amethyst solitary (naruto u.)

better left unsaid

Oftentimes, when life escalates to the worse, setting a goal can be both comforting and effectively distracting. So, what more can a human being ask for than to relax in a tub filled with hot water to ease their overthinking in the middle of the night?

Manaka snatched some spare clothes from her vanity drawers after shutting her apartment's entrance door and entered her bathroom, immediately stripping off her damped dress before turning the bathtub faucet on. She waited for the tub to fill itself then submerged her body to the bottom until the extremely hot water reached right above her collarbones.

She released a moan as she stretched her entire limbs, melting away within the natural remedy. She really needed this. After carrying all of that angst ever since the hard truth struck her like lightning in a freak storm, her body seriously required some water immersion healing; She arched her head and stared apathetically at the ceiling.

Recalling previous events, Hana had vanished for a brief moment before Jiraiya made an appearance. The ancient spirit reasoned it would be best to give her doppelgänger some time alone to register things thoroughly and focus on calculating her next movement. However, the silk-haired woman really hoped the adolescent makes the right decision before the eclipse takes place.

Hana genuinely didn't want to see her suffer from a universe's penalty if she were to try disobeying its ruthless obedience. Coming from someone who once got trapped in a novel for hundreds of years, the past warrior can affirm the consequences that contributed her to being punished was absurdly callous and remorseless. If that alone was an ill punishment, what other terrible thing could be generated upon another mortal if they were not to follow their written destiny?

In all honesty, Hana could care less if she ever gets out of the book or not. But, having to watch an innocent soul eventually stumble upon a similar consequence in the future she committed just like in times past was merely another solitary level of heartbreak. It's like standing aside and watching a victim drown in a merciless, frenetic sea without attempting to reach for their flailing hand and save them. Because she couldn't physically be next to her at the moment, all Hana could do for her was to pray until she acknowledges what's best for her.

Manaka found herself wrapping her arms around her abdomen, dipping her head completely into the water, helpless with resisting the tears from falling. She's beginning to realize that everything that made her happy within this world was solely a mere hallucination. She grew bitter, bitter to where she cursed the masked man, the cosmos, and whoever invented Chakra for dragging her here against her will.

And herself for being a coward for permitting it.

What was the whole point in appearing here if she were to forget everything by the time she returns home? It's not like she has a choice in choosing whether to stay or not. Both routes will crumble her world to the ground either way: If she chooses to stay, her previous life gets erased. If she chooses to leave, her life in the shinobi world gets erased.

But she knew one thing overall.

She wanted to free Hana.

However, the sudden burden barreling down on her weighed heavy and it overwhelmed her to the core. She squeezed her trembling eyes shut as muffled sobs escaped her wavering mouth under the water, emerging into nothing but garbled bubbles.

///

Capturing Itachi in order to lure Sasuke back was a complete failure for the Eight Man Squad.

However, in the midst of their mission, the shinobis came across an Akatsuki member wearing the same orange mask Manaka had described in her final moments before getting suddenly taken to the ninja realm. He was awfully foolish, carrying a brain similar to a child's. But startlingly enough, slick when he came to countering their attacks. Naruto tried persuading him into revealing the purpose of kidnapping Manaka and his aim from Rapture's potential, but the cloaked man refused to cooperate. He remained acting idiotic.