Souless

Two days earlier

Tobirama leaned over the girl and replaced the damp cloth on her forehead with another, slightly less grubby cloth. The girl had caught a fever and was pretty sick, luckily she had Niko, who was keeping her alive when it came to food. The things Niko had told Tobirama had kind of gone in one ear and left through the other. Niko came over and curled up around Tobirama's shoulder. "What's her name?" he asked Niko, while sitting down on a wooden stool. "My mistress in called Hisanna. Hisanna Chomei Ryume." At that moment, Hashirama and Itama walked in. "How's she doing Tobirama?" he asked, putting his hand on Tobirama's other shoulder. "There's still no recovery, she is just as bad as yesterday." he replied to his older brother.

For Hisanna, she was living in a nightmarish dream. In this dream, she had woken up in a forest; her necklace began to glow when she stood up. It glowed brighter when she was facing a certain direction, so she went that direction. She arrived at the edge of the wood and saw a settlement across the other side of the lake. Painted at the opening of the settlement was the Ryume clan symbol. In the dream, Hisanna saw all the terrible things she'd had to live with, all the terrible things she'd done.

Back to normal time

Suddenly, Hisanna bolted upright. She groaned and clutched her side as she turned slowly around. "Hey, don't move so much, you'll open up you're wound." Tobirama said gently as he walked over to her. "Where am-" she stopped mid sentence and her eyes widened as she processed the fact she was in a bed in a place where she didn't know anyone and was being talked to by a stranger.

"Don't be scared, I'm not gonna-"Tobirama never got a chance to finish as Hisanna kicked him in the face and sent him flying across the room. "Hisanna!" Niko hollered. "Niko...." Hisanna whispered. "Who is this boy? Where am I? What am I doing here? How long have I been out?" she gushed before slumping down on the bed.

"That is Tobirama Senju, and you're in the Senju compound. He and his brothers found you and healed you. You've been out for about four days." Niko replied before sliding over to Tobirama and helping him up. "You have to excuse my mistress, she was merely startled, she doesn't normally act this way."

Hisanna scratched the back of her head and faintly smiled. "Sorry.......uh...Tobirama....reflexes...."she said. The first rays of dawn flickered through the windows, catching on her dark plum coloured hair. Tobirama blushed slightly as she looked very pretty. "Uh...I borrowed a kimono from one of my friends that you can use. Um..... breakfast is in 15 minutes." Tobirama said quickly before rushing out of the room. Hisanna looked across the room and saw a green kimono with a blue print sitting on the desk. A lilac obi sash was hanging from the wardrobe door. Hisanna stood up and slowly walked over and put the kimono on. She yanked her hair up into two Bantu buns before heading downstairs.

Tobirama's father and two brothers were sitting at the table. "Good morning Miss. I'm Hashirama!" exclaimed the chestnut haired boy. "And I'm Itama!" said the other one cheerfully. Hisanna said nothing and sat down next to Tobirama and he handed her a bowl of rice.  "I trust you're feeling better now. It was our duty as Senju to take you in, so don't feel like you have to thank us." Butama Senju said complacently.

Hisanna bowed slightly to show her thanks but didn't touch her food. "You don't speak very much." said Hashirama loudly. Hisanna's yellow eyes glanced over Hashirama before picking up her bowl of rice. Butama got up and promptly left. "Do you have a tongue? You're not speaking." Itama asked abruptly. Hisanna put down her now empty bowl. "Sometimes the wisest people speak the least." she said quietly. Butama returned, a scroll in his hand. "Ryume girl, even though you may be used to battle, I can not let you fight as it goes against the ethics of the Senju. I'll get Tobirama to show you to Toku. She'll teach you to weave and other womanly things." Butama said straightforwardly.

Inside, Hisanna let out a scream of frustration. The Senju where known for being sexist but she didn't realize just how sexist they where. But she didn't say anything, as they where her hosts and she knew she wouldn't be going back to the Ryume compound anytime soon.

"Show her to Toku." Butama said. Hisanna gulped down the last of her rice and followed Tobirama.

He lead through a narrow alleyway that arrived in front of a wooden house. He knocked loudly on the door, which was opened by a girl the same age as Hisanna but with a face of a forty year old woman. She blushed when she saw Tobirama but it turned to a glare when she saw Hisanna. "Toku, Otou-sama says that Hisanna should learn to weave from you." Tobirama stated.

Toku sniffed, peering at Hisanna over her thin nose. "You're the Ryume girl? I thought Ryume girls where supposed to be pretty." Toku hissed spitefully.

"Toku, please." Tobirama pleaded.

"Hmph. I guess I could teach her the ways. But I doubt a Ryume ruffian could ever become a civilized woman." Toku huffed before grabbing Hisanna by the collar and dragging her inside, slamming the door on Tobirama.

He sighed, turned on his heel and left. When he got back, Hashirama told him that their father wanted to talk to him. A confused look fluttered over Tobirama's face but he ignored his suspicion and headed towards their father's study.

He knocked on the door. "Otou-sama, it's Tobirama." he called out politely.

"Come in."

Tobirama pushed open the door and walked inside. "Tobirama, as you seem to of assumed the role of guardian over Hisanna, I thought it would be a good idea to tell you about them."

Tobirama said nothing. "Well then, I'll tell you." Butama continued. 

"The thing about the Ryume is; no matter how human they look, no matter how much you think you know them, you must not trust them. For they have no souls. The first Ryume sold her soul for the power of the dragon sages. Because her body started to decay after a few years, the first Ryume made a deal with the dragon sages. They agreed, if she let dragons live on her skin, off her life force, they would grant her immortality. But dragons are sly and tricky, just like the Ryume. They tricked the first Ryume. They didn't tell her it would curse her children and their descendants too. But more than that, they tricked her into having to devour souls. The catch of Ryume immortality is that you must replenish your own soul, using other's. Tobirama, that girl could be twelve years old like you, or she could be 1200 years old, you have no way of telling. I've just lost one son, I wouldn't want to lose another to become dragon food. Do you understand what I'm telling you Tobirama?"

"Yes, Otou-sama." Tobirama replied, his brow furrowed in deep thought. 

"Good, now go bring this scroll to Daisuke-san." 

"Yes Otou-sama." Tobirama said, leaned forward to grab the scroll and left; slamming the door in his wake.