Author Notes: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, it's really pushed me to get this chapter out faster!
Thank you MegaDarkly for your help and vote of confidence as I second-guess myself all the time!
PLEASE NOTE: this fic was rated M for a reason and this chapter is definitely for a more mature audience so be warned.
Yoru no hate = End of the night (lyrics from Yoru no Hate by NICO touches the Walls)
Chapter 18
..~**~..
Come for me one day, to the end of the night
To where I am
To where I am
I woke up with a splitting headache.
I had spent most of the night thinking about my conversation with Naruto and when my mind wasn't focused on the blond, I was consumed with thoughts of Ryo instead.
Three had actually spent the night in our tent for once, probably to keep an eye on me and we both got up and got dressed in silence. She left first and as I was slipping on my black sandals, Ryo slipped in.
"Get out."
What the hell does he think he's doing?
"Lucy, please, just hear me out," he said, his voice unusually calm. "I promise I'll leave after."
His mask was resting atop of his messy brown hair and there was a determined look on his face.
I huffed. "Just hurry up."
His shoulders slumped and he scratched the back of his neck. "Shit, Lucy, I'm so sorry. They didn't give me a choice, all right? They ordered me to get close to you, to get as much information as I could and report back. It was just… too sweet a deal to pass."
I thought about what he had said the previous day, Danzou offering to release his brother earlier from jail. I also remembered all the awful things I had said to him about his brother being dead and although guilt crept up on me, I quickly squashed it.
My eyes narrowed into slits. "Did they tell you to sleep with me too?"
"No," he answered in a firm voice, stepping closer. "No, I promise… that was all me."
I scoffed. It didn't matter what he said, I wasn't going to make this easy on him.
"A nice bonus to the deal."
"No! Damn it, Lucy, it wasn't like that, okay?" he exclaimed, suddenly standing in front of me. "I actually liked you!"
His hazel eyes sought out mine, but I refused to meet them. To my surprise, he lifted his hand as if to reach for my face and then, thinking better of it, he let it drop again.
"I liked you that first morning when you came to our training out of nowhere and told Kinoto to shove it," he admitted with the same sincerity in his voice as when he spoke of his brother. "You're beautiful, you're funny, and you're the only one who acts like a decent person around here. How the hell could I stay away?"
For a moment, his honesty hurt and I almost wished that Danzou had just ordered him to get close to me physically as well. Knowing that he actually liked me just made everything so much worse.
Because I liked you too, Ryo, and if we hadn't met in these fucked up circumstances… maybe…
Realising I wasn't going to answer, he let out a long breath. "I'm sorry. I know I hurt you and it's the fucking worst. I'm so sorry, Luce. If I had known…"
"You would have done it again," I cut in with a sigh, and when I finally looked at him, he turned away, visibly disgusted with himself. "I think I can understand. I would probably do anything to see my brother again too."
If Danzou had offered me a similar deal, I don't know what I would have done. How far would I go to see my family again? How far would I go to find a way home?
I wasn't sure I was ready to hear the answer.
"But that still doesn't make it right," I concluded hastily. "And I'm still mad at you."
He nodded in understanding. "I know. Kinoto-sensei announced we're leaving on a mission today and I wanted to talk to you and apologise before we left."
As much as I was tired and didn't want to deal with him in that instant, he had been right to come find me before the mission to ease some of the tension. I didn't think I would have been able to control my anger otherwise and remain silent all day. Besides, we were teammates and we still needed to have each other's back in the field no matter what.
"I'll leave you to it." He disappeared through the tent flaps and after fixing my long braid in the small mirror Three and I shared and grabbing my weapon holster, I followed out to get breakfast.
I was grabbing an apple and a couple of onigiri from the canteen, when I felt a familiar chakra lingering just outside our row of tents.
Sakura! What the hell is she doing here?
I rushed out to find her, biting into the apple, and glancing my team coming together before the weapons tent out of the corner of my eye.
If Kinoto arrived before me, I didn't want to imagine the consequences.
I found the pink-haired medic peering at me from behind a stack of timber.
"Sakura!" I pulled her back, making sure we were hidden and no one else was around to eavesdrop.
"Lucy," she greeted me with wide eyes. "I'm glad you found me."
I took another bite of my apple, looking over my shoulder. "You shouldn't be here. I can't talk right now, I have a mission."
"I know, I'm sorry, but it's important."
Her voice sounded off and as I turned to face her, I noticed she looked awful. Her face was paler than usual, she looked tired as hell, and her eyes were red.
"Have you been crying?" I asked half out of concern, half out of alarm. Had something else happened that I didn't know about?
"Is something wrong with Tsunade?"
"No, she's fine. I mean… she's still in a coma. There's no change."
Why else would Sakura cry? And then it hit me. Oh, duh…
"Is this about Sasuke?"
She nodded, glancing around us before answering, "Sasuke-kun's been declared a missing nin. Shikamaru and the others want to take care of him before his actions lead to war for Konoha."
When she looked at me again, her light green eyes showed her wavering confidence. "I'm leaving Konoha with Kiba, Sai and Lee-san to talk to Naruto about stopping Sasuke-kun. I doubt Naruto will change his mind but Shikamaru and Sai were adamant. I think Konoha Eleven will try something with or without us and I don't know how to stop them."
Just call him Sasuke, I thought, annoyed.
There was a reason why I usually skipped Hinata's scenes in the anime and had thus forgotten about her fight with Pein - I couldn't stand listening to her repeat 'Naruto-kun' over and over again. It was annoying as hell and Sakura doing the same with Sasuke was starting to grate on my nerves.
I grabbed one of the onigiri and stuffed it in my mouth, throwing away the apple core.
Without Naruto, I doubted any Konoha nin would last a minute against Sasuke, but even so, if they all turned up at the bridge where he defeated Danzou, things could get messy.
Someone would get killed.
"Lucy," Sakura continued in a low whisper. "Shishou never gave me any explanation about our 'patient', but I had a feeling it would help Sasuke-kun. However, no one else knows about that. Shouldn't we tell them?"
I almost choked on the rice stuck in my throat as she brought up Itachi 'our patient' and after a nasty cough, I calmed down enough to hiss, "No!"
"But-"
"Sakura, no," I said in a firm voice. "We have one chance at this, one chance to help Sasuke, and the more people involved, the greater the risk. I'm sorry, I can't help you with Naruto, but I'm sure you'll figure something out. Go along with their plan if you need, but make sure you're alone when you find Sasuke. If everyone else shows up too, things will get ugly. I'll come find you at some point."
I frowned, trying to figure things out in my head. I had never planned so far ahead, but I clearly remembered the moment Team 7 confronted Sasuke on the bridge after he defeated Danzou. For a short moment, Madara had left him alone asking him to kill Karin and hopefully that was enough time for Itachi to confront him and get him out.
I could create a small window of opportunity for Itachi to speak with his brother, the rest was up to him.
What mattered most was Sasuke killing Danzou. As long as the bastard died, then I was happy.
Sakura thought things through for a moment and eventually nodded. "OK, I won't say a word, I promise. But how will you find me?"
"I know where Sasuke will be," I admitted.
Without warning, Kinoto's chakra brushed against my senses, closing in on my team, "Shit, he's here. Sakura, go now before they see you with me."
The kunoichi tensed at my alarmed voice before altering her appearance with a henge.
"Stay safe."
"You too."
She disappeared back towards her side of the camp as I returned to my team, sipping on my water bottle and hoping Kinoto hadn't noticed my absence.
I rushed back to the tent in time as Two gave me a stern look.
"Sorry," I mumbled and went to stand next to Three. She ignored me and I noticed a clear unease among our team as no one said a word while we waited for Kinoto.
He arrived, dressed in full ANBU-looking gear, all black similar to ours, tiger mask at his hip.
"C-rank mission," he announced without any other form of greeting. "Border patrol. Grab all the weapons you need, radios as well. We'll be gone all day. We leave in 10. Six, hang back."
Oh no… Did he hear about my fight with Ryo? Did he see me talking with Sakura? Did he receive orders from Danzou?
Panic spiked within me and I struggled to keep a neutral face as my eyes caught Ryo's concerned look before he disappeared into the tent.
Kinoto pulled me aside, away from the others.
"The nakoudo would like to meet with us both tomorrow morning to go over some details," he said in a low voice. I blinked at him, unsure what he meant until I remembered the wedding plans.
Oh God, I've been so worried about Ryo and Naruto that I completely forgot about Danzou marrying me off to Kinoto! Shit.
"Oh."
"The ceremony will be held tomorrow afternoon at the temple," he continued, his dark eyes scrutinising me.
He paused waiting for me to speak and when I didn't, he added. "The matchmaker recommended that we spend some time together in the morning. It will give us a chance to talk before the wedding."
A chance to talk?
I wanted to vomit at his feet. What was there to talk about? There was no way in hell I was marrying Kinoto!
Sure, he wasn't bad to look at. Like most shinobi he was tall and strong. He had the similar dark features of an Uchiha, with short spiky dark hair and coal black eyes. But he was also a cruel teacher, a bully, and a freaking psycho at times. I knew from weeks of being in his company and he was completely faithful to Danzou.
Not to mention that he was at least ten years older than me!
I knew any rebuttal or retort would make him angry, so I nodded. "Okay."
"Good, now get what you need, wakizashi sword too."
He left without another word and I bit my lip as I headed for the tent. Since Kinoto told me to bring my sword as well, I had a feeling this mission wouldn't be as peaceful as the others.
..~**~..
..~**~..
"How much longer?"
I looked up through the leaves at Ryo perched on a higher branch. Although I knew he'd heard me, he kept his eyes trained on the thick mass of trees before us.
I couldn't blame him. I didn't feel particularly safe in the tropical forest that delimited the Land of Fire from Ame.
"Just over two hours," came his response.
His posture was tense and his answers curt. He felt just as uneasy as I did.
The border between Fire and Ame was known to be crawling with missing nin, local gangs, and other unsavoury characters. The main roads were safe, but deviating from them was never a good idea.
"We shouldn't be here," I said, shifting from my position in the tree. It was stiflingly hot and humid in this damn jungle and my left leg was going numb from being crouched for so long.
"You heard what Kuro said. His team swept through this area yesterday. We'll be fine," Ryo retorted and I huffed in disagreement.
We had spent all morning traveling to a nearby outpost where Team Ookami was currently stationed. Kinoto had made us switch between walking, running and tree-hopping on our way and it was good practice for all of us. Learning to travel in formation, recognizing major roads and landmarks around the village to find our way without a compass.
Everything had been going well until Kinoto had announced that we would be traveling closer to the border – and closer to danger.
We had never gone so far before as a team and certainly nowhere near Ame.
And now here we were, spread out in a linear formation in pairs, keeping watch for any suspicious activity.
The radio crackled in my ear and I heard our leader's voice. "This is Kinoto. Status report."
"One, clear."
"Two, clear."
It had been hours since we'd been stationed in the deep forest, moving position every hour or so and reporting into our radios every twenty minutes. Nothing had changed all afternoon and I silently prayed that nothing would.
"Four, clear," Ryo reported above me.
"Six, clear," I added, hoping Kinoto would be satisfied and call it a day.
"Copy, maintain radio silence."
My earpiece went quiet and I exhaled a long breath, closing my eyes. Ryo and I were at one end of the line with Two and Three in the middle, One by herself on the other end and Kinoto in the rear. He was the only one moving from time to time, no doubt observing us as we stood vigil. He remained close to One and thankfully far from me.
I relaxed and leaned back against the twisted bark. With my luck, I would soon be covered in giant creepy crawlers but I didn't care, my body was too tired.
"Can you see the sky?" I asked Ryo.
I had ignored him all morning and he'd had the good sense to stay away. But when Kinoto had paired us up after we'd left the outpost and traveled closer to the border, we'd been forced to interact.
And now after hours of surveillance, I was bored out of my mind.
"No."
"I think it might rain soon."
It was impossible to see anything through the luscious vegetation but the moisture in the air was undeniable.
"Yeah, probably."
We fell silent for a while.
"I thought you were mad at me."
"That doesn't mean I'm not bored."
"Well if that means you're talking to me again then I'm glad."
I scoffed. "It could've been worse. You could've been paired up with one of the kids."
He chuckled.
"Hey, Six."
"Yeah?"
"I really am sorry."
I know you are.
"Think you'll ever forgive me?"
I fell silent, letting the vibrant thrumming sounds of the jungle answer him instead.
"Yeah, I wouldn't either," he mumbled, and I focused once more on the jungle around us, eager for our watch to be over.
The soft pitter patter of rain echoed overhead. Light rain was falling above us but wasn't strong enough to penetrate through the thick trees.
"Kinoto's on the move," I alerted Ryo, feeling our leader's chakra moving away from Two.
"Is he coming for us?"
It was the next logical step, after teaming up with One and then checking up on Two and Three, he should have checked in on us. But his chakra was moving away, Away from the border and away from the team.
"No. He's… he's leaving!"
What the hell? Where is he going?
Ryo clicked his tongue. "Damn it."
"What?"
"He does that sometimes," he explained from above. "He passes command to Two and leaves to test us. See how we work as a team."
And he's doing that now? It was crazy. We were kids, we were all in training, we weren't ready to face whatever was out there. Technically if we spotted any enemies we had orders to remain hidden and not to engage but the chances of an attack were just too high.
But Kinoto wasn't like Kakashi or any other regular Konoha jounin hired to teach and protect their team.
He was Root. And their training methods were ruthless.
"I don't like this," I admitted, keeping my senses on alert. I wouldn't put it past Kinoto to lay a trap on us or something.
Ryo shifted above me but before he could say a word, my earpiece crackled. "Two here. Regroup at designated area. I repeat, regroup."
"Four here. Copy. On our way," Ryo's voice came through the radio.
At least Two has the good sense of regrouping us before an enemy picks us off one by one.
I dropped down from the tree and Ryo landed by my side.
"We need to get the fuck out of here," I whispered, ducking under the leaves and vines.
"Agreed."
We quickly reached Two's position, a small clearing covered in grasses and ferns and surrounded by palm trees and vines. Two and Three were standing in the middle, masks atop their heads as they whispered in hushed voices. The grim look on Three's face mirrored our own. One was nowhere to be seen, but I could sense her perched up in a tree close by.
"Where the hell is Kinoto?" I hissed, discarding my mask.
My question annoyed the blond kid, but I could tell Kinoto's sudden disappearance had shaken him as well. "He should be around, keeping an eye on us."
"Two, I can't sense him at all!"
I tried to keep my voice down to a minimum seeing as any sounds could direct enemies our way, but my panic was undeniable.
"You can't sense him?" Three repeated. Her eyes were wide with fear before she pulled out a kunai from her pouch, glancing at the thick jungle around us. "We need to leave. We're not ready to handle this."
My stomach churned.
Ryo stepped closer. "Abort the mission, Two. Let's head back to the outpost now."
"We can't," Two argued. "We have orders."
"Fuck orders!" Three yelled, almost hysterical as she grabbed Two's collar. "You were there last time this happened. Five died!"
Oh my God… My hands shook at my side and my heart thudded in my chest.
"Six, don't panic," Ryo whispered, clutching my shoulder. "Just breathe, we'll be okay."
He then turned to Two. "We're leaving. Now. Call back One."
They continued to argue, but I didn't hear them as my senses detected something.
Oh no...
"Three chakra signatures up ahead, coming right for us," I whispered. Immediately, Two spoke through his earpiece and One dropped to the ground next to him.
"What level?" Ryo asked.
I shook my head. I couldn't tell but they were strong. And one of them was no doubt a sensor like me if they were coming straight for us.
"Get in formation," Two barked just as more chakra brushed my senses.
I whirled around. "Three more coming from behind."
"What?!"
"Oh God…"
"Three, put your mask on."
"There's two more ninja coming from the sides," I announced in a shaking voice. "Oh God, they're so strong."
"Six, keep it together."
"They've surrounded us!"
Blood drained from my face and everything became a blur, my teammates' voices fading in the background. Ryo was shouting something and as I saw them all grab for kunai, shuriken and other weapons, I suddenly remembered to unsheathe my blade.
The familiar ball of anger in my chest that had spurred me on the previous day was nowhere to be found.
I'm going to die…
The enemy came out of nowhere.
Three on the ground circling us and five more up in the trees. All male, all thugs. Some dressed like shinobi others in regular clothes, but they were all armed to the teeth. A missing nin from Ame with a crossed headband who seemed to be their leader approached us first. His chakra was the strongest, a Chuunin in rank at least.
He had long bright orange hair and a jagged scar running from his jaw down to his collarbone. He had a mean look in his eyes as he assessed our group.
Another shinobi with scarlet eyes and a katana at his waist looked surprised.
"Konoha ANBU? Here?" he asked, glancing to his leader.
"No, they're kids," the scarred missing nin drawled. "Trainees."
The group closed in on us. We're so screwed…
"Kill the boys. Take the girls."
"Split!" Two ordered and we scattered at once.
I followed Ryo, my assigned partner, as we jumped away trying to separate ourselves from the rest of the group and spread out the enemy. Two had disappeared with Three no doubt and One was already flying at the enemy.
"Six, watch out!"
A barrage of kunai and shuriken sliced through the air towards me and I dodged as best as I could, rolling out of the way. A blade slashed at me, but I parried, pushing back with all my strength before jumping away.
For the first time, I was incredibly grateful for all the training I'd done in the past few weeks. My body reacted on instinct as three thugs attacked us, including one in shinobi gear who knew how to handle a sword. Without my quick reflexes and taijutsu, I would already be dead.
Oh God, oh God, oh God…
Survival and protection instincts kept me on defense as the shinobi wielding a sword came at me again and again. I parried and blocked, kicked and punched, but couldn't bring myself to attack. Couldn't bring myself to kill.
I can't do this!
Beside me, I heard a loud grunt and one of the thugs fell to the ground, a kunai lodged in his throat.
One down.
I exchanged a look with Ryo, covered in his enemy's blood, before our two opponents came at us again, fiercer than before. The sword-wielding shinobi was relentless. And unlike Kinoto, he wasn't using a wooden sword or hitting me with the flat of his sword.
He meant to kill.
A sharp swipe nicked my arm and I hissed, eyes glancing at the damage. It was all the opening he needed for his enhanced kick to hit my stomach. I fell back with a grunt on the muddy ground, slick with rain.
Fuck, that hurts.
Bile rose up my throat and I yanked off my mask, unable to breathe. Before I could get my bearings, the shinobi knocked the wakizashi out of my hand with a laugh.
The second you lose your weapon, you're dead, Genma's words echoed in my mind.
I know, but he's too strong! I wanted to yell at my long-haired sensei. I can't do this, Genma!
"What's the matter, pretty girl?" the shinobi snarled, towering above me. "Looks like you've never been in a fight before."
Oh God, I'm going to die.
His killing intent rose and I scrambled away in a blind panic. My legs were leaden, my hands shook, and tears swam in my eyes.
I couldn't think.
I couldn't breathe.
Please.
"You're trembling like a leaf. Fitting for a Konoha-nin," he noted, his beady scarlet eyes watching me with disdain. "I'll take care of your boyfriend first and then I'll be back for you."
His words didn't register until he blinked out of sight and I was able to breathe again.
He's going after Ryo! Get up, Luce, get up!
I couldn't move. Instead, my eyes spotted Ryo, kunai in hand, fighting like a lion against his opponents. Two against one. He was holding out as best as he could and in a moment of courage, duty, or perhaps blind stupidity, I hauled myself up and rushed forward.
Adrenaline pumped in my veins.
"Ryo!"
Without another thought, I grabbed my weapons pouch and launched every shuriken I could find at the two attackers. Having dismissed me as a threat, both men turned in surprise. The shinobi deflected my projectiles with his blade, but a couple slipped past his guard and sunk into the other thug's shoulder and chest.
The thug stumbled to one knee and the shinobi's face contorted into anger.
I realised my mistake when I looked down for a weapon and had none left.
Shit!
A couple of kunai whizzed through the air and one of them sunk into my thigh. I fell to the ground with a cry.
"Lucy!"
Ryo sliced the thug's throat while the shinobi rushed forward, the point of his blade angled at my chest.
Move!
My leg was on fire. My heart galloping inside my chest. I wouldn't make it. The shinobi's hate-filled scarlet eyes matched the blood dripping from his blade.
I'm going to die.
"Lucy!"
All of a sudden, something shoved me aside and I grunted as a heavy weight knocked the breath out of me. Then, something warm drenched my clothes and bare skin beneath. I opened my eyes and Ryo's messy brown hair smothered my view. His face was twisted in a grimace as I spotted the shinobi's sword buried deep in his gut.
No! No, no, no!
Towering above us, the shinobi ripped the blade out. He smirked in satisfaction before disappearing from sight.
"Ryo!"
My voice was shrill as I twisted my body and lay him down on the wet ground, assessing his wound.
Put pressure on the wound. Remember what Mom taught you, stop the bleeding first!
I ripped part of his shirt away creating a makeshift bandage and applied as much pressure as I dared to his gut.
"Lucy…"
His face was ashen and his breathing shallow as he struggled to speak.
This can't be happening!
"Don't speak. It's okay, I got you," I choked, unable to hide my panic as I stared at the bleeding gash. "Stay with me, Ryo. Stay with me. We can fix this, you're going to be fine."
"Lucy…"
"We'll get you out of here," I rambled on. I couldn't let him die. I couldn't! I had been weak, a fucking coward, and I refused to let Ryo pay the price for it. "You understand? You're going to be okay."
Lies.
It was all lies. Thick blood oozed between my fingers as I spoke and I could barely see a thing through my tears.
Oh God…
"Lucy... I'm glad you're safe…" His hazel eyes, filled with raw emotion, were fixed on me. "I'm sorry I betrayed you…"
My throat tightened and I brushed my fingers along his cheek. He had just saved my life and he was still asking for forgiveness for being manipulated by Danzou.
"Don't speak, you idiot," I answered, forcing a smile to my lips. "It's okay, I forgive you. You hear me, Ryo? I forgive you."
"My name… it's Ryouta," he wheezed, blood tainting his teeth and lips red. "Taketori Ryouta... Lucy... tell my brother..."
He coughed up blood, struggling to speak. "Ryo, please..."
"... tell him I tried."
His eyes locked on mine and I nodded.
Ryo…
A cold feeling gripped my heart.
You saved my life… you can't die, you can't!
His body spasmed and he winced in pain, gritting his teeth. I kept one hand pressed against the wound and clutched his trembling hand with the other. When he opened his eyes again, I recognised the fear within them.
"Hey, it's okay," I whispered as I stroked his hand. "I'm right here. I'm right beside you, I'm not going anywhere."
Blood trickled from his lips, bubbling in his throat. "I fucked up..."
I shook my head, peering into his eyes. "No, you did so well. You saved my life, Taketori Ryouta. You were so brave, you're a fucking hero."
"Hero..." he repeated with a smile.
I kissed his forehead, grateful to this boy; my lover, my friend, my teammate, who had saved my life. He had saved my life and I could do nothing as he bled out in my arms. My tears fell on his cheeks as I whispered soothing words and stroked his hair until the trembling stopped and the light faded from his eyes.
Ryo…
For a moment, I could do nothing but stare into his pale, handsome face.
He's dead.
He's dead.
I brushed a few strands of hair away from his eyes and wiped the blood off his chin before I closed his eyelids and kissed him on the lips.
Ryo…
I let the harsh reality of his death settle over me, shaking me to my core. A deep, silent calm swept over me as I sat up, the pain in my leg diminished to a dull ache.
In the jungle ahead, a scream echoed in the distance, tearing me from my thoughts. One, Two and Three were still alive. Still fighting. I couldn't give up on them. For Ryo, I couldn't let them die.
I didn't know who those thugs were or why they were attacking us, but they wouldn't get away. Konoha, Naruto, everything else be damned, they were not getting away!
I was going to correct my mistake. I
was going to make it right even if it was the last thing I did.
A strange sensation radiated from my chest and burned through my blood. I won't let those assholes get away, Ryo. I won't let you down again.
My hand dropped from his open gut wound, slick with blood. I picked up Ryo's discarded mask staining it with a red handprint before I slid it over my face. Then, I grabbed his weapons pouch and attached it to my own belt.
Guilt pushed me to my feet and I strode through the forest grabbing my wakizashi blade lay forgotten in the mud.
Anger fueled my steps as I followed chakra signatures like a trail of blood leading me through the dense trees where two more attackers lay dead on the ground.
Three down, five to go.
Hate filled me, surrounded me, smothered me. It calmed my rage. It taught me to be cautious, to be smarter than the enemy.
I spotted Two through the drizzling rain. Lying immobile face down and bleeding from a head wound, his swirling chakra told me he was still alive. A clash of steel rang through the trees where One was still fighting against three attackers including the orange-haired leader, but her chakra was almost depleted.
Another piercing scream tore through the clearing.
In a corner, under a mess of vines, the last two attackers had shredded Three's black shirt and chest bandages. Her glistening creamy back I had often seen when we changed together was a bloodied mess and tufts of her jet-black hair lay all around her in the mud.
The larger of the two men was tying her hands to the base of a tree, his intentions clear as his dark eyes drank her in. The young girl was fighting tooth and nail against the two thugs, kicking and screaming.
At the sight, my rage exploded.
My killing intent soared, suffocating the whole clearing. The three attackers in the trees halted and the two thugs on the ground turned to me with wide eyes.
A voice was whispering in my ear.
A voice filling my mind with spattering images of violence and gore as my hands came together, weaving signs.
You're all dead, I thought with glee. You're all dead, you just don't know it yet.
Their leader jumped down from the hiding place, weapon braced to kill me, but before his feet touched the ground, the air shifted and an army of red-eyed, flesh-eating zombies erupted from the trees.
The orange-haired missing nin crumbled to the ground, screaming in terror, eyes wide and delirious.
A cacophony of terrified shrieks and shouts echoed all around and I let them fill my ears as a smile crept on my lips.
One's chakra flashed before me and without any hesitation, she plunged her kunai in the leader's chest, killing him instantly. Her blank mask looked up at me and nodded once before she disappeared again.
I turned to Three and flickered to her side. She watched the two thugs tear at their own skin and hair in astonishment and fear. I cut her loose and handed her the kunai.
"They're all yours."
She took the blade with a hard glint in her gray eyes.
I left without a backward glance, my smile growing wider with every step and scream. I had another target to hunt down before One got to him. My eyes narrowed as I sensed him through the trees.
In a flash, I was by his side.
The scarlet-eyed shinobi was on his hands and knees in the rain, looking delirious and gripping tufts of grass as he struggled to break out of the genjutsu. I squatted before him and tilted my head. Mildly curious, I looked through my own genjutsu and watched the frenzied attack as zombies feasted on his arms and legs while others tore through his skin and pulled out his insides.
"Oh. You've resisted better than your comrades," I noted.
I let my words break the jutsu. It didn't matter anymore, the others were already dead. Like tiny blips disappearing on my radar as One and Three took care of them.
Now only one remains.
The man crumpled to the ground, panting heavily. "Who… who are you?"
"What's the matter?" I asked in a saccharine voice. "Not a fan of zombies?"
I grabbed him by the collar and shoved him against a tree, one hand tight around his neck while the other held my sword at his chest, just between the ribs and ready to pierce the heart as Kinoto had taught me. The rain grew stronger but I took no notice as I focused on the man before me – Ryo's murderer.
Blood pounded in my ears.
Kill him, the voice urged me. Kill him now.
Through my haze of anger, I hesitated.
He killed Ryo! Make him pay. Make him pay for what he did!
No. I shook my head, breaking out of my trance.
I wouldn't kill, I wouldn't. They may have trained me to be a tool; a mindless, brainwashed ninja, but I wouldn't kill.
I tried to silence the voice. That's not me, that's not who I am!
Scarlet eyes studied me before a sly grin broke on my opponent's face. "Aren't you going to finish me? I killed your friend."
"Shut up! Don't talk about him!" The blade shook in my hand as I squeezed my hand around his throat. My hatred grew tenfold, darkening my thoughts, and the voice broke free again.
You can't let him live. He killed Ryo, you have to avenge him!
"You've never killed before," the shinobi stated with a satisfied look in his eyes. "You're afraid. You will always be afraid, kunoichi."
His words hit a chord and I stumbled back, almost slipping on the muddied ground below my feet. I lowered my sword. He was right, I was afraid. And my fear had led to Ryo's death. It was all my fault.
It was all my fault!
"Do you know why I let you go?" he asked, stepping closer.
I shook my head, backing away as he slinked towards me, like a predator stalking his prey.
I can't do it! I can't do it!
"Because I always keep the weak ones for last."
He struck in the blink of an eye, his arm slashing through the air in a wide arc, kunai aimed for my side. It was a sneaky move. One that Kinoto often used during our practice.
My body reacted on instinct, twisting out of the way, before my sword struck his chest. The curved steel blade was unforgiving as it cut through muscle and tissue and pierced his lungs and heart. I dropped my hand with an anguished cry as I realised what I had done. With a groan, the shinobi staggered backwards, his scarlet eyes wide open before a chuckle escaped his throat and he fell to the ground.
I remained frozen, watching in horror as he choked on his own blood and his chakra rapidly faded away.
I stared and stared and stared, rain soaking through my hair, my clothes, washing the blood off me as if I could ever be washed clean of what I'd done.
One and Three appeared at my side. Silent and waiting.
"Four is dead," I choked, slipping his mask off my face.
Without a word, One took my hand in hers as Three pulled me into a fierce hug, crying on my shoulder. "You avenged him, Six. You saved us."
Avenged? My eyes fixed the dead shinobi sprawled at my feet. I guess she was right.
I was numb.
I was confused.
Nothing made sense.
We were supposed to patrol the jungle surrounding the border with Ame. We weren't supposed to engage the enemy. How? How did everything go so wrong?
The voice inside me was quiet.
..~**~..
One checked Two's bandages as I looked over his unconscious body for other injuries. After stealing a large green shirt from one of the dead thugs, Three sat beneath a tree, trying her best to shelter from the rain, as her breathing came out in small pants.
She needed medical attention.
We all needed medical attention.
Rain continued to pelt down, drowning the noises of the jungle, and trickling down my face, making me half-blind. I bandaged my wounded thigh as best as I could and glanced at One to find the blonde little girl looking to me expectantly.
She was waiting for me to lead.
What now, Luce? How do we get out of here? Two needs a medic nin and fast, Three is too injured to travel and neither of us can carry them. Not to mention…
I looked back through the trees where I knew he was laying in the mud.
Ryo…
Before I could think about him any longer, five powerful signatures flared up ahead. My breath hitched and One stiffened before I recognized the chakra.
Team Ookami.
They jumped down in the clearing seconds later, Kuro, their leader, at the head of the group, his white mask covered in black swirls surveying the situation.
"Six."
I looked up, surprised he was singling me out and gritted my teeth as I got to my feet.
"The enemy?" his gruff voice asked.
"Dead."
"Good job. You did well, now let's get you home."
I stared at him, my face blank as his words sank in. Good job. Nothing, absolutely nothing about this nightmare was a good job.
Kuro kneeled beside Two, assessing his injuries. "Aka, grab Two and rush back to the outpost, he's critical. Ao, accompany them and guard their backs. Go!"
The red masked nin hefted my blond teammate in his arms and disappeared in a blur followed by the blue mask.
"Shiro, take care of Three. One, can you travel by yourself?" Kuro asked, his eyes looking over the little girl.
She was scraped and bruised but nothing serious.
"Where's Four?"
His question took me by surprise and for a moment I could do nothing but stare back into his black mask. Finally, I turned to the orange-haired missing nin's corpse and nudged him with my foot before tugging the oversized cloak off his back.
"I'll show you where Four is," I told Kuro before slogging through the wet forest, trying to ignore the pulsing pain in my leg. He followed me in silence until the leaves parted and Ryo's still body appeared on the ground.
I froze. A torrent of emotions that threatened to submerge me rose up in my chest and I struggled to shove it down.
A heavy hand landed on my shoulder.
"Six, I'll take care of him," Kuro said in an uncharacteristic display of sympathy.
I shook my head. "No. I want to help."
I need to help.
And so, we crouched down on either side of Ryo, covering his bloodied body with a fitting black cloak. I reached through his shirt and pulled away the simple leather string necklace with a small green pendant around his neck before covering his face.
Kuro didn't say a word as I stuffed the necklace in my pocket and then helped me wrap him.
And then, we were off. We traveled back to the outpost where a medic nin healed my leg injury in one of the stations before looking over One.
There was still no news about Two, and Three had been taken to another medic.
I sat on the hospital bed feeling numb and stared at One sitting across from me, covered in filth and shivering slightly. I looked down at my own clothes and hands covered in blood.
Whose blood had stained my hands?
The shinobi's, Ryo's, my own…?
"Two is stable but needs further care. We are rushing him back to Konoha," Kuro announced, stepping inside the medical tent. "Six, I have orders to bring you back as well. We leave now."
My mind tried to make sense of his words through the haze that had fallen upon me since the fight ended. I nodded and he peered at me longer than necessary as the look in my eyes or perhaps absence of it unsettled him.
"One, you can come with us or stay here."
The blonde girl looked up in surprise. We were always given orders. Never given a choice.
"I want to go with Two," her soft voice filtered through the hut.
He handed us each a soldier pill. "Then let's go."
..~**~..
We reached Konoha in the dead of night.
I didn't remember leaving the outpost or traveling back to the village. All I could see was Ryo. Ryo on the ground, blood leaking from his wound, his fearful eyes, his words…
I found myself standing alone in my tent, darkness surrounding me.
Head back to your tent. Shower and get some rest, I'll report to Kinoto, Kuro had ordered once we had reached the village gates.
Shower? Rest? I didn't think I would ever be able to rest again.
I stood perfectly still, letting the darkness hide me from the world as I tried to make sense of the last twenty-four hours. Tried to comprehend what I had done. I looked down at the blood crusted along my arms and hands.
What the fuck had I done?!
Familiar chakra appeared outside my tent and I didn't move as the jounin slipped inside without a sound.
You're too late…
"Lucy."
I flinched unable to bring myself to turn around, my eyes still fixed on the blood.
All the blood.
You can't be here. I wanted to scream. You can't see what I've become!
"Lucy," he tried again, stepping closer.
"If you're going to say 'I told you so', you can leave."
The voice sounded foreign to my ears; flat, monotone, quiet, like a ghost. An empty shell barely holding it together.
"I didn't come here for that," Genma murmured. "Lucy, come here."
I shook my head. "No."
"Come here," he insisted, gently taking me by the elbow and turning me around.
"No… no!"
The look in his eyes was too much. I tried to step away, but he held on tighter pulling me against him as I fought his touch. I tried to push him away, hitting his chest with my fists, but he didn't relent.
"Don't! Don't touch me, Genma! Please, don't -"
My voice broke and the dam of emotions I had carefully built gave way. An anguished cry escaped my lips as his arms encircled me, pulling me against him. I caved in, clinging to the back of his flak jacket as deep, gut-wrenching sobs tore through my chest and shook my whole body.
He held me tight as I continued to wail and cry like I had never cried before.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he whispered into my hair. "I'm here now. I'm here. You'll get through this, Lucy. I promise, you'll get through this."
He rocked me gently like a baby and I clung to his words for dear life, wanting to believe him.
Desperately.
I wanted to believe that I would get through this nightmare, that I would somehow survive.
But how could anything be okay anymore? Because of me, Ryo was dead, and I had taken a life.
I had killed a man.
I had crossed another barrier between my world and theirs. This was it. I wasn't playing at being kunoichi anymore, I had turned into one.
And my world had never felt so far away.
..~**~..
..~**~..
I woke up on a simple futon, a slim blanket covering me up to my waist. My sandals, sword, and belt were gone but otherwise I was still in my shinobi gear, still covered in grime and blood.
I blinked, taking in my surroundings. A wooden cabin, not a tent. Hearing the construction noises outside, I realised I was on the other side of the village, far from my own lodging.
Genma appeared in the doorway, senbon pinched between his lips, and I struggled to remember what had happened the night before.
Did I pass out in his arms?
Seeing the puzzled look on my face, he answered, "You were exhausted so I brought you here. I also brought your pack."
I spotted my backpack in the corner of the room with all my belongings mostly sealed in scrolls. I nodded at him unable to find the energy to engage in conversation.
"Here, drink." He passed me the steaming wooden bowl in his hands. "It's miso soup."
I stared into the bowl and after a moment, I obediently brought the broth to my lips.
Genma watched me closely, his brows furrowed as I ate in silence. "I need to check on a few things, but I'll be back soon."
He gestured to another door. "There's a bathroom with a shower through there. With hot water as well," he added with a smile. "Make use of it and when I get back, we can talk."
He hesitated, ready to say something else but thinking better of it, he grabbed his jounin vest and slipped out.
I was left alone with my dark thoughts and aching body, wanting nothing more than to curl up on the futon again and sleep. The sun shining through the glass window was a fresh reminder that the outside world didn't care about what had happened – didn't care about my pain and grief.
Setting down the soup, I pushed myself up to my feet. No matter how I felt, I needed a shower. A long one to scrub the grime away and help me see a sliver of light through all the darkness.
I stood under the hot stream for a long time, watching the water turn pinkish red and brown as it trailed down my body and through my hair. I scrubbed at my skin, hissing as I discovered new cuts and avoiding the splatter of bruises on my legs.
The shower did little to lift my spirits, but at least I was clean. I secured the large, fluffy dark green towel Genma had left around my body and brushed my teeth before walking back into the bedroom. I grabbed some clean panties and left my bloodied clothes in a corner to be thrown out, retrieving Ryo's necklace from one of the pockets.
The sight of the pendant jolted me.
It was stained with blood, no doubt by my own hand when I first took it. I slipped it over my neck and stared at the green stone brushing against my cleavage.
Ryo…
"Lucy... tell my brother... tell him I tried…"
I grasped the pendant between my fingers, fighting back a fresh batch of tears. Ryo…I'll find him. I'll do my best.
I stood in front of a mirror hanging from the wall, still wrapped in my towel, and my body went through the motions as I brushed my hair, trying to ease out the knots. I tried to ignore the bruises and cuts peppered along my arms and the dead look in my eyes.
Where the hell was Genma? Didn't he say he'd be back soon?
A chakra signature flashed at great speed, jolting me out of my thoughts.
No! My heart slammed in my chest as I recognised the chakra. No fucking way! How dare he come here?
The hairbrush slipped from my grasp as the bedroom door flew open and Kinoto walked in.
"Six."
I stared back at him in horror.
His arms were crossed over his chest, a deep frown on his face, and the sight of him turned horror into anger.
Rage.
My fists clenched and before I knew it, I charged.
"Kinoto, you asshole!"
My fist flew at him, but he evaded and shoved me back against the wall, his hand around my neck. My head hit the wooden structure hard, but still I didn't stop. "How could you just leave us like that?"
He narrowed his eyes, his fingers digging into my skin. "The mission was a success. The enemy was defeated."
"A success?" I snapped, struggling against his grip. "Four is dead! You left us there to die!"
His hand tightened, crushing my windpipe. "Lower your voice. I won't repeat myself, Six."
The effect was immediate. I stopped struggling, wheezing for breath.
He's a psycho. He's a fucking psycho.
"I came to pick you up this morning for our little meeting with the matchmaker," he continued in an even voice. "Imagine my surprise when I found out that not only your tent was empty but that you spent the night with Shiranui. Care to explain?"
He thought I'd had sex with Genma. Like everybody else apparently. Well if he cared about that…
"I slept with Four as well," I shot back with a sly smile.
He had probably already known since he'd kept constant tabs on us all, but still it felt good to throw it in his face. His expression darkened and his jaw locked, yet he didn't say a word. Instead his other hand came up to touch Ryo's necklace, his knuckles brushing against my skin.
"Danzou-sama gave you to me. Do you know what it took for me to watch that idiot hover around you and not break his neck?"
I pushed against the wooden wall, trying to get away from his touch. I did not like where this conversation was going.
"Well Four is dead now," I reminded him sharply. "You made sure of that when you abandoned the team."
His eyes snapped up to my face. "It was the final test."
Test? Test?
"Test for what?" I spat out. "To see who would survive the attack?"
The look on his face turned ruthless. "To see who would kill. Congratulations, you passed. You can officially join our ranks."
My body went cold all over.
Somehow, I had known. We had all known something was up when Kinoto had left. He hadn't just left us for no reason. But to admit, out loud, that the attack was a test all along made me sick to my stomach.
"You piece of shit!"
His hand connected with my face before I could blink and I stumbled to the floor. My ears rang and my cheek stung as I picked myself up, grabbing the towel before it could fall off.
He crouched down beside me, one hand gripping my shoulder and holding me down.
"If you know what's best for you, Six, you'll keep your mouth shut," he growled, trying to contain his anger. "We will return to your tent where a kimono awaits you and then head straight to the temple. But first, you are going to give me some answers."
He tugged my hair back, dark eyes blazing. "You've been holding out on me again, and I intend to keep the promise I made you last time - I will break you."
I shivered at the threat in his voice. Perhaps he wouldn't kill me since he still planned on marrying me, but that wouldn't stop him from beating me within an inch of my life, or worse.
"Kuro's summon saw the whole fight," he continued, "and he mentioned something very interesting about your chakra."
My God, those assholes were watching the whole time?!
"After Four's death, your killing intent soared, your chakra changed somehow and your genjutsu was stronger than ever before."
I stilled at his words. Is that what had happened? My chakra had changed? I hadn't noticed in the moment but perhaps he was right. The chakra I had moulded had been different somehow – darker.
He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up at him. "What kind of power is that?
"I – I don't know," I admitted.
"How did you acquire it?"
"I don't know!"
I had no idea how I'd done what I did. Where had that voice come from? The anger? The hate?
Kinoto let go of me. "It's probably the first honest answer you've given me today. Well then, let's see if I can coax it out of you."
He grabbed me by the arm tugging me up and hauled me in front of the mirror, my back against his chest.
"What are you doing?"
He kept one hand around my neck as the other one grabbed the knot of my towel and pulled it loose.
"No!"
I tried to catch it, but his grip tightened, and he pulled me flush against him. I saw our reflection in the mirror and cringed. Thank God I had at least a pair of black knickers on.
"I warned you, time and time again. You're too naïve, Six," he taunted in my ear. I watched in the mirror's reflection as his arm snaked around my bare stomach. "But then again, this isn't your first time."
"Get off me!"
I struggled against his grip, choking on my own fury. He chuckled at my attempts and when his lips kissed my shoulder, I almost lost it.
"You know I thought Danzou was the worst, but you really take the cake," I lashed out, anger dictating my words.
He grabbed my wrist in a painful lock. "And you don't know when to keep your mouth shut."
He twisted my arm behind my back before dragging me to the futon. I hissed in pain as he tossed me forward, my arm still locked.
I was furious. How could this happen? How much more was I going to have to endure? I turned my head to the door, praying for someone to come.
Genma, where the hell are you?
"Lucy."
Kinoto's voice was in my ear and I flinched as he used my real name.
"Don't make it harder than it needs to be. No one is coming for you," he answered my silent question as he noticed my gaze on the door. "Team Ookami is handling that meddling fool, Shiranui, as we speak."
No one is coming.
No one is coming.
I lay flat against the futon, Kinoto's knee digging painfully into my back. It was hard to breathe. It was hard to think.
His fingers trailed along my side up to the curve of my breast and I screamed in frustration.
"No! Get off me, get off-"
The rage within kept rising and rising, until I thought I was going to explode. I shut my eyes, struggling to breathe, and let the voice in the back of my mind invade me – fill me.
Let me take over, it said. Let me be free.
I could feel its chakra leak from my chest and mix with my own.
I could feel it run through my veins, smothering every other thought or feeling.
Everything became darker.
And darker.
"Yes, that's it," Kinoto urged from above. "Danzou-sama will be pleased to hear about this."
Without warning, his weight disappeared.
"Danzou can rot in hell," a voice growled back.
I gasped, inhaling deeply as the fog lifted and my mind finally noticed the third chakra in the room.
I whipped my head around.
It can't be -
Kinoto was pinned against the wall, his throat crushed by the dark figure before him.
Itachi!
He was right there, in front of my eyes, dressed in a dark travel cloak. Kinoto had clearly been caught off-guard, not expecting anyone to come for me. His eyes went wide once he recognised his attacker and in the blink of an eye, he was trapped in a genjutsu, a look of horror etched in his face.
Itachi released his hold and Kinoto slumped down, unconscious.
The anger, the voice, all of it disappeared as I stared at the Uchiha, speechless. He turned his attention to me and I watched his red Sharingan eyes revert back to normal.
What is he doing here?
"Lucy."
He diverted his gaze, his raven bangs falling into his face.
Confused, I looked down and realised I was still naked except for my black knickers.
Oh my God!
Absolutely mortified, I grabbed the discarded blanket on the futon and pulled it up to hide my chest. My face was burning red and I couldn't look Itachi in the eye as he approached and crouched before me.
It took me a moment to find my voice. "Itachi. You – you're here."
His onyx eyes studied my face, a slight frown marring his features. I drank in his appearance, his long black bangs, his high cheekbones, and the strong line of his jaw. He looked so much healthier than last time I'd seen him.
His gaze finally locked with mine. "Did you not think I would come?"
"I… uh…"
I was ashamed to admit it had slipped my mind that I had asked him to come find me. I had hoped he would come, of course, but I had a feeling that he might forget once he saw Sasuke again and I wouldn't have blamed him for it. Then I had joined Danzou's program and with everything that had happened I had made myself forget about my stupid request.
Itachi had never actually promised me anything and I didn't think I could take any more false hope.
And yet he had come.
He was here. He had remembered and had arrived in the nick of time. Without him, I didn't even want to imagine what might have happened.
Without him…
Tears welled up in my eyes.
"Sorry, I just…" I tried to smile, but my chin trembled, and I covered a sob with my hand as tears of relief raced down my cheeks.
Itachi…
I couldn't utter a single word as I wept, head bowed.
He shifted from his spot and after a moment, something warm covered me. His dark travel cloak was wrapped around my shoulders and Itachi knelt before me, hands lingering at the collar.
The softness in his dark eyes surprised me. "You're safe now."
I held his gaze despite the tears, trying to convey my gratitude through unspoken words.
Itachi, thank you.
..~**~..
I received my first nasty review saying OC-inserts were the worst and hoping my story crashed and burned... *sigh* If you've been enjoying the story so far and also think OC-inserts aren't a blight on this fandom, then please I would LOVE to hear from you! :)
Ryo's death, Lucy/Genma, and Lucy/Kinoto/Itachi scenes were plotted 5 years ago. It's crazy to think that I've actually reached that point. The Lucy/Genma scene is based on a scene from Revenge, the TV show, that I was watching back then.
Itachi is back! Finally! And we'll be seeing a lot more of him. We are soon approaching the reunion with Sasuke and some of the mystery around Lucy will be revealed as well. Lots of things to come!
sai xx