She wish she didn't have to feel so goddamn numb. Its all she ever felt, and that scared her. The ice in her bloodline froze much more than she bargained for. Never before did such numbness bother her. She was always a girl distant from the world. Until recently, she hardly knew what it meant to care about others. She made progress so much since meeting Natsu and Masao, so why did she revert back all of the sudden. When it mattered most. When the pain and sadness were meant to flow she felt so little. She didn't want to be on the other side of this wall.
His body was a million miles away. Like a picture, she looked at it and saw a memory. It was all too unreal. Even as Keiji tried to stir something within her, Haruka remained stoic. Although, she refused to pull her gaze away from his face. A tightening in her chest threatened to choke out the air as her adrenaline descended. The consequence of a moment's decision finally slamming the Shima woman full force.
She killed a man whose one last mistake was loving her. She punished a man who had been scorned and hated all his life. He tried so desperately to his bitter end to prove to her that he wanted to be free. He wanted to live with light on his face. Yet she denied this of him again and again. She lied. She never trusted him and in the end that meant she never intended to show him kindness that he wanted. They were to be free together, but Haruka chose to shackle herself once again.
“I don't know.” She confessed, her voice a whisper barely heard over the scrubbing.
“The Shima have nothing to do with my choices.” She snapped, her fierceness relighting upon hearing Keiji's question. “They are not to be blamed. I left them only a few short years ago because I could not follow the path they had set for me. That isn't to say I don't care for my clan, but let it be known that they have nothing to do with my actions.” She mulled over the question. Honestly, she knew not why she did what she had. More than one reason swam about her head, but she couldn't pinpoint the core reasoning behind her action. Haruka chose to sweep it under the rug as distractions over the body came up.
She had almost forgotten that her family's precious prince has been the culprit to such bloody ends, but was reminded as Keiji slipped the arrows back into the boy's hands. Haruka hesitated to reach out towards him, blocked by Keiji's new barrage of thought. Ai risked so much. In the easiest terms, Haruka fucked over her younger cousin more than anyone ever could and in turn she ruined her clan. That was the only driving factor to keep all of this a secret. The only thing that mattered were the youth of her clan and protecting them at all cost.
“If I am given a choice to decide on the matter, I'd have the Isaki clan members escorted out of this village. Retaliation is the only outcome I see from them. They are powerful, not to be trifled with. Such a blow to their reputation will force their hand, but if we keep our ANBU trained on select members then we may be able to predict their attacks or anything of that sort.” She felt like an ANBU commander again, like in her Roenesia days. It made her feel comfortable, safe, and confident. Something she rarely felt these days. If she really had it her way, she'd have the whole lot of Kirigakurians ousted from her country. They brought nothing but grief for her people. A whole slew of troubling ninja cropped up when Mist went down. Then, their refugees leeched off the economic state of the village. She couldn't accept the idea of having Mist ninja work for Kumogakure too. Their loyalty would always be to their village. Too many things were wrong with that.
“I suppose we wait now.” She replied finally as the red haired doctor appeared once more. Given the short time where Keiji left the room to explain to his team what had happened, Haruka found her courage to approach Ai. She faced him with nothing but a poker face, but the way her eyes tore at him only sad that she regretted her decision to get him involved. Finally, after seconds of silence, she placed her hand on his shoulder.
“Are you alright, Ai-Sama? Please, I want you to know that I am sorry. I failed in my duty as a Shima.” Her voice was low, heard by no one but him unless they strained to hear. She kept her words vague so as to not tip off the Harvesters in the room as to what had actually transpired. As far as they knew, she was grieving over the loss of her Raikage and her inability to stop Hoshikata in time.
His body was a million miles away. Like a picture, she looked at it and saw a memory. It was all too unreal. Even as Keiji tried to stir something within her, Haruka remained stoic. Although, she refused to pull her gaze away from his face. A tightening in her chest threatened to choke out the air as her adrenaline descended. The consequence of a moment's decision finally slamming the Shima woman full force.
She killed a man whose one last mistake was loving her. She punished a man who had been scorned and hated all his life. He tried so desperately to his bitter end to prove to her that he wanted to be free. He wanted to live with light on his face. Yet she denied this of him again and again. She lied. She never trusted him and in the end that meant she never intended to show him kindness that he wanted. They were to be free together, but Haruka chose to shackle herself once again.
“I don't know.” She confessed, her voice a whisper barely heard over the scrubbing.
“The Shima have nothing to do with my choices.” She snapped, her fierceness relighting upon hearing Keiji's question. “They are not to be blamed. I left them only a few short years ago because I could not follow the path they had set for me. That isn't to say I don't care for my clan, but let it be known that they have nothing to do with my actions.” She mulled over the question. Honestly, she knew not why she did what she had. More than one reason swam about her head, but she couldn't pinpoint the core reasoning behind her action. Haruka chose to sweep it under the rug as distractions over the body came up.
She had almost forgotten that her family's precious prince has been the culprit to such bloody ends, but was reminded as Keiji slipped the arrows back into the boy's hands. Haruka hesitated to reach out towards him, blocked by Keiji's new barrage of thought. Ai risked so much. In the easiest terms, Haruka fucked over her younger cousin more than anyone ever could and in turn she ruined her clan. That was the only driving factor to keep all of this a secret. The only thing that mattered were the youth of her clan and protecting them at all cost.
“If I am given a choice to decide on the matter, I'd have the Isaki clan members escorted out of this village. Retaliation is the only outcome I see from them. They are powerful, not to be trifled with. Such a blow to their reputation will force their hand, but if we keep our ANBU trained on select members then we may be able to predict their attacks or anything of that sort.” She felt like an ANBU commander again, like in her Roenesia days. It made her feel comfortable, safe, and confident. Something she rarely felt these days. If she really had it her way, she'd have the whole lot of Kirigakurians ousted from her country. They brought nothing but grief for her people. A whole slew of troubling ninja cropped up when Mist went down. Then, their refugees leeched off the economic state of the village. She couldn't accept the idea of having Mist ninja work for Kumogakure too. Their loyalty would always be to their village. Too many things were wrong with that.
“I suppose we wait now.” She replied finally as the red haired doctor appeared once more. Given the short time where Keiji left the room to explain to his team what had happened, Haruka found her courage to approach Ai. She faced him with nothing but a poker face, but the way her eyes tore at him only sad that she regretted her decision to get him involved. Finally, after seconds of silence, she placed her hand on his shoulder.
“Are you alright, Ai-Sama? Please, I want you to know that I am sorry. I failed in my duty as a Shima.” Her voice was low, heard by no one but him unless they strained to hear. She kept her words vague so as to not tip off the Harvesters in the room as to what had actually transpired. As far as they knew, she was grieving over the loss of her Raikage and her inability to stop Hoshikata in time.
