I alone am exalted 唯我独尊

“ then go, dumbasses. I don’t need long. Not for him.”

They scoff & tell her to hurry again time is of the essence. they leave, the movement whips her hair about her, red flames around her head. 

she strides boldly up to his slumped over form, it’s clearly painful for him to even expend the energy to look up at her. she relishes it, the power she holds, looming over him

There is no mocking smirk she offers, no taunting remark, she merely places a foot to his chest & grinds her heel against the wound there. (sakon had played a bit before ukon had struck out from within, rupturing organs)

Then, she allows a smile as he cannot help the grimace before arranging his face more carefully. It’s so boring--this enduring heroic act, & she aims a punch, knocking him down against the forest floor.

“ just pawns right? that what you called us? What the fuck do you think you are?” her anger is blinding, building so high she cannot hope to calm herself. it’s a loss of control-suddenly he is not a konoha shinobi but a leering white face, offering shelter & taking everything from her. Pawns. 

Kin was, she knew it even as she trained her in genjutsu & she cannot forget her face. (dead. twisted. she had walked forward herself. yes, yes. please let me serve. i can prove to you. i can do what you ask. please please. cannot even bring herself to find any tears. she’s heard the same pleading many times.) 

 tries to banish the fear. she cannot. even as she rages & beats an opponent already defeated. someone who cannot fight back or hurt her. & yet--“you’re pathetic. worthless. ” She punctuates each word with another punch, claws at him. 

“ useless little bitch. ” Tearing at throat with teeth--once they pitted her against another prisoner who thought she was weak, easy prey. he was wrong to assume. she is too fast, too willing to win by any means- & she sinks deep into his neck -he screamed & pleaded & she kept biting, tearing out his throat. at once her body is underground & above, seeing the shadows cast by the branches to the cold stone & dripping warm blood of the man she had killed. 

“-- you’re dead.” in her hands is probably a kunai stabbing down, she thinks she hears a cry, or similar insult, & she’s heard many a ‘fuck you’ as if that changes anything, as if that scares her as they curse her with a dying breath. 

She is already cursed & monstrous.  there is nothing they can do to her.

Like this man, this shinobi, laying mangled before her. there’s the sound of a kunai dropping. a thud, her hearts beats on, loud within her head.  blood drips down her chin, stains her clothes.

a corpse rises & begins to speak: retribution is coming for you. & Revenge for those you’ve slain. A price to pay.