Shattered Pride
He could see the guards patrolling in their uniforms, their eyes scanning for threats that were not there. Little did they know that he was among them, lurking just beyond their perceptions.
As he glided along the battlements, he eventually reached the courtyard and coalesced back into his physical form. He had already assessed his surroundings, noting the patrol patterns of the guards. Timing was everything; he knew that one wrong move could alert the others.
Using the guards passing by as cover, he swiftly moved to one of them. He mimicked their actions at a close distance while they were having a conversation.
One guard, a hefty man, paused to speak with his colleague, grumbling about their increasingly rough shifts.
"Ugh, these hours just keep getting worse," he complained, scratching his head in frustration. "I've had to deal with those prisoners screaming all night long. Haven't we had enough of this nonsense?"
"Yeah, I hear ya," his companion replied. "But what can we do? Orders are orders. Just keep your head down and watch your back, especially with the new ones we've got locked up. You never know what kind of tricks these guys are hiding."
Arthur had positioned himself directly behind the guard, his form so close that he could almost feel the fabric of the man's clothes. The guard continued to talk, unaware of the fact that he was right there.
Suddenly, just as the guard began to shift away, Arthur moved, mimicking his every motion as if he were the guard's shadow. The coordination was impeccable; he slipped along seamlessly, ensuring he remained undetected.
As another guard walked past, a momentary sound caught their attention.
"Did you hear that?" he instinctively turned, scanning the darkness.
Yet he saw nothing—Arthur had already slipped from behind him and shadowed the other guard, timing his movements perfectly.
These men were none the wiser. It was as if Arthur had transcended the capabilities of stealth.
Minutes passed as he maneuvered around the courtyard, flowing like water while using the guards' movements against them.
Not a single footfall echoed his presence, and the shifting shadows served as his cloak. Even the lights, despite shining on him on more than one occasion, alarmed anyone.
He truly did not need to do this and was only testing his furtiveness. After all, most of these guards couldn't even utilize chakra.
Finally, after evading multiple guards, he approached the barricades where the most dangerous inmates were held. Knowing which block and cell to locate, he neared the area where Tayuya was confined.
Just what was so special about this kunoichi that he decided to spend time looking for her? Did he find her pretty? Not even close. Was there any attraction that he could foster? God forbid.
Her story was as average as it got, and he remembered quite a lot about her.
Tayuya's character was depicted with themes of survival, loyalty, and the complexities of personal relationships against the backdrop of conflict. She could honestly be dissected into several dimensions, including her background, personality, abilities, and relationships with others in the series.
As far back as her profile went, she was originally a prisoner of Orochimaru alongside the other Sound Four, forced into death matches against one another. This initiation was a test of survival—only those who emerged victorious were recognized for their strength.
Tayuya and her fellow Sound Four members, after proving their capabilities, became the elite bodyguards of that snake. Their loyalty to him was further complicated by the imposition of Kimimaro as their leader, which contradicted much of Orochimaru's ranking system.
She was personally characterized by her abrasive and overbearing nature, being a sharp-tongued individual, often blunt and foul-mouthed, as she did not hesitate to insult her teammates.
Despite being belligerent, they tolerated her insults with mild irritation. Her masculine demeanour was contrasted with moments where she displayed vulnerability, especially in her fear of Kimimaro, acknowledging his superior strength as he had bested her and her teammates previously.
Of course, she did begrudgingly show respect for those who were worthy of it. And her morality, although twisted by her alignment with Orochimaru, showcased her ability to critique others, particularly regarding sacrifices made during missions.
All of these were what Arthur recalled—not just from reading her story, but also from what he collected in Jirōbō's memories.
Physically, Tayuya was distinctively identifiable by her fair skin, slender build, and characteristic short stature among the Sound Four.
However, her most striking feature was her long, untamed dark pink hair, which she often kept partially concealed under a black hat with pipe-like stripes. Her attire at the time was also rugged, consisting of a black shirt under a tan tunic, black skintight shorts, and arm warmers.
Apart from her appearance, it was the curse mark on her neck that stood out. It symbolized her deep binding to Orochimaru's influence and increased her power when activated.
Since she was in this prison, it had already been tightly sealed and was unable to be used.
In terms of abilities, Tayuya possessed exceptional combat skills, particularly in ninjutsu that revolved around sound. Her unique weapon was her flute, which Arthur verified was confiscated by the Leaf Village.
Their hope was to use it to track down the snake's hideout.
When she did have it, she used it for offense and control in battle. Among the Sound Four, she claimed to be the second strongest member, only following Sakon.
Her primary fighting technique was her flute, which allowed her to summon three devilish creatures. These ogre-like devils were controlled through the sound of her flute and served various offensive and defensive purposes, including absorbing the chakras of foes.
In the story, she had died at the hands of Temari, who came to rescue Shikamaru. Of course, Shikamaru would have perished had it not been for Temari's help.
After being summoned by the reanimation technique, performed by Kabuto three years from now, Tayuya's powers were amplified, incorporating enhanced sound techniques and greater perfection of her curse mark.
However, despite her enhanced abilities and the rage driving her, she faced defeat against the same team, who had grown significantly since their first encounters.
Her narrative concluded, being only known for her legacy of hatred and vengeance, ultimately falling to the combined efforts of her former enemies.
The only thing Arthur liked about her, if "like" was the right word to use, was that she embodied the struggles of loyalty and survival in a world governed by power and personal ambitions.
Through her relationships, distinctive fighting style, and eventual fate, she left a lasting impact on certain fans—that's disregarding the idea that she was a female whom most thought was "cute."
Through the bars, he spotted her—a vision of defiance even in despair. She almost looked like a caged beast, but it was undoubtedly her.
'Transformation jutsu…'
Harnessing another form, he revealed himself to her. Tayuya's eyes opened wide, having not expected anyone to come by this late.
"Who's there?" she asked, turning around.
"It's me," Arthur replied in a steady tone.
There were no guards around, and they most certainly weren't scheduled to come to the cells this late. The blocks were also separated, preventing other inmates from either seeing or hearing them.
"K… Kaito, is that you?"
Tayuya recognized him instantly. She had the expression of disbelief, not having thought she'd see anyone from her past.
"It is," he answered. "You seem a little perturbed…"
Her initial shock turned to frustration as she studied him before asking, "You're a prisoner here, aren't you? Why do you even care? You should just accept your fate like the rest of us."
Arthur stepped closer, allowing his full presence to be seen. Raising his arms, her eyes widened even further.
"You… you don't have any cuffs," she incredulously said.
"So you still have a little semblance in that head of yours?" he replied, further scrutinizing her reaction while gauging her emotional state. "Hmph… Good to see."
"What do you mean?" she bit back, feigning disinterest but unable to hide the curiosity in her eyes.
Walking forward, his entire frame slipped through the bars without facing obstruction. She couldn't see what or how he had done that due to the darkness.
"Turn around," he commanded. Confused, she did as she was told. "Don't move…"
Maintaining a stoic expression, he stepped closer. She watched the walls, unsure of what he was planning.
'Tiger, snake, horse, ram, tiger, hare, rat,' he thought, weaving those hand signs. 'Curse unsealing jutsu…'
As he finished the final one, he placed his palm directly over her neck. Ominous chakra pulsed between them, radiating from the seal. Then, her curse mark flared brightly, and from it, a small, white snake emerged.
Tayuya instinctively turned around in shock, "What did you do?!"
The snake twisted and coiled, seeking an escape as it slithered away on the cold surface. But in an instant, Arthur reacted without hesitation. In one fluid motion, he drew a kunai from his pouch and struck, severing the snake's head before it could fully escape into the shadows.
Tayuya watched, wide-eyed, feeling both surprised and fascinated.
Arthur then knelt, collecting the remnants of the severed snake. He pulled a scroll from his garb and sealed the remains inside. This was all for the purpose of ensuring that Orochimaru could no longer influence her.
To be quite fair, Arthur wasn't too sure if this would work.
The curse unsealing technique was only used once by Sasuke three years from now on Anko Mitarashi to revive Orochimaru. Its purpose was to release technique-induced seals on a subject rather than sealing it.
Arthur himself didn't have an eidetic memory. This was already understood. But he remembered the scene and learned the hand signs to perform it before coming here.
That small, white snake earlier was essentially a piece of Orochimaru. Left unchecked, it could possibly make its way back to its father. Granted, the chances of that were significantly low due to Blood Prison's environment.
But Arthur was not one to leave room for mistakes so easily.
Now that Tayuya had the capacity to affect her character development, he could freely speak to her.
"Let's talk about how you failed as Orochimaru's subordinate," he began. "You believed you'd amount to something greater, didn't you? But here you are, behind bars, forgotten by him and everyone else. Orochimaru no longer needs you. He chose others—stronger, more capable ninjas."
Her expression hardened, but as his words penetrated her pride, a crack began to form. He pressed on, inflicting emotional wounds.
"You let him down, just like you let yourself down. How long will you cling to the illusion that it wasn't all for nothing?"
"I didn't fail!" she protested, but he could hear the veneer of her conviction in her voice. "I gave everything I had!"
"Did you ever stop to think how foolish that was?" Arthur continued, ignoring her retort. "Do you think that serving a master who will toss you aside when you become a liability is worth it all? You've sacrificed so much for a man who forgets your name the moment you become useless."
"Shut your mouth!" she shot back. "You don't know anything about me!"
"But I do know," he replied, leaning in closer, sensing her breaking point. "Deep down, you recognize the truth… Tell me, would you still give yourself to Orochimaru if all he ever provided was betrayal?"
She hesitated. "I…" Before she could respond, Arthur delivered a backhand across her cheek, sending her tumbling to the floor.
Thankfully, this was a fictional character, for he would never put his hands on a real woman.
Tayuya landed hard.
"Think that act was borne out of anger?" he remarked, standing tall above her. "You deserved that slap for being so foolish… Consider it your wake-up call, little girl…"
She looked up at him with shattered pride.