Chapter 11

The mid afternoon breeze blew past Shizuka, moving her bangs out of her face. If it hadn't been for the distraction at hand, maybe she would've enjoyed it. Kabuto stood stoically on the other side of the stream as he stared at the female. Judging by her initial feeling, she knew that this wasn't going to be a verbal only conversation.

"I don't go by that name anymore." Shizuka frowned as her mind sought after any and every way she could escape. She'd only ever seen Kabuto in the lab or hideout, so she wasn't sure of any of his capabilities and, frankly, she didn't want to find out. Orochimaru put a lot of trust in him as his right hand man so that was enough reason for her to be wary of him..

Adjusting his glasses, the silver haired male smirked. "Surely you didn't think you'd live as a traitor."

"No one's that foolish. I'd rather die out here than on a table in a basement." Shizuka narrowed her eyes. "I know of the experiments and those poor children; I saw the journals in that room. How can you serve someone who could perform those same actions on you one day?"

Kabuto simply stared at the female in front of him, not bothering to give her the satisfaction of a response. He would've let her keel over from her own disease, but he'd rather nip everything in the bud sooner than later. Instead, he tilted his head to his left, alluding to her to glance in that direction. Once Shizuka looked, she was ambushed by a barrage of taijutsu attacks from a male nearly two times her size. Quickly adjusting her stance, she defended most of the attacks, but took the full force of a few hits before she could back away. With each attack he did land, she felt a little more energy expended than normal, which alarmed her. Frowning as she now acquired bruises on her forearms, she immediately recognized the male as one of the shinobi Orochimaru had introduced her to - Jirobo, she believed?

"You're not answering me because you know I'm right." Shizuka kept her eyes on Jirobo, not wanting to be caught off-guard. It was clear that Kabuto was not going to involve himself in dirtying his hands right now. Covering her lower arms in mud, she began healing herself as she prepared herself to fight back.

Behind Shizuka, two other males dropped down from the trees - the ninja with six arms and the leader with two heads. Glancing at them in the corner of her eyes, her heart began to race as she could feel the adrenaline rushing throughout her body. Realization hit her and she clenched her fists. Everything was a set up from the beginning and she had fallen into the trap. Finding Orochimaru was only a distraction to get her alone.

Kidomaru was the first to lung and attack her, also going the taijutsu route. Knowing better than to try to take on six arms at once, she formed a couple hand signs and used the water from the stream to create a barrier to separate herself; it would be better to take on one person at a time.

"Let's not waste our time on trash." Sakon sneered. "We have things to do after this."

Jirobo stomped his foot, causing the ground to shake as multiple levels of earth rose at a rapid pace towards Shizuka. The female reacted with speed, creating a wall of her own earth to block the attack. Meanwhile, Sakon disappeared and reappeared in front of her, nearly landing a kick against her face, which caused the female to jump away into the trees.

"At least make the game more interesting… You're boring me with your skill level." Kidomaru grabbed Shizuka's ankle before she could make it to far and threw her back at the ground. Catching herself with her hands, she regained her stability and flipped back onto her feet. This was hard. She could barely react fast enough and they weren't letting up - as expected of Orochimaru's elite guard.

"I expected you to have more energy." Kabuto crossed his arms as he spectated.

"Honestly." Sakon rolled his eyes. "Cowards like you can at least run."

Jirobo was on her again before she could respond. For someone with as big a stature as his, he could manipulate his body well. She was pretty decent with taijutsu so for the most part, she could keep up with him but from their encounter before, something wasn't right with his movements. It wasn't until he grabbed her wrist and she automatically felt a shift in her energy that she immediately kicked him in his chest and melted out of his grip with her mud to get away.

"You've got a good taste." Jirobo smirked, having eaten away at some of her chakra reserves.

This was bad; she needed to escape now but she couldn't find an opening. Throughout the fight, the three males continuously surrounded her and Shizuka found herself utilizing more chakra than she thought she would. Her basic chunin skill was no match against her opponents but using some wit, she figured out how to make some desperate attempts work.

The sun had gone down and the moon was starting to make its appearance in the sky. Shizuka was hunched over and breathing heavily, holding her right arm near her shoulder. She had bruised it badly after encountering another powerful physical attack from Jirobo. Feeling the effects of chakra exhaustion, it was the combination of lingering adrenaline and the will of survival that she was still standing on her own two feet. There were black spots appearing and disappearing in her vision, and sooner rather than later, she was sure the ground was going to come out from under her.

Around her, Jirobo was caked to the ground for now after getting caught by her muddy water wall. She was able to trick Sakon and trap his ankles in her bottomless mud hole. As for Kidomaru, after much trial and error, she was able to enclose him in her earth dome - which was most likely pure luck on her end. All not permanent solutions, but they were good enough to stall.

A sharp melody from a flute came across her ears and, before she knew it, Shizuka had dropped to her knees. The world around her was stained red with the stream and forest disappearing out of her sight. Replacing nature were piles of bodies - some she recognized as her own clansmen and family, Kusagakure villagers and shinobi from the war, and the children from the journal she read in Orochimaru's abandoned hideout. Her breath hitched in her throat as she wanted to run away, however her body wouldn't obey her commands. Instead, her arms and legs were bound.

At the top of the pile was Orochimaru, who sent her a sinister smile. With every step he took towards her, she cowered in fear. He was going to kill her and there was no escape. She wanted to scream, but the sound wouldn't leave her throat; the sweet, sickening sound from the flute was drowning everything out.

"Why did you leave me?" Orochimaru stopped in front of Shizuka, standing over her with his shadow covering her in darkness. As she tried to look away from him, she noticed in horror that her skin was melting off of her bones. The male tilted her chin back towards him, her frightened blue eyes meeting his ominous golden ones. "When I gave you everything, my dear Snow White."

"Make it stop! Leave me-"

Kabuto's hand gripped the female's neck as he pressed her body against the half-broken tree trunk, pulling Shizuka out of her thoughts as he choked her. Her face flushed with heat as she clawed at his hand weakly, realizing that it had all been a genjutsu. "Orochimaru gave you a purpose and you betrayed him."

"I found a new purpose." Shizuka gasped for air.

A searing pain shot through her nervous system and her eyes widened in shock. Kabuto had jabbed his hand through her stomach, using his chakra scalpel to tear through her skin and muscle. The dome she had made earlier crumbled, freeing Kidomaru, and her mud softened, allowing Sakon and Jirobo to brush themselves off as her chakra was released. The warmth in her body changed as an unsettling cold took over.

"I doubt that purpose was worth anything." Kabuto let go of her body so she slid down against the trunk of the tree.

"I'm content. I'm leaving this world knowing that I did all I could for who is most important to me." She sputtered blood out of her mouth as she struggled to keep her eyes focused on him. "Perhaps...you'll find your...true purpose one day too."

Shizuka watched Kabuto and the other ninja disappear into the night. Once again, she was alone and she was too weak to move. As a medical nin, she already knew the telltale signs she was experiencing and what they meant. Yet still, she smiled to herself. She knew the risks and consequences for leaving, but she moved forward anyway. As her life was escaping her, she thought of Sasori and hoped that he wouldn't be lonely without her. Tears stained her cheeks as she wished that she could see his face one more time.

Thank you, Sasori-san, for taking a chance on me.

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"There's no way he could have survived such a big display of my art, hm." Deidara tilted his head as he looked at the huge pile of rubble in front of him and his partner. His partner, however, had other thoughts. The snake that he knew was crafty and somehow had a way to make it out of any unfortunate situation. More than likely, there was some hole that he crawled into and escaped, so there was no use in chasing him now.

"Let's go." Sasori turned around after sealing the Third Kazekage back in its scroll. There was something that had bothered him while they had been fighting. Not only had Orochimaru known they were already there, he was holding back. Pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind, Sasori travelled in silence with Deidara, walking through the hot sands before deciding to fly the rest of the way back.

The blond teen looked out in the direction they were going as he stretched his arms. "Once we meet back up with Shizuka, what are we going to do next, hm?"

Sasori didn't answer his question as he was lost in his thoughts. What were they going to do? In the event that the snake was still alive, Shizuka may be a human tracker which wouldn't be beneficial for anyone. Attempting to join the Akatsuki wasn't an option for her either, especially concerning her condition. Unfortunately, the girl was going to be on the run for the rest of her life unless she found somewhere to take her in. As selfish thoughts of not wanting to separate from her loomed over his head, the only logical answer for her would be to leave him if she truly wanted to live.

As the two traveled, it took them over a day to reach the small traveling village they had dropped Shizuka off at. Being that it was late at night, most of the people around had already retired to their homes to rest. Sasori could almost hear Shizuka's voice greeting him as he returned and the thought made him smile underneath Hiroko.

Once he and Sasori approached the motel, the redhead stopped and narrowed his eyes. There was something wrong; he didn't sense Shizuka's chakra here.

"She isn't here, hm…" Deidara spoke, catching Sasori's drift. Going inside to the front desk, Deidara disappeared before coming out moments later. "The hostess said she left the building late this morning and she hasn't returned yet, hm."

Deciding to split up to search the surrounding area, Sasori went left and Deidara went right. There was no way she could've gone far since she knew they would be coming back. As he walked through the dense forest, a feeling of unease came over him. He had grown attached to her and now he was worried about her. Once again, his humanity was seeping out. Where was she? Why wasn't she-

A faint chakra signature caught his attention and automatically, his body disappeared from his current position. The familiar energy was fading quickly with each step he took. As a skilled shinobi, he knew immediately what this meant but could someone ever be fully prepared for such a revelation? Still, his feet were on autopilot and the only thing he could do was fall on false hope.

As Sasori stepped into a small clearing, he noticed a small stream split the open space in half. The scene was a warzone - most of the nature had been reduced to mud and dirt and a couple of the trees had been knocked down. On the other side, propped against the side of a broken tree trunk, was Shizuka. The moon's light seemed to shine perfectly through the gaps in the trees where her body laid, illuminating her as if she were an angel.

Approaching her, he knelt down at her side. She had semi-dried blood caked in her hair and down the side of her face. Her arms and legs were covered in cuts and bruises and there was a deep gash in her stomach, no doubt her fatal blow, with her blood staining the surrounding area of her clothes.

"Shizuka…"

Hiroko disappeared, leaving Sasori in his puppet form. He pulled her body towards him so her head was resting against his chest. He already knew it was too late. Just as he had created a way to bring her to him, she had led him back to her. Even through his cloak, her body felt cold against his core.

The foolish little girl he'd met in the clearing that day. The persistent little girl who ignored all signs of danger to help him. The cooperative little girl that agreed to be his assistant. The patient little girl that waited for him to return. The sweet little girl that fondly remembered their memories for him. The seemingly innocent little girl that grew into a beautiful young woman before his eyes. The one who showed him favor, the one who showed him love, the one who, even in death, still retained a look of eternal peace.

Shizuka was gone.

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A certain redhead stood in his workshop at one of the organization's hideouts.

A knock on the door interrupted the male's thoughts and in walked Deidara. The blond was worried about his partner; ever since they had returned to base to await their next orders, Sasori had holed himself up in his room and never came out.

Eyeing the workshop bench, Deidara recognized the strands of snow white hair hanging over the edge of the counter. As he stepped closer, a body - Shizuka's body - came into view. It was a deep contrast to what she had looked like before. Her hair, which had been caked with blood, had been washed. Her body, which had multiple deep cuts and bruises, was visibly flawless. A simple blue dress was draped over her to protect her privacy. He could tell that Sasori was very meticulous in making sure she was perfect.

"Everyone's almost here for the meeting, hm." The younger male spoke cautiously, not wanting to disturb his grieving partner. Although obviously he hadn't known the female as long as Sasori had, he could still feel her loss. It was something inevitable, something every shinobi had to go through, however that didn't make the pain any less noticeable.

"I'm aware. You can leave."

Sasori's voice was the same as always; instead of questioning him, Deidara decided to let it go and make his exit. He didn't need to tell him what kind of organization this was, nor did he need to worry about any of his actions. After all, they were criminals with a job to do. Sentiments were fleeting - just like his art.

The entire time Deidara was in the room, Sasori never even made a glance in his direction. The moment the door closed, the redhead placed his palm against the side of Shizuka's cheek. He was no longer able to see her smile, hear her laugh, or feel her warmth. On the palm of her hand, he had painted the seal of the scorpion - the same seal on his heart. Using his chakra strings, he manipulated her so the seals were connected. Of course, it didn't feel the same as that night under the moonlight. Nothing was ever going to be the same. All he could do was take in her tranquil expression and know that she was now at peace. Her memory would now be carried through her body and her blood that was circulating in his core.

Taking out a scroll, he sat down at his desk on the wall behind the workbench where his tool wall was. As he started writing out the jutsu to enclose Shizuka's body into the scroll, he couldn't help but think of the Mother and Father puppets that he had created. After briefly glancing back at Shizuka, he began writing down his instructions.

The Living Doll

The puppet in this scroll has been named Shizuka.

The puppet in this scroll may never be used in battle.

The puppet in this scroll must be kept with the master who created it as a pair and can never be separated.

The puppet in this scroll must have its integrity contained and cannot be altered in any way or fashion.

Once he was finished, Sasori stood up and looked down at the female who allowed him to be a witness to humanity once again. As her body disappeared in a puff of smoke, all he could see was her look of interest and wonder as she would sit and watch him work. He could vividly remember one of their conversations like it was yesterday.

"You don't think it would get lonely being eternal and everything around you isn't? You'll just watch everything pass by but you'll still be here." Shizuka frowned for a moment as she watched Sasori tinker with an older battle puppet. "That sounds a bit depressing. I wouldn't want you to be sad."

Sasori stopped working on the arm in front of her and focused his attention on her instead. "So what would you do to combat that?"

"You could make me into a puppet." She smiled up at him innocently. "Then we could keep each other company."

Rolling up the scroll, he tied it with a ribbon and tucked it away into his cloak. With this, she would travel by his side until the end of his eternity. Even then, once he died, they would still be together. His memory, his living doll - that was enough for him.