X OUR TRAGEDY X [Senju Tobirama AU]

Chapter 14

~

~Niyo's POV~

"Shizu, stop staring and go to sleep." I groaned when I woke up in the middle of the night and turned in my bed to find the girl's eyes fixed on me. Over the month, I had gotten used to this somewhat in the morning when there was daylight but nighttime was still a bit odd whenever I encountered this.

I was agonized because her chakra still felt familiar but I couldn't yet place it, and this was one of the reasons of my sleepless nights. Another reason was the younger Senju. I didn't want to admit it but he was in my thoughts on a daily basis now, not in all the positive and lovey dovey sense but in a neutral way since I was still cross-questioning myself about his behavior a few weeks ago. He said he would visit for tea but I guessed he was too busy for that. Oh well, everyone have their own jobs, even I wouldn't be able to answer any summons were they unannounced, whether it be the hokage himself.

A few more of us were married off in this past month and although bacchan gave me freedom of choice about marriage, this particular topic was also in my mind all the time. I thought about why bacchan wanted me to marry Tobirama in the first place; she always had her reasons which she wanted me to explore and come to terms with on my own and that took time. Well, Tobirama was a sensory type as well so maybe bacchan thought we would be compatible. Maybe. He helped with the wood cutting, so I gathered he was the type who was willing to help others, although he appeared stuck up and strict. Amidst this all, my thoughts would wander to that first meeting in bacchan's cabin where maybe Tobirama was not trying to control or pressure my chakra but maybe trying to bring it into my notice or maybe it was some sort of strategy on his part.

Arghh! My head is in a scramble!

I ran my fingers through my hair and closed my eyes, only to have them fly open when I felt a threatening chakra right above my head. I was up and armed in an instant but all was still and peaceful and in place. I narrowed my eyes and sent silent waves of chakra to examine the entire Morinome and I found nothing out of order.

I thought I was getting paranoid staying up this late and thinking all the time so I tried to calm my mind before going to sleep. Tomorrow was a big day being Shizu's somewhat late one month being here so there was going to be a little celebration. I didn't like the idea of it. I didn't like parties or celebrations or noise in general and I had this awful feeling that something was about to go seriously wrong some time soon and I had no one but bacchan to tell this and she dismissed me as being either paranoid or irritated or starting to fall in love at which I rolled my eyes with such intensity that they ached for the following few hours.

And so came tomorrow.

Everybody was seated around the biggest tree with bacchan in the middle with Shizu cradled in her arms, after the celebration. There was laughter and jokes all around; the few older women even passed around sake. I refused to drink it though when I was asked, I still had that gut feeling. My eyes were burning and shutting every now and then because of lack of sleep from yesterday night. I wanted to leave the gathering and rest while I could. Ever since Tobirama posted some guards here, I had been at ease, my watch had become limited to just scouting the forest on a routine. I liked the free time but I did not trust the guards completely and blindly to allow any leeway from myself.

"Bacchan, I am leaving for the scout." I said and got up to leave for my cabin where I would first pick my weapons and then go for my duties.

"Oh take Shizuka-chan with you, she is asleep." I rolled my eyes and went to pick up the dozing kid. When I touched her arm, I knew something was off. I didn't want to alarm anybody so I casually got on my knees in front of bacchan and placed two fingers on Shizu's neck to check her pulse. The center of attention sleeping, everybody was starting to clear off the area. Good, because that bad feeling was worsening by the second. "Niyo, what is it?"

"Did she have anything other than the food here?" I asked bacchan in response to her question. My eyes were scanning the kid's body for any external injuries. "There is hardly any pulse."

"No... in fact, she didn't eat that much..." This was a clue big enough that I gathered all my strength and placing my hand on Shizu's chest, I let all my chakra explore her. What I found was not good. The kid's entire chakra system was distorted and broken in places and when I probed the broken parts to heal them or aid them in healing, I felt a loud thump and the kid opened her eyes.

"Oh good, you are awake-" I stopped dead in my tracks upon seeing the fear and life, for once, in Shizu's eyes.

"Don't let me die." She said, grabbing my collar. Those were her first words in this entire time and frankly I was scared now. Not even after a fraction of second has passed, there was another thump and the kid convulsed in pain, grabbing her heart.

Now I remembered what her chakra felt like this whole time.

But it was too late now.

"EVERYBODY! CLEAR THE AREA NOW!!" I yelled and tried separating bacchan and the girl but her grip was too strong. It was one of those moments when the happening is taking place too fast but there is a moment when you can actually see passing by in slow motion. As everybody was running to safety, I tried to pry off Shizuka from bacchan but she had an iron grip so I took a deep breath and waited, because this would be over soon.

Shizuka was a bomb.

Not a second after the bomb had been activated within the kid, she had lost all conscious thought and that was when I summoned my sword and although it pained me, I cut off her hand from bacchan and kicked myself away from the old woman, hoping that the hand would not explode but I barely had time to worry about it since the human being in my arms was beginning to exude monstrous amounts of energy. I didn't like resorting to my ninjutsu because it weakened me after every use, but I had no choice. It would surely save everyone.

"I am sorry kid."

I made as much distance as I could from everyone and took the entirety of the blast myself. Still, the radius was huge. The light from it was blinding me. I hadn't sustained that much damage because of my ninjutsu but it did render me deaf for a good while. I landed on the ground and tiredly walked to scan the aftermath. When I finally arrived at the big tree where I left bacchan, I found a big dent in the ground and immediately my heart dropped.

"Bacchan!"

~

~

Above is the character design sheet of Niyo. Since only one picture per chapter can be attached, the coloured version of two of these would be in the next chapter!

Enjoy Reading~

Thank You~

Itachi_Warrior desu~ ^/_\^

~