BLOND HAIR

CHAPETR 29: THE FALLEN ANGEL

(Flashback)

They were sitting by the river, sitting next to each other, holding hands. He took her hand to his lips and kissed it. "I would never hurt you. I couldn't do it…" He was referring to the incident where Tsunade had asked him to spar with Aoi. Aoi smiled. "I know. That's a good thing and I'm happy to hear that. But…." "But what….," he asked as he brought her hand to his face. "What if one day I went crazy and killed people or I lost my conscious and become a threat to everyone?," she asked seriously. He closed his eye, sighing. "Then, I rather be killed by you than hurting you….."

(end of flashback)

Another drop of tear dropped from her eyes. Aoi stood up. With both hand, she held her katana in front of her. Shinya was puzzled. He tried to see her face but it was hidden by her hair. Aoi slowly looked up. Shinya noticed that the look in her eyes had changed. Aoi's eyes were filled with determination. "You're not him. He promised that he would never hurt me. And he's a man of his promise!!!!!," she lurched forward towards Shinya.

Kakashi, Naruto and Yamato reached the field. The first thing they saw was Aoi. The next thing they saw was the man she was fighting. "Isn't that the Fourth??," Yamato blurted, puzzled with what he saw. "The Fourth? He's dead right?," Naruto corrected Yamato. Kakashi said nothing. From their point of view, Aoi was fighting with the Fourth, her own husband.

Shinya was shocked to see Aoi's speed. Her speed had increased and he had hard time keeping up. Aoi was attacking Shinya continuously. She showed no sign of mercy nor indecisiveness.

"That's a new move….," Kakashi commented as he watched Aoi attacked the Fourth. "She's fast… and her blows are filled with chakura…," Yamato continued. Naruto nodded. He knew little about what they were saying but he can't tell that Aoi's move was powerful. "She's fighting but at the same time, she looked like she's dancing…."

Shinya started to grow tired. He had tried to stop Aoi;s attack with all his power but he had failed. Aoi saw an opening and she headed for the kill. Aoi's katana stabbed through Shinya's heart. Shinya's katana fell to the ground. Aoi pulled her katana and Shinya fell to the ground. He was gasping for air. "Ni..ce… move. The na..name????," he inquired as he tried hard to gasp or air. "Dance of the Fallen Angel..," Aoi blurted as she watched him dying; there was no sign of mercy in her eyes. Shinya smiled and took his last breathe. He closed his eyes and his face limped to the side.

Kakashi, Yamato, and Naruto ran towards Aoi whem they saw she had won the battle. "Aoi-sama!!!!," Naruto screamed as he ran towards her. Aoi turned her face slowly towards them. Abruptly, the three of them stopped. Aoi's face was expressionless and her eyes were blank. She looked at them with a blank stare. "Aoi…," Kakashi whispered as he walked slowly towards her. Aoi's head turned to look at Kakashi. But her eyes remain blank. No one moved. They realized Aoi was in a trance and they have to wait for her to snap out of the trance.

Aoi turned to look at Naruto. She stared at Naruto. " Face… the same…," she mumbled. Then, she turned to look at Shinya;s dead body. "Face.. the same… tried… to ..kill me..," she murmured as she stared at Shinya's dead body.

Aoi turned to look at Naruto again. Her face was confused. "You.. want to .. kill me ..too????," she asked Naruto with a confused face. Naruto shook his head. "No.. I come to save you.. and take you back home ….," Naruto replied, concern filled his voice. "Home??," Aoi mumbled as she looked up towards the sky. After a while she looked at Naruto again. "You.. won't… kill me?," she asked again.

Aoi was so confused to see the boy in front of her. ' He look like him.. But Shinya also look like him.. And Shinya tried to kill me.. Is this boy going to kill me too??? Who is this boy? Why does he look so worried… His worried face… Seen it before.. Just like him……

(flashback)

Aoi just came back from her mission. She already saw the gate. She walked slowly, she didn't have much chakura left after she fought the enemies. She was walking towards the gate when she saw him. He was pacing in front of the gate. He was worried. He looked up when he heard footsteps. He dashed towards her when he looked up and saw her.

Aoi smiled to him but she was too weak to stand up. She was falling to the ground when he swiftly appeared by her side and caught her in his arm. "Are you ok??," he asked her. He was worried, she noticed. His face and voice were filled with concern. Aoi smiled gently. "I'm fine. Just tired…." He nodded and carried her back. "I was worried…" Aoi nodded as she fell asleep on his chest. "I know…."

(end of flashback)

"Just like him….," Aoi whispered as she opened her eyes and saw Naruto. 'Naruto look just like him….. Of course.. He's Naruto father. And Naruto's my son... That's why…'

Aoi started to come back to reality. Slowly, the light returned to her eyes. " Naruto…," she whispered. Naruto nodded. Aoi smiled weakly to him. Naruto smiled back. He knew that smile. That was Aoi's smile. She wasn't in trance anymore..

Aoi felt powerless. She fell, kneeling to the ground. She heard foot steps. Then she saw Naruto was kneeling in front of her, looking at her with concern. Before she fell forward to the ground, she felt someone was hugging her. "Naruto….," she whispered as she curled her hands around him, hugging him tightly. 'I don't need the Council to tell me the truth.. I know Naruto is my son… I'm her mother.. That's why I can tell….' That was her last thought before she lost her conscious.

Naruto was surprised when Aoi hugged him. He was surprised because he felt very warm and safe. 'Maybe this is what they called mother's warmth.'

Kakashi just watched as Aoi hugged Naruto. He knew he couldn't stop her. No one in the world can. No force on Earth can tear a mother from her son apart. So, he sighed and smiled. Yamato was thinking the same. He looked at the mother and son with a smile.

When Aoi lost her conscious, Naruto panicked. Naruto laid her on the grass. "She lost conscious!!," he shouted at Kakashi and Yamato who dashed towards them. Yamato checked her vital sign. "She lost a lot of blood. I'll do emergency treatment but we must get her back, fast!," he told them. Kakashi nodded as they watched Yamato pumped his chakura on Aoi's wound.

"What are we going to do with the dead body?," Naruto asked Kakashi when Yamato had managed to stabilize Aoi. "We can't live him here. Let's bring him back…" Naruto nodded. "Naruto! You help Yamato with Aoi. I'll get the dead body. We must leave now. Aoi needs medical attention," Kakashi commanded as he headed towards the dead body. He studied the dead body.

"You look just like him. But I know you're not him. Aoi would never hurt him even if means she have to die…," he muttered to himself as he carried the body." Let's go!," he commanded when he saw Yamato was already carrying Aoi at his back.