Reflection of God (Pein Story)

Chapter 24.

Kyo could see Pein standing there, bodies already scattered around, and watched as he spoke again—gritting her teeth as she realised she couldn’t fully make out what he was saying. But closing her eyes, she placed her hands in a handsign, willing her chakra and controlling it, redirecting it in order to heighten her senses, and therefore her hearing. Once it was completed, she returned to her before position, turning to see Nikushimi finally appear to face Pein. He didn’t come down to the courtyard, however; he remained on the first floor—no doubt as a way to keep his nerves back. Pein was angry, after all—and not many, if any at all, could walk away unscathed when facing Pein eye to eye. Nikushimi could stand there and act as if he had every advantage over him, but that wouldn’t stop the twinge of fear that was in the back of his mind.

“Where is she, Nikushimi? Where is Kyo?” Pein stated calmly up at him, the anger evident in his eyes and face not showing through his voice. But Nikushimi wasn’t about to give her up easily, replying bluntly,

“And why would I tell you? She’s mine. She’s worked for me for practically her entire life! You really think she would just turn around and agree to work with you when you dragged her there?”

“She seemed to like it enough to willingly stay for the last few days. Kyo could have run at any time—but she never did. And now—”

“But of course she wouldn’t!” Nikushimi cut in abruptly, laughing mockingly as he went on quickly,

“Obedience is all Kyosei knows. It’s what she lives for. It didn’t matter that you had kidnapped her; as she had no choice but to stay—as you were forcing her to remain there—she was going to obey you as she knew you were superior. But that can’t override me. She obeyed me longer than she’s ever obeyed you, and you can’t change that.”

“No; you’re right, I can’t. But she shouldn’t have to obey anyone!” Pein suddenly burst out, Kyo blinking in surprise as she watched from the window. For a moment she closed her eyes, overwhelmed with what she was hearing. What Pein was saying was not from the view of a leader. He was talking about her well-being and her identity, not as an asset; a weapon. She could only stand frozen in shock as Pein then went on,

“With the power Kyo possesses, it shouldn’t be a matter of people telling her she has to work somewhere. She has every right to pick where she wants to work and make her own decisions as to her life!”

Sighing sarcastically, Nikushimi walked forward a few steps, gazing down patronizingly at Pein. No ninjas were about to run out and attack him; not that it would matter. He would easily be able to take them down—so Nikushimi had to be careful. The key to all of this working out was Kyo. If he could get to him with what he was saying, then he could manipulate Kyo into facing him—and there was no way Pein was about to kill her, even if she hadn’t possessed the power she did. For a moment he remained in silence, but grinning maliciously, he stated plain and simple,

“But you’re forgetting one thing. Even if I gave Kyosei the choice, she would still come and work for me. You don’t know how she’s been all her life. She’s like a dog; always returning to her master. I tell her to sit, to roll over…to beg…and she’d do it. She’s completely under my thumb! I’ll admit you got to her, yes…but that doesn’t mean my control is gone.”

Abruptly a flash of anger shot through Kyo as she stood at the window, clenching her fist around the bar on the window. She had trained herself not to pay attention to emotions or let them show when she was a child, and it had only been heightened when she joined Nikushimi. But that had meant she never got angry at him when he told her she wasn’t good enough or that she was weak. She simply nodded in acceptance and did whatever was necessary to make things otherwise. She had never been allowed to state her opinion or what she felt about things, after all, so there was no point letting it get to her. But now things had changed. When in the Akatsuki she had been told she did have freedom, and she did have free will to state what she was thinking. Her emotions had been brought to the surface with everything to do with Pein, and even more so when Nikushimi had turned up and told her to return with him. Her emotions were still hovering around now—and it was like she finally understood the insults in a way she hadn’t done before.