A/N: Oh man, what a chapter this is. It gets...cold. Regardless, I hope you all enjoy! :)
The air was cold. The air was always cold.
Mist-filled skies poured with rain, drenching a sea of black beneath the grey sky. Day after day, mass funerals were held, and day after day, more people clothed in black stepped outside to mourn. For the shinobi, the ones fated with protecting their village, the losses felt all the more impactful. They, as a village, had failed. Each and every one of them may have saved half the lives that lived in the Hidden Mist, but they knew that the other half could not be brought back. They had not been ready, they couldn't even fathom being ready for such a large scale attack. They had been infiltrated, one of their own perverted by the promises of an enemy, and the failure to catch such an individual before things could get worse was bitter beyond words.
Along with the five remaining Swordsmen of the Mist, Chojuro mourned in front of a gravestone with Kagura's name written on it. He was just becoming an adult, yet his life had been claimed before it could truly take off. On the Mizukage's back, Hiramekarei was slung in a holster, and it's weight only made Chojuro feel like the dead body of his pupil was hanging from his shoulders. The dreaded sight of seeing the young man cut in half with such brutality...such a memory made Chojuro shut his eyes and frown, as he had to try and remain strong for the other swordsmen. They would not shed a tear for him, as it would be considered disrespectful. So Chojuro, along with the others, stood in silence as the rain cascaded onto their heads, each of them remembering the best of times they had with Kagura.
Seperate from many of the mourners were the remaining Hoshigaki, the minority that had fought against the traitors to their home. There were many of them left, they would survive as a clan, but many were unsure of just how long the bloodied stigma they had been trying to remove for so long would now remain. They had to bury their own dead, as the other people in the Hidden Mist refused to even associate with most of them. Sakana stood beside her two brothers, who had returned from their mission a little too late. They both took the news of Yaju's betrayal in different ways, though it was clear that neither of them felt comfortable knowing they were of the same blood as a man capable of doing what was done. Sakana, in silence, scanned over the many graves before her, but found her gaze tracing over to her friend, Tenshi.
There was a separate section in this large graveyard for the fallen members of the Kyofu Clan, though it was much smaller than any other area. There were not many mourners there, as many had already said their prayers and left to help rebuild the village. But Tenshi couldn't do that...she felt especially guilty. Her new pair of purple-irised eyes were soaked with tears, and every now and then, she would sniffle and shake her head, feeling that she should have been able to do so much more with her brand new Rinnegan. But of course, she was hopeless...she always felt that she was hopeless when it came down to the wire. Tsuyo clutched at her hand, as he was stood beside her. His hood was up, and rain trickled down it's edges. His normally sharp eyes were dulled as they went from the graves to his wife. He understood how she felt, more than anyone, but also knew that this was not the time or place to say anything. This was a time to mourn, and he would allow her time to do so. His mind shifted to curiosity, wondering just how his fellow hunter-nin partner was taking all of this.
Down the cemetery was Tanken, who may have been unable to see the names on the graves, but understood quite well just how many of them there were. He, too, was kicking himself for being useless, though none would be able to tell. He kept in place his usual mask of stoicism, but the truth kept gnawing at his mind. He had come so far, yet it was all for nothing. Against real danger, he was worthless...he needed to improve. He sighed through his nose, though it was silent. Suchiru, who was stood next to him, did the same on reaction; he, too, felt he had been worthless. He was knocked away from the battle with Midori, only to land in a pile of Hoshigaki that were trying to murder civilians. He did what he had to do in order to save people, but he knew that he could have let his own team, the shinobi he raised up from childhood to be elite jounin, die. Holding his hand was Horusuta, who had been in a very similar situation to his own, though she was at a different part of the village entirely. She donned a black cloak, yet kept the hood down and allowed rain to hit her. She had voiced her concern for those back home, hoping her own team was okay. But she had been in this village for a few months now, gotten to know the people that lived in it, had grown attachments to those around her. She, too, had reason to mourn here today. Suchiru held her hand tighter, and looked to where his old friend was.
Though he was standing before graves among other jounin, Ketsui's attention was on the hospital in the distance. Naturally, there was only one thing on his mind. He had hoped that Warai was doing fine in there...hoping that medic-nin were slaving away to make sure they kept the love of his life alive. Maybe it was selfish of him to not be mourning like the others, but he knew that he may not have to mourn for someone precious to him like many others were. He had a small glimmer of hope, and it was this glimmer that kept him from falling apart...that, and the fact that he had already cursed himself for having been sent away during such a crucial moment in his village's history.
Underneath a tree a little far away from the graves below, Jiyuu mourned in solitude...though, he also kept his eyes on the distant hospital. He had been praying that his mother be fine, but he couldn't help but hate himself. After all this time, he still couldn't fight to save himself when it mattered...again, he needed to be saved, and this time it got his mother involved. She was the last person he ever wanted to be hurt because of his idiotic antics, and yet...
The Hyuuga's Black Eye furrowed his brow, and cast his glance downwards.
"The smell of blood hasn't left the air yet..."
In other villages, the pain of loss was also rampant. In the Hidden Sand, the Kazekage stood before a mass of civilians, all of whom mourned together for the fallen. All, except one. One man sat alone on a rooftop, legs dangling over the edge and clad in full plate armor and an old cloak. A large sword was strapped to his back, yet it's blade clean of blood. It had been useless in the defense of the Hidden Sand. His focus was on the distant horizon, a land far from here that was surrounded with water. There was a place, a village, where he knew some people, and hopefully death would not haunt him there. His hand was lifted up, and he looked to the item he clutched in his palm. A broken, twisted Jashin necklace, one with dried blood and a torn thread. He squeezed it, and looked back out to the distance.
This village has nothing but bad memories for me, Kyofu mused. It's time I found a new home for myself.
The Hidden Cloud's atmosphere was just as dreary. Their death count may have been the most severe, with nearly three-fourths of their populace having been killed and used as puppets to battle. As he mourned in silence, the Raikage's mind kept flashing with images of Bee and Netsu smiling together, being around the village, him rapping while she was climbing some peak in the village alone. Their faces faded away into nothing, and his mind was brought back to the sea of graves before him. Darui made a fist at his side, though that was all he would do to show how he felt. He failed as a Raikage...he failed as a shinobi.
Finally, the Hidden Stone was grieving over their own dead. Three shinobi in particular were off to the side, three members of the Otoko Clan who stood before the grave of their sensei, their uncle. Ikari and Kisu let tears trail down their faces freely, neither feeling the desire to hold back their emotions. Suzushi, on the other hand, tried to remain calm outside, though he did show respect by removing the bandages from his face. A single tear cascaded along his cheek as he thought about all the times he had spent with his uncle...and slowly, a little frown found it's way on his mug. Anger bubbled somewhere inside his chest, like boiling lava waiting to burst from a volcano. He would kill the ones responsible for this...he would not let this death go unpunished. And yet, there was still one more thing to be done before revenge could become the final destination for the jounin.
"...as soon as we can, we must go to the Hidden Mist."
The sudden words got the attention of his brother and sister, both of whom remained silent for an explanation. He looked to them both, and his face was stern.
"We need to find our other uncle, and let him know what happened. It was Uncle Boseki's last request."
Without needing to think about it much further, the twins looked back at the grave. "Okay," they said in unison. If there was anything they could do for the man who had taught them so much, they would do it.
The shinobi world mourned, and the day in which many lives were lost in four of the five nations would forever be known as 'The Great Rebellion.' The first stone had been tossed, and there was no other choice but war from here on out. With so many dead, any action other than military action would be frowned upon. After the mass funerals had concluded for the day and preparations were made for the next, all five Kage contacted one another from the safety of their offices to draw up more intense plans for a search and destroy mission of the Hidden Abyss.
But one individual, no matter how much she wanted to fight for them, would not be able to participate.
Alone in her hospital room, a blonde kunoichi stared at the ceiling in silence. This was all she could do, other than breathe. Her internal organs were weak, she could feel her lungs struggle to inhale and exhale, her heart's beating was weakening with time, and her mind would go fuzzy against her will. Her body was paralyzed from the neck down, not that it mattered since moving would not have been favorable with her destroyed legs and torn muscles. She was hooked up to a heart rate monitor, and she could tell she was not faring well against the poison in her system. There had been too much time between being poisoned and reaching the hospital for the medic-nin to purge her system of the foreign substance...'critical condition,' they said she was in.
It was funny to her. Thoughts of her bad leg after the war kept fluttering through her mind. Back then, the doctors said she'd never be able to fight again since her leg would never heal properly; surgery was too complicated, they believed they would do her more harm than good by reaching so far deep into her muscle fibers to extract bone fragments. As things were, she was told she'd be lucky if her muscle fibers healed at all. She proved them wrong back then, and she hoped she would prove them wrong now...but so much had changed since then. Medic-nin were competent now, they knew full and well what they spoke about and had more advanced means of treating patients. She was told, very plainly, that there was only one cure for this particular poison, but without the ingredients being available after the village was assaulted, the soonest they would obtain such items needed for the cure would be...a month.
That had been the nice way of saying that there was no real way she'd be living through this, not unless a miracle happened. Warai didn't believe in such things, she had grown up knowing that the only way to bring about a miracle was to make it yourself. She couldn't do that...not here, not now.
The door to her room opened up, and very briefly, the sounds of other crying and wailing patients could be heard. Once the door shut, Warai's eyes slowly shifted to the person who had entered. The smile she developed was natural instinct upon seeing her visitor.
With a single rose in hand, Ketsui stood at the door with a sad smile, though his body was slumped over in defeat. She could tell he was still blaming himself for this mess.
"K...Ketsui..."
Her voice was so terribly strained that it made the Man of Five's heart wretch. He swallowed hard, and walked over to her bedside before leaning in and planting a soft kiss on her lips. The sensation of his bristly beard against her cheek and chin normally made her skin tingle with excitement, but the lack of any sensation was immediate to her. Ketsui grabbed a nearby chair and dragged it over before plopping down on it; he placed his free hand on her own, and held it tight; he, too, noted the lack of any reaction from her body, and he found it harder to keep the smile in place.
"Hey honey," he said, voice low and hushed to match her own. He rarely spoke like this, to anyone. "How're you doin'?"
"I'm...alive..."
She saw his smile quiver again, and his eyes went down to his feet.
"Where's...Jiyuu?"
"Ah, he doesn't know how to handle the news still. He's just not ready to visit yet." His brown eyes were coated with tears that he refused to let fall, and they focused on the fading presence in his wife's own. "He, uh...he blames himself. He feels guilty that he needed to be saved, and that you ended up like this for him."
"I bleed for...those I love...I'd...die for my baby...with a smile..." She managed to wink at her husband, hoping to cheer him up some. "...tell him that...for me...okay?"
"Yeah, of course," he said, his breathing getting a little heavy. "...I'll tell him."
"...what's...on your mind...sweetie..."
"..."
"...you look...very...distant..."
Without warning, his smile crumbled completely, and her's followed. His gaze traveled down her broken body, ending on her wounded leg...Kami, it was bandaged up like a mummy's but still soaking with red where her thigh was. The other one was in a cast, also going up to her thigh. Shivers crawled along his spine, across his back, into his brain, and he looked down at his feet once again. Her legs were far worse than before, he realized, and he had hoped for better circumstances.
"I should've been there for you, Warai."
"..."
"You, the village...but I can never be where I gotta be. I'm cursed...I'm always dealin' with somethin' petty when I could've actually saved us all...saved you."
The eyelids of Warai lowered a little, and Ketsui's hand began to tremble like mad. He kept looking at the ground, ashamed of himself, and those tears he had been holding back dripped down his cheek and into his beard. He sniffled a little, and rolled the rose around in his other hand with his fingers.
"If Chojuro wasn't such a...I'd...I never should've gone on that fuckin' mission. I could've saved the village, I know I have what it takes. Yaju, that other lady with him, all those Hoshigaki bastards. I'd have kept them from killing innocent people, genin, chuunin, jounin. And you would..." His crying became more intense, and his whole body shook. He was starting to break down like a mountain of stones that received a heavy kick to the side, toppling down all over itself. More tears came, and his sniffling became more loud as he clenched his teeth to try a failing attempt at keeping composed, choking on his own sobs. "It's always the same. I'm never around when I'm needed, I'm cursed. Everyone I love dies around me, and I can't do anythin'. I failed everyone...but even worse, I failed you as a husband. I knew I wasn't made of the right stuff...I knew you could've done better than me. Kami, maybe Jiyuu would've had a good Pops that actually raised him right...like you did. You're so sweet, Warai...and kind, and naturally comfortin' around others. I can't even keep you safe. Why? What's wrong with me?!"
"...s...stop it."
The order had come out as a whisper, but it was powerful enough to get Ketsui to look up and meet her gaze. He could seldom see her through watery eyes, but he could tell that she was not crying, she was all business.
"Ketsui. You are...always honest with...me. You...never...betrayed my feelings...or went with...someone else. And you...helped raise...a child that wasn't...even your's, when you..didn't have to. That makes you...the perfect husband...anything else is...extra..."
His body, his face, everything about him looked a little calmer. But those eyes of his, they were losing faith in himself, and she could peer deep into the gentle brown and see for herself that he would never live this down. "...you were always the better half between us, Warai. More human than I'd ever be able to act."
"...not more human...I...just hide the pain...better than you."
"..."
A strained laugh came from the blonde, and she fought to smile for her husband. "...easy to do...when you're...a stay-at-home mom...not fighting off shinobi...right?"
She could see he didn't want to argue back. His vision went south to his feet again, and they sat there in silence for a moment. He looked at the rose he brought her, hoping to see she was recovering. Of course she wasn't...of course, because Ketsui deserved to be punished for being alive, she would be rotting away slowly in this damn hospital.
"...you...keep acting like...I'm going to die," she whispered, coughing out a very small laugh.
It was a very grim joke to make, but she didn't want Ketsui's potentially last moment with her to be all tears. But he froze up visibly at the crack, and only seemed to slouch more. Her forced smile disappeared.
"You spoke...with the medics..."
He was hesitant, but gave her a small, single nod. So, he understood the situation as she did.
"Oh, sweetie...I'm still here..."
"STOP ACTING LIKE THIS ISN'T SERIOUS, WARAI!"
He shot up from his chair, kicking it over and accidentally flung the rose across the room. He was furious, face red with tears still shimmering over his eyes. The sudden outburst was a shock to the kunoichi, who's eyelids lifted as much as they could; she heard him properly pronounce 'acting' instead of saying 'actin', like he normally would. That alone meant he was troubled far deeper than she originally thought.
"DO YOU KNOW WHAT ANY OF THIS MEANS?! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH...oh Kami...how much of my world will be lost without you there? At home?"
"..."
"You barely have a week...in one week, you'll be gone, forever...you won't be making those stupid eggs anymore, or waiting for me after a long mission with a smile, or...or..." His legs shook horribly, and he clutched at his hair like he was going to pull it out. He couldn't even look her in the eye anymore, shutting his own as his ragged, heavy breathing made his upper body quiver. "Kami...you'll be gone...are you really okay with that, Warai...I know I can't even begin understanding what my life's going to be like without you in it. I can't stand the thought of it. I'll be all alone..."
"...you won't be."
"..."
"You helped...raise my baby...and he's all...grown up...maybe a little...rough around the edges...but he'll be there...for you."
"But he's so distant, now. I know that the things I said to him before he disappeared are still in his head, and I know I made him leave. He's so focused on being a perfectionist now, at everything. He's trying so hard to be perfect that he forgot how to be himself...he's lost now, and it's all my fault, Warai. I did this to our boy."
"...lots of people...blame themselves...for him leaving...but he's home now...and that's...what matters."
"No, you can't go. Warai, I'll go hunt down the Fifth Hokage or something, I'll find someone who can save you! I'll-"
"Don't...be selfish. So many people...died in seconds...when we were attacked...they didn't even...get to say goodbye...let alone talk."
"..."
"...let the medics...tend to the young...and more deserving."
His shoulders sagged with defeat, and he wiped his tears from his face despite them still leaking out. He fixed the chair and sat back down beside the bed with his wife, his full attention on his feet once more.
"...sorry," he muttered. "I know I'm being a baby about this, but...you mean everything to me...you know that."
"...and you mean everything...to me," she whispered back. He grabbed her hand again, but still didn't look her in the eye. "...but I'm...a relic of...an old age...back from the Bloody Mist."
"..."
"I'm not proud...of who I was...lying and cheating...and killing...just to take...revenge on the Fourth...living off scraps and...betraying people to survive." Finally, she managed to turn her head back to the ceiling, and found herself staring holes into it once again. "...we both sinned...you and I...but we did right...by raising Jiyuu...gave him happiness...something we both...never had. And...knowing that...means I can...die happy...and you should know...that you gave me strength...to wake up every morning...and live...I have no regrets anymore...not now, knowing...my baby is home...safe and sound."
A cough sputtered from her mouth, and Ketsui tensed up when he saw a little blood leak from her lips. Swiftly, he leaned over and brushed his thumb along her face to clean it, and let the back of his fingers linger along her cheek. Her skin was still soft, but it was colder than normal. She was ready, and Ketsui could tell that saying she had a week left was optimistic at best. She was barely hanging on, like she was holding out for one more thing before letting go forever.
There was a soft knock at the door, and Ketsui looked over his shoulder to see three people enter.
Tsuyo, Tenshi, and Sakana...his son was still nowhere to be seen, and the bitter realization sank deep into Ketsui's stomach.
All three approached, but Sakana had been the first one to address her. Her only eye was dry, yet there was such sorrow in it that Warai understood how the young lady felt by looking at her. "Mrs. Tamashi," she uttered.
"Hello, dear..."
Out of respect, Tsuyo lowered his hood. He looked nowhere near as upset as either Sakana or Tenshi...hell, he looked very indifferent, but Ketsui knew it was just his basic hunter-nin training at play. Though Tsuyo may have seemed bitter and cold on the outside, deep down, he was also upset. "Is there anything we can do for you," he inquired, his voice lower than normal.
"...no...I'm fine...don't worry..."
However, they all knew she was lying. Of course they got her condition from a medic-nin when they asked what room she was in. All three of them understood that this very well might be the last time they saw her, and memories of their most important encounters with the kunoichi became palpable. Tsuyo, who had crossed paths with her at the bookstore when he was just starting his genin team with Jiyuu and Sakana. He remembered wondering how such a beautiful woman could possibly be a mother, even turning flushed when she knelt down to speak with him at eye-level. She had promised that he would grow up to be a fine young man...showing more confidence in him than either Ketsui or Jiyuu.
Tenshi, well...she had confessed what she did a year after Jiyuu had left the village. She explained why she did it, and that she felt she had been the main reason for Jiyuu's disappearance. Struggling to live with the guilt of such a secret weighed down on Tenshi, and she was ready to fight for her life if Warai took the news poorly. However, she didn't. In fact, the blonde had been very calm and respectful, though did lecture her on how such behavior was unacceptable...but that Jiyuu was a kind soul, and would have forgiven her when he came home. Hell, Tenshi remembered asking Warai how she knew if her son would come back or not. The simple answer ended up being 'a woman's intuition.'
Sakana, though, had a much, much, much deeper bond with the woman than any of the others (except perhaps Ketsui) would know.
Two years into Jiyuu's absence from the village, and still no sign of him returning. Warai was worried sick about him, she was always worried about him, but she still hoped that he would come home on his own accord at some point. She knew of Ketsui's argument with her baby before the boy ran away, as she had been there to witness it herself...but news of Tenshi's betrayal came later on. There were layers to what Jiyuu was feeling exactly, but the blonde was certain there had to be more.
Lo and behold, who else would knock on her door this morning but Sakana (and without a sword, too...that was rare.) Ketsui was out currently, as Warai had told the young lady, but was surprised when she was told that Sakana hadn't come to see her sensei. The Hoshigaki was cold, stiff, emotionless as she had been taught to act throughout her life, and the mask was secured tight today. Regardless, she was invited inside, and the Hoshigaki was quick to sit herself on the living room couch. Warai asked her why she would come by, if not to see her sensei.
"I cut Jiyuu's arm off."
Her words were almost as cold as the steel she used to attempt killing the Hyuuga Pariah, and it made Warai's face tighten with a mixture of emotions, from anger to shock.
"...y-you what?"
"I was asked to kill him, so I tried. I wanted to cut his throat, but I missed. I cut his arm off by accident, and..."
Her voice trailed off a little, because now Sakana could see the woman in front of her was slowly matching her dead expression.
"Why are you telling me this..."
A quiet gulping noise came from Sakana's side of the living room, but she tried to keep herself stoic. "Because I felt horrible. I felt so bad that I didn't think I could cry anymore after what I did...but I do. Every time I walk by the woods, I think about that moment...and it haunts me, Mrs. Tamashi. I killed lots of people in the short time I've been a genin, and even more now that I'm a chuunin...but that day was just..."
Frowning deep, Sakana grit her teeth and glanced down. She adjusted the eyepatch she had on, trying to keep it in place while the muscles in her socket twitched. Her only eye was trying to stare a hole into the ground, and she suddenly found it hard to breath.
"I know I'm a bitch, Mrs. Tamashi. I'm an evil bitch who only knows how to fuck everything up. I never should've been born, I'm a mistake...only someone as messed up as me would try to do that to someone who actually gave a shit about be on a level other than kunoichi. He wanted to make me feel accepted, he wanted me to open up, and all I could do in return was give him a hug and then try killing him when his guard was down. I tried to help him when I saw what I did, I got bandages out and everything, but he kicked me away and ran. And now he's gone. He ran off, and because I couldn't do what he did for me, he's probably got someone's sword stuck in his back right now, and, and..."
"Wait just a moment," Warai ordered.
Her voice was very stern, and now she was frowning. This was a look that Sakana never thought possible on Jiyuu's mother, as she was always smiling. The kunoichi approached her, and the significant lack of killing intent actually put the Hoshigaki more on edge than if she were being bathed in it. Closing the gap between each other, Warai put a hand on Sakana's shoulder, squeezing hard enough to show she was angry.
"Rumor has it that my baby is somewhere out there, running around and fighting the shinobi that are taking jinchuuriki. He's doing fine for now." Her frown lessened, but remained as the woman lifted her chin. "If you want to make up for your wrong-doings, you shouldn't come to me for that. You'll need to take this up with Jiyuu when he comes home."
"...'when?' You think he'll come back?"
"I did a year ago, but now all I can do is hope. He seems...content...being by himself."
Such a statement made Sakana's gaze harden, and the floor was still subject to her gaze. However, her vision was become a little...watery. "I understand."
"I won't lie to you, Sakana. I'm not very happy with you at this moment, considering what you told me."
"..."
"But I'll keep this between us, either way."
That made the Hoshigaki lift her head to stare at Warai, clearly puzzled. "Huh? W...why?"
Feeling her frown disappear entirely at the young lady before her, Warai sighed. She could very clearly see herself in this chuunin, a girl who was raised to get her hands dirty and cover herself in blood just to get by. Killing was all she had to know, and any emotion that wasn't malicious was frowned upon when shown. To open up like this, she understood was difficult, and even more so when it came to the specific matter at hand.
"Because, I know what it's like to be where you are now. I grew up in the Bloody Mist days. I understand that someone who doesn't feel remorse wouldn't bother saying anything, especially to Jiyuu's own mother."
"..."
"...you miss him, don't you?"
"Oh Kami, I wake up every morning and hope I find him just walking in the streets," Sakana sputtered. Her stoic mask was crumbling piece by piece, and she was slowly developing more tears in her eye as she continued on about the subject. "I want to hug him again and never let go...if I ever do see him again. I want him to know how sorry I am for all I did to him, for how big of a bitch I was as a genin. I want him to know how much I hated myself for chasing him away, and..."
It didn't take much thinking for Warai to see just what was blossoming in front of her, inside of the confused and worried Hoshigaki. Bitterness found itself losing to the small simmering warmth of something more positive, and Warai felt a small smile curl on her lips. The grip on Sakana's shoulder lessened, and the feeling made her relax.
"You're not the only one who feels guilty about Jiyuu running away."
"I know that, he told me everything that happened. It's just...I know I was the last straw."
She felt her hand get grabbed by Warai, and Sakana's brow arched. She watched as Warai sat down beside her. Warai was smiling, even seemed to be a little giddy on the inside. What was she thinking about?
"Tell me everything," she told Sakana. "How you feel, what you want, I want to know anything and everything."
The red that painted itself across Sakana's gilled cheeks was clear as day. "Wh-What? Why?!"
"Well, a few reasons. For one, I know what it's like to be in your position. No real people to open up to, right?"
"..."
"Considering all that's happened, I'm sure you must have plenty of things you want to get off your chest, or things you want to learn. I may not be thrilled about your confession, but I understand that you genuinely regret the decision. I know Jiyuu will feel the same...after all, he forgave the man who tried to pull his eyes out on your first mission out of the village. If he can forgive something so extreme, surely he'll at least listen to you. And if he would forgive you, I see no reason to not like your company anymore, okay?"
The Hoshigaki, staring blankly, gave her a nod.
"Good. Now go on, tell me everything that happened, and everything you want to happen. And no secrets!"
Though she was trying hard to not cry, tears rolled freely from Sakana's only eye. She swallowed hard, and stepped closer to the bed Warai was laid out on. She was biting her lip to remain composed, but it barely helped.
"...you were there when I had nobody else. You taught me to behave like a lady when all I knew in life was how to be a killer, because you knew what it was like to be me. You're...like a mother to me."
With a small smile, Warai mouthed the words 'come closer' to the Hoshigaki. Ketsui moved back to allow Sakana space, who was quick to obey Warai's request. She leaned in, and Warai turned her head to whisper something that she wanted only Sakana to hear.
"You grew into...a...beautiful woman...I'm so proud of you..."
That was enough for Sakana to break apart. She began to weep heavily, and wrapped up Warai's shoulders in a hug as she cried into her. Nobody dared pull them apart, especially not Ketsui; he, of all the people there, understood very well just what they two meant to each other. They had spent much time together, and Warai did indeed act like a mother for Sakana in many regards. But Ketsui also knew that Warai kept a close eye on Sakana for an entirely different reason, and it was clear that it involved setting her own son up with a particular future.
Minutes passed, but eventually the Hoshigaki parted from Warai and wiped away a tear with the back of her hand. The blonde woman brought her attention back to the ceiling and closed her eyes, letting out a quiet sigh.
"Thank you...all of you...but I'm tired. I need...to rest a little..."
Not a word needed to be spoken. The three younger people in the room made to head out, Tsuyo and Tenshi leaving first; Sakana stayed behind for a moment to give her sensei a quick hug, which he returned with a single arm. Upon parting, she gave him a light pat on the back, and left. Only Ketsui remained, but his wife didn't need to have her eyes open to know. She laughed a little, though it was very weak.
"Sweetie...I'll...be here tomorrow..."
He stood in silence for a moment, and leaned in to place one final kiss on her lips. Not knowing how well he would contain himself if he lingered any longer, the Man of Five walked backwards until he felt the doorknob brush his hand. He opened the thing, and stepped out while facing his wife, closing the door slowly until she completely disappeared from sight.
Alone at the door, Ketsui felt that the air around him was far more chilled than he would have liked. The world around him seemed to be a little more grey, and he couldn't decide if he wanted to stay or go. He knew she was behind the door, he knew he wanted to do something, anything, to save her life. But what? Nothing would work, nothing could work. She would die soon...and to know that one's better half was to wilt away at a moment's notice was the same as waiting for the headsman for one's own self. He didn't want to go, he didn't want to leave her alone like this.
Pressing his hand against the door, he lowered his head and wiped his eyes with a free hand.
...why does this always happen to people I care about...why...
"I can't take it anymore, Lord Gaara. I need to leave."
In the office of the Kazekage, Kyofu stood before the desk of the village leader. The aura surrounding the man clad in plate armor was solemn, but it was clear he had been thinking about this for some time. The Kazekage, naturally, was confused by the sudden request. Hands folded in front of his face, Gaara look the man dead in the eye, looking to see if this was some sort of joke.
"Leave? How do you mean?"
All Kyofu did in response was reach for his forehead and gently pull off the forehead protector he had been awarded as a genin. He tossed it onto the desk, and it clanked rather loudly when it landed.
"I want to transfer to a different village. I understand that as a shinobi, I'm expected to deal with death and expect it on a day-to-day basis, but I just can't handle this village anymore. Everyone close to me is gone, and all the death from a few days ago was just..." He frowned a bit, and folded his arms beneath his cloak. "I just need a change of scenery. Maybe I'll come back here one day, but right now, I can barely think straight. I need to leave, or I might just do something to myself that...that I can't reverse."
As much as Gaara wished he could say this hasn't happened earlier with many other shinobi, he would be lying. His beady eyes shifted to the forehead protector and focused on the scratched, worn metal. The attack had been far too much for this village and it's people, many of whom have not only lost faith in the Five Nations, but in their leaders too. He thought long and hard about what to say to Kyofu, and picked up the plate as he racked his brain for something, anything.
The door swung open, and Kankuro marched in, though it was clear the Puppet Master was far from energetic. In his hand were a few papers, and he walked right by Kyofu to plop them on Gaara's desk. "The prison wall was fixed, but the real damage was already done; lots of our convicts, plenty of high-level shinobi, escaped already. They shouldn't be too hard to track for the most part, but-..." Suddenly, the Puppet Master realized there was someone else in the room. He faced them, and saw his own student standing there...without the forehead protector on.
"Hey, sensei," Kyofu sighed, clearly depressed.
Of course, Kankuro could tell what it was about...he had heard the report from Kyofu and other shinobi about Jari, and Kankuro knew more than anyone else how he felt about that girl. He took off his hood and scratched his short, unruly hair. "Hey kid...what's up."
"He wishes to leave the Hidden Sand and transfer elsewhere," Gaara piped up, garnering his brother's ear. "Much like many others, the attack had been too much for him, and he would like a change of scenery..."
Looking from his brother to his old student, he could tell that there was one more thing mentioned that Gaara wasn't sharing, but Kyofu was certainly feeling. Narrowing his eyes somewhat, the Puppet Master grabbed the forehead protector off the desk and held it in his own hand, looking down at it.
"Well kid, if it'll keep you from doing anything drastic, then I say by all means." He held the forehead protector out to Kyofu, and grinned a little. "Y'know, out of your whole team, you probably grew up the most. You carried yourself through plenty even up until now, and did it with you head held high. That's not easy, kid."
Kyofu wordlessly took his forehead protector back, and watched as Kankuro gave him a small thumbs up.
"Whatever you wanna do, just know that I'm proud to have been your sensei. Oh, and uh, keep your headband. Y'know, in case you wanna come home."
"...thank you, Kankuro-sensei. I will."
"Have you picked out a village yet?"
"...yeah," he said. His hand gripping the forehead protector slid beneath his cloak, and he lifted his chin to look out a window of the office. "...there's one place I know where I still have a friend who's alive. I think...I might just go there."
"Where is that?"
"...the Hidden Mist."
Bags packed and having bid farewell to their Tsuchikage, the Otoko trio began to head out on their journey to visit family in the Hidden Mist. They had planned to be gone for only a week, maybe two at the most, as this was just to fulfill Boseki's final wish. All three tried their best to avoid staring at the destruction around them as they walked through their village, each of them focusing only on the path to the village entrance.
As Suzushi bandaged up his lower face, many thoughts raced through his head, one of which was vocalized. "Why do you two think our other uncle left the village?" He asked this to help distract both the twins and himself from the mess around them, but deep down, he felt he already knew the answer.
"Who knows," Kisu muttered. "This 'Suchiru' guy never acted like he knew Uncle Boseki when they met at the Chuunin Exams, from what I remember. Probably a big family fallout."
They kept walking until the village gate was in sight, yet keeping any sort of conversation going was difficult. Silence dominated the trio, namely because neither twin felt even the slightest bit upbeat. Suzushi knew that this mission, this request from Boseki, was something he alone was asked to do...but he didn't want to be alone. How ironic, he thought, that the two people he used to find so annoying were now his only real family left in this village...and yet, he knew almost nothing about their more personal lives when they all started living separate from one another. Kisu had mentioned something about becoming a writer at one point, which Suzushi had brushed off as meaningless rabble. Ikari had mentioned something about getting married when the time was right to a man she was seeing that Kisu clearly didn't approve of, but Suzushi never cared...perhaps if he wanted to start building better bonds, he would start with that.
"...to, uh...focus on happier things," Suzushi began, "you're going to be wed. Right, Ikari?"
"The man I was going to marry died in the attack," Ikari admitted, clearly upset with Suzushi for bringing it up. "He was in the Hidden Cloud..."
"...oh...I'm...sorry..."
"Hmph."
Feeling his head sink a bit into his shoulders, the leader of the group made a mental note that him and conversation did not mend well. He hoped they would reach their destination soon, if only so they could have an Uncle to gang up on again.
Two cloaked Rain-nin walked along the long stretching bridge to leave their village, one's steps making mechanical whirring noises. There had been no word from their sensei since the attack, and both of them knew she was sweet on a man who lived there. It was decided then that Baransu and Sogeki would both leave for the Hidden Mist to recover Horusuta, and hopefully find out if anything substantial was learned about the Hidden Abyss in her time away. Neither spoke of if she were fine or not; of course she was alright, nothing could bring down their sensei. But not a word was spoken about Dan, the third wheel to their old genin team. The man had quickly become popular in the Hidden Rain and then left, deciding he wanted to become a wandering shinobi. Idiotic dreams of being a vagabond, they were, but nobody cared enough to stop him.
Though they may not have cared about his well-being, they could only hope he wasn't being a fool and joining the Hidden Abyss...
...hah...no, he would never. He's got too good of a heart.
Either way, this wasn't the time to be thinking about such things. Both shinobi knew that the Hidden Mist was a few days away if both of them began to move at a high speed. The faster they hurried along, the quicker they would have their answers. And so, once they crossed the bridge, they hurried.
Though Ketsui wasn't the most adept at cooking, he knew how to feed himself when need be. In a pot he just took off the stove, shrimp and rice were scooped out and onto a plate. He looked at his own creation for a moment, taking in the scent of it before placing it down on the table and sitting. He threw a pair of chopsticks on the table a moment ago, and broke them apart before he began to eat. It actually wasn't too bad, in his opinion...and it made him a little upset. He would happily take Warai's shoddy cooking over this any day...
The door opened, and the Man of Five stopped chewing as his attention was brought to the entrance of his home. His son walked in, tired and clearly in distant thought. He watched Jiyuu's gaze go to him, the plate, the stove, and some clean dishes by the sink, exactly in that order. Ketsui motioned for Jiyuu to take some, which the hesitant man decided to do. Shrimp and rice were scooped from the pan and thrown onto a plate in a similar manner to Ketsui's own, and Jiyuu took the plate over to his usual seat with a pair of chopsticks in hand. He also broke them apart and began to eat, not bothering to say a quick prayer for the meal, much like Ketsui had done. The older of the two could see in Jiyuu's face the surprise from the good taste, and the sadness as thoughts of his mother rose up in his head.
Yes, Ketsui understood quite well. He found his own gaze going to the chair Warai normally sat in. The lack of a living presence in it gave the room, and by extension the house, a hollow atmosphere that any extra person couldn't fill. Silence except for chewing and the ticking of a wall clock was prominent, and the only light being used in the whole house was the one above the dinner table, flickering and dim as it prepared to die. Night time was normally rather calm in this household, but it felt like the cold, damp air had finally found a way to creep inside through cracks in the walls. This place, it felt...very much not like a home anymore. Just a glorified shack that a man, woman, and child used to live inside of happily, but that was a lifetime ago. Deep down, Ketsui began to not care if this place fell to the ground or not; without Warai, this was no home at all.
"You should visit your mother," he blurted out, focusing his attention on his son. To his surprise, Jiyuu kept staring at his food, continuing to eat without hesitation.
"I will."
The casual answer made Ketsui frown a little. "...when?"
There was a familiar pitch in his voice, one Jiyuu remembered all too well. This had got him to stop eating, and he met his father with a small glare.
"When I get to it."
"...when you...'get to it'...when you get to it? The hell's wrong with you, this is your Ma we're talkin' about."
"..."
"How could you not have seen her already? This is your Ma..."
"Do you have any idea how guilty I feel? You think I can face her after..."
"..."
"...I wasn't strong enough on my own, again. Ma had to come save me, and that's why she's the way she is right now."
"I know. She told me."
The plate of food in front of the Hyuuga's Black Eye suddenly became way more interesting to Jiyuu than making eye contact, so he chose to stare at it; guilt riddled the features of his face as if it were letters on a book page. He remained silent, not knowing what to respond with.
"...do you know how serious your mother's condition is?"
"No."
That's something Ketsui was afraid of. He, too, looked back to his own plate of food, and sighed slowly through his nose. "...you should go see your Ma, kiddo."
"She's going to die, isn't she..."
"..."
"She's going to die, and it's my fault."
"Jiyuu, don't say that."
"But it's true!" Raising his voice, the young man slammed his fist down on the table, getting his father to frown once more at him. "I wasted seven years of my life trying to perfect myself, trying to improve so that I could never let either of my parents down again, not after what happened during the Chuunin Exams. I failed as a son...I did it again, but this time I had to fail my own Ma."
"What the hell're you even talkin' about?"
"...before I had left, you and I had an argument. Clearly, you didn't like how I was so quick to take risks. It was clear that I let you down first."
"..."
"You and Ma spent your lives raising me to be one of the best shinobi this village had to offer. You trained me from such a young age, and in all sorts of things that I could've learned if you let me go to the academy. You chose to do it yourselves, and you had me learn fast. The least I can do is try to be perfect, or else all that effort was for nothing."
The Man of Five shook his head. "Kiddo, you don't get it. We trained you ourselves 'cause we knew you'd awaken your eyes eventually. We just wanted to make sure you'd be able to protect yourself."
"A lot of good that did me, huh...look what happened to Ma-"
Two hands slammed against the table hard enough to shake both plates, and Ketsui stood from his chair right afterwards. He was furious, wide-eyed with his jaw tight as he scowled at his son; Jiyuu, upon pure instinct from training, got up and matched his father's line of sight, expecting an attack. A finger from the Man of Five found itself pointed at the Hyuuga Pariah.
"You listen to me, you ungrateful shit. We both cared for you like you were our own son. Hell, the reason I even got to know your Ma in the first place was 'cause of you. You sit there, and you act like everythin's your fault, like everythin' is centered around you. You left 'cause you weren't good enough? Cause you wanted to hide from the Hyuuga? Cause you wanted to prove you didn't make Mendona leave the village?"
Jiyuu was quiet, but Ketsui paused just to let out angered huffs in a failed attempt to calm down before continuing.
"Yeah, I thought so. I know how you think, kid. You always gotta take the extreme route, there's never anythin' less for you than that, right? Kami...runnin' off by yourself at 14, makin' yourself a missing-nin just so you could train and do somethin' that you STILL could've done if you left with the Hyuuga in the first place! You never would've been in this mess if you tried keepin' your eyes a secret like I asked you to do in the first place!"
"You're one to talk! As if YOU have any idea what it's like to have something like a doujutsu! You have no clue what it's like to be hunted just because people want to cut you open and and figure out what makes you tick!"
"You don't know a damn thing about me. All that time alone and you still never learned how to NOT assume shit about people, ESPECIALLY me."
"YOU'RE the reason I left to begin with, YOU were the one who wanted me to hide what I really am from others! I may take the extreme route, but I'd rather do that than let people walk all over me and be a coward!"
"Don't you DARE call me a coward, you don't know ANYTHING about me!"
"I know enough, 'Man of Five.' I heard how you were such a great war hero and that you helped hundreds of people. I've never been seen as a hero except people that I went and helped. Other than that, I was seen as a criminal! ALL shinobi thought I was dangerous! So not only did I have people hunting me for my eyes, I also had normal shinobi looking for me!"
"So what?! You want people to feel bad for you? You want a medal?!"
"..."
Losing his temper, Ketsui walked around the table until his was standing in front of Jiyuu, shoving his finger against the young man's chest.
"People who take the extreme route don't deserve sympathy. It's their OWN DAMN CHOICES that put 'em in their situation to begin with! You drove me and your Ma crazy, you know that?! You made your Ma come out of retirement, and the both of us went searchin' everywhere for you. Seven years, Jiyuu, SEVEN YEARS! After we heard about all the Hyuuga you'd been killin', I thought for sure that you were turnin' into a psychopath! But your Ma, bless her soul, she always believed in you. She kept strong, and it's 'cause of her that we kept lookin' for you. We busted our asses lookin' for our boy to take him home, but we never found him, at least I never did. I don't know what happened to that little boy who always smiled and was so enthusiastic about takin' on the world, but all I know's that I found some HARDASS obsessed with being PERFECT, because all he assumes is that nobody wanted anythin' else from him!"
"You would've liked me to be perfect during the Chuunin Exams, wouldn't you? You'd have liked for a genin to beat a damn jinchuuriki so he could stay home!"
"Yeah, I would've, but I also would've liked it if you acted smart and never made that kinda bet with the Hyuuga in the first place!"
"There wasn't any other choice!"
"THERE'S ALWAYS A CHOICE!"
"YOU'VE never been in a situation like that! YOU HAVE NO CLUE WHAT IT'S LIKE MAKING A CHOICE LIKE THAT!"
In that moment, things escalated. Jiyuu found himself being grabbed by the jacket and shoved forward until he was held off his feet and pinned against the wall. His back slammed against it hard, and it felt like the whole house had shook. His father was seething, and the Hyuuga's Black Eye could feel the quivering of Ketsui's hands through the fabric of his jacket.
"THE ONLY PERSON HERE WHO DOESN'T KNOW SHIT ABOUT SHIT IS YOU, JIYUU! I DID HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION LIKE THAT, I DECIDED TO ACTUALLY STICK AROUND AND GIVE A DAMN ABOUT A CHILD THAT I NEVER WANTED!"
The words cut deep, and Jiyuu felt himself stop breathing. His irises shrank, and he wondered for a moment if this was all just an illusion. He had no such luck. Ketsui could see what he said was wrong, but he kept going.
"...I never wanted you...I never wanted a family. I just wanted Warai, your Ma. But she just had to go and find your little ungrateful ass in a cave in the middle of the war. Both me and your Ma were hit with the Infinite Tsukiyomi near the end of the final battle, and we both had dreams. Me, Jiyuu? I dreamed that I was finally at peace and I didn't have to worry 'bout people tryna kill me the next mornin'. Y'know what Warai dreamed of?!"
"..."
"In her dream, she saw you as her baby boy, and me as the Pa." A low growl rumbled in Ketsui's throat, and he pushed a little more against Jiyuu. "At first, I figured I'd just leave your Ma alone, thought I'd do more harm than good. I passed by the Hidden Mist once and paid you two a visit, you were just a few months old and your Ma looked tired, but still had that smile on her face. That visit became two, then three...and soon, I couldn't keep myself away from her...and that meant I had to be responsible, and raise you. Hn...I thought it'd be fine, I'd raise you but me and your Ma would have our own REAL child, my own flesh and blood that I could care for, but your poor Ma isn't able to have kids; too many strikes down low in battle will do that."
"..."
"Gah! The crazy thing was, I actually started to like you, care about you, the little Hyuuga kid that Warai refused to put in an orphanage...but I was right all along, I was never cut out to be a father." He shoved Jiyuu against the wall even more, this time straining so much that both could hear the wooden wall behind the Hyuuga Pariah creaking. "Kami, YOU were one of the few times I took the extreme route. Look what happened. Warai's gonna die because of this, she's gonna die because she wanted to protect her damn baby. I'm gonna lose my wife, Jiyuu. I'm gonna lose my wife, BECAUSE OF YOU!"
Deep down in the mind of Jiyuu, something changed, shifted, twisted, pulled, and finally snapped. This man in front of him wasn't his father, Jiyuu had no father...there was only a man in his house assaulting him. And intruders needed to be dealt with accordingly.
Only letting out a furious yell, Jiyuu slammed his knuckles into Ketsui's cheek.
Of course the older man had let go as he stumbled back, but he was so stunned about the sudden attack that he really didn't know what to do. One of his hands went up to the area that was hit, and the man looked at the person who he thought was his son. Jiyuu was seething, gritting his teeth and breathing so hard his entire upper body was heaving. His arms shook, his fists trembled, and tears were forming in Jiyuu's eyes...
...his damn eyes...the stupid things that ultimately made him so much trouble to deal with...
The hand Ketsui had on his cheek curled into a fist, and letting out his own furious shout, he shoulder-tackled Jiyuu against the wall. The house shook enough to make some pictures on the wall come loose, and it was about to get worse. Both men, in their minds, didn't care who the other was. They were so fed up with the world, with each other, that only their most barbaric of instincts were being brought to the surface. Jiyuu kneed Ketsui in the stomach, but all it got him in return was a mean right hook to the face. He stumbled, and Ketsui brought him to the floor. He threw out wild punches, only yelling out in anger at the young man who had caused him so much trouble that could've been prevented. Jiyuu blocked, kicked and squirming before he grabbed his father by the throat. It became hard to breath, and for a brief second, Ketsui stopped his assault. That moment was all it took for him to be tossed to the side, with Jiyuu shifting his hands to the side of Ketsui's head. The Man of Five's face was slammed against the floor, and Jiyuu grabbed him by the hair to lift the very same head up and bring it down again, and again, and again. Ketsui didn't take much more of that, pulling away his son's arms from his hair and throwing a wild kick that connected with Jiyuu's chest. Jiyuu fell onto his back, but rolled until he was on his feet. Ketsui scrambled to his own feet as he charged Jiyuu, but his son shoulder-tackled the man in the stomach. The father felt himself get lifted off the ground, and soon his back hit the dining table.
The plates of food spilled off the floor, and the loud crashing of dishes breaking rung out. Again, his throat was grabbed, but this time it was to hold him down. Jiyuu's bandaged fist started laying into Ketsui's face, one strike after another. Ignoring the pain, the father grabbed his son's fake arm and shoved it upwards, throwing Jiyuu off-balance long enough for Ketsui to push himself off the table and grab his own son by the head. Right behind Jiyuu was a china cabinet, and Ketsui slammed the young man's head against it hard enough to break the glass door as well as bring more plates down to their doom below. He tried it again, but found an elbow buried into his nose. Next, a wild haymaker hit him, and then he was punched in the chest where his heart was. The organ skipped a beat, and Ketsui felt his whole body turn cold as it temporarily shut down for exactly one second, all the time Jiyuu needed to follow up with a front kick that shoved Ketsui against the wall. He had hit the surface hard, but snapped back just in time to see charging at him with a deranged look in his eye. Like a matador, the Man of Five shifted to the side just enough to avoid Jiyuu's charge, and the Hyuuga's Black Eye felt himself get swept at the legs and trip. He hit the wall hard, but what was even harder was the fist that slammed against the side of his skull and brought further damage to the wall. Then, he was pulled off and put in a chokehold, a really tight one that was only done by people who sought to kill one another. He choked from the sudden pressure around his neck, and could feel Ketsui's whole body shaking as the older man put every muscle possible into the hold.
Again, elbows found their way into Ketsui's body, but this time his gut. One, two, three strikes, yet no give. Jiyuu tried another, but his attacks were now sloppy, weaker. He got desperate, and pulled a kunai from his weapons pouch. He went for the stab, but Ketsui released him just to stop the offending arm. He caught it with a single hand, and Ketsui went for another wild swing. Jiyuu saw this one from miles away, and countered by ducking under and hitting Ketsui's jaw with a powerful uppercut, something he had always been keen on using to finish off people he really didn't like. The strike was clearly effective, making the older man stumble back, but Jiyuu wasn't done. Dropping the kunai, he grabbed Ketsui, and threw him against the wall hard enough that the thing finally gave to all the pressure. Breaking through and making a hole in the wall, Ketsui fell outside and rolled, tumbling until he was laying beneath a tree in the back of the house just by the lake. Jiyuu had taken his eyes off Ketsui after the throw, but he knew where his father had gone. He leapt through the hole in the wall like a wild beast, landing on top of a barely-moving Ketsui, and began slamming his fists against the man's face. Right, left, right, left, over and over again. He began to see blood here and there, the nose, the mouth, an eye. Good, he wanted Ketsui to bleed, wanted Ketsui to hurt.
"YOU THINK I GIVE A SHIT," Jiyuu cried out in a pained, strained voice. "YOU THINK I GIVE A SHIT IF I'M NOT WANTED BY MY OWN FATHER?! FUCK YOU! I DON'T HAVE A FATHER!"
He hit the man again, this time so hard that his whole head...burst into water. In fact, just as Jiyuu had realized he was beating down a water clone, the entire conjuration broke apart into a puddle that soaked into the dirt below. Jiyuu could only hear his own breathing, and his trembling hands and fingers were all he could see in front of him now. He turned them around, and stared into his palms as the shaking got worse, then flipped them back over. There was still blood on his knuckles.
Turning to look over his shoulder, he saw through the hole in the wall was Ketsui, standing stiff and still with a black eye, bloodied nose, and a tear rolling down his face. And from the older man's point of view, he saw the person he called his son on his hands and knees in the dirt, nose bleeding and a cheek cut up from broken shards of glass. He, too, looked like he was trying to not break down into a sobbing mess.
"...you'll never understand what kinda hell either of your parents went through, Jiyuu. Not 'cause you're not able to empathize anymore, but 'cause you're not willin' to..."
There was nothing to be said on Jiyuu's behalf. The Hyuuga Pariah watched as his father wiped blood from his nose with a hand, and walked out of sight. He could hear the front door open and shut, but did not know where his father was going. He stared at the broken wall, the broken home, and forced himself around till he was sat upright. Tonight had been a real eye-opener, this week had been a real eye-opener. Even those moments of happiness in his childhood around his father had been manufactured? Was everything he knew a lie? His eyes went to the dirt, and again, he looked at his hands, the very same ones that had killed countless Hyuuga, countless criminals around the shinobi nations. All he could do was kill, separate, divide...it was all he was good for, wasn't it. The shaking got even worse, and Jiyuu grabbed at his own head as he shut his eyes tight. He hated himself for being this way, he wanted to wake up in his bed as a child and find out this was all just a very, very long dream. But it wasn't, and the truth of the matter kept repeating itself over and over inside the head of the Hyuuga's Black Eye.
"I never wanted you..."