Prescripto13...this chapter is for you. For being an awesome reviewer. I just may write this solely for you boo since you bless me with a review!

I should just email you the whole thing and take this down. lol


Review if you want updates to this story. Check out my profile for additional info and news regarding my stories.


Chapter 9: Mirages

Red sand rolled over his vision as he lay exhausted near the base of rocky stone brown mountains. His eye looked tiredly at the sandy hills as high as waves, blow across the great desert he had just traversed. The blaring sun stared at him slowly sinking down; taunting him with the knowledge of the infinite darkness he was about to experience. A deadly sand storm was approaching by the looks of the dark reddish haze that could be seen in the far distance. It thrusted up sand and blustered around at damaging speeds. His strained back leaned heavily against the small alcove he managed to fall against. The rocky edges above him brought shade unlike the many days he had spent running without a cloud in sight. His lungs hurt and he snatched his mask off his face taking in a breath but regretting it because of the tiny pieces of grit blustering into his dry mouth. His stomach cried out in agony and clenched cramping from deprivation. Sweat, sand, and grime fell down heavily from his face and stained into his tattered clothing. The parcel he had with him rested by his side forgotten and uncared for having seen better days. He licked his lips trying to bring back moisture but it did little to combat the dryness and cracked skin that peeled.

The young ninja tossed his head back in anguish and defeat. His muscles burned and already his vision was distorting. His heart beat wildly in his chest yet he felt as if there was no fluid to move through his body. His mind went over every aspect of his life for the thousandth time during the journey. His shaking hands reached up and ripped his forehead protector off tiredly. He turned it around to look at the leaf symbol and his thumb rubbed it as if it would provide some great wisdom to clear his mind or save him from himself. He followed his mission with precision as he was well known for doing. He was sent under ANBU to find and kill a missing ninja that committed heinous acts of violence such as human experimentation and illegal trafficking of minors. As always, he went out into the world with every intention of completing his mission without question or failure.

The ninja he was sent after apparently was already dying and was doing his best to fight the reaper. Cancer had gotten to him before he really could. The guy apparently wasn't well in combat but he was a fast runner which is why he was chosen to go after him. Who else but to send a dog to hunt? The young man closed his eyes feeling exhaustion settle in his bones and his chakra dry up like every drop of water did in this part of the world. The young man leaned his head back taking in shallow breaths now before digging in his pack. His fingers hit empty bags and scrolls that no longer were filled with food or anything consumable. All he had left was medicine and salve for burns. He pulled out a water bottle hoping to squeeze out one last drop. He titled it upwards and shook. Nothing fell from its nozzle but dry air. The ninja shook it angrily and tossed it aggressively into the sand away from his body.

"Stupid!" He gritted grabbing his head and running his fingers through his choppy silver hair frustratingly. Sand fell out of it onto his dirty hands, lap, and legs. He chased the rogue ninja far out into pass forests, plains, a sea, and now into the desert. The man new his days were numbered. But the crazy fool proved that he would rather suffer by Mother Nature's hands than by the hands of the infamous Copy Nin. They ran for months until the man dropped in the desert and died of chakra depletion as well as elevation in his sickness. The sand rolled over his body so fast that even he couldn't dig him out. He had to settle for cutting off his finger and ear as proof of the death to bring back to his Kage. If he returned. But the ninja knew when they reached the desert that there was no going back. He knew he should have turned back but what did he possibly have waiting for him back home to look towards? Everyone was dead now. His village was a mess despite what the people thought. Everyone loved in the false security they shrouded themselves in. ANBU taught him this.

But he was a ninja. A loyalist. Not to his village but to the memory of his team and his sensei. So, the thoughts he had were traitorous and toxic. They raged war inside of him every living moment, slowly pulling him into madness. To keep his mind from running, he threw himself into his missions taking one after the other. Each one was dangerous with a higher mortality rate than the last. It became a regular act for him to come home nearly close to exhaustion or death and simply pass out hopefully on the sofa of his home unless it was really devastating in which then he would barely be able to make it to the village gates.

But this time he had gone too far. He chased the man to no man's land. He was too far out to even think about going back. His energy was already low and so were his supplies. His fingers could barely make hand jujitsu formations to activate seals and without enough chakra to activate them it would be for nothing. He wouldn't make it if he turned around either. His only choice was to go forward. There would be no going back now. His village ninjas wouldn't even make it this far let alone think to go out this way where literally nothing existed. Maybe this was how it was supposed to be. This was his end after all. Finally he had reached the plateau he thought he would never grasp. A plateau that would be lands and seas away from Konoha. In a place where the edge of the map ended and there was absolutely nothing to reach. The red sun continued to sink highlighting the heavy dark winds getting closer that would bury him alive and cut off his oxygen. The sand blew wildly around him unlike the deserts of Suna which now seemed more like a gentle breeze than the hellish heated waves surrounding him. He coughed and sand rushed in his mouth and up his nose. His lungs expanded painfully and his saliva thickened until he was forced to spit.

His vision blurred considerably worse and grew dimmer by the minute. His muscles felt weak much like his resolve. It all blended together now. There was no such thing as good or evil. None of these things are real. Nothing existed worth truly fighting for either. The world was just a dark place and if you were lucky you had one light to hang on to. But each time his little light tried to grow, it would be savagely destroyed right in front of his eyes or even by his own bare hands. Yes, the world again was truly just a dark space with only work to be done. The world did not stop for suffering or pain. Life kept on going regardless of turmoil. Even if you begged on your knees for a reprieve it denied you and forced you to witness as everyone moved on except for you. So what was the point of living?

The ninja looked at his cracked callouses that told a story. A story that he was sure would be trashed or forgotten. So maybe leaving the earth this way was right for him. Maybe, he was lucky to be taken out of his misery by the world itself. The world that created him and made him into the shell of a person that he was. But as his luck would work, he would find shelter at the very end of his road. Right when he was about to fall into the hands of death, he managed to find mountains and make it to collapse against them in a hole built specially for his burial.

"Obito"

"Rin"

"Sensei"

He looked out into the sun that was sinking. The sun set the sky on fire while dueling against the dark night putting up a hell of a fight before it departed. His hand reached out towards the blazing red sun. "I guess we'll all hopefully see each other on the other side."

The ninja closed his eyes then taking what he knew would be his last few breaths. He felt the wind blow powerfully and he knew this was it. His body relaxed and he closed his eyes. His senses dulled a bit until something caught his attention. Sound reached his ears and he opened them again to see an odd sight standing before him. Surely, he was dreaming. Maybe death had physically came for him? Many people who were revived claimed to have seen a bright light. Was even death weary of him and his passage to the other side? Kami was truly cruel to do such a thing to him. He blinked fighting the edges of darkness to see two red cloaked figures staring down in front of him.

"Chekro Kash Na Ko."

"Kinu, Cre Divash Ne." The other stated eyes glaring down at him brightly.

His eyes rolled back as he fought to stay focused but it was proving very difficult. He shook his head as one of the figures crouched down in front of him. His eye was able to make out two golden feline eyes staring into his own digging through his soul. Slim fingers reached out and he felt them touch his forehead before dragging over the scar across his sharigan hidden eye that was a physical reminder of the pain in his life. His muscles twitched wanting to respond to the threat upon him but his body had no energy left in it. He looked to see the other one's mouth move and the one in front of him took her finger back slowly.

"Who are you?" Spoke a very feminine voice in his language.

He shifted forward with eyes blinking rapidly now. His lips moved but no sound came out. The young silver haired ninja shook his head and concentrated. He felt the need to answer her. Afterall, he was going to die. He needed to tell her. To say the only thing that he owned. The only thing that defined him since the day he came into this bleak world.

"K-K-Ka-Ka-shi." He stuttered looking at the being standing before him. The figure scooted closer and then he was able to make out the vision before him. A female face as young as his with eyes as bright as a tigress with a smile on her face roamed his features. Her finger came up again and rested on his forehead.

"Good Kakashi. Now…Sleep."

With relief and no fear, he tilted feeling weightless. All his pain and fear vanished. Everything was gone now and maybe he could do as exactly as she said for restful sleep escaped him many nights due to nightmares and PTS. For the first time in a long time he would sleep. And hopefully he would finally never wake up.