102. Kakumo

“Yup” The white Tomoka said while popping the p. 

“As a matter of fact, the part of her’s that is now ours are the eyes.” After hearing this Tomoka couldn’t help but pay more attention to her counterpart's eyes. They looked just like her kinagan. 

“I see… no that wasn’t a pun. Anyway, how do you know about this? I mean, you are a part of me and I didn’t know about the eyes so…” Actually this had been something she had been wondering about ever since she met Oditomnia. How did she know about 682 fragment? 

“Oh that one is easy. The eyes contain a fragment of the original’s soul. A tiny one mind you but it's enough to figure these things out. The same goes for Oditomnia, that’s why we are ever so slightly different versions of you despite also being part of you.” It was complicated and an unknown field to Tomoka but she could understand enough. 

“Then… have these fragments affected me?” This was an important question. Could these fragments that now belong to her have altered her personality or something else? Was she still herself?

“Well, of course they have. You should have noticed but you are different from the original Aurora. Your emotions are far more vivid, especially those related to anger and hatred in some way. You are also far more reckless and driven, greedy too in a way.” Hearing this Tomoka had to admit that it was the truth. She had blamed her developing body for her change in behavior and it probably had some influence too. However, it seems that her new body isn’t entirely to blame. 

“I see” Tomoka didn’t know how to feel about this. She still felt like herself, a different version but still herself. Does it matter if she changed? Everybody changes with time and experience. Does it matter if her change came from something that isn’t herself? In the end she decided not to care. There would be nothing good coming from doubting herself. 

“Looks like our time is running out.” After hearing this Tomoka looked at her counterpart’s disintegrating body. It was slowly but surely becoming motes of white light as her body began to unmake itself. 

“Already? We have only been talking for like an hour or two” 

“Actually, it’s been around a week” 

“What!?” Tomoka couldn’t believe it at first but after thinking about it for a moment she realized that her counterpart was right. Inside this place her thinking and perception has slowed down a lot. It was like trying to walk through a pool full of muddy swamp water. The reason she hadn’t realized so much time has gone by is that she had other things she needed to pay attention to.

“Well then, till we meet again.” As the other Tomoka said that the process of her body’s decay accelerated.   

“Wait? What can I call you?” Just like Oditomnia she wanted to have a name for this other version of herself.

“A name? Call me Kakumo.” And with that she exploded into motes of light numbering in the millions. All of these motes of light quickly rushed towards Tomoka blinding her and forcing her to close her eyes. 

The moment Tomoka opened her eyes again she saw nothing but pitch black. Unlike the strange place this sight was due to a simple lack of light. Inside the cocoon Tomoka could feel how her body is now curled into the fetal position. Not only that but she could feel the extreme exhaustion each and every single cell of her body held.  

Despite the tiredness and soreness of her body, Tomoka's instincts told her to crawl out of her silky prison. With a lot of effort she moved her arms placing her hands on the now hardened spider silk that trapped her. Digging her nails into the material she began pulling it apart. 

It took time, effort and a lot of breaks. Tomoka’s entire body felt horrible, as if she had run a marathon before working out for a week straight. Considering she had been inside this cocoon for a week and what happened before she lost consciousness she might not be off the mark by much.    

After a good half an hour of trying to break free, she saw the first few rays of light passing through the tiny hole she had managed to make. Seeing it made her renew her efforts, soon she would be free and once she is back in Konoha she shall bring hell to that bastard Danzo.