Sown

forty-four

[This part is admittedly kind of rushed - I worry about reiterating parts of the canon storyline too much, and I'm sure most everyone knows everything that happened in the Fourth War. I apologize if this isn't the content you wanted to see, but it's what I feel most comfortable with]

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Sweat poured off of Hanae's face. There was so much noise. Land erupted in the distance, spraying debris on the path the samurai clambered over. Much closer mountains were being split, the crackling of stone washing out the voices all around. There were so many voices, each sounding off different emotions. Fear, determination, anxiety, hope. There were so many different words being spoken, but Hanae couldn't understand any of them.

Words slurred both exiting her mouth and entering her ears. What was everyone talking about? Bijuu. Ten tai . . Tentacles? Ma. Mad. Madaa . . . Madness? Fifth d -. Divination. God. Where was God? What was God? Is there a God?

Her gut burned. There were flames dancing in her organs. Was this God? Was it hell? They were in hell. Did the Tao reach hell?

"-re born gen. Gentle and weak. At . . At de," the syllable drawed out for too long. "At death I. We are hard and stiff."

Hanae was so tired. The ground looked so nice, the dirt and rubble plush, meldable to the shape of her body. Could she take a nap? She had been working so hard. Mifune wouldn't mind.

"Green plaaa-" Her ankle rolled. The woman's body reacted quickly enough to catch herself, but her mind desired nothing but stillness. "Green plants are tend. . . And filled with sap."

Her head ached so badly. It was so annoying. Why did it have to happen now? She wanted it to stop. A tear wormed its way from the corner of her eye, falling and joining the sweat running down her neck. She was so soaked with sweat, so fucking soaked. God, it was so fucking annoying and fucking uncomfortable. " When they die. When they die . . When th-. Withered and dry."

Hanae's mouth was dry. The taste of iron bubbled at the base of her tongue. Iron. Land of Iron. She was from the Land of Iron. She was a Land of Iron.

Beside her a tree snapped, showering splinters over steel clad soldiers. Was it a tree that snapped? No, she snapped. Hanae snapped, showering splinters over steel clad soldiers. What a mess. She would have to clean it up later.

"Therefore." Wheeze. "The stiff and stiff and stiff." Swallow. "Stiff and unbending are the disciples. Of death."

It's so cold. Of course it's cold, it's October. Where is the blanket? Oh, Kakashi is hogging it all. Of course he is, he has to cover his face. It's so cute the way he does that. She's seen his face so many times now ; she's seen it everywhere. In front of hers, above her, on her chest, between her legs, on the pillow beside hers, in her dreams. Would their children look like him? She hoped so. He was so handsome. She wanted to see him. "The ge. Gentle and yielding."

He was so gentle, always treating her with care. It was funny, watching him be so gentle while still being so sturdy. He was gentle in his own way, she guessed. Much gentler than the flames eating at her insides.

Oh, the flames. That would be perfect for the cold. She could spread them under her suit and keep warm. It was funny, her stomach being on fire while the rest of her body shivered. Maybe that was God. Or was it the Tao? They were both so mysterious, yet so comforting. "Are the disciples of life."

Everyone stopped - Hanae stopped when she bumped into the person in front of her, the other samurai not even moving with the impact. Why did they stop? Was it because of that big white thing? It was magnificent. This was God, right? Or was it a manifestation of the Tao? It had to be, it was so large. That eye . . . The single eye was so large. This must be how God watched over everyone.