Chapter 6

Sometime early in the morning, we were woken by the sound of the front door being busted down in the living room and immediately shot out of bed. I put an ear to the door, knife in my left hand, and listened, giving Gaara a look before lifting two fingers, signaling that two people were out there.

There was suddenly the sound of fighting. Kankuro's room was closer to the front door than this one. Without thinking twice, I pulled the door open and rushed out to jump onto one of the tall attackers' backs to wrap my arms around their neck, knife at the ready.

"Matsuri, don't kill him!"

I saw Kankuro wrestling against Temari, whose dull eyes and blank expression told me she'd been inhabited. Looking at the hair of the person struggling to breathe under my tight hold, I realized it was Shikamaru and loosened my grip in shock, the knife falling to the floor, only for him to back up at the wall to throw me against it with all his might.

The air left my lungs, and I almost slid to the ground but caught myself quickly enough to dodge a punch he tried to throw at me. Gaara tackled him to the ground, and I went to help Kankuro since Gaara was definitely more capable of hand-to-hand combat. Not only that, but the older brother was struggling to bring himself to attack his sister.

I tried to hit a specific pressure point on the tall woman's neck to knock her out, but she noticed and reached back to slap my hand away before turning to face me rather than Kankuro. She threw hit after hit, and I dodged them all, slowly making my way backward out of the room and toward the front door.

In the back of my mind, I realized Gaara and Shikamaru were still fighting in the third bedroom, probably Temari's. Kankuro tried to help but kept hesitating until I finally barked, "Go help Gaara. I can do this!" Teeth grit angrily, he listened, and I refocused on his sister.

She swiftly spun around to kick me, and I couldn't dodge it because the back of my legs hit the coffee table, and I was thrown on top of it. The glass shattered under me, and I hissed at the pain but managed to roll over before she could land another kick while I was down.

My eyes landed on the gun on the table, now lying on the floor nearby, but so did hers. We both dove for it and grabbed it at the same time, ending up wrestling on the glass-covered carpet for dominance.

A cry of pain shot from my chest out my lips when her grip tightened around the brace, aiding my wrist, and anger turned my vision red. These strange things have to be able to access at least some of their host's memories, that much I was sure of now. Not only did she know to focus on my injury, but the two of them came to this apartment. There's no way that's a coincidence.

Rage fueling my muscles, I rolled over on top of her and somehow managed to get the gun from her grip, pointing it down at her face, but freezing when I realized shooting this attacker would be killing Temari.

"You humans and your sentimental emotions."

My eyes narrowed, and I spat at them, "If we're so awful, quit stealing our bodies!" Then I hit her temple with the butt of the gun, and she was knocked unconscious.

Limbs shaking with anxiety, I rushed to the room the other three were still struggling in and panicked when I saw Kankuro also knocked out cold with a knife wound to his shoulder, probably having been hit over the head with something to get him out of the fight. However, I had to focus on the other two.

"Stop, or I'll shoot!"

Shikamaru turned to see me standing there with the gun and held his arms out from his body, "Killing this host will not save you."

I nodded, glancing behind him to see that Gaara was bleeding from multiple knife wounds, but none looked fatal, "I know that, but at least you'll be dead, too. If you don't want that to happen, come with me. Slowly!"

Teal eyes glared at me, and I nodded to the unconscious man across the room, "Gaara, check on Kankuro. I've got this for now."

He did as I asked without hesitation, and I motioned for Shikamaru to continue following me as I backed toward the apartment exit. He didn't even glance at his downed partner, Temari, as we passed the living room and entered the hallway.

"What is your plan, human? If you do not kill me, you will have to disable me, and you are not physically capable of overpowering me."

My hands trembled, and my eyes narrowed, "S-Shut up!" He was right. I was so concerned about the Subaku brothers that all I could think was that I had to get them out of danger's path, but now I was stuck.

Slowly, I had us switch positions and blindly reached back with one hand to lock the door and pulled it closed so that if more people showed up, they wouldn't immediately know which apartment to look into. I noticed Gaara checking his sister's pulse out of my peripheral vision before it latched.

Kankuro must be okay. Thank God.

Shikamaru was standing on the steps, hands still up, that led downstairs to the exit of the building. My eyes widened when I heard footsteps coming, and I frantically gestured for the inhabited man to walk backward. Shock froze my movements when a familiar face suddenly appeared behind him.

I yelled as loud as I could, "Gaara, run!"

The door to the apartment opened, and I shakily held the gun more tightly but couldn't turn to look at him, or else the two before me would likely attack, "I'm serious, Gaara. Get the hell out of here!"

I heard him hesitate before speaking in a heartbreakingly stern tone, "Matsuri, I'll find you. Don't die." Then, the sound of him rushing back into the apartment met my ears, likely to get his backpack before climbing out the window of his room.

"Do you know this human, as well?" Shikamaru pulled my attention back, and I nodded, eyes still wide in disbelief.

As though he could somehow hear me, I spoke directly to the new arrival, "I never thought you'd let yourself get captured, Hidan."

His usually slicked-back hair was loose, and his violet eyes were dazed out, but it was definitely him. It was his voice when his mouth opened to respond, "If you know this human, then you know that gun is useless unless you intend to kill. Surrender, and your body will not be injured any further."

I growled before shaking my head, "I'll come quietly on one condition: Take me to the Meishu uninhabited. I want to talk to him."

Shikamaru glanced at him, "We were instructed to avoid casualties at all costs."

Hidan's eyes never strayed from my face, and he nodded after a moment of thought, "We agree to your condition. Place the gun on the ground and put your hands behind your head." Trembling in fear, I did as instructed, cringing when Shikamaru closed the distance between us and started pushing me forward, ahead of him, with his hands tight around each of my wrists.

"There is another available host in a room numbered 301."

I frowned. The chances of Kankuro having woken up in time to escape with Gaara were slim, but it wasn't impossible. We were walking down the stairs before I could find out.

My legs hurt when we made it to the town hall, and it was hard to stay upright with the terror shaking my limbs. Hundreds upon hundreds of inhabited people stared silently at Shikamaru and me as he led me forward.

The moment we passed through the heavy double doors of the government building, tears rose in my eyes. It was them. All of our friends parted from us after escaping the asylum. They're here, inhabited: Deidara, Sasori, and even Kisame. To my disbelief, another familiar face was among them: Obito, who Hinata told us was Madara's nephew.

I wasn't given a chance to say anything to them, and it wouldn't have mattered anyway because the way their dull eyes followed us told me they couldn't hear me.

We went up some stairs and into an office where I was so surprised that I blurted out, "Y-You! You're the Meishu?"

It was him! The orange-haired man with weird eyes and lots of piercings that attacked me in the car lot in Konoha.

"I'm surprised to see you again, human woman."

His voice was as deep and chilling as I remembered, but I was surprised to hear him use a contraction when he spoke. All the other inhabited beings I've encountered up till now haven't. It's been one of the things I use to determine if they're indeed in control of their bodies.

Shikamaru spoke behind me, "She surrendered willingly but requested to speak with you before becoming a host."

The tall man waved a hand, and my wrists were released. I sensed him move away from behind me but didn't dare look away from The Meishu's eyes. "I am The Meishu. What is it you have to say?" He took a few steps toward me, odd purple eyes studying my face and body.

I was understandably terrified but made myself speak, "The plant you've seen, it's not what you think it is. It's not Dengen."

Then he was suddenly behind me, shoving me further into the room until I was bent across the large desk in the center so he could move my hair away from my neck. Tears ran quickly down my cheeks as I shivered. His fingers were cold and firm.

"Are you aware of our target because you were once a host? It's unheard of for a host to retain their memories after the fact."

I pressed my palms against the desk and tried to push back up, but he held me still, running a thumb over the scar on the back of my neck, "Did you not hear me? What you're looking for isn't here! You're hurting innocent people for no reason."

"Human woman, do you know the biggest difference between your race and mine?"

I grit my teeth before arguing, "My name is Matsuri, not human woman, and I know of one. We don't steal other people's bodies!"

"My kind does not lie, Matsuri. Humans do. This host's memories are full of deception and deceit. For this reason, I can't choose to believe you."

My mind reeled, and for a moment, I wanted to ask him to inhabit me so he could go through my memories and realize I wasn't lying about anything, but then he'd know about my friends, our plans, and every single one of their weaknesses. Shikamaru re-entered the room, this time with Temari and Hidan. I realized they had already gained access to all that information by capturing the Subaku woman and her boyfriend.

Desperately, I spat out, "Will you use my body as your host, Meishu? Go through my memories. If your subordinates haven't told you what they've seen for some reason, let me show you myself."

The hand on my neck loosened, and I hesitantly stood up straight to turn and meet his eye. "No human has ever requested to be a host. Do you have ulterior motives? Is there something about your body I'm unaware of that may endanger me?"

I shook my head, "That scar's from something unrelated to you or your kind, I promise. If you don't believe me, then see for yourself that I'm telling the truth."

The room was silent momentarily before Hidan spoke, "My host recalls this human woman and is trying to fight me."

Shikamaru and Temari spoke in unison, "Ours as well."

The orange-haired man narrowed his eyes at me before I could react, "I trust you noticed my brothers downstairs. All of the hosts you know can fight inhabitation to various degrees. No other humans have this ability. Explain this to me, and I'll consider your request."

My mouth fell open slightly in shock, but I had to try at least to keep it together, "I can explain, but I don't know if you'll understand what I'm talking about."

The Meishu nodded, gesturing that I should continue regardless. "We were all part of this…experiment, of sorts, where we were hooked up to these machines that connect two people's minds. That's what the scar is from." As I said the words, I finally realized we actually managed to find a benefit from M.A.T. when we were sure there'd never be one.

"Let me issue a warning. If you have deceived me, I will cut your body into pieces to ensure you never rise again."

I didn't dare reach up and wipe at my tears but nodded, "Okay, I understand."

I turned to look at the other three in the room. They said their hosts recognized me, meaning they were conscious of what was happening before them, so I spoke with a wavering voice, "If this doesn't work for some reason, and they kill me, tell Gaara I'm sorry, and I love him, okay? Tell him he'd better not return to how he was before."

I didn't expect any of them to react, but Temari's hands clenched into fists, and I noticed her teeth grit, but she didn't say a word.

"As I understand, the process of becoming inhabited is incredibly painful to humans. Consider this an act of empathy." A swift pressure hit my neck before I could even turn to look at the orange-haired man, and then I was knocked out.

It was like any other sleep for a long time before my eyes opened again, but a notable presence was suppressing my ability to control my body. I could see what was happening before me and feel the sensations of my body moving, but that was it. The back of my neck felt as cold as ice, and it hurt where those odd tentacle things dug into my nervous system and brain cortex to gain control.

"You have incredible strength of mind, Matsuri."

My voice was leaving my lips, but it was the Meishu making me say it. I thought of a response, hoping this was like M.A.T. where he could hear it, "Have you gone through my memories yet?"

"Retrieving a host's complete memory typically takes twenty-four to thirty-six hours."

Panic struck me, and I wanted to cry, but my eyes didn't react to my emotions. If it takes that long for him to verify that I'm not lying, my friends might get hurt trying to save us all.

"My brethren are prepared for the rest of your companions to arrive. We prefer not to kill but will if there is no other choice."

I thought about the rage in Gaara's voice when he told me he'd find me and again when he talked about that man who hurt me in Oto. It might be impossible to calm him down when he realizes I'm inhabited. And what about Kankuro? Did he escape, or did they capture him after Shikamaru took me away?

"The other human was gone when the apartment was searched. Those two are brothers, correct? The woman standing there is their brother as well?" He looked over at Temari, who was standing in the same spot as when I last saw her.

"She's their sister. That's what you call a sibling that's female."

"Thank you for the correction. I'm still learning this language."

It was hard not to be disgusted and full of hate as I was forced to take a backseat to my own body, but at least The Meishu was attempting to be civil and not drilling me with questions about how to hurt others or things of that nature.

"My kind is here in search of Dengen, not to cause harm. Any casualties are necessary sacrifices to reach our goal."

"What will you do when you finally realize Dengen doesn't exist on land?"

He took a long time to respond, and I felt a bit irritated that he could read my thoughts, but I didn't have access to his, "I'm not sure what we'll do if what you say is correct. It's our primary food source, and our numbers will surely dwindle if we return to the water."

The word "water" reminded me of what happened underground when something tried to drown me.

"That was one of my brothers using your acquaintance as a host."

He made me walk downstairs and pointed at Kisame, "This one. He's capable of breathing underwater and has sight in the dark."

The imposing man in question didn't react, despite being talked about. Now that I can look closer, all the men before me were covered in bruises and minor cuts.

"You haven't…hurt any of them, right?" I hesitantly asked, fearing that at least Kisame and Hidan had put up a hell of a fight when they were captured.

"Your body has been inhabited, and you're still concerned for your comrades? I suppose there are still things I don't understand about humans. None of the damage done to your acquaintances will have lasting effects."

He made me go back upstairs, speaking aloud so both me and his "brothers" could hear, "I'm going to rest now to speed up my ability to recollect this host's memories."

It was probably not even noon, but I guess he was just as eager as me to speed along the process, so I didn't complain—either that or The Meishu's a fan of midday naps.

Once we were in a small room with a makeshift cot on the ground in the corner, he shut the door behind us and turned out the lights before crawling into the large pile of blankets and pillows. Personally, I wasn't tired because all of this was hard to wrap my head around. It felt more like a fever dream than reality.

I snapped to attention when my hands danced to unbutton my jeans and started sliding them down my legs, "Hey, stop it!" If my body had responded to me, I know my heart would've been pumping incredibly fast.

Ever since I was a kid, I've been timid, but I've never been in a situation where I had to legitimately fear that my body would be sexually taken advantage of.

Not even during The Program, when Gaara and Kankuro were my bunk neighbors. Both ignored me for the most part. The latter didn't come out of his shell until we all escaped the asylum two months later, and Gaara's demeanor back then was a complete one-eighty from how it is now. The Subaku boys scared me back then, but I still didn't sense this danger.

"This is my first time using a female host, so I'm curious." My hands traveled between my legs, and he paused momentarily, "That's different from the others. I've seen diagrams, I believe."

A fear icier than the air outside was seeping through my brainwaves. "Please stop. What you're doing is-! …You're scaring me…."

I didn't need access to his thoughts to understand that my arguing meant nothing. As far as The Meishu was concerned, this is his body now, not mine, so he can do whatever he wants to it, but I couldn't let him just do this type of thing without at least vocally objecting. I cursed and fought, but nothing stopped him from continuing his twisted exploration, and the fact that it was my own hands didn't soothe me.

I was too mortified to respond to the inappropriate questions he continued to ask, trying to zone out in an attempt to ignore the hand between my body and underwear. He sensed my unintentional confirmation or denial after each one because he didn't repeat any of them and simply moved on.

He explored more of my body, above and below my clothes, to my utter mortification. Once he was done and settled down to rest, he calmly addressed me, "This was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the female body. I find it intriguing, much more than male bodies. Thank you for your cooperation."

If I could've hit him somehow then, I would've, "I-I didn't cooperate! If I'd known you were going to be so apathetic, I never would've requested you use my body as your host. I allowed you to search my memories for the truth, not molest me!" My disgust and anger temporarily overshadowed my fear of The Meishu.

"I will sleep for a short time now. Perhaps when I wake, I'll know the truth and decide your fate."