How Shinobi Die
Tenga heard the voice of Shikaku-san. "We do what we have to, until the bitter end." The older shinobi sounded so calm, so unlike Tenga himself. He reached and touched his chest. The heart that had kept him alive for his nineteen years echoed frantically in his ears. Soon it would stop all together. Tenga had heard that the Tailed Beast Bomb was coming this way at HQ. That was a good plan, to wipe us out. Although the young shinobi was about to die, he couldn't help but feel impressed by the enemy's plan. At the start of the war, Tenga had been exhilarated at the thought of working with Inoichi-san, whose intelligence-collecting abilities were renowned even in Kumogakure. Tenga had been grateful that he hadn't gone out on the field, for he was going to serve his hero himself. Now Tenga felt a flicker of fear. How would the shinobi survive without them without the intelligence of Shikaku-san? Tenga now respected him even more than Inoichi-san. At the sound of Shikaku-san declaring that this would be their last mission, Tenga braced himself. He was not afraid. A shinobi, even a shinobi like him, was not afraid of death. Although his comrades were silent across the room, Tenga knew they were breathless as he. A sudden thought framed his mind as he stood near Inoichi-san. Kumogakure had been destroyed…but what about his little sister, Atsuko? She could have survived, unlike their mother. Now she would be all alone. Despite himself, Tenga felt his chest tighten and his eyes sting at the thought of his little sister's despair.
"Are you afraid, Tenga-kun? Is that why you cry?" Tenga turned, and saw Inoichi-san speaking to him. For a moment, the shinobi's voice closed up, but then he remembered that he didn't have time to spare.
"No." Tenga's answer was a hushed whisper. "I am…not afraid. It's just I remember the little sister I have back at home…and how I'll never see her again." Tenga's voice didn't tremble. He was now as calm as Shikaku-san had been. "I was never a good shinobi, only good at intelligence, but Atsuko was…someone that would make our late father proud, even though she was ten years younger than me. She had to survive the Tailed Beast Bomb. My little sister can survive anything."
Inoichi-san was silent as Tenga spoke. He didn't move. He only listened. Tenga took this time to speak again.
"I wanted to go to HQ because of you, Inoichi-san. I wanted to meet you, be respected by you, and to become a famous interrogator myself in my own right." Even though Tenga knew that Inoichi-san couldn't see him, he still smiled. "I guess that's not going to happen."
Inoichi-san's voice was surprising compared to his former silence. "We will be remembered, Tenga-kun. The Allied Shinobi Forces have heard our last message, and each one of us will be remembered for what we did. Your sister will have a famous older brother." Inoichi-san paused, knowing that the young shinobi was hanging on to every word. "You'll become immortal." Immortal, huh.
When the blast came, Tenga felt no fear and died smiling.