"We will get to that momentarily..."
He commented. She shifted uneasily in her seat. She did not care for chairs and crossed her arms over her chest defensively.
"Have you killed a person before? If so, why? If not, have you ever thought it before in a serious manner? If so, why?"</B><i></i>
He asked a series of questions but did not answer her own as of yet. He wanted to know if she killed someone and he wanted to know why. The thing was, she had killed a number of people and those who died for her selfish gain far outweighed those who died out of necessary. Yet, a majority of those murders have passed their statute of limitation and even if such things were indefinite in this ANBU's mind, there were things she was not ready or willing to admit to. Even if she had, he would not believe her. Who would and perhaps that was the most perfect thing about this broken form -- who would believe that such a small, injured woman was Suna. As of late, she had fed to the point of contentment which was a sizable number that even she did not know but that was the thing with gifts -- you are not supposed to ask the price. The truth be told, for the most part she ignored her ravenous hunger even to her detriment. Her human sentiments caused her so much pain.
This question was a trick-question of course, a
"yes" would mean that someone died in a reportable way. If it was not sanctioned by the village or of self-defense, then she would be escorted to one of the cells that lined the halls.
"Yes" she answered dangerously. Her fingers moved in a stiff, almost pained manner as she tugged at her robes.
"Terminal," she added. A single word chosen as if she was having difficulty choosing her words. She in fact was, but not because she was attempting to tell a lie but rather attempting to color the truth in a favorable way.
"I was a medic and I killed people," she answered in all seriousness choosing to highlight that particular part of her life. Hopefully before he could react with indignation or anger she would continue/
"Life is precious but finite, there is a time when death is a kindness."<i></i> It was a terrible truth in medicine, despite their skill and progress, there was still a point where the maintenance of life was a travesty.
"Depending on your definition of life, I can force someone to survive indefinitely. When I deny one this or I withdraw such intervention, I am essentially killing them," she announced as a grim reality in human medicine. It was only a bit over a year ago, but it seemed like a lifetime ago for her -- a time when she was gentle and just doing her job. Primum non nocere, a Latin phrase that means
"first, do no harm." The bio-ethical principle of
non-maleficence that dictates 'good' and 'harm' on a continuum.
"I have no qualms with either -- the preservation of life or the hastening of death both have their place and their utility, so if the question you intended to ask me if not if I am a criminal but rather if I would have a moral reservation... I suppose it would be best if you saw my ethics in action." The statement was somewhat defensive, but the question was vague and moreover he made her
nervous standing there all grim and tall.
"I was also at the bakery at was attacked," she offered not knowing that he was also there.
"Those who defended the structure inadvertently caused a loss of life," she explained.
"Sometimes people die by mistake, being in the wrong place at the wrong time or on the wrong side of a fight. A pyrrhic victory is still better than a true loss," she concluded. Was she directly responsible for those deaths, actually no. She tossed muffins at them, at the time her mind was empty and dare one say...
useless. Still, in an act of sadism the Cabalist supporter killed them off, something they could not prevent in her perspective back then but now she looked back on what happened and she was left to wonder what else could have been done. If she was smarter. If she knew what she knew now?
"Do you think I have taken a life? If so, why?"
The ANBU then asked if she thought he had killed. Shiori nodded in affirmation from behind her mask.
"Because this village is hell,"<i></i> Shiori admitted in all honesty. The village survived the Djinn, Magnetica, the Cabal, various criminals, and personal demons. To think one could be a shinobi and have hands free of blood would be ludicrous.
<B>"But if I were to guess, a part of you might enjoy the occasional kill even but I think one day you will also regret your part yet suffer the hell of knowing that you would do it again." It was a bias she personally harbored in regards to the ANBU. She saw them as killers, as the people who do the dirty work of the Kazekage and for this reason protected their identities with a mask. Yet still, everyone had an ounce of 'humanity' even someone as inhuman as she. If she felt it, he would have to feel it also.
"So, have you? Do you?"