1It was a bothersome talent she had been skilled at from a young age. The ability to read the thoughts of others, to take a peek into a person's innermost self and to take control of it. This ability was something that she learned to enjoy and she gained an appreciation for the possible damage she could inflict upon others with it.
The whispers sounded again, Ninja. Two. Black hearts. Sent to kill. Jonin level. Three meters away from you.
All the information that the shinobi broadcasted with their thoughts would whisper into Haruka's mind and be translated into a report. It was extremely helpful when she was training with her uncle and if she ever needed to get a read on someone she could. Ninja never seemed to have been taught to guard their thoughts at all time. They were as easy to read as an average civilian.
Haruka carefully stood and stalked towards the garden's main entrance. However, instead of returning to her room as she planned she detoured to her father's study.
The far wall of the study had two large bookcases reaching from the floor to the ceiling. It was filled with various books ranging from a number of topics, but only the bottom shelf on one bookcase was filled with fictional novels. Next to the bookcases were two shelves; one filled with supplies and the other with various scrolls. At the center was a large table which sat low to the ground along with a finely made zabuton. All of the doors leading to other rooms and halls were closed tightly and the room was empty.
Haruka waited for the whispers to return knowing that they would follow her in hopes of capturing her to lure her father away from his guards. It was a good plan but foolish. They didn't do all their research or they would've been prepared for her.
Danger. They've come to kill...
She smirked slightly as a small thrill ran through her. She hadn't had to interrogate a Jonin level ninja before and she was looking forward to a new plaything. Being able to watch the fragile human mind succumb to intense emotional and physiological damages sent her hands shaking with excitement.
Moments later two figures flickered in behind her with weapons ready to strike. With her calculated grace, Haruka turned and faced the shinobi with her eyes glowing brightly as she activated her kekkei genkai. Freeze, she whispered the command into their minds and smirked as their muscles tensed up and refused to heed the commands coming from their own minds.
Haruka walked over to the small table and sat down, her kimono fanning out elegantly around her displaying the lavish designs of the fabric. She released her hold upon the two ninjas and waited for them to turn towards her.
"What did you do?" The male questioned with flared nostrils. He was in the typical stance of defense as he turned his attention to the young woman.
"I did what I excel at...controlling the weak minds of weak people," Haruka chuckled with a sly smile on her face. She turned her attention towards the other woman who was in the same stance as her partner and smiled. "You thought you could just waltz in here and kill me, father?"
"Yeah, it was supposed to be quick money," she woman gruffly responded with tensed muscles.
Haruka clucked her tongue and began to stand up before she disappeared from view. In her left hand was a tanto poised against the male's neck and with quick movements, she sliced across his throat and watched as he tumbled to the ground gasping for breath that wouldn't come.
She turned back towards the woman with her left eye glowing an eerie yellow, "Women are always the most intriguing. Usually, we're told our hearts are too soft to ever hurt someone, so to find a woman with a cold heart is interesting. I'll have fun playing with you." Haruka stalked closer to the female shinobi and plucked her kunai from her hands. She placed the handcuffs to the woman's wrists and gently placed her hand to her cheek as the shinobi stared blankly at Haruka, "I'll have fun breaking you..."
(*^▽^*)
Asa couldn't tell if she was spared or doomed from the hellish glint in the noblewoman's eye as she felt trapped in her own skin. She couldn't move nor speak and all that she was capable of was looking blankly ahead of herself.
Yoriyoshi and she had taken the contract to kill the Danshaku and kidnap his daughter without a second thought. A silly nobleman and his little fragile daughter would've been an easy payday. They were in a sense low-class nobility resulting in the low number of guards to protect every member of the household. When it came down to the Danshaku or his daughter the guards were to protect the Danshaku at all times. Leaving his daughter vulnerable. What they hadn't expected was for the daughter to possess knowledge of Genjutsu or whatever it was she had to leave them nothing but visitors in their own bodies. Yoriyoshi was killed without a second thought and without a single bloodstain on the noblewoman's clothes. That could only be accomplished if someone had done it often.
Asa was pulled from her thoughts when she heard the sharp clink of cuffs being attached to her wrists and felt her arms slowly being raised above her head. With the snap of someone's fingers, her mind began to clear. She focuses her eyes on the nonchalant face in front of her and pushed down the small bout of fear that tried forcing its way to the surface.
"I prefer my toys be aware of what going on, so if at any point you physically can't handle it I'll stop," she said in a somewhat gentle tone, but it seemed to mock Asa with the excited glint in the noblewoman's eyes.
"I'm not a toy!" Asa growled as she struggled against her bonds. She attempted to loosen the hold the cuffs had on her hands which sent the noblewoman into a small fit of giggles.
"These were specially designed to keep shinobi from escaping," she informed with a roguish grin. She tapped the end of Asa's nose, the way one would a small child. "You may know my name to be Lady Miyano, but I'd prefer if you'd call me Maestro for the time being," she informed with a cheeky grin.
"Go to hell!" Asa shouted as she continued to strain her bonds. She twisted and turned as her fight or flight response kicked in. The cuffs dug into her wrist causing the skin to tear from the constant rubbing.
Lady Miyano chuckled darkly as she gently caressed Asa's cheek with her icy fingertips. She carefully pulled back the section of hair that covered her right eye and forced Asa to look directly into her eyes as they slowly began to gently glow. An eerie red and calming yellow reflected into the trapped shinobi's irises as Lady Miyano's soft voice invaded her mind.
"Focus on taking deep breaths and listen to my voice. My voice will become your voice and your fear will disappear allowing you to open your mind to me..." she murmured over and over again waiting for Asa's body to become limp and docile. It took ten minutes before she finally began to relax and hang loosely from her bonds. "We are going to take a trip back in time to the first time you killed someone. You will tell me word for word what happened that day. The day that froze your heart..."
(*^▽^*)
Asa's POV
It was ten years ago when I was fourteen. My sister was getting married to her best friend and lover. It was a joyous day, but for me, it was the end of my childhood. That day my uncle returned.
He was the black sheep of the family. He never came during those important holidays, nor did he bother protecting the family name when he got into opioids. When he did come, however, I felt so loved and special around him, but I should've known better.
He would spend countless afternoons with me playing and talking. Despite my parent's warnings, he became my closest friend. Compared to my parents he seemed to be there for me not my sister even when he was only dropping by to say hello. I was his special little girl.
I can remember that the ceremony was just about to begin when someone sounded the village alarm. Smoke filtered into the room around me as the bright blaze of fire consumed the walls of my house. I stood frozen in the middle of the room as countless of voices yelled over the roar of the flames. I still heard what they said though. They were calling out for my sister instead of me.
"Where is she? Can't we find her? Goddess, please spare Chiharu!" They called over and over again as I stood in a room as flames threatened to consume everything around me. The annoying pressure settled at the base of my throat as I held back tears that threatened to spill over.
"They don't care about you. Just like they don't care about me," a voice spoke to me as I turned to see my uncle. "Isn't that right my little Asa?"
I was so relieved to see someone care about me and had my name on their lips that I launched myself into his arms. "Uncle! You came for me!" I shouted with a grin on my face.
Uncle slightly smiled down at me as he patted my head. Like always, he was the only one who cared about me. I would've done anything to ensure that love, especially amongst the flames. He was the only one who cared about me.
"Do you know who started the fire?" he asked me with almost a teasing lit to his voice. I shook my head. "It was none other than your sister. She wanted more attention and thought that nearly getting killed and saving her sister on her wedding day would be perfect!" he crackled as he gripped my arms.
I felt unknown amounts of anger and hurt rush through me as the information took root into my brain. My own sister had staged all of this to get more attention! I was furious. I wanted her to disappear.
"Uncle, what should I do?" I questioned with angry tears rushing down my soot covered face.
"Kill her and come with me," he stated plainly and for once he looked serious. "Come with me and I'll always make sure that you're loved."
He pressed a blade into my hand and led me to the fast burning house where I found my sister trying to escape through an open window. Uncle pushed me forward as he concealed himself through the smoke telling me to get the job done.
I rushed forward calling my sister's name. She turned to look back at me relief on her face as she held out a hand for me to take. I told her that I couldn't get over there and I needed her help. She bought that little lie so easily and carefully made her way over to me. Through the smoke and flames, I could still see that she was beautiful and bright like an annoying morning beam of sun. It fueled the anger that was already coursing my veins. It happened in slow motion before my eyes. My sister leaned down to face me and reached for my empty hand. I bought the knife up and jammed it through the pale skin of her neck. I removed the blade and stabbed it in her arm. Remove. Stab. Remove. Stab. Over and over again. Blood seeped over her white wedding dress and down my blade as I watched the life seep out of her. Once she finally crumbled to the ground I stopped to look at her paling skin.
I felt nothing. She was dead and I was going away with uncle. I didn't feel happy with her death nor any satisfaction. I felt empty. Cold. Frozen. I turned and walked back to my uncle and never looked back. I even left the blade in my sister's dead hand. That was the day I killed my own sister on her wedding day.
Third Person POV
Haruka patted Asa's cheek softly as she silently cried hanging limply from the wall. "You caused so much pain that day and I know every crime you've committed since. Murder, arson, kidnapping. Tsk, tsk, tsk. You've been a naughty little girl, Asa. After I've taken my time watching you wither in pain I'll leave behind a little present."
She increased the power of her kekkei genkai and delved deeper into the mind of the shinobi. She sent bolts of imaginary pain throughout the woman's body and listened merrily to the screams each wave brought. Asa's body twisted and turned as she tried to escape her bonds, escape the pain.
"More, more, more" Haruka sang softly as she caressed the pained expression on her latest pet.
They continued into the night and only stopped to break when her toy stopped responding to the pain that coursed through her body.
"I don't want to continue too much longer. Your endurance isn't impressive enough. You broke way too quickly," Haruka tutted as she forced her toy to look at her eyes once more. "I'll leave you with a little gift. Your sister will travel with you everywhere you go. Her voice, her smell, her smile. They all will be following after you and there's no way you can escape other than death, but you won't be able to kill yourself or allow yourself to easily be killed," she chuckled under her breath as she placed the hallucination into her toy's brain.
Haruka released Asa from her bonds and left her in a heap on the dirty floor the cell. She unlocked the door to the cell and exited the dungeon with careful steps. Raising a hand to protect her eyes from the glare of the sun as it shone down at her with a vengeance for spending too much time underneath her castle. Haruka let out a small yawn as she returned to her room to catch up on more sleep. It's always exhausting to release toys... she thought as she flopped down onto her bed with a sigh. Don't forget about training with your uncle, she reminded herself just before she slipped into a deep sleep.
It has been so long since I wrote this and I honestly forgot to post it here. Sorry about that to those wanting to read this. If anyone wants to read more let me know and I'll put more thought into posting another chapter in the future.