The Way Into Mist Village (Naruto)

5: The Lair

[OP: "Eat you Alive"--The Oh Hellos]

That second day of walking stretched out longer, it felt like. Most of the first day they'd only walked for part of it.

Shine passed the time by singing songs, and she seemed to keep her spirits up by doing so. It annoyed most of the ninja, but there wasn't much else to do.

She taught some of the songs to the Sand and Hyugas, who wanted to learn more of their faith-based ones.

"'He said to me, "child, I'm afraid for your soul. These things that you're after they can't be controlled. This beast that you're after will eat you alive and spit out your bones..."'"

Shine also used this chance to explain some symbolism to them and how to interpret it in the book and other books she gave them. 

"Things like beasts usually mean carnal desires," she said, "also known as the flesh: things like greed, lust, sloth, craven fear."

"Those Mind Grimm were the worst," Wally commented.

"Those what?" Temari said.

And so Shine and Wally told them about fighting mind-influencing monsters in a land called Remnant, and how they'd shown them insights to how people react to temptations.

This story fascinated the shinobi who were listening to it.

Suigetsu, however, ever the cynic, declared he didn't believe a word of it.

"There's no such thing as monsters that twist your mind and then eat your soul," he said. "Who  could believe this crap?"

"What do you call Orochimaru then, genius?" Bakugo said sarcastically, hearing him. "They're not lying. This is all the truth."

"You've bought into this hook, line, and sinker," Suigetsu said.

"If there's no such thing as monsters that cause temptations," Momo said, "then why do the Tailed Beasts make people angry and vengeful? Why does that cursed jutsu that Jugo was burdened with? Those are base desires, aren't they? It's the same thing."

"No, it's not the same thing. That's just messed up ckakra," Suigetsu argued.

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Momo said, and you could just see her adjusting glasses, "But Chakra is your soul energy, which is what they called 'Aura' in this land Shine and Wally visited. And the monsters fed off it the way that curse mark feeds off the energy of the person its implanted into. The only difference to me is that you have to be implanted with it or born with it. But, that could just be difference of appearance not one of nature."

Karin pursed her lips. "But if that was true, and there are things that make people want to do...well, whatever you call those things, how would you know if it was that or if it was just the person wanting to do it?"

"I think the key there is if that person usually does things like that," Shoto said. "Or if they seem to enjoy it. There's a villain in our w--home, who has a kind of mental illness that makes him have multiple personalities. His quirk caused it...or...well, trauma caused it, but his quirk made it worse. I'm told that by turns he's a caring man, but when he's not, it seems to be the fault of his madness. Which is the real him? Maybe he doesn't even know, but I think he's not content the way he is. So you might say it's not his true desire. Though we can't be sure."

"If that's all, then what's the point of asking?" Karin said. "Just to creep yourself out?"

"I think to judge as best as we can who we should invest our time in," Momo said. "But there're always exceptions to that, I guess... I mean, St. Paul was not anyone they thought would change, but God ordered Ananias to visit him anyway. I guess that means something. But most of the time, if someone seems crazy, I think they are crazy. Just you have to ask why. It might be the monsters...but not always. I think you can be mad because you're so sure of your own ideas that you won't allow anyone else in, and that's pride, but pride can become madness. Our sensei has told us to watch that because it's something that our school encourages us to think."