Chapter 26
Yamato smiled sweetly at Ritsuka as two more versions of him appeared from within the foliage, the real Yamato hopefully long gone.
"Everything is going to be just fine." Yamato seemed confident as he held her cheek tenderly so she could look straight at him. This helped Ritsuka calm inside herself, but she still wished she could be of more use. She kicked at her cage uselessly, realising just how much of an actual dead weight she was right now, which was frustrating, since she had been so close to getting to grips with her formal self. "I'm gonna take good care of you." One of the Yamato's, the one talking, quickly and easily hoisted Ritsuka's lifeless body into his arms.
A twig snapped over to the left, Kentaro evidently having approached quicker than Yamato had anticipated. His grip tightened on Ritsuka, his other two wooden bodyguards stepping between Kentaro and Ritsuka instantly.
Ritsuka felt her fingers strain as she balled them into fists; her view from her now badly positioned head not helping her nerves any. Kakashi trusted Yamato, but Ritsuka hadn't really seen him bust many moves as of late, and was unsure of how this fight was about to pan out.
After all, this was Kentaro.
"Clever." Kentaro smirked as he walked out into sight, the two Yamato's in front slinking into defensive poses. "Using your clones again so I can't link with you, and your wooden ones because I, of course, could easily bypass through your chakra based ones. But how do you know I can't do the same thing with these clones?" The Yamato holding Ritsuka scoffed in annoyance.
"Does it really matter? Let's just get this over with." Kentaro tutted as he slowly walked in the small clearing.
"You Konoha shinobi are all so straight to the point. It's like there's no art to fighting to the death anymore." Kentaro scratched at his head, pretending to be as detached and uncaring of the current situation as possible. "But lucky for you , Yamato, I am in a bit of a rush, so if you would just hand over to me what is mine, then I will be on my way." Yamato made no indication that he was going to comply, the three clones just staring at Kentaro as he outstretched his arms.
"Nothing here belonging to you." Kentaro glared at the Yamato holding Ritsuka, a quiet hiss escaping him.
"I have no time for your Tom foolery. Now hand over the girl or die." Yamato again made no indication that he was going to hand Ritsuka over to him. "You forget, Yamato, that I have been inside your head, and know exactly how your clones work. So," Kentaro began to meander slowly, flipping his hand around as he spoke matter-of-factly at the group of wooden clones. "for me to take over your body and mind would just be too easy. Now let's just make this go away without anyone having to get hurt, and hand over my Ritsuka, like a good boy now." Kentaro clapped his hands as if Yamato were a mere pet. Yamato again laughed, but Ritsuka felt his grip tighten even more.
Yamato was clearly unnerved by this new revelation. And quite rightly so. Kentaro was not a force to be reckoned with... Ritsuka tried to call out to Yamato in her head, give him the encouragement he obviously needed, but Yamato made no indication that he had heard a word.
Bummer.
Kentaro picked his pace up as he began to walk more directly towards the defending trio when he suddenly stopped, his eyes widening.
"It can't be..." Yamato took this opportunity to engage in a surprise attack, his bodyguard clones shooting towards Kentaro with immense speed and strength, their attacks precise and well calculated. "Don't fucking insult me with your pathetic attempts!" Kentaro talked a good game, but from what Ritsuka could see, Yamato was owning him!
But she couldn't see very much...
"Just die." Yamato seemed bored as he spoke under his breath, clearly as sick as Kakashi was with this ridiculous saga. Ritsuka felt Yamato's grip on her falter a little as his body shook, Kentaro's ominous self peering over his shoulder.
Ritsuka could see the man of her nightmares stare straight in at her, his all knowing eyes seeming to find this whole situation quite funny.
"What was that?" Kentaro was just playing them, the body guards dropping the pile of sticks Kentaro had replaced himself with. The clone holding Ritsuka pulled free of the rather large kunai sticking into his back, his eyes serious as he jumped into the canopy above. The other two clones attacked Kentaro, their superior Anbu skills proving to be advantageous as they wore the man down, his shrieks of rage and disbelief resonating throughout the trees. Ritsuka watched the best she could, the angle of her head again not proving to be of much use. Kentaro seemed to be sluggish in his movements, even though he was himself. Ritsuka wondered if maybe he hadn't perfected his revival process as much as he would have hoped, his stubbornness and impatience proving to once again be his downfall.
"So what's the situation?" Kakashi appeared behind the pair of them in a puff of smoke, his voice strained as he was clearly suffering from fatigue. The clone smiled down at the scene of the other two pinning the struggling man to the ground.
"He's not as tough as you made out." Kakashi shrugged, his closed eye smile forced. "I think I have him if you would care to do the honours." Kakashi sighed softly.
"Yes. I would." Ritsuka felt Yamato's body bounce slightly as Kakashi left the branch they were hiding on, her pleas for Kakashi to be careful falling on deaf ears.
Kakashi dropped to the ground, his fingers coming together in the many hand seals he would probably never forget. His Chidori screeched and chirped as he approached the now profusely swearing, excuse of a man.
"I hate you! I hate you!" Kakashi smirked sadly as he watched the man wriggle and writhe, tears falling from his eyes. "I don't want to die!" His waling was almost too much, but Kakashi was a Konoha S class Shinobi. This was what he was born and bred for.
"You should have just stayed away. Then none of this would have happened. Your bitterness and selfishness were the beginning and end of you." Kentaro screamed his protests.
"Give me a chance to repent. I can be different! I can change!" Kakashi rolled his eyes, tired of these pitiful pretences.
"No." Kakashi knelt down, his Chidori screaming in his hand. "You can't" Kakashi thrust his deadly technique through the man's chest, Kentaro's heart exploding in his hand. Kakashi blinked as blood sprayed onto his face, the sound of Yamato's clones popping out of existence echoing loudly next to him, a strange accompaniment to the now vanishing screams of the man beneath him.
And so ended the epic saga of the crazed Kentaro.
...
"Can you sit her up?" Yamato nodded and complied with Kakashi's wishes, trying his best to move Ritsuka's limp body without bending her limbs too horribly. "That's fine." Yamato watched his friend closely, noticing how he seemed no happier, even though he had just killed his nemesis. He wasn't sure what he had expected of the tired man, but it sure as hell wasn't more depression.
Kakashi bit his finger to draw his blood and then began to trace symbols and patterns along the ground, up Ritsuka's now exposed arms and stomach, all the way up to her staring eyes. He sighed softly as he closed his own, readying himself for the probably exhausting jutsu ahead. He took Ritsuka's hands in his, and held her in place.
"You can leave the circle now, I've got her." Yamato nodded, but chose to say nothing as he did what was asked of him. Kakashi lowered his head for a moment and muttered his incantation, chakra running from his hands through Ritsuka's fingers and into her eyes, along the bloodied paths of old incantations. Ritsuka's head lulled dangerously as her fingers began to twitch, her eyelids flickering frantically. "That's it, you can do it." Kakashi laid Ritsuka down tenderly, his hand catching the back of her head before it hit the ground, his other hand locked with hers, his deep concentration on Ritsuka and Ritsuka alone, seemingly unbreakable.
Yamato felt terribly out of place as he watched the couple. He had never seen such intensity or emotion from Kakashi before, and he found it almost mesmerising.
"That's it, fight it off." Kakashi's voice was quiet, but still audible. "That's it. Come on." Kakashi continued to stroke Ritsuka's forehead, her body now convulsing more violently.
"Fuck!" Ritsuka sat bolt upright, almost head butting Kakashi. Her body then immediately relaxed, Kakashi catching her before she did further damage to herself.
"Well done." Kakashi rubbed his fingers gingerly through Ritsuka's hair, taking most of it from her face. "You did it. Rest now." The three of them sat in silence as Kakashi continued to brush his fingers through Ritsuka's impossibly tangled hair.
"Is she okay?" Yamato hadn't meant to speak and ruin the little moment, but his mouth seemed to have a mind of its own as of late. Yamato sighed as he ducked his head a little, showing he was sorry. Kakashi seemed not to notice as he replied.
"She will be fine. Just needs some rest. Kentaro made a bit of a mess in the there." Kakashi gestured towards her head, his finger lingering on her burning skin for a moment.
"Where did you go?" Kakashi sat back for a second, his eyes staring off into the surrounding darkness.
"Kentaro, he was inside of her mind." Yamato nodded, though seemed a little confused. "Differently this time. That's why I didn't see it before it was too late." Kakashi looked at Ritsuka again, his expression pained. "I should have known though. Should have seen it." Yamato shook his head, though he couldn't find the words to comfort his obviously despairing friend. "He made her say such horrible things and I was so self absorbed that I didn't even notice it wasn't her. She didn't speak the way she would, didn't use the same logic or even mannerisms. I mean the odd few that she seems to have picked up, but she has shouted at me before, but not like that." Yamato rolled his eyes at his perfectionist friend.
"The main thing is that it's over now." Kakashi didn't respond. "Right?" Kakashi shrugged.
"If there is anything I have learned from this experience is that you can never be sure with Kentaro." Yamato nodded in understanding, the tension falling thickly on the pair.
"Well you can't blame yourself for everything. I mean, you tried your best. You're only human. And of course your perspective is going to be out of focus when the person you love is saying horrible things. It's perfectly normal." Kakashi scoffed, clearly disappearing headlong down a depression curve.
"Anyway. Kentaro was miles away, so I used my Sharingan to locate him. When I found it, he had managed to project a transformation jutsu on an Aranii, and managed to lead me to this beast instead of him, and away from Ritsuka. I should have seen it!" Yamato allowed Kakashi to talk through what happened. It wasn't often that he could be there for Kakashi in the way he needed, and he wasn't about to fuck it up with trying to make him feel better. Kakashi wasn't the bullshit-able type. "So again I was outsmarted by an apparent idiot." Kakashi sighed as he brought his hands to his face, his knuckles going white as he apparently tried to crush his own skull. Yamato waited for his friend to continue. "The only reason I actually 'won' was that he had pushed himself beyond his limits and was too weak to take you over." Yamato had feared that Kentaro's words had been true, and that he had figured out a way to channel his control over his wooden clones, and as Kakashi confirmed it, he felt shivers run up and down his spine.
They had been so close.
And lucky.
"Kakashi. I know this has been really hard for you, and I appreciate you feel partially to blame, but you can't possibly be solely to blame." Kakashi looked away from Yamato, as if he was a child being scolded. This was really not cool. "Kentaro is gone. Don't let him continue to torture you in death. What matters is that you have Ritsuka back, and your son. Kentaro is no more and you can go home, with your family finally intact. Isn't that what you want?" Kakashi nodded, though he still refused to look at Yamato. Yamato presumed Kakashi was just avoiding him, trying to regain what dignity he had left after opening up like that. Or at least that's how Kakashi would be seeing it. He was always so mysterious.
A little too mysterious to be healthy really.
"Oh cheer the fuck up you miserable basterd." Kakashi's expression immediately changed as Ritsuka's mumbled words washed over him. "When did you become such a whiney wee girl?" He laughed heartily as he checked Ritsuka over, helping her to sit up as she rubbed her head painfully.
"Ever since you came back into my life and made everything so unnecessarily complicated." Ritsuka smiled as she punched Kakashi playfully in the ribs, his comical 'oof' a sound Yamato never imagined Kakashi was capable of making.
"Well fuck ya then!" Ritsuka pushed him away as she tried to get to her feet, but Kakashi pulled her back down onto her back.
"You're not ready to move." Ritsuka rolled her eyes as she pushed him away again, this time Kakashi allowing the girl to learn the hard way.
"Don't embarrass me in front of Yamato." Yamato put his hands in the air defensively.
"Oh no. Don't use me as your excuse for stubbornness." Ritsuka rounded on him.
"Stubbornness?" Kakashi laughed quietly as he rubbed his nose tenderly against her cheek.
"Told you." Ritsuka pushed him away for the third time, her playful smile back in full swing.
"Well fuck both of you." Yamato's eyes widened slightly at the girl's rudeness, but he couldn't help but smile. She really hadn't changed at all...
Ritsuka managed to get to her knees before the world began to spin again, her mind racing with questions and confusion. Kentaro had done a nice job of fucking shit up, but she could feel Kakashi's jutsu fixing away at the broken memories and thoughts. Her admiration for the man seemed to grow daily. He had come so far, and she had managed to somehow go backwards. She suddenly felt his awesomeness crush her a little. He wasn't even a speck in front of her anymore, he was long gone.
And he deserved better.
Ritsuka sighed as she pulled herself together again, her mind almost disappearing on another depressive rampage.
"How do you feel?" Kakashi's almost smug voice brought Ritsuka back to their current pretend argument.
"Yes, fuck face, am doing great. Did the world always spin this fast? 'cause if I'm honest, it's a bit rude..." Kakashi laughed softly as he helped her to her feet, deciding it was probably better to help her rather than watch her fail miserably. "Thank you." Kakashi nodded as he slowly let go of Ritsuka's shaking form. "Haha! Yamato, yee of so little faith! Behold!" Ritsuka raised her arms as she posed like a god, her body wobbling dangerously. Kakashi rolled his eyes as he caught her arm, her stumbling only going to result in disaster.
"Right, come on you. Let's head back to camp. Dunno bout you guys, but am knackered." Ritsuka smiled sympathetically at Kakashi as he led her through the forest, Yamato following closely behind.
...
"Kakashi!" Gai jumped down from main hideout's roof, his gleaming smile in place. "You look like hell!" Kakashi offered a weak smile, his body slightly slumped. Gai laughed heartily as he descended to the ground like some kind of superhero, his teeth shining painfully in the rising sun. "You really should look after yourself more. Green vegetables will only get you so far. You need to actually train for these long nights out saving the world." Gai approached Kakashi as he spoke, his arms reaching out to catch the fatigued man. Kakashi tried to push away from the flamboyant man, Ritsuka catching a glimpse of their old selves.
"Gai, I think we should just let him sit down, don't you?" Gai led Kakashi away, leaving Ritsuka to hide a little behind Yamato. "You not coming over?" Ritsuka watched Gai place Kakashi down next to the smouldering fire as she danced uncomfortably on her tip toes. A small smile graced her lips when she heard Gai offer Kakashi almost every kind of energy bar there was in the world.
"I'll just chill out over here thanks." Yamato turned to look at her closely, his stoic expression annoying her slightly. "What?" Yamato didn't let up his cold stare as he spoke.
"Why?" Ritsuka fumbled with her fingers as she continued to wriggle around, jumping from foot to foot.
"I just..." She smiled nervously as she slowly shrugged. "Like the view?" Yamato looked around at the valley, exclaiming his agreement sarcastically and rather unnecessarily over the top. "Well there's no need to be an ass." Yamato smiled softly, but it was gone before Ritsuka could smile back.
"What's going on?" Ritsuka could see Kakashi watching her as he desperately fought sleep, his knowing eyes boring a whole right through her. Yamato followed her gaze, his expression puzzled. "You haven't fallen out have you?" Yamato had no idea when it had happened if they had, and was really beginning to wish he had left the situation alone. Ritsuka shook her head as she sighed, guilt shining in her eyes.
"I brought most of these kids here. I don't want them to notice me and... freak out. You know?" Yamato nodded slowly, not really sure how to approach the problem. Luckily for him, Kakashi was already handling things... Thank god.
"So you were all found here then. Good to be out again?" Kakashi called out to the now gathering children. Most of them just nodded, though a couple mumbled their agreement. Kakashi smiled sweetly at them, all hints of his tiredness pretty much gone. "Do you all remember how you got here?" Some of the kids shook their heads but a couple turned and pointed fingers at Ritsuka. Kakashi looked over and locked eyes with Ritsuka, her panicked face bringing forth his protective nature. He swallowed it back. "We all know what Kentaro was capable of yes?" Again the children nodded, more of them finding the confidence to speak out. "He was a bad man and could make people do anything he wanted, didn't he?" More agreement from his captured audience. "Well Ritsuka here," Kakashi held his hand out, indicating for Ritsuka to take it, thus bringing her right into the lime light. She wasn't sure she was ready for this, but she complied none the less. "was just like you. She was taken away from her home and family. Forced to do things she didn't want to. She didn't even know she was doing it at the time." Ritsuka felt her eyes grow heavy as she found herself staring at the ground, ashamed. The silence was killing her, but she just couldn't bring herself to look at anyone. Kakashi nudged her, nodding his head towards the group that were now all staring at her.
"I'm..." Ritsuka swallowed hard. "I'm so, so very sorry!" She blurted out her apologies as she felt her eyes sting with tears, her voice strained as she forced herself to speak through her obvious pain. Kakashi smiled at her, taking her hand tenderly.
"And do you forgive her?" Most of the kids just nodded, but a few spoke up and agreed. Ritsuka felt a great weight lift from her shoulders, which immediately came crashing back down as she heard one voice scream their protest.
"It's your fault my brother is dead!" Kakashi squeezed her hand tightly. "I will never forgive you! Never!" Ritsuka nodded, her strength surprising her greatly.
"And I wouldn't want you to." The boy stepped back, quite perplexed. So he tried to break her from another angle.
"Now I am alone! Forever! My brother was all I had, and now he's one of those irreversible monsters! I have nothing to live for! Nothing!" Ritsuka nodded again, her head hung in shame. Kakashi held her hand still as the rest of her shook violently with nerves.
"Is there anything I can do to make things right? Make things... better?" The boy scoffed as he walked up to Ritsuka, his eyes conveying no fear at all.
"Nothing you can do will ever bring him back. But if you would like to make me feel better." The boy pulled away from Ritsuka then, a couple of the other children standing with him like a united front. Clearly they had also lost family members and friends, and she was going to receive the blame.
And she would happily take it.
"Just die." The words were quiet, but their impact was more than Ritsuka had been ready for. She felt tears spill over, and she found herself nodding to the boy.
"Don't worry. I'll die one day. Maybe not as quick as you would like, but I'm sure my days are numbered rather low by now." Ritsuka saw a flicker of pity cross the boy's face, and she hated herself more for it. She didn't want pity. She wanted the boy to hit her. Punch her so hard that she would never be able to forget it. Kick her, bight her, stick the head in her... anything to take away the sharp edges of her unavoidable guilt.
To feel some kind of retribution for the things she had done, under the control of Kentaro or not. She had ruined lives, and she would never be able to fix that. The boy shut his eyes tight as he shook his head, clearly most annoyed with Ritsuka's reaction not being quite what he had planned for. He then kicked her hard in the shin, pointing his finger at her as he began to scream nothing at her. Just outraged, pained screams of nothing as he thumped and punched her repeatedly, Ritsuka taking the attacks as they came.
"That's enough." Kakashi rose from his makeshift seat, standing between the small group of kids and Ritsuka. She tried to push him away, but he wouldn't budge.
"Protecting her makes you just as bad." The boy eyed Kakashi bravely. "Lady. One day I'll become so strong you won't be able to comprehend it, and I will kill you." Kakashi growled his warning, and the boy flinched before pulling back a little. The rest of the group had dissipated, returning back to the group of forgivers. The boy scoffed at them as he remained alone.
"What's your name?" The boy didn't look at Ritsuka as he replied.
"Muugen." Ritsuka nodded thoughtfully as she smiled slightly.
"I look forward to seeing how strong you become. You should train hard, become as strong as you can be, and then we'll see if it's enough." The boy looked at Ritsuka a little confused. Had she just given him permission to try and kill her? And challenged him? The boy thought for a few moments before he replied.
"Just don't die before I get to kill you." Ritsuka giggled happily.
"Done!" Kakashi eyed her suspiciously before returning slowly to his seat, clearly standing being a little too much for him. Ritsuka sat next to him as she rubbed his back tenderly, Muugen wandering off to the back of the group of kids. Some tried to apologise for deserting him, but he ignored them, sticking his nose in the air as held his dignity high.
"You know, you're such a pain in my ass." Ritsuka shrugged.
"Well, now Muugen has something to live for." Kakashi sighed, not convinced that she had done the right thing.
"Revenge?" Kakashi shook his head. "You never really avenge people. You were always to level headed and understanding. But I have and I tell you, it's nothing more than a poison." Ritsuka saw something flash in Kakashi's visible eye, the atmosphere around him thickening. Ritsuka sat in silence for a few moments.
"So how does it feel?" Kakashi turned back to see Ritsuka's questioning look. "For example, finally ridding the world of its biggest source of scum, Kentaro? Surely that was satisfying, no?" Kakashi smiled sadly as he stared ahead again, his eyes holding a great deal of conflict.
"Not as good as you would think." Ritsuka nodded, though the action was lost since Kakashi wasn't looking in her direction. "It was... hollow." Ritsuka watched as Kakashi fought to find the words. "For a long time, it's all you think about, and it festers within, turning to hate. And nothing good comes out of hating people." He brushed a hand through his messy hair. "Killing him was just... nothing. Not even relief. There's a sense of pride of being the winner, of keeping you safe. But that's it. No happiness, no weight lifted, because he still did what he did, and nothing can ever change that." Ritsuka nodded, feeling she understood. "Not even his death. It's just, something humans do." Ritsuka felt her heart tighten as she thought of the potential problem she had just caused. "Did you know that humans are the only species that fight and kill for fun or sport?" Ritsuka shook her head.
"Seems pretty accurate though." Kakashi smiled weakly as he lent his head on Ritsuka's shoulder. "It's not like I'm going to abandon the poor boy..." Kakashi raised an eyebrow, worrying about Ritsuka's plan. "I'll enrol him in the academy, and get him trained. Teach him that there's more to life, show him as much love as I possibly can, and maybe eventually I can fix things. But until then, I need to give him something to fight for. Something to aim for and stay alive for." Kakashi sighed.
"And what if he doesn't change his mind?" Ritsuka looked away from Kakashi then, knowing her answer would upset him.
"Then I get killed then, don't I?" Kakashi growled in annoyance before slumping in his seat.
"It's amazing how your selfless acts can be so selfish." Ritsuka felt his words sting her, and she physically flinched. Kakashi noticed, but found himself unable to comfort her. He stared at the ground as the silence passed between them, Gai's exaggerated stories keeping the kids busy as the rest of the team prepared to stay another afternoon so Kakashi could rest.
Ritsuka sat with Kakashi for a long time, the silence seemingly unbreakable. Kakashi stood from his now uncomfortable rock and wandered off to sleep, Ritsuka watching as the tired Shinobi left her, without a word. Her heart clenched painfully as new tears formed, their watery trails burning her cheeks as she just sat and watched the silver haired Shinobi sleep, his back turned to her.
Yey! Kentaro is dead! And I'm sorry for al you who were wanting lots of emotive speaches but i felt his death needed to be quick and dull, to keep it as realistic as possible. Hope you guys are happy with it though... has taken me a while (as i know you have all noticed) to get him tae fuck! a lot of pressure on getting this one right, so i hope you like!
And a wee fall out! I wanted to add a new element to the story, this Muugen. and a potential storyline to go along with it. And Kakashi gettin well pissed off, which you can understand i spose. Ritsuka is quite selfish at times, and sometimes comes across as a martyr, so i wanted to bring a new look on it with Kakashi.
well i hope you all enjoy this chapter and hope to hear wat you all think XD
have fun!