The rest of the houses were a mixture of destruction. Aiko was deliberate in her crushing of each and every building. She pouted when she had to cleanse a family, one women covered her son before they were both relieved of their bodies, another old man tried to sacrifice himself for his three teenage boys, begging her not to kill them, Aiko killed him first out of respect, so that the rest of the boys could have just a bit more time. The rest were crushed without incident, they didn't even have the honor of being reflected on her body. Her feet, her hands, even her clothes, showing absolutely no evidence of what she was doing. Each family thinking they would be spared – she was such a gentle, beautiful, young girl – how could she? How could she?

Sasuke held his breath, lying in a ditch behind the last crumbling wall of his house. His entire work up to that point, ten years of apprenticeship as a blacksmith reflected in several ornate blades, each better than the last mirroring the progress of a proud apprentice on his way. Everything was gone. He had no time to comb through the rubble, he had only become conscious a few moments ago, and had just finished pulling himself out from underneath several large rocks. He could hear her in the distance, her stride was distant now, definitely not as loud as the massive booms that surrounded him before his ceiling caved in. How long had he been under those rocks? Suddenly the thuds stopped, he heard a distant ringing, he peered out of the wall to see the girl turn... right towards him.

“Maybe she'll walk right past me, after all, the house is already destroyed, there's nothing left.” Still, Sasuke thought it'd be best to get cover just in case she stepped over his area. He dove into the hole that he had just finished getting himself out of, shelter is shelter afterall.

The hole was large and he was a good distance underneath. There was no chance, he assured himself, but flattened himself against the floor as much as possible, staring up at the bright blue sky where his rooft used to be. Another thud. His heart was pounding. “Come on, hold it together.” Thud “She's just passing over.” Thud. “I'm safe down here. Nothing to worry about.” Another thud, as loud as the last thing he heard before his last house. Suddenly, a pause. He held his breath. “Come on, just move.” He whispered.

Aiko gave the bell a ring. She felt something right around here, a hint of the misery of a sad soul. It was... Close. She looked down at the ruins and spotted a small hole. She took a light step, putting her foot on the edge and peered into it.

Sasuke watched as the tip of a toe appeared on the side of the wall. “Just pass. Come on.” He heard the ground shifting, and he saw the massive body shift itself into view. It was looking right at him. It suddenly descended towards him, a hand coming down to grab him. He shuffled up and clung to a wall a lone finger entered the hole. He could see all the details of the massive column, he gulped as it prodded the walls. He shimmied to get away from its erratic movements, and suddenly felt it pound into his chest, a pause, it suddenly lowered itself farther and he could see the entirety of her hand. It prodded him, and suddenly starting pushing him against the wall. There was no space. She was going to crush him. He pushed back against her fingers, but was only met with her hand lowring to give way to her palm, a massive, soft, but infinitely forceful wall. With a sharp squealch he was crushed between an unstoppable force and and immovable stone wall, his red blood splashing against the grey bricks.

Aiko stood at the ruins of the gate where she had began. For miles there seemed to be nothing but rubble until the village bounds, where the ruins made way for peaceful rolling hills. The brilliant sight of several houses she had glimpsed at while she made her way to the village center was completely obliterated, all that remained was absolute desolation. She had even gone through the care of going through the stragglers, with each ring of the bell she gradually was able to sense their sorrows from their location - they were strongest with the ones who stood in the middle of their ruined houses and dead families - she relieved them too, their sorrows dissipating and blowing away with the wind.

There had to be another way. Right?