Hey everybody, this is a fanfiction that is dedicated to one of my good friends, Chosha Kurenai. We had a competition on a forum we both frequent, to create characters. She came in second place, and as such, earned a fanfiction based on her character.

To Cho: Congratulations on receiving second place! I loved Enkai, and his past was simply amazing. I hope I do him justice, and can portray him, as well as his friends, as you would like.

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A small fire could be seen, illuminating the abysmal darkness that encased the cave. The cave was large, big enough that a dozen people could fit inside it comfortably. The room it provided, however, was unneeded; for only six people currently inhabited it.

Five of the people, two of which were females, seemed to be older than their sixth member; a teenage boy. The look of dread was on all of their faces, painting despair, but none so more than the face of Tourou Enkai. The boy was still in his young teenage years, yet he held the burden of people many years older than him.

He was sitting up against the cave's wall, a stick in his hand. He was scraping the ground with it, drawing circles and other things in the pebbled dirt. He kept his head down, averting the gazes of his companions, his dark blue hair acting as a curtain.

"Enkai-kun?" One of the females said, calling for him.

He heard her, but he didn't have the courage to speak. He heard her call his name once more, her concern for him evident. Enkai didn't want to hurt her—or any of them for that matter. He took a deep breath, and looked up, into Atsuko's eyes.

"Cheer up; it's not good to be so depressed." She chided, wiggling a finger. She was always the one to keep the positive attitude. If it weren't for her advance to make friends with him, he wouldn't even be where he was right now. He'd still be a hostage, or even worse, dead.

"I know…" He said, "but I'm scared."

"It's okay, Enkai-kun." Shigure, their leader, jumped in. "It's a hard thought for us all, what we're about to do. That's why we decided to have this last night together. As a family."

The word family seemed to cheer Enkai up. He never had good luck with family. His mother had died during childbirth, and his father was never around. Up until he turned fifteen, nobody really cared for him.

"D-do we have to do this?" He asked.

"Yes." Shigure replied.

"There has to be another way….anything?"

"C'mon kid, don't be this way, "another person, Rokuro, said. "It's makin' it harder on us all. If there was anything else, we'd do it."

They all became silent once more, nothing else to say. Enkai looked around again, and saw the other two people in the cave; Fusayo and Hajime. They all shared looks amongst each other, and there was a silent agreement. The discussion was over.

It was time to celebrate, and rejoice.

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The Next Morning…

The group of six was now outside of their cave. After the small argument that had occurred that night before, they had instead talked about other things. They told jokes, shared stories, things normal people would do. They enjoyed each other's company.

It was still semi-dark outside, for dawn was still approaching. Enkai stood right in front of the mouth of the cave, and the other five were standing in front of him; facing him.

"Well, this is where we all leave…isn't it?" Enkai asked.

Shigure nodded, as he had nothing else to say. He had been the de facto leader of the group, and as such, it had been his decision of the course they now took. He bore the regret the most, for he was changing all of their lives.

"Enkai."

Atsuko took a step forward, and embraced the younger boy. He stiffened at first, but soon melted into her hug, returning it. He gave her one last tight squeeze, and let go. Fusayo came up next, and gave him a hug as well—although less tight than his previous one.

Hajime followed up right behind the girl, and held out his fist. Enkai chuckled and tapped his fist against the older guy's hand. It had always been there thing, Hajime saying it 'looked cooler' or something like that. Rokuro smiled and pushed Hajime aside, and picked Enkai up. He grabbed him in a tight bear hug, and put him down upon the boy's pleas.

As he felt the ground beneath his feet, he looked directly at Shigure. They both took a step towards one another, and Shigure placed a hand on Enkai's shoulder. They made eye contact for what seemed like ages. Shigure held his hand out, and the younger boy gripped it firmly—just as he had been taught. They nodded at one another.

Goodbyes were repeated, and tears were kept from being shed. One by one, each of them flickered away in a shunshin, heading off to their destinations. The last person to leave was Shigure; he had felt it was his duty to see everybody off first.

"Goodbye, Enkai-kun."

"Bye…Shigure-tousan"

The last thing he saw was the wide smile on the man's face. The sight, which was one of the brightest things he had ever seen, filled the boy with a new hope. That one day things would be alright again. He gripped the paper that was in his hand tightly, and moved to go back into the cave.

It was barren and deserted now, but he had to keep going. If he didn't do it now, he wouldn't have the courage to do it ever. He finished preparing a mat, for him to rest upon. He sighed, and brought his hands together.

"Inu, tori, hebi, "He chanted, relaying the handseals he was preforming, "Hitsugi, tora."

"Fūinjutsu: Jikobuumei no Ousama" He said in an angelic tone.

The results were instantaneous. A blue light emanated from his head, centered on his forehead. The light began to dim down, and an intricate seal could be seen etched in black ink on his head. The sudden force of power caused Enkai to collapse, right into his bed. The piece of paper he was holding was no longer crumpled, and could be read easily.

Tourou Enkai.

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Fūinjutsu: Jikobuumei no Ousama(Sealing Technique: Forced Exile of the King)- This unique sealing technique allows the user to forcibly erase all memories of the person who is wearing the seal required. It is a strong sealing technique, and the methods of breaking it are unkown.

Well, there you have it. To most, it probably does not make sense, for it is only a scene, but to Chosha, it should mean much, much more.