Porcelain Doll [ON HIATUS]

Porcelain Doll-Prologue

Disclaimer: Naruto and the Akatsuki belong to Masashi Kishimoto and TV Tokyo. I own nothing and no one except for Hitomi and a couple other characters I may add later on.

Author's Note: This chapter has been re-written and edited. 

Hitomi Yuki was born with red eyes. Every other person in the Yuki clan was born with pale blue eyes. Hitomi was different. And being different guarenteed her a future full of cruel judgement and loneliness. She didn't cry. No, because she would not let them find she was weak. But there was a burning hatred deep inside her. However, she couldn't take it out on them. It just didn't seem just. So she did the most sensible thing that came to mind. She ran.

Later on in her life, she would find that running would become a familiar action to her. Running was the coward's solution to everything. She no longer cared that she had shown weakness. She just ran. She knew she was a coward, and would learn to accept the harsh fact of such. 

The rain fell in sheets, drenching the young white haired girl and sending shivers down her skin. She helplessly curled up in the alley, hiccuping and shaking quietly. Holding herself to try and keep warm, she looked up at the dark sky, eyes filled with wonder and regret. She wondered what might've happened if she'd stayed. Would they continue to frown upon her existence?

Or would they have learned to adjust to the strange girl's company?

Would they have accepted her over time?

She decided to ignore the questions that swirled in her mind. They would only tear at her emotions, and her sanity. She was too busy pushing away her thoughts to notice a dark shadow looming over her head. Then, when she noticed, she sprung to her feet and held up a single kunai, pointing it at the owner of the shadow as threateningly as a young child like her could. "D-Don't come any closer!" She yelped, fear evident in her voice. "I-I'm w-warning you!" Her voice wavered, and she cursed herself for being so weak.

She backed up slowly as the stranger approached the girl. Her back soon met with the wall, and she bit her tongue to keep from crying. It was no use. No matter how weak the enemy, she was no match for anyone in her situation. She shut her eyes tight, preparing for the worst.

"It's alright, child," a soothingly feminine voice said, hands held up in a reassuring way. "I'm not here to hurt you." Hitomi knew better than to trust a stranger. "L-liar!" She barked, opening her eyes. "J-just kill me already. It's...it's better than being lied to." Hitomi dropped her knife, making a clattering sound on the ground. She turned toward the cloaked stranger, dipping her head in surrender. 

Hitomi could've sworn she heard a small, curious sound escape the person's lips. "My, you're a strange one, aren't you?" She heard a small chuckle, and the young girl relaxed, if even a little. The woman removed the hood of her cloak, looking down and smiling at the frightened child. 

"Eh?" Hitomi's eyes widened. "Lady Angel," she mumbled in apology. She bowed her head once again, lips pursed in embarassment. "Please, get up, child. Are you lost?" 

"Ah..." She hesitated. "Y-yeah." 

"Then I'll take you in."

"Wha-? But-"

"And I won't take no for an answer."

Hitomi looked up at the kind lady's face, then shuddered, once again realizing how cold it was. it was either to go with her or to die out here in the cold.

"Th-thank you. But why are you being so kind to me?"

The Lady Angel's smile wavered for a mere second before appearing again, which made Hitomi wonder if she had just imagined it.

"Well...let's just say you remind me of myself in the past..." A nostalgic frown appeared on her face. "My friends and I...we were young children in the midst of a stirring war. Our sensei, he was...just a stranger at the time, like I am to you, and...he was kind enough to help us survive. I don't want you to go through the same as I would've without him."

Hitomi looked at her, and smiled for the first time...in forever.

"Thank you," she repeated. 

Lady Angel shook her head. "You don't need to thank me."

Hitomi was confused but grateful at the same time. It had been so long since she had anyone who was so kind to her. The feeling welling up in her chest was strange, almost alien.

"Right, what is your name, child?"

"A-ah! It's, um...Yuki. Yuki Hitomi."

"Nice to meet you, Hitomi-chan. My name is Konan."

"Nice to meet you too, Konan-sama."

"No need for the formalities! Please, just call me Konan."

"Ano...Konan-nee-chan?"

Konan laughed. "Alright, if you insist with the suffixes."

She took her hand and began to lead her to the Akatsuki base. Although neither of them noticed, a small headband from Hitomi's pocket had dropped onto the ground as they left.

It was the Hidden Sand headband.