The Key To So Many Doors (Hidan Story)

Chapter 13

Shima was used to living in backwater towns, however.

After all, the place she'd been born and lived in for a lot of her life had been just that.

It had been a peaceful, beautiful place. The forest surrounded them, granting them natural protection, giving them food and shelter and anything they could need or want. It was beautiful no matter what time of the year; regardless of the seasons, there was something to look at in awe. The village wasn't particularly big or overly populated either, hidden away in the depths of the forest and meaning that no one from the outside world ever came into their world. They were utterly isolated, and it was only when there was absolutely no other choice that someone left for a reason—maybe then, when they came back, a slight alteration occurred—but not enough to change their ways or traditions. An evolution that ended in nothing new and improved. Things remained pretty much the same with each year that passed, and no one tried to alter that fact.

But this ultimately meant they were stuck in their ways. It meant that differences; changes—anything out of the norm—was treated with disdain and indifference. They were treated as if they weren't allowed, and some who had been unusual and unlike the rest of the clan had simply headed off into the depths of the forest, with no food and nothing to help them survive. But they didn't want to. Knowing that they didn't fit in, and would have everyone always glaring at them and brushing them aside, they considered staying and trying to adapt their life to stay with the clan to be pointless. They were simply better off dead. It didn't matter what member of the clan found out about these differences, whether children or adults. Everyone acted as if they shouldn't be around, the children following their parent's example. They grew up with that atmosphere, and remained with that perspective.

Shima had had everything when she was younger; all that she could have wanted. Her mother, father, and though she didn't have any siblings, she had enough friends to make up for it. She had always wanted to be a ninja, and loved it—but her abilities had always been a little unusual, though not enough to do anything about. They had seen she wasn't quite on the same level with her power, and even her parents hadn't been sure. But it didn't matter, either way. Because of her love of fighting, she loved to learn the ninja arts—it never took her long to learn a new technique, and she was a natural. It earned her place in the clan, and they took pride in her talents.

At least they had done.

That had been before her ability to have visions had shown up; before she had revealed it to the clan. Shima had thought it would be okay; they had been proud of all that she could do as a ninja, and this was just another aspect of it, even if no one else in the clan was able to do so. But Shima had been wrong. Instead of being impressed with her ability to have visions, they had dismissed her, just like they did with anyone else who was different. They hated her ability, and dismissed her, regardless of what she tried to do to convince them otherwise. She couldn't do a thing to change how her situation had turned out, no matter how hard she fought.

When she turned sixteen she went through the ritual that every child in her clan went through. She received the same gift from the monks that the others did—and more. That was when she knew she was special. They had told her things and trained her, and for once Shima thought that now things would change. Now the monks had said this she'd be accepted. Though when she came down and showed the elders it was clear this wasn't true. Now Shima was considered even more of a freak than before—to the point where she couldn't stay in the clan anymore. She would have to leave. Upon trying to reason with her parents and get them to help her, she had received none, finding they agreed, and Shima found herself completely and utterly isolated.

There were times when she remembered the people who had left the village and gone into the forest after they were picked out as different; as she lived on the outskirts of the village they had often passed by her house on their journey out. When the memories passed through her mind, she considered the idea of doing the same. Their suggestion of leaving was beginning to look good to her. What was the point in staying when everyone pushed her away and brushed her aside, treating her like scum? Shima knew she would never be able to reach the same sort of level the other children could with how she was. She would never be able to fulfill the dreams she had had before all this had happened. So why bother anymore?

So things changed. With all that happened, Shima began to think differently; her sadness turned to anger. Why should she feel bad about all this? It wasn't her fault that she was able to see visions. Other people in the clan before her had been able to do the same, and yet she was picked out as a freak because of it? Shima knew she had done nothing to deserve this treatment. All that anger she had held back for so many years surfaced, and she attacked both her parents and the elders. She had ended up leaving the village and making her way in the world. But in the same way, it was how she had ended up living in that village, remaining in the same sort of backwater town, doing pathetic missions and isolating herself from everyone around her.

It was these memories that flashed through Shima's mind as she laid her hands on the wall, reminding her of how it had been during her childhood; during her life. Though after travelling with Hidan and having him ask all those questions, after having him say what he had Shima knew Hidan saw things differently, she couldn't truly let her guard down around him, no matter how she tried to convince herself otherwise. In a way, she wasn't sure she wanted to, the idea that his opinion might change when he saw it happen; when he saw what she could do still hovering at the back of her mind. It wasn't as if it was an impossible situation; it had happened with tons of people during her life, whether from her clan or in the outside world after she had shown them. Regardless of how she tried to push the idea away, it remained in her head.

Shima didn't like that fact. She hated it. She didn't want to live her life like this, always been cautious and afraid. She told herself and everyone around her that she didn't care what she thought; that she wasn't ashamed of her ability and showing it off, but deep down she knew it was a lie—and she hated that too. Shima had never been the kind of person who shied away from people and hid herself from the limelight, living in the shadows. She wasn't shy and retiring; if there was something she wanted to say, she was willing to say it—and at the top of her voice in the middle of a crowd of people. For the most part, Shima didn't care what people thought; it was just when it came down to this that it all changed.

Gritting her teeth, Shima tried to forget all these thoughts and concentrate on what she had to do, thinking furiously,

What the hell am I doing? I'm on a mission here; I told Hidan and Kakuzu that I'd do this, and I will. I don't want to show Hidan, but I don't have a choice, and I never back down from anything! I need to bring on a vision! So why the hell am I thinking about my ability? It doesn't matter right now! Just concentrate!

But no matter what she did, no vision appeared in her mind. It was the memories that returned time and time again, not allowing her to forget her past, simply reminding her of her faults and her idiotic perspective on what she could do. Because that's what she knew it was. Idiotic and utterly pathetic. Only it hadn't faded. After all she had done to attempt to get rid of it; to change it, and it was always there. It was just now that it appeared to be fluttering around her conscious constantly, not letting up for a second and allowing her to concentrate on anything else. If anything, it seemed like it wasn't possible to bring on a vision when it came down to this wall; to this key. There was nothing Shima could do to help them, and as much as she hated to admit it, they were on their own when it came down to looking for it.

And as such, she slowly opened her eyes, returning herself to the present and reality.