Painless [A Naruto Fan-fiction]

Painless: Chapter 4

Freya's footsteps echoed loudly in the nighttime air, the pitch-black walkway before her being lit briefly by the flicker of a street light. The light flickered once more, the brick-laden path fading back to black as she continued her steady stride. Her eyes were focused intently on the bricks, narrowing them slightly to outline the design in her mind before stepping carefully onto the brick, avoiding the cement between them.

She couldn't help but give a satisfied hum as her feet fell into step, her sandals clicking noisily, but rhythmically. The pathway was completely empty, seemingly abandoned at this hour of night. Freya had finished her meal with Emi and Raiden, politely rejecting Emi's offer to stay over. The wound on the bottom of her foot was rubbing against her sandal, giving off a sickening squish with each step.

Despite the fact that the wound itself didn't hurt, Freya knew it had to be looked at. Sighing loudly, she watched her nails dig dangerously into her skin before relaxing her hand. Freya sidestepped into her yard, nearly slipping on the blood that was oozing out of her sandal. Patch it up tonight; get it checked tomorrow, she thought, unlocking her door and pushing her way inside.

Her hands traveled absentmindedly to the light switch, flicking it on and finding her bearings. The bathroom door was open, a slight scent of a burning candle wafting out into the corridor. She followed the sweet scent, flicking on the bathroom light as well and coming face-to-face with the tiny mirror above her sink.

Jade-green eyes stared back at her, her long white hair tied tightly in a pony-tail atop her head. You're a strange looking person, she commented inwardly, squinting mischievously before sticking her tongue out at herself. She grabbed the corner of the mirror, flicking it backwards to reveal the medicine cabinet hidden behind it.

Pain medicine, bandages, cold medicine... Freya gave a little chuckle, giving the pain medicine a hard push to the side and snatching the bandages. The white fabric felt soft in her hands, and, for a brief moment, she felt sorry for dirtying the pristine cloth. Shaking the thought from her head, she closed the cabinet and flicked off the lights, giving the bathroom door a soft tug to close it behind her.

Plopping down on the dark gray couch, she slipped off her sandal and shivered, the sight of the wound making her slightly queasy. The blood had begun crusting to the side of the wound, but blood was still oozing from deep within in. She lifted her leg, breathing in and out deeply before forcing the wound apart with her hands.

As expected, the wound spurted blood and the surrounding flesh turned an angry red color from the pressure. It's deep... she grimaced, releasing her hold on her foot and observing it quietly. I'll have to stitch it, she resolved, looking around for anything she could use to sew it shut. She spotted a bobby-pin nearby, the metal shining brightly in the lights. Now, thread, she looked around as she awkwardly inched towards the bobby-pin.

Ah, ha! She retrieved the bobby-pin, spotting a thread handing loosely from a throw pillow on one of the armchairs. Waddling over to where the pillow lay, Freya collapsed into the comfortable chair, reveling in its plush interior for a brief moment before returning her attention to the pillow. Her nails clasped the thread, giving it a gentle tug to further open the pillow, the fluff falling carelessly onto the chair.

Satisfied with the amount of thread, Freya hoisted herself to her feet, walking towards the stove with the bobby-pin, thread, and bandages in hand. Placing the bandages and thread on the black counter, she gave the bobby-pin a quick tug. The frigid metal tore easily in her hand, the remaining piece gleaming dangerously in her hand.

Freya attached the thread to the end of the pin; starting the stove's burner and watching the flames lick hungrily at the air. She held the end a comfortable distance above the flames, seeing the metal quickly turn a bright orange color. Quickly, she withdrew the pin and bit down on the orange-tinted metal, feeling the metal bending easily under pressure.

She repeated the process with the other side of the pin, giving it a sharper point for easier stitching. Clicking off the stove and grabbing the bandages, she limped back towards the couch, barely feeling her foot moving. That can't be good, placing her foot on the coffee table; she drew in her breath, preparing to sew up her foot.

With a grunt, she plunged the severed bobby-pin into her foot, the flesh not tearing as easy as she thought it would have. Giving it another forceful shove, the metal pierced her skin, the rest of the pin sliding through her bloodied skin easily. Stitch after stitch the wound seemed to be closing, but she quickly realized that the simple thread would not withstand tomorrows training.

Finishing up the thread, she reached down and gave it a nip with her teeth, breathing a sigh of relief. It was finally done with. Feeling sleep tugging at her eyelids, she lay down, grabbing the mutilated pillow and shoving it beneath her head. Darkness overtook her, soothing the burning sensation at the bottom of her foot.

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"Freya?" Sleep dragged at her eyelids, but she was faintly aware of a familiar presence in her apartment. "Are you all right? You weren't at training so Rin sent me to get you," Emi was standing in the doorway to the living room, her hand wrapped firmly around the wood.

"Y-yeah, just tired," Freya mumbled, quickly shoving her injured foot between the couch cushions. "Might've been something I ate," she joked, pushing herself away from the torn pillow.

"Maybe," Emi watched Freya's movements through narrowed eyes. "Should I tell Rin you're not up for it today?"

"No, no," Freya argued, grabbing a pair of shoes from underneath the coffee table and quickly slipping them on her feet. "I'll be right out."

"You might want to change, you smell a little ripe," she smirked, giving the bridge of her nose a tight pinch. "Yuck!" Freya gave a good-hearted laugh, satisfying Emi's worries. 'I'll be outside," she smiled, giving the doorway a gentle pat before exiting the room.

The front door shut behind Emi, the sound of her footsteps on the pavement outside pacing anxiously. Freya lifted herself from the couch, her foot having regained some movement, but still felt relatively numb. Giving it a shake, she moved towards the bathroom, grabbing a fresh set of clothes from the cupboard and splashing water on her face.

Dark circles had formed under her eyes and her completion was completely flushed, yet she felt fine. Rubbing at the water on her face, she exited the bathroom, stumbling towards the front door clumsily. Turning the handle, she discovered that Emi was not alone out on her front lawn, the blackened hair of Sasuke turning golden in the sunlight.

"Ready to go?" Emi asked, waving politely to Sasuke as he retreated, throwing a curious glare over his shoulder at Freya.

"Yeah, let's go."