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Reading Totems	By : GrizzlyTeddyBear Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female Views: 1242 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 28
- 29
- 30
Author�s pre-ramble:�
Thank you everyone who expressed concern for me with all that�s been
happening.� I�m ok, bruises have all
healed.� I have a new car, too!� Postings will continue to be sporadic
though�just as a general warning.

A thank you to my reviewers:�
HumanInfiltrator, OX King, Lady Slave, kodama, MsMina, eva24,
Alaskantiger, Darksteel1992, Pan12398, wildkit, Navygirl19999,
Paintedbutterfly, Valla, Jess, Kilrath Sluzath, jewel, kimahrigirl, Incarnadyne
Tears, CasaHouse, Onitsu Blackfeather, alexa ebonscathe, jadedkatrina, Ian
Sarver, BishiHunter123, wastelandsofthemind, Maddogg, ObsidianLace, Vivichan,
Mrs. Cake

Besides the forever plug for CasaHouse�s The Code I�d like to add in a thank
you for the editing help, this was a rough one�

I�m a bad, bad evil author�

Title:� Reading
Totems
By:� GrizzlyTeddyBear
Disclaimer:� I
don�t own Naruto, and this makes me sad.�
I do own Paige Stone, my OC!� All
information regarding animal totems was taken from the books Dancing The Wheel by Sun Bear and Animal Speak by Ted Andrews.
Main Pairings:�
ShinoxOC, NaruxHina, SasuxSaku
Rating:� M for
mentioned adult themes
Warning:� AU,
Post-series start time.� Rookie 9 is
23-24 years old.� Fic mentions pagan
religions, if you can�t handle it, don�t read! Also is OC-centric.� Hold your pants, all will be revealed as the
story progresses.� I like to take my
time.

Chapter Summary:� When
mercy, isn�t merciful�

*** Chapter 29 ***

She decided against answering the question of her readiness
made by Hoshiro.� It was obvious that it
didn�t matter if she was ready or not.�
The Hoshikage would ask her questions as it pleased him to do so.� Paige would have to bide her time, stay
alive, and find a means of escape.�
Taking a moment to look around the room, she noticed it was unfurnished,
except for the two chairs she and Hoshiro occupied.� Masa took up position to her left, and the
bodyguard took position next to his Kage.�
There was only one other door besides the one she came through to come
into the room.� There were no
windows.� The room was lit with torches
hung on the walls.

Hoshiro finally gave up waiting for her to respond.� �You�re probably wondering why you were
brought here.�

Paige nearly gave a sigh of relief.� It was to be a match of wits first.� She was ok with that.� �You need me to help you wage war on Konoha.� You think I will give you information.� The isolation of location suggests you wanted
somewhere that no one would have to hear anything if I don�t answer you and
decide to use�other methods.� It also
suggests you are enjoying your new political status as an official Kage.� If people knew what you were up to they
wouldn�t stand for it.�� She was happy
her voice remained steady.� After all,
that one statement pretty much hinted that she knew this wasn�t going to be
a�pleasant visit.

�Very good.� You do
understand.� We�ll begin with the basics.�� Hoshiro smiled.� �Your name is Paige Stone.�

Shrugging her shoulders, she answered, �Yes.�� There didn�t seem to be any harm in
confirming what wasn�t a secret.

�You�re origins are unknown.�

�I know my origins quite well,� she retorted.� Paige did not want him thinking she would
just roll over for him.

�You�re abilities are previously unheard of.�

She raised an eyebrow and decided to attempt her own
information gathering.� �I could say the
same of your shinobi.�

The Hoshikage�s eyes flickered towards Masa.

Paige�s world exploded into one of pain, and she found
herself knocked off the chair by Masa�s backhanded blow.� He had been so fast she hadn�t been able to
brace herself, and her head had actually bounced off of the wooden
floorboards.� Calling on her grizzly bear
totem, Paige struggled to her feet, righted the chair from its position on its
side, and sat down again.� The reaction
had told her one thing.� She had found
something.� She was also pretty sure, she
had earned herself a concussion.

�If you wish to avoid more, I suggest you refrain from such
a rude tone in the future,� reprimanded Hoshiro.

�You have not earned my respect.�� Paige wiped the back of her hand across her
mouth, and came away with blood.� The metallic
taste had to go.� She spat a mouthful of
blood on the floor.� �You will never earn
my respect.�

A hand grabbed her hair and jerked her head backward.� �How about we earn your fear?� Masa asked
with the strangest look of anticipation in his eyes.

Her heart was racing, her eyes wide.� Masa had earned her fear long before this
point.

�Masa.�� Hoshiro
commanded.� �Enough.��

And with those two words, Masa let go.

�I suggest you give me the information I want, my dear.� Otherwise I will give you over to Masa until
he breaks you in,� was the nonchalant threat made by Hoshiro.

She again called on the calming ability of her grizzly bear
totem.� Paige debated giving in to her
fears and escaping now using her totem�s ability to attack physically, but decided
against it.� She needed information to
protect Konoha, and running away would not give her information.� She called on another ability of her
totem.� �Konoha is mine to protect.�� She made sure the determination showed in her
eyes.� �Masa may succeed in breaking my
body, but you will never get the information you seek.� Did Danzo realize he was making a deal you
would never honor?� That you wouldn�t
stop until Konoha was destroyed, not just tested for strengths and weaknesses?�

Another flash of eyes towards Masa.

Once again Paige was knocked to the floor faster than she
could react to brace herself.� He had hit
the same spot on the side of her face.�
Unable to concentrate through the pain, Paige clutched her head, trying
to regain some control.� She felt breath
next to her ear.�

�I want to know the defensive plans of Konoha against
invasions, and you will give them to me.�
You are their weakness.� You know
too much,� whispered the Hoshikage.

Opening her eyes at the accusation of her weakness, Paige spat
the next mouthful of blood in his face.�
�Weaknesses are strengths waiting to be tapped.� That which yields is not always weak.�

Finally, Hoshiro�s control broke.� His rage finally surged to the surface.� Coming to his feet, he walked towards his bodyguard.� �Lock her up for the night.�� Hoshiro next faced Masa.� �You can have her tomorrow.�

***

The bodyguard still felt of conflict and resignation as he
man-handled her through the other door to the room.� Paige wasn�t expecting what was on the other
side.� It was another cave, but from the
torches that hung on the walls, it looked like this one had been helped along
by human hands.� It wasn�t just a simple
cave either, looking along the corridor; Paige noted the doors on either side.�

Paige also wasn�t expecting the change of behavior from the
bodyguard either.� Once the door shut
behind them, he gently guided her down the passageway and helped minimize her
stumbling.� �It would have been easier to
tell him what he wanted to know.�

�It would only have been easier for me, not for the ones I
wish to protect,� she responded.� It was
too dark to see inside the doors they were passing by.� Finally they stopped at the end of the
corridor.

The bodyguard leaned her against a wall while he unlocked a
door to their right.� �Get in.��

Obediently, Paige walked into what was now easily identified
as a cell.� There were no torches.� The light from those in the corridor made the
shadows dance.� The room was carved from
rock and held no comforts save for the bucket in the corner which Paige assumed
was to be a chamber pot.

He hesitated before closing the door.� �Forget those you want to protect.� Save yourself tomorrow.�

Giving him an assessing look, she grabbed onto his arm and asked,
�What is your name?�

He looked down at her hand on his arm.� �Why would you care to know the name of your kidnapper?�

�Because your heart isn�t in this.� You obey orders, but not because you believe
in what Hoshiro says.�

His eyes widened.�
�How?�

Paige took a risk and decided to trust this man.� She needed allies, maybe he would be
one.� �I can feel it.�

He drew back his arm, and closed the door.� �My name is Sumaru, and you would do well to
obey Hoshiro-sama as well.� Masa is not
as kind as I am.��

And with those parting words, he left her to whisper to no
one in particular, �I know.�� Paige hoped
she had not made a mistake.� He had given
her his name.�

She decided to pass some of her time by trying to gain some
information of her own.� Making herself
as comfortable as possible in the corner farthest from the door, she settled
into meditation.� Serving Konoha meant
she needed to stay alive and gather information on the enemy.

***

It shouldn�t have been surprising.� Calling on her ravens was laughingly
easy.� The pull of the ravens from Masa
and Hoshiro called to her own.� Paige
begged for information on Hoshiro, the strength of Hoshi shinobi, and any other
information that would keep her alive.

There was a flood of information that came in response.� The pain from her jaw and head combined with
the disorientation from the concussion proved to be challenges in processing
all that her ravens could gather for her.

She first learned of one named Akahoshi.� He was proud and arrogant in his belief that
he would make Hoshigakure a power to be feared by the other shinobi
villages.� Paige watched and listened as
a raven showed her images and whispered his tale to her.� Akahoshi was willing to destroy his own
shinobi in order to make himself more powerful.�
The star.� The namesake of the
village.� It gave great power at great
cost.

Paige watched and listened as another raven told her of
Akahoshi�s downfall.� She smiled as she
watched a young Naruto and Neji.� Her
attention was drawn to someone else�Sumaru.�
He had been there.� He had
seen.� Why would he aid someone so
similar to Akahoshi?

And then her answer was brought to her.� Hoshiro, he had been there as well.� He had watched Naruto, with the help of a
spirit, destroy Akahoshi�his father.� It
was the beginning of his rage, and his hatred of Sumaru.� Hoshiro had been planning his chance to
become the Kage and gain his revenge.�
Paige had to grudgingly admire his determination.� He had kept his plan hidden for so long.� And then he finally became Hoshikage,
manipulated Sumaru into helping him somehow, and discovered another star.�

Paige�s questions of the amazing abilities of the Hoshi
shinobi were answered.� This star had
been well hidden; it did not create the toxic environment of the first
one.� It had been surrounded by forest
until Hoshiro stumbled upon it.� She
watched as Hoshiro favored Masa as his student and exposed him to the star the
most�his natural ruthlessness and limited emotions became enhanced by the
chakra levels the star granted him.

Returning from her meditation, she had found some of her
answers.� Paige had information to help
Konoha defend herself.� But she had not
found piece of mind to quiet her fears.

***

The next morning, harsh lighting awakened her.� Paige shrank back, trying to shield her eyes.

�Hold still,� a voice soothed.� �I want to check your concussion.�

�Sumaru?� she questioned.�
She opened her eyes, but it was hard to make out anything beyond the
torch he held in his hand.�

�Yes.�

Staring ahead, she allowed him to check her pupils.

�You still have a concussion.�� He assisted her to her feet and began leading
her down the corridor back to the room she �talked� with Hoshiro in.� �I�m to bring you to Masa.� It would be wise if you gave up your
information.� You�re body is not trained
to take a lot of damage.�

�We had this discussion yesterday,� Paige returned.� �And if you care enough to check my
concussion, why don�t you care enough to get me out of here?�

�He has my wife.��
Sumaru opened the door and his demeanor changed again.� What was a supportive hold became a rough
throw into the room.�

Paige struggled to remain upright through the nausea the
sudden movement caused.

�She�s yours for the day,� he growled at Masa, and then left
the room.

Paige Stone was now alone in a room with the one person who
could actually strike fear to the very core of her being.� Slowly, she made herself look him in the
eyes.� The hard part was not looking
away.�

�I think you look beautiful.�� He stalked towards her.� �A definite improvement over yesterday.�� His hand reached out to caress the bruised cheek
he had struck yesterday.

Stepping back, she swung at him.

Masa caught the punch easily.� And slowly increase the pressure he exerted
on her hand.� �That wasn�t nice.�

�Fuck you!� she yelled and was then forced to her knees as
pain and the loud popping of her fingers breaking in his grasp registered at
the same time.

�I�ve been told to use that as a last resort, but if you
keep insisting, I might end up being persuaded,� was the cold whisper in her
ear. �

Unable to suppress a shudder, Paige decided silence was her
best option.� However, she couldn�t help
the whimper that escaped, when Masa used his grip on her broken hand to haul
her back to her feet.� When she had
regained her footing, he transferred his grip to her forearm.�

�What are the plans Hoshiro-sama needs to defeat Konoha?�

Paige kept her silence.

Masa didn�t repeat the question; his face just broke into a
grim smile as he gradually increased the pressure and angle of his grip on her
forearm.

Another sickening sound of breaking bones.

She let out a gasp this time, and again her knees went weak
from the increase in pain.�

However, unlike last time, Masa held his grip on her arm, so
that her full weight was being supported at the point of fracture.�

Paige let out a scream in agony.

�You have such a beautiful voice.�

Thinking there was a pattern, she wondered how many broken
bones it would take her to not be able to regain her feet.� Sumaru had been right about her.� She had not trained to withstand
interrogation or torture.� Paige wrapped
her grizzly bear totem around her.� He
couldn�t give her physical protection because she still couldn�t bring herself
to take a life, directly or using her totem.�
Even if she managed to take him out, she had no idea of the security
outside.� She needed someone who had
inside knowledge.� She needed Sumaru.

Masa interrupted her thoughts.� �Have a seat.�� Dragging her over to a chair by her broken
forearm emphasized that it was not an optional activity.� He made sure to throw her so that she needed
her injured arm to brace herself from falling over.

Another spike of pain lanced through Paige.� Slowly, she dragged herself into a sitting
position on the chair.

The next hours proved some of Paige�s thinking wrong.� Masa did not break anymore bones.� Instead, he went about the rest of the
interrogation in a slightly more subtle fashion.� He would ask her questions regarding the
defenses of Konoha.� And when Paige would
refuse to answer the question, he would slap her hard enough to knock her from
her chair, but not as hard as he had the previous day.� No.�
Today he made sure to place and time his blows with precision.� The blow would come at a speed which would
allow her body to go into its natural reaction of placing her hands out to
brace her fall.� And each and every blow
was placed to ensure it was her broken arm that took the brunt of the force of
breaking her fall.

At first, Paige was able to pick herself up, right her
chair, and regain her position in the chair as she had with Hoshiro yesterday.� But the constant bombardment caused a
constant increase in pain.� It took her
longer and longer to regain her seat.�
And she had to listen to Masa�s goading longer as a result.� It was the times when Masa deemed she had
taken too long, and his taunting stopped, that she learned to fear the most.�

Masa would then ruthlessly kick her in the ribs and stomach.�

Paige would struggle between wanting to protect herself from
the blows and trying to take her seat in the chair.� Instinct told her to curl up and protect
herself.� However Masa�s kicks would only
stop when she would reach for the chair, and struggle against the pain to
regain her seat.

After the day with Masa was over, Paige was taken back to
her cell by Sumaru.

�You didn�t tell him what he wanted to know.�

She gave a dry chuckle, �I told Hoshiro that he wouldn�t get
the information he sought.��

Once inside the cell, Sumaru again checked her
injuries.� �Bruising, severe internal and
external.�� He pushed lightly on her
stomach.

Paige let out a hiss of pain.

�Still soft, no internal bleeding yet.�� He gave Paige an unreadable look.� �He could make this last days.� The breaks are clean, minimal
splintering.� No breaking of the skin, minimal
chance of immediate infection and sepsis.�

Allowing him to assist her to lie back, she sent up a quick
prayer for guidance and courage.� Her
answer came in the form of a whispered name from a raven.� �Natsuhi.�

Sumaru stumbled upright quicker than she would have given
him credit for.� �Wh-what did you say?�

Struggling to prop herself up to keep better eye contact
with the bodyguard, Paige elaborated.�
�Natsuhi, your mother�she didn�t want a life of pain for you.�

Turning and shutting the door on the injured Paige, Sumaru
answered her through the bars covering the small window on the door.� �What choice do I have?�� And walked away.

***

The next day Masa proceeded to pick away at Paige again.� This time it was her leg, and he wasted no
pleasantries.� Within minutes of Sumaru
throwing her into the room containing Masa, two swift kicks were delivered.� The pain of falling to her knees with two
breaks in one leg, and then attempting to brace herself with her arm that had
similar fractures, cause Paige to scream out.

The rest of the day went similarly.� Although instead of repeatedly backhanding,
Masa would kick Paige�s chair out from under her.� Again kicks to her abdomen would rain down
until she managed to crawl back to the chair, right it, and regain her seat.

Afterwards, Sumaru brought her back to her cell, and again
checked her injuries.� �Breaks are still
clean, although you probably have tissue damage from him forcing you to use
your broken leg and arm.�

Another raven whispered to Paige, as if it sensed Sumaru was
someone to be trusted.

�Your wife.� You said
Hoshiro had your wife,� she ground out between clenched teeth.� Pain was Paige�s constant companion now.

Sumaru only nodded.

�I�m sorry.� He had
her killed.��

He said nothing in response.�
The only reaction was a careful blanking of his features, before he got
up, and locked Paige in her cell again, to be alone with her thoughts.� Sleep would be her only comfort away from the
pain now.

***

The next day it was Masa who came to her cell.� Paige was crestfallen, it looked like Sumaru
had taken the news she gave him about his wife worse than she feared.� Closing her eyes, she gave a sigh of
frustration and hopelessness.� Hearing
Masa muttering something under his breath, she quickly reopened them to
determine what kind of danger she was in.�
After all, they hadn�t even left her cell yet.

�I like the look of fear in your eyes.�� Masa closed his own eyes.� �Fear and pain.�� He reopened them to reveal a look of
reverence.� �Today I have something
special for you.�

Her eyes were drawn from Masa, to the still open door of her
cell as a guard she hadn�t previously seen, brought in a form she would have
recognized anywhere.

He was covered in bruises, his one arm bent at an unnatural
angle at the elbow.� His leg was broken,
and she could see the white of bone protruding from his lower leg.

Paige couldn�t help her reaction.� Reaching out her good arm, she called softly
to him, �Shino?�� A tear escaped to
slowly roll down her check.�

Masa smiled.� �Today,
we�re going to finally break you�� He
began to laugh darkly, �By killing him.��
Calmly, he produced a kunai, and similar to the Chunin Exams, the kunai
appeared to flicker from his hand to protruding from under Shino�s chin.� His body fell to the ground�� It was limp�lifeless�

A wordless scream of pain and heartbreak was her only outward
reaction.�

***

Author�s post-ramble:�
�don�t hurt me?
- 28
- 29
- 30
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