'And you're a cherry blossom

You're about to bloom

You look so pretty, but you're gone so soon'

'Centuries by Fall Out Boys'


Chapter 9: Forgive Me/ Our First Mission

Zakari placed his hand on her shoulder and smiled gently. "It's okay Katsuya." He said.

"D.. Don't touch me." She pushed his hand off her shoulder and swiftly wipes away her tears.

"What's wrong?" He asked and slightly frowns. 'Just tell me Kat. It's okay.' Zakari looks down.

"You're getting annoying by every second you are beside me! Just go somewhere else!" Katsuya mumbled.

"Katsuya just tell me." Zakari stepped back a bit and force a smile on his face.

"Just leave me alone and go away! Hell, you can leave the village all I care for!"

He nods then left the room with her and Akuseru alone.

"He's always getting on my last nerves.." She spoke to herself, rubbing her eyes along with it. Her eyes observed the whole room then over to Akuseru. "Everything.. Is mostly falling apart with this team." Katsuya lays back onto the pillow. A single tear rolled down her cheek. She should have been crying, but she was too numb to even think about crying. She looked like death and she didn't care.

"Now I feel horrible. Not like it's the first.." She says, she pulled away the smooth silk bed sheets, stepping out of the bed. "..." Katsuya left the room quietly, not like Akuseru was going hear her.


Zakari quickly pushed open the door and turned to three guys who were just sitting outside of the hospital. Just being old weird, naive guys. He walked by them and accidentally bumps into one.

"Watch it, idiot." A older male with yellow eyes and very shaggy hair says then gave Zakari a shove.

"Where's your little friends, eh?" Another said with a grin, pushing him back over to the other guy.

"Yeah where's your f-." A man that's slightly.. Dumb began.

"Shut up dumbass. No one asked you for your advice." Seiko shoved him into Zakari.

"He wasn't giving you advice." Zakari sighed and sweatdrops slightly. "Anyways, I don't have time for you people.." He rested his hands behind his head and began to walk.

"Oh hold on! Leaving so soon, why so?" Uriko guffaws echoed throughout the village, causing strangers to search for the source of the loud bursts of laughter.

"Take Uriko stupid ass before I murder him.." Seiko immediately glared at Uriko with both of his hands balled up in a fist. He ran up behind Zakari then grabs his collar and threw him back to the other two.

"You know what that means.." Neboko smirked then cracked his knuckles slowly. He saw it coming, but it caught him off guard. Zakari felt a balled fist make contact with his muscle, watching it smash his entrails together like a rogue freight train. He felt blood vessels burst and his diaphragm collapse under the force the fist packed behind it. Seiko reacted quickly and kicked him in the center of his face. As his crumpled body hit the ground, he gasped for air, but oxygen eluded his grasp. Zakari head was swimming as his organs regained their original volume: going from a pancake like mass to their original life-saving state.

"Heh, it's quite funny seeing him suffer.. Just look at him.." Uriko says and chuckles.

Katsuya opened the doors and stepped outside of the hospital to the warm breeze. "It's a real pain trying to sneak out of there, forget that. I need to find Z-." She stops and looks over to her side. "Zakari!" She shouts and ran over to him.

"Ooo. Purple-eyed princess has arrived." Seiko laughed loudly which was very annoying.

"Knock it off pervert. Zakari can you hear me?" She asked him and picks him up carefully. Zakari didn't respond there was just blood dripping from his mouth.

"Now you three are so.. Dead." She spoke lowly. Zakari moved away from Katsuya, he slowly made his way over to a nearby bench.

"Oh my. Oh my. I'm so scared! Do you absolutely like that I'm scared of you brats?" Seiko questioned her.

"..." Katsuya took one step. Her normally calm and pleasant demeanor slowly changed and her face contorted in an all - consuming anger; her nostrils flaring, her eyes flashing and turning a light purple. "Don't underestimate me!" Her hands closed into fist, and leaned forward. She soon dashed towards him then she let go with a right uppercut to the head that sent him flying from one side of that street to the other at what seemed like the speed of light.

Uriko and Neboko mouths flew open. They bowed a couple of times at Zakari then Katsuya. Also saying "Sorry" a couple of times or "Forgive us".

"Seiko-sama are you alright?" Uriko ran over to him, like he was his girlfriend or something.

"If you touch me.. I will shove my foot so far up your a-."

"Leave before I come over there.." Katsuya grins evilly at them with her fist steaming from hitting Seiko.

"Okay!" Seiko somehow got up, and ran off with the other two.

"W.. well that was frightening." Zakari chuckled then walked over to her.

"Sorry. I just got out of hand a little.." Her eyes went back to their normal state.

"A little?" He rose an eyebrow.

"Oh shush. Let's get you back in the hospital so they can get you all healed up." She smiled at him then started helping him back into the hospital.


Akuseru stands from his hospital bed weakly and stumbles towards the window. He opens it and then jumps from it. As he lands he groans and then makes his way to the old Uchiha district. Making his way to the secret Uchiha Meeting place. A large temple like structure. Akuseru stops at the base of the temple and slowly staggers to his home. Struggling weakly as he coughs up some blood. He climbs the stairs to his house then opens the door. Stepping in to his home he limps over to his bed and sits. As he summons in the scroll continues to inspect its contents. The medical ninja assisting Aku's healing process have been knocked unconscious and are draped across the floor, an obvious struggle having ensued.

By the time that all happened, Zakari, who is healed now, entered the room with Katsuya.

"Where did he go?" Zakari searched the room with his eyes and spotted the nurse. He checked her pulse and sighed.

She swiftly walked to the window that was open and looks out of it. "He jumped out of this window? What the heck.." She mumbled.

"... Ah ha! I think I know where he is?" Zakari raced out of the room and grins.

"Or we could of jumped out of the window, like everyone else does." She says under her breath.


Zakari and Katsuya quietly entered the abandoned Uchiha District.

"Here? How'd you know?" She asked him.

"Well I rather not speak of it.." He laughed quietly.

"Have you been stalking him lately?"

"Have you?"

"O-oh me? Pff, no, no not at all." She looks away quickly.

"Really.. Just really?"

"S-shut up and let's find Akuseru.."

He nodded then started running into random homes and searching everywhere, but after a few dozen houses. They stopped at the last one. They ran in and checked the kitchen first.

"Akuseru?" Katsuya says, moving onto the next room that was connected to the kitchen.

"Hey Katsuya. I found him." He shouts from upstairs.

"Weren't you just down here? Eh." She ran up the stairs then saw Akuseru on Zakari back. "He looks very weak." She spoke softly.

"Yeah, we should take him back to the hospital before everyone starts to freak out and stuff." He walked right back down the stairs.

"Right." She followed right behind him.

Akuseru groans slightly and then shifts with a heavy sigh. "It was horrid for me to witness the murder of the Uchiha first hand. But I must not hold true to those memories. I cannot be discovered as an Uchiha, or it could mean my death. I have no true hatred for the loss of my clan. What I do hate, is that the killer is allowed to roam free. What I hate, is the fact that Konoha allowed the butchering of innocents to go unpunished. But I know reclaim the glory of the Uchiha name, and bring about a new era of the Uchiha. That is my goal, that is why I refuse to quit even when it can possibly destroy me." He says.

"Wow.." Zakari mumbled. 'That is horrible though, letting the murder roam free.' He thought.

'I-I don't know what to say..' She thought and looked down at her fingers.

Akuseru cringes and passes out once again. They soon walked out the old Uchiha district and started heading towards the hospital. Mostly everyone that was walking around was now heading home since the sun was going down. Those three arrived at Konoha's Hospital and walked in, rushed to their room, and sat Akuseru down on the bed. Akuseru groans in his comatose as blood trickles from his eyes.

"I don't know if I can handle this.." She spoke to herself and sat on the other hospital bed.

"Katsuya, everything is going to be fine so don't worry." He smiled.

There is a knock at the hospital room door. After a few seconds the cheery voice of Ryunosuke-sensei echoes from the outside. "Guess who came to visit~"

"Wait.. Ryunosuke-sensei!" Katsuya says and smiled.

The door opens and the familiar man steps in. He smiles lightly then walks over to Akuseru bed. "Poor kid drained most of his chakra and nearly killed himself for his own glory.. He's got guts I'll give him that much. Either way I'm just here to tell you that our first assignment will take place first thing tomorrow morning." He looked over Zakari. "We will be delivering documents to the hidden sand borders. We will be sending a request for the sand in the upcoming Chunin Exams. It's a few days to make it there but it shouldn't be any trouble.. Though we may have to go without Aku."

"Ugh, walking. Do I have walk, and is it an option?" She asked then pouts.

".. Yes you do have to walk, and no it's not an option.." Ryunosuke-sensei says to her. "As I was saying, he just needs to rest. The kids resilient that's for sure. That blast would have killed any normal Genin. But word is that he left his room recently and that must've strained his body even more." He walked over to the window and closes it.

"Akuseru can still go. I mean-."

"Unless we want to carry around an unconscious, limp body around. No." He glanced at Zakari.

"I will not abandoned a comrade! He can still go, he's like my- katsuya before you say anything. There is nothing going on between me and him." He dramatically points at her.

"This isn't abandonment. Your beliefs are not wrong, but if we bring him along we will only have more of a chance to get hurt. This is for the best. Besides it's a simple mission, just a quick walk really… A three day walk, but a walk nonetheless!" He chuckles.

"Oh my." She covers her mouth and giggles.

Ryunosuke chuckled and then waved goodbye before turning away. "I have some things to take care of, I suggest you all prepare for the trip!"

"Bye Ryunosuke-sensei!" She waved goodbye as she continued to giggle.

The door closes, leaving the three alone in the hospital room.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow Katsuya." Zakari says and quickly left the room.

"Yeah.. Tomorrow." She mumbled and smiled.

To be Continued…