𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐤𝐢 | ɴᴀʀᴜᴛᴏ ꨄ︎ ꜱʜɪᴘᴘᴜᴅᴇɴ

Second Chance

_________________________________________

✧˖*°࿐

Warm toned fingers wiped away the lingering tears on her face. Kazumi had scrambled to her feet, kicking a pebble into the abyss of the gaping hole in the process.

The silence stretched afterwards. There was no surface. No sound she could hear, like it endlessly fell, expecting zero impact.

Manda took Kabuto deep. However, that didn't quell the nausea building inside of her.

How dare he?

In the last moments of her forbidden jutsu, Kabuto had the guts to violate her mind with his pitiful memories. He boldly attempted to distract her enough to take back control.

Although that wasn't even her main source of anger.

It was the sheer fact that Kabuto dared to make her sympathise.

"I knew you'd understand."

His burning eyes invaded her thoughts, like his disgusting sadness swallowing her whole, convincing her that it was her own.

It wasn't. It couldn't.

"I don't regret. I -" Her jaw shut tight, holding her mouth.

Everything came weighing down on her. Every action she took for the sake of her duty to the Leaf.

As a spy.

Victims of Orochimaru. Every plagued fanatic. Sasuke's growing indifference.

Scrawny.

Beanie.

Eye-patch.

Kiyoko's scroll.

The blue smokes.

Wrath.

Revenge.

Slaughter.

"That's not me. We're not alike..." Kazumi swallowed down lumps of guilt. "I had a mission -"

"Kill them all." Orochimaru's order came from the sideline of the bleak training room.

She was faced with many fanatics. Amidst the crowd of them were three bodyguards she knew well.

"Sacrifice is the most important part about being a shinobi." His words did no comfort.

Her eyes then sharpened at their defeat.

What was it that kept her going?

Kabuto.

She didn't even so think far ahead now that he was gone. Purpose. Duty. Missions.

It all felt... meaningless.

Kazumi's footwork became gradually sloppy when approaching the rain-puddle that had her floating shinshuku weapon.