Blood Tainted Roses

•37 • A mother, a daughter •

Content warning for language in this chapter :)

"It's Cloud."

"Cloud?" Temari immediately sat up on her bed. "Where is he?"

"Iwagakure." Neji answered while he forwarded the information to her via text.

"Iwagakure?!" Temari echoed, puzzled. "Why would he be at Iwagakure?"

"I just forwarded the details to you."

"A mental hospital?" Temari sounded really concerned as she went through the file. "Who is this Kurenai?"

"His mother...of the sorts." Neji answered unsurely.

***

"Shikamaru get in the car, we're going on a trip."

Shikamaru was seven years old but he wasn't stupid. He knew something was off right from the moment his aunt suggested that they go on a trip. Alone. She offered him a pack of cookies but rather than eat them, Shikamaru fiddled with the wrap instead.

"Auntie where are we going?" The young boy asked curiously. All he received was a harsh glare from the older woman through the rear view mirror of her car. Shikamaru kept his mouth shut but not for long. "Why is it just the two of us? I'm sure my cousins would have loved to come along too."

The woman gained a tense smile as she gripped the steering wheel tightly. "Look here you little piece of shit. I know you're not dumb so you must very well have an idea where we're going." She spoke through gritted teeth.

Shikamaru nodded, face grim. "I heard you talking with Uncle yesterday. You can't keep me for much longer." His aunt smiled wider.

"Exactly! So if you know that shut the fuck up and eat those cookies like a good boy."

The young boy nodded and opened the cookies obediently. He nibbled on them slowly as he thought about his fate. The more he ate the heavier his eyes became until finally he succumbed to sleep.

Harsh splashes of water on his face woke the young boy up from his slumber. Shikamaru sat up with a start. The smell that assaulted his nose was strong enough to make him retch. He brought a hand over it. Where was he?!

Looking around, Shikamaru found out that he was outside and it was dark. Rain fell heavily from the sky and there was nothing to shield him from it. The young boy staggered to his feet. Where was his aunt? This was far different from the orphanage he imagined she was taking him to. Where was this place?! Shikamaru stumbled and faceplanted in a foul smelling substance. It made the boy want to vomit. He quickly sat up and used his jacket to wipe his face.

Tears began to build up in his eyes, the feeling hot compared to the cold rain that blew on his face. He was very confused and very hurt. Everywhere smelled so bad that he just wanted to go home. Home to his parents. To his parents that were no more. The thought elicited a wail out of him. Fat dollops of tears streamed down from his eyes, merging with the rain. He was cold and he was sad. Why did his parents have to die?

"Who's there?!"

The wind brought a voice like a miracle. Shikamaru's cries toned down to a miserable whimper. He needed somebody right now, anybody would do. "I'm- I'm here." The boy croaked, loud enough for the searcher to hear. Soon enough wet footsteps approached him until a figure was standing right in front of him. Shikamaru strained to see but he could tell it was a woman.

"Oh no, not another castaway." The woman muttered as she kneeled to Shikamaru's level, inspecting him with her hands. She felt all over his body for any injuries. "Are you hurt? Can you stand?"