Chapter 25: Not Like This
Saikijuuou was roaring loudly. The remaining troops had gone back to the village. It was just the rookie 9, team Gai, and the Okibi family affair there.
"Ju it's me, Child, Himai, Brat!" Himai yelled. She needed to help him fast. Not only because he was being controlled, but keeping Ju here was costing her immense amounts of chakra. At the moment, her chakra was trying to fight off whatever Zurui did to him.
"He can't here you, he's under my genjutsu, and since he's a dragon of light, my dark attacks have severe effects on him. My genjutsu is so effective the guardian of security won't show up to repel it." Zurui informed the group.
"You cruel, bitter old hag. Why are you attacking us anyways? What do you want?"
"Revenge. On the people of the cursed clan that made me who I am. I was born only to be married to the Okibi heir. There were no girls in my generation. So when I was born, it was decided I would be the bride. I never wanted that. I wanted to flee, to be free from such a curse. I was forced to become a ninja, to get higher in rank, to go through the dragon training because it was my duty to the clan. I hated my life. Every day was miserable. No one would help me. And then your wretched grandfather, trying to play the nice guy when all he wanted was from me to behave and do my duties. I was not a housewife, I was something more!
"Come to think of it little Mai, isn't your current situation similar to mine? You don't want to be head of the clan, but you're forced to do everything against your will. The only way out is to lose your connection to your dragon, but he will not abandon you. Now that he's under my genjutsu, he's powerless."
Zurui held out her hand towards Himai and smiled evilly.
"Join me little Mai. I can show you the secrets of the dragon tamers. Together, we can send the forsaken clan to the pits of darkness where they belong. All you have to do is follow me. Come on. I don't bite."
Maruka flew to stand in front of Himai to guard her.
"Himai is a pure soul. She may want that sort of freedom, but she will get it by a different path, not by yours. The guardians of darkness are to use their powers only to protect those from harm. Darkness is not evil. It is used to fight true evil. It is mean to be a companion of light, yet you use it to cause the evil it is made to protect people from. Your evil ways will not sway her!"
"Not with you in the way. Eternal darkness!" Himai pointed her hand at Maruka and shot out a beam of black. It pierced through Maruka's skull, and the dragon fell to the ground and poofed out of the scene. Everyone was horrified.
'Shit! What was that?! This old hag is crazy! Oh man not good. This is getting to be a real drag.'
"Why? Why would you hurt your own dragon partner?" Ino asked.
"You have to get rid of things that get in your way." Zurui replied.
"I-is Maruka,"
"No Hinata. Dragon's don't die, they're reborn in dragon eggs and start over. However, the knowledge of their past partners is gone." Himai Answered
"Dragon style: lights of revelation." Himai tried the same thing on Ju as she did on Maruka, but Zurui blocked her.
"Did you really think I'd let you pull that trick again little girl?" Zurui asked. "Seems like Little Mai never learned her lesson. Never tempt your elders. Dragon style: Force of Nature." Zurui slammed her hands to the ground and it started to open up, allowing snakes and other creatures to surface. All the animals had red eyes. Before they could get to the surface, Himai stopped them.
"Earth style: hiding more technique. Everyone jump!" Himai stayed tuning the ground into brittle sand.
"Not this again. Water style: water wave palm" Zurui shot water from her palm to the ground to make the sand wet and stop it from collapsing. Himai knew she'd do that.
"Fire style fireball jutsu." Himai aimed at the ground which solidified because of the reaction from going from hot to cold. Everyone landed on the ground again.
"It's a shame you won't join me little one. I was really hoping we could take over the clan together."
"Liar. You were gonna kill me when I was no linger useful."
"Hmm, guess you're right. But you're powerless now. What can you do? You've lost control of your dragon, I know all your moves, there's no way you can possibly beat me."
Zurui was so overconfident in her abilities she didn't even notice when Himai got behind her.
"Seems like Little Mai never learned her lesson, never tempt her elders. Just ignore them until you find their weak spot." Himai tied Zurui with her red rope and her sword was at Zurui's neck.
"You weakness is the same as mine. You're too arrogant for your own good. You think you have all the power in the world, but you don't. You should've learned there are other courses in life than revenge. Knees, now. I have no sympathy for those who think they have authority over all. Come on don't be shocked about the situation. Isn't it customary for you to die if you abandon the dragons?"
Zurui had no other choice. She had it coming. In the end, she'd never get the revenge she wanted. She did as she was told. She never expected to be killed by her own granddaughter.
"Any last words granny?"
"Yes, never give your back to the enemy! Dragon style: dark poison mass blade."
"Mai look out!" Shikamaru yelled, but it was too late.
The Zurui in front of her was just a clone. The real one was behind her and her hand was a dark purple color that seemed to solidify into a blade. There was no way Himai would dodge it. She thought she was done. She shut her eyes but found that no attack came to her.
"Himai!" Everyone yelled. Himai opened her eyes and saw Ju, in front of her, still with black eyes, the same size as Himai. He had a dark purple blade that went through his abdomen and was coming out from his back. He roared in excruciating pain. In front of Ju was Zurui with her eyes wide with shock. Her mouth was dripping with blood, as if she was the one that got stabbed.
"What? How? You were under my genjutsu! You should have been about to protect her!"
"I will never abandon my master. She may hate me, be a brat, and she can be difficult to work with. But she's a good person. She never says this, but the real reason she wishes I'd leave her is because she feels she is a burden to me. She puts on a tough act so no one worried for her. But I know that she suffers deep down because she feels she can't do anything right for anyone. She's worked very hard to become what she had. It is an honor for me to serve a person who wants to serve others.
"I knew that the only way to undo the genjutsu and save Himai at this point was for me to receive the attack. You wished to rid yourself of Maruka long ago, but since you had her under you control, you couldn't without risking your own life. Himai, commence the execution ceremony." Said Saikijuuou.
Himai became robotic. She was in a state of shock. She was just following commands. Zurui was on her knees. She didn't fight it anymore. She accepted that she'd never get her revenge. Himai's friends turned so they wouldn't see anything
"Any last words?" Himai asked. Zurui closed her eyes and smirked.
"In the end, my destruction was a faithful dragon. You may be free from the clan now Okibi Himai, but I hope you live with the regret of your actions, forever."
"So be it." With one swift motion, Himai decapitated Zurui and put it in a black cloth bag like she'd normally do in an ANBU mission. She burned he body so nothing remained. She quickly changed demeanor when the body finished burning and went straight to Saikijuuou which was on the ground hang on to dear life.
"Ju! Ju are you okay?" Her friends came and gathered around Ju.
"Here let me heal you." Sakura offered.
"No, you'll be wasting your chakra." Ju looked around him.
"I can see now, that if I leave, Himai will be in good hands."
"Don't say that." Himai said, although she knew what would happen.
"H-he'll be r-reborn like Maruka, r-right?" Hinata asked. Himai's expression became solemn.
"If he were any other guardian yes. But he's a guardian of wisdom and light. Since light's opposite is darkness, the genjutsu had major effects on him. He was also stabbed by an attack of darkness. His body doesn't even have the strength to return to the dragon country. He won't be reborn." Himai explained. Everyone around her was shocked.
"The only other way to lose the connection to dragons and not be executed by it, is if your dragon dies by other causes." Shikamaru stated.
"I still have enough strength for one thing. Himai. Place your sword next to me and put your hand above it. Make sure you are touching the rope as well."
Himai did as she was told. Ju placed one of his wings over her hand and the sword. They started to glow white. A powerful gust of wind came from the sword; powerful, but calming. A couple or strands of her hair in the front on her right side began to change color to red. When Saikijuuou lifter his wing, there wasn't a sword. The once white bladed sword became a long black staff, longer that the sword had been. It reached from the ground to Himai's waist. The long red rope stayed the same, but the charm on the end became a golden bell.
"I will always be with you in this staff. My life force is in it now. You will always have me to help you in your fights. This staff will work as a sword. It will be sharper that a sword. That piece of red hair you have is a reminder of our bond. Your jutsus will be very different now, so practice a lot. You are no longer tied to the Okibi customs. Marry who you want, do what you want to do. Since you are no longer bound by contract, you can learn new jutsus now. Promise me you will no longer think of yourself as a burden."
"I promise." By this time, every girl except Himai was crying. She was the only one with a smile, because she didn't want Saikijuuou to see her sad. He deserved to see her something other than angry or bitter. Shikamaru had his hand on her back the whole time. The boys either had their eyes shut or were getting teary eyed. Shikamaru looked on with sympathy.
"You are never alone, Child of Fire. This is not good bye. This is an invitation to your next journey. I'll be with you, Himai." Saikijuuou closed his eyes and his body ignited in flames. The ashes seeped into the ground. Himai still smiled.
"He told me he'd only call me by my name twice. Once when we met, and another when I'd no longer physically see him." Suddenly, they heard a loud crack from Himai. Himai took out her pendant. The amber star had cracked. Pieces were falling. Himai got out a handkerchief and placed the pendant in it along with the falling pieces. She placed it in her pocket.
Himai stood up, attached the new staff to her back and the rope to her hip, grabbed the black bag, and stopped smiling. Shikamaru was still by her side. She grabbed his hand and gave it a tight squeeze. She was scared she'd loose her balance.
"Let's go back." Himai let go of Shikamaru's hand and charged her feet with chakra. She didn't care about chakra exhaustion at the moment. She wanted to get back as soon as possible. Shikamaru caught up with her.
"Are you okay?"
"It wasn't supposed to happen this way, not like this."