding most humans had about demons. They weren't all the same. They weren't all big, scary monsters that were the manifestation of evil. That didn't matter, so he didn't say anything. He just listened. Eventually she explained why she was saying this. Ayame told him that she had a feeling something bad would happen. For some reason Nataku was starting to feel the same way. But he didn't know why. The way she was talking was concerning him. He really didn't understand.

She grabbed his hands and it caused him to tense up. He looked into her eyes, unsure. Uchiha Izura. She said that name. He was her brother. Wait, but she didn't have a family, right? Maybe she has just been tricked by Genjutsu, he thought. He remained silent. When he healed him, his hands were red? But his chakra didn't turn red unless... unless his demonic powers were active. And there would have been no reason for him to use his demonic power to heal someone. He never did that. Then he fainted? Something was strange. It wasn't adding up. And why did the name Uchiha Izura sound so familiar? Nataku wanted to speak, to ask questions, but Ayame was still talking. It was almost as if she hadn't even told the full story.

A bird. Izura summoned a bird that brought Nataku home. The bird from my dreams? he thought, That's impossible! Then she said something about a name of a man in Izura's memories. I said someone was dead? he thought, becoming even more confused. His head was spinning. He couldn't make sense of anything. She paused, and she squeezed his hands really tight. Her hands were shaking, and he was worried for her. What was this powerful name?

Yasha Sojobo.

Nataku froze. He was confused, as if the name was supposed to be more powerful than it was. As if something was supposed to happen. But nothing did. The name was familiar, but didn't recognize it. Someone else did, though.

Knock knock, came a voice from... everywhere. No, it didn't come from any direction. It came from inside of him. Ayame didn't seem to hear it. Nataku looked around the room, but saw nobody. No you idiot, I AM you, it said.

What..? he thought.

God you're so clueless, it said, Who did you think was running the show every time you weren't around? For those three years? Did you really believe you were the one? That you were just conveniently forgetting what had happened?

So that's it, then. You've been controlling me! Nataku said. Well, no, neither of them said anything. It was just thoughts, but mentally, they were communicating.

Not exactly. Like I said, I AM you.

It's exactly as I feared. I've gone mad. He looked at Ayame. He didn't know what face to make, but a sad expression appeared. He couldn't possibly explain what was going on. He wasn't sure he even wanted to. He was still processing.

Not mad, no. You've just forgotten. I've made you forget.

Why would you do that?!

Because you asked me to, the voice said in a tone that implied it found it humorous. And yet it seemed serious.

Would I have really done that? he thought. The voice could hear his thoughts.

Yes, you did. You were complaining about how sad you were and how you couldn't go on. The loss of your dear friend. Your lover. Oh the pain, it said mockingly. This made Nataku angry, but then he saw Ayame and calmed down. Oh don't worry about her. She's not important.

If you were actually me you wouldn't say things like that. Ayame.. Kuma.. how dare you. I will get rid of you!

It laughed. It actually laughed. Nataku was hearing a voice inside of him laugh. It was frightening. You haven't been listening. I am you. You can't get rid of me, we're one and the same.

No! We are not the same! Nataku argued. He wouldn't accept it. He couldn't.

You're pretty scary, the voice said. The words and the way he said them. This other version of himself. It definitely existed for a long time. Those were the words Kuma said to him right before she died. Right before he couldn't save her...

Tears began to fall from Nataku's face. Ayame was holding his hands, but he broke that connection and instead grabbed her in a full on hug. He did this for two reasons. First, he didn't want her to see him cry. Second, he didn't want to lose her. Not like he lost Kuma. His memory of that moment was gone for so long, but with those words from this mysterious voice, Nataku regained it. It was extremely painful.

Listen, I'm not your enemy. Your attachments are. Ayame, Kuro, Sunagakure, all of it. They're holding you back. They're only going to cause you more pain. You and I, we are one and the same. We have the same goals, but our methods are different. The more people you involve yourself with, the harder everything will be. Trust me, I know from experience. Nataku wanted to argue, but he couldn't. There was something in the way he heard the voice that made it seem like he wasn't lying. It was genuine. He could feel it. You can call me Senkaku, it'll be easier that way.

"Hah," Nataku said out loud, "I've really lost it." He was still holding Ayame. His grip was tight, almost too tight. Maybe even a little painful. Nataku was upset. This world was too cruel. He had finally found a reason to live, and now he was beginning to see that he wasn't fit for that job. He couldn't be a father to this girl. He couldn't even handle himself.

Okay, so who is this Yasha Sojobo fellow? Is that me? he asked.

There was a pause. Senkaku didn't answer immediately. N-no. You just look like him. Izura thinks you're him. Ayame saw Izura's memories, so she probably thought you were too. But Yasha Sojobo is dead. That's all you need to know.

Izura... Ayame said his name too. Who is he?

Exactly as she said. He's her older brother, and her only surviving relative. Sojobo was... a father to him. Much like you are to Ayame, strange as that is... Senkaku's voice trailed off. Nataku began to speculate what that meant. He wasn't convinced that this Sojobo was any different from who he was. But why would Senkaku lie to him about that?

Nataku looked at Ayame and a thought crossed his mind. So, will you leave me alone now. I have a life I need to live and you're making it quite difficult.

It's not that simple. I am always here, but I can stop bothering you if you'd like. But I'll still be here, watching, listening. We are the same person after all.

If that's true, then how were you able to exist without me realizing it. You took control and experienced things that I have no memory of. If there's a way to get me out of the way, I must be able to do the same to you.

That's.. only temporary. You were there. You just can't remember. Seem familiar? I told you, we are the same person. But I'll leave you alone, for now.

And then the voice was gone. Senkaku was gone. But Nataku had an unnerving sensation. Senkaku was always watching him. In reality, it shouldn't have bothered him, as he was always there. But now he was aware of his presence, and that made it feel like he couldn't be alone. And with someone always watching, Nataku couldn't act like his true self anymore. He let go of Ayame and wiped the tears from his face. He looked her in the eye and just watched. For a moment, the painful emotions he was feeling subsided.

"Ayame.. I'm sorry. I can't-" he stopped. The words he was trying to say escaped him. I.. he started again, but with no completion. "I love you. There's a lot I can't explain right now, and it's going to be hard for you. But understand that no matter what, I will always love you."

 

[Ayame]

Ayame watched Nataku carefully. She had to, cause she wanted to know what was going on. The girl was aware that questions about what was happening were only going to worsen his condition, so she remained silent.
Something was going on in his head right now. It seemed as he was dealing with something... or someone. The sad look on his face when he looked at Ayame was hurting her more than anything. Even when they tortured her it didn't hurt so bad. She wanted to get inside his head and see what was going on. She wanted to speak with that man that was looking through Nataku's eyes back then. She had a lot to tell him. What was he thinking, trying to take Nataku away from her?
That man... he was stepping in Ayame's territory and he was going to let the worst in her to show up. No one had the right to take away what was sacred to her.
Out of a sudden Nataku hugged her. And she hugged him back.
"Hah," Nataku said out loud, "I've really lost it."
Ayame opened her eyes widely, realizing her greatest fear was about to come true. He hugged her so tightly.
"No..." the girl thought.
She hugged him so hard, with all the strength she had.
"No..." again appeared in her mind.
At that moment she wanted to cry. Nataku admitted that something bad was happening. She wanted so badly to cry and to scream at him not to leave her. But she didn't. There wasn't a single tear in her eyes. That scared girl was no more. That girl died just now in order to help Nataku. And that girl was ready to spill blood for him.
He let go of her and she noticed that he wiped his tears. But her face didn't change. Normally she would just cry with him, explaining him how hurtful everything was, waiting for him to comfort her, but not anymore. She looked at him with determination in her eyes and calm expression on her face.

- Nothing bad is going to happen to you as long as I'm around. And I'll always be around. I'll seek you out even in hell. I'll bring hell here, if it's the only way to bring you back to me.
Was what she said and then smiled softly for a moment. She tried to comfort him as he did in her toughest nights.
Nothing mattered anymore. Only him. Her revenge could wait.
She stood up and looked at him with dead serious face.
- Don't explain, Nataku. I don't want an explanation from you. The only thing I want is to remain calm, don't force yourself and try not to think of the things that happened. Nothing could be harder than losing you. I'm going to show you why I was one of the best in the gang.
She reached with her hand at Nataku, as she was waiting to receive something from him.
- Pleace, Nataku. Give me my piercing back. Don't worry, I'm not doing stupid things. I promise you.

 

[Kurosawa Nataku]

Ayame extended her hand, as if expecting something. She asked for her piercing back. Nataku hesitated. He didn't want to give it back to her. Not after she told him what it was. Honestly, he should have just destroyed it, but he didn't. It was in his pocket. He thought about lying to her and telling her it was gone. Senkaku cackled in his head. Clearly he hadn't gone anywhere. See? You don't trust her and with good reason. You wanna know why she was one of the best in her gang? Because she's a really good con artist. She even managed to fool you! But somewhere deep down you know that you can't trust her.

You're wrong! Nataku shot back, Ayame would never betray me. I trust her! That's why I told her about my eyes, and that's why I'll give her the piercing back. It seemed as though Senkaku's influence had actually pushed Nataku to make a decision out of defiance. That was unlike him, as normally he was calm and collected in every decision. This one, for example, he would have never made. He would have destroyed the piercing, if he was his normal self. Instead he reached into his pocket and pulled out the small orb. He gently placed it in her hand and said, "Please don't do anything dangerous with this."

Your trust in her will be your downfall, Nataku.

He ignored that. It didn't matter. Nataku decided that long ago. She was a young girl and he had offered her hope of a better life. She didn't have a reason to betray him. Plus, even if she did, there was no sword the gang could steal. Their lack of understanding would lead them to a lot of wasted effort. The sword was formed from chakra, a technique that only Rikudo Sennin possessed. No matter what they tried, it wasn't something that could be stolen and sold for a large sum. All of that was what allowed Nataku to trust in Ayame. Still, somewhere, some part of him doubted. Perhaps that was Senkaku, or maybe they really were just two parts of the same person.

Nataku did not know what to expect next. Was Ayame going to show him something? Seeing the look in Ayame's eyes made his mind flashed to something horrible. He remembered something he did a few nights prior. The little Kaguya girl. He felt sick about it. He felt as though he needed to tell Ayame, because telling her might make her understand that he wasn't this great person she thought he was. It might make it easier for her to forget about him. Easier for him to disappear, before he does any real harm. If only it could be easier...

 

[Ayame]

Ayame took the piercing in her hand and felt better. The only thing that she could control in her life was her death. She placed the piercing on her tongue, went to the window and looked at the darkness. Silence filled the room once again.
She just met her long lost brother, she was about to lose Nataku, and something happened. The whole house was on fire for a moment. Acting like nothing happened was hard for the girl, but she didn't want to worry Nataku.

She returned to the moment before. Nataku hugged her and told her things that were supposed to make her happy. But they didn't.
"I love you.", "No matter what, I will always love you."
This sounded more like a farewell, than a calming words of a father.
"Father..." she thought and the picture of her real father appeared in her head "Why didn't you just let me die, you bastard. I should have died on the streets, hungry and cold. I should have froze to death. But I didn't. I should have died from the tortures, but I didn't. I should have died from Nataku when I was trying to steal that sword, I didn't. Instead he became my father. He protected me like you did, and now he''ll leave me like you did, I can feel it."
Now she finally let herself to feel love. She knew what was like to have a family, a home.
Ayame looked at Nataku.
But home is not a place. It's a feeling. And she was going to lose it. She thought she have been trough the worst, but this... this was hell. To finally know what was like to have a family and to prepare yourself to lose it.
And then she realized... this was a mistake. She had to run away from here when she had the chance. She had to play Nataku's game and just run away from him. The leader of the gang was right. These human emotions of love, affection were the things she had to run from. In her life she had many lives. She was a daughter of a rich merchant, she was lost kid, she was a waitress, she had a sister, she had no family, she was a grown up woman, she was someone's dead kid, she was invisible, she showed affection, love, hatred, indifference, she cried, she beg, she had short hair, blue eyes, she had white hair, she wore a lipstick, she wore a dress, she had a dog, she was poor, she was rich, she had everything, she had nothing. But she never had Nataku. She was a good actress. Of all the roles she played, she found herself in being Nataku's daughter. And this time this wasn't a role, it was her life. That was a mistake that she would do again and again.
Then she noticed something. Nataku seemed like he wanted to tell her something. She smiled softly at him.
- What is it, Nataku? Do you need something?
Ayame asked him with a calm loving tone. She was hiding her emotions so well, like nothing happened.

 

[Kurosawa Nataku]

Ayame had noticed that something was on Nataku's mind. He wasn't really prepared to tell her, but he felt as though he had to. Telling her might allow this whole thing to be easier. If only...

"Listen, Ayame, remember how I told you that my ability lets me exist in multiple bodies simultaneously?" He said, waiting for her to acknowledge this. "I never told you how it works. It's a Kinjutsu, forbidden, for a reason. It requires dead bodies, corpses, to use. Using a body that's mostly in-tact, I can transfer a portion of my soul into it and claim it for myself. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Yes, Nataku was revealing the dark nature of his abilities. That the other paths he had were just reanimated corpses. That the fuel for his strength was the deaths of others.

"There are some out there who have my ability, and they kill people so they can use their bodies. After all, depending on the body you take over you can gain some of their natural abilities. For example, if I kill an Uchiha and take their body, I can use their Sharingan and those abilities that are natural to their blood. I don't kill to gain power, but I still use corpses. Typically I try to find already dead bodies and use them, but morally I'm not sure that's much better." Nataku stopped. He didn't want to continue. He had already said too much, but this was all just explanation so he could get to the bad part. The part that was really messed up.

He looked down and broke eye contact with Ayame. "A few days ago, I did something horrible. There was a little girl, younger than you, running down the street. As it turns out, she was a Kaguya, a rare bloodline that allows one to manipulate their bones. She was running because she couldn't control her abilities, and they were running wild. She didn't want to harm anyone. Her parents asked me to do something, to help her. I couldn't do anything for her. The girls power killed her, shooting bone all over the place and tearing apart her own body. The desperate look in her parents' eyes made me want to help. I wanted to do something. So I..." he stopped. He couldn't say it. He didn't want to admit what he did.

"I lied to them. I told them there was something I could do. I brought her back to life, as one of my paths. I put some of my soul into that body, so now it is a part of me. And I've been using that body to pretend as though its their child. I couldn't look them in the eye and tell them their daughter had died. So instead I did something much worse. Maybe at the time I thought it was for that reason, but now I'm convinced that deep down I just wanted that ability and I took advantage of the situation. The search for power has turned me into a terrible person. I'm sorry, Ayame."

 

[Ayame]

The girl listened to Nataku, absorbing the information. When he broke the eye contact she looked outside the window once again. Her expression didn't change the whole time. It was hard to read what she was feeling, but after all she was a good actress and playing roles and stealing was what she was best at. But now she acted this way not because she had to steal something, but because she didn't want to worry Nataku. It was strange, maybe scary how the person you're used to see as a scared and angry child could become something so different in a matter of seconds. Now you could see nothing on her face. It seemed as if it was made of stone and couldn't express emotions. There was nothing in her eyes, and he girl seemed so calm. After he was done explaining, there was no reaction from Ayame. She was staring out the window, acting like what she heard right now was not a big deal.
Then the girl noticed something in the darkness. White raven landed on the porch of their house, staring directly at the girl. She remained calm, but her eyes narrowed.
"Fuck..." This wasn't an ordinary bird for monitoring. This was his bird and he was able to see from it's eyes. "Why he came here... he won't do this only for a betrayal, there are people who took care of that. Unless..."
- Nataku... - said the girl, without breaking the eye contact with the bird - there are people that are not meant to live long. And sometimes it's better to die, than to suffer more and more. This world offered us such powers so we can use them, not to dismiss them. I won't and I cannot judge you. I was trained not to think about the moral of the story, so I'm in no position to judge, because I survived by the death and misfortune of others. You act good towards me, so I don't care what you do. As long as we stay the same way I'm ready to help you conquer the world if you want.
She smiled at the raven.
- And kill anyone who tries to harm you.
After this the raven flew away.
Ayame kept analyzing the situation.
"This was never about the sword. It was about Nataku all along and now I know why..."
She looked at Nataku and smiled softly:
- Go upstairs to take a rest, Nataku. I'll take care of the mess here.

 

[Kurosawa Nataku]

Nataku was put off by the way she reacted. Or rather, the way she didn't react. He felt stupid. He was opening up to a child.

I told you, do not trust her! came the voice. He ignored it.

Ayame was staring out the window. She tried to justify to his actions to him, but she spoke with such a dispassionate tone. Then, to add to the eeriness, she smiled while maintaining her look out the window. Nataku didn't like this. He responded, "People are not meant to live forever, and I really don't think I should be an exception to that," he said, becoming unsure of who he really was. Was he actually Kurosawa Nataku? Was he actually in his late twenties, or had he been around far longer? Suddenly he felt as though he needed air. He needed to not be around Ayame. A walk to clear his head.

He stood up. He wanted to believe her words, but there was something strange about how she was behaving. He wondered if Senkaku was right. Maybe this was all so she could understand his power, and now that she knew it, she didn't need to act anymore. Nataku was frustrated. Ayame told him to go up stairs but he shook his head. "No, I think I'll go for a stroll. Thanks," he said and hurried out the door. Nataku was acting strangely now too. He needed to go somewhere where he couldn't be disturbed. Where he could face Senkaku head on and come to terms with his situation.

He walked out the front door without a word, never making eye contact with Ayame. As he reached for the door, he paused for a moment, contemplating. Then he swung the door open and walked out, closing it behind him. He looked up to the sky and sighed. "I'm sorry," he muttered under his breath, "But there's no turning back for me." He wasn't speaking to anyone that could actually hear him. He was speaking to the dead who had left him behind, to bathe in the misery of isolation. He was referring to the fact that the man he was died with them, and that nothing could bring that man back. There were no tears; only a facial expression devoid of life. His eyes were cold and he set off into the distance, leaving Ayame behind.

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[Ayame]

Ayame tried to remain calm. But when Nataku went out and the door was closed she couldn't pretend anymore. She fell on her knees and placed her hand on her chest.
- Why does it hurt so bad... - She whispered to herself in tears.
Ayame looked around. She knew when she wasn't welcome anymore.
The girl took care of the mess, went to her room, took her backpack and put her black hooded cloak on her.
She then went on the first floor and opened the front door, but the girl turned to see the house once again.
"I won't bother you, Nataku. I know you need time. I hope you'll be ok. I love you." was what she thought before closing the door on the outside.
The tiny hooded figure disappeared in the darkness. Cawing of a raven echoed.

Once this place was a home. A place where she felt safe. A place that belonged to someone she loved.

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