Her Mask (Shikamaru x Oc)

Chapter Thirty-Four

Izumo and Kotesetu weren’t sure what the hell they were supposed to expect when Shingami and her team got back to the village.

Maybe, I don’t know a normal hello? How are you?

They didn’t know but they were pretty sure it wasn’t supposed to be Anko and Genma running as fast as they could through the gate to get away from Shingami who was far from any form of happiness. Not the really pissed off kind of not happy but the ‘I’m going to drown you in your own blood’ kind of not happy.

Izumo and Kotesetu could understand Anko doing something to get on the girl’s nerves but Genma wouldn’t usually do something to get her on that level.

The masked girl stopped right in front of the gates as Genma and Anko both were out of sight, she turned to the pair suddenly calm. “Hi.”

The two of them blinked a few times, glanced at each other then back at her.

“...Hi?” 

Shingami accepted their response and walked through the gate leaving the pair wondering why most of her shirt was gone and why her pants were splattered with blood just to remember that it was likely that it was her’s anyway.

The girl, per usual, walked silently in the shadows to avoid the villagers’ prying eyes. Many of them didn’t know how to mind their own business.

The girl crept around carefully to avoid every single person that got a little too close.

She was almost halfway to the house when someone came out of a door and narrowly missed bumping into her.

“Huh? Shingami?” It was Shikamaru at first his face was a little red but when he realized that she wasn’t wearing much of a shirt his face got even redder. “W-When did you get back?”

Shingami didn’t get the chance to answer when he saw the blood that stained her pants. “Are you okay?”

“It’s not mine. And I just got back.” She said calmly.

“Oh, troublesome woman. You had me for a second, I thought you were hurt.”

‘Not anymore...’

“I’m fine, really. I just need a shower and then I’ll need to talk to the Hokage.”

“Oh, Do you want me to take you to her later?”

Shingami thought about it for a second but realized he might want to stay while they talked. “No, that’s alright. But maybe when I’m done we could play shogi? I mean only if you want to, it can wait for another day.”

“Y-Yeah, Alright. See you in a little bit.” Little did Shingami know that he was supposed to meet up with the rest of team ten for dinner. He never showed up.

After Shingami managed to get to her house without running into anyone else, the first thing she did was go right up the stairs into her room. 

Part of her was angry at herself, the other part was confused and part of her was happy that she was finally going to get that shogi rematch with Shikamaru, if everything went according to plan. Shingami wanted to make a good impression on the new Kage but the woman hadn’t done much to earn her respect yet. 

Sure the sannin was a medical ninja and was really strong from what she heard. But Shingami also knew that she did things based on emotion and she had a gambling and a drinking problem.

But who was she to judge the woman? Shingami wasn’t someone many people got to know on a personal level. She was someone people could point out as ‘The Shinigami’ a lot of people from many different villages didn’t even call her by her real name. 

The girl quickly grabbed her clothes and walked into the bathroom turning the water on the highest setting to make the water as hot as possible before getting in.

Shingami let the water roll down her back as her mind began wandering again. 

She wanted to see Tsunade but didn’t know what to do or say. As she reached out to grab the bottle of strawberry-scented soap, a thought hit her.

Since Tsunade was Hiruzen’s student, why not treat her the same way she would with him?

_________________

After a little while, Shingami knocked on the door of the Hokage’s Office.

“Enter.”

Shingami opened the door and stepped inside. The Hokage and her assistant were caught off guard by her appearance. 

“...You must be Shingami.” The blonde woman said her eyes were steady as they lingered around the area of the mask her eyes were in. 

“Yes.” The girl bowed slightly in respect. 

Everyone was quiet until Shingami spoke up. “Do you know why I am here?”

Tsunade’s face gave away nothing. “You want to introduce yourself.” 

“In a sense.”

The silence was deafening. 

“On the left side of your desk, there is a hidden compartment that lord Hiruzen put there.”

The woman found the compartment and saw an old dusty all-white scroll with a black tree design on it. “That is my file.”

“Ibiki Morino said it would be in the archives,” Shizune said quietly.

Shingami shook her head in the realization that Ibiki had tried to put in a good note for her, but it made her smile under her mask knowing that he cared. 

“This is the only written copy. And after you read it, I want you to burn it.”

“Why?”

“Lord Hiruzen made it for the next Hokage’s eyes only. Not the Hokage after you and definitely not the council.”

Tsunade opened the scroll and brushed away even more dust on the inside. “Tell me something, Shingami.”

The woman looked up to meet the girl’s eyes. “How many people have you killed?”

The girl’s mind stilled for a moment before answering truthfully. “If I include the mission I just returned from… One thousand thirty-four.”